"Who is it?" Natalie asked Ryan.
"Your dad. Only he wants to set up a meeting to discuss it in person. Any idea why?"
Natalie's heart slowed down. "My dad likes to name-drop."
"Name-drop?" Paul echoed.
"There are different levels to an alliance. Most simply want the association with that pack, want to build the number of associations to look impressive."
"A little like people on social networks wanting to have a massive friends list?"
"Exactly. Others want an assurance that if they ever need to call on the pack in an emergency for backup of some kind, they'll get it. Then some are a lot like people who enjoy boasting about all the important or influential people they know – like to drop names into conversations and claim that that person is a close acquaintance to look impressive to others."
