“Wait,” I say. “It gets worse.”
“How could it be fucking worse?” Luke asks.
“I think he knows about the snake.”
The silence that falls between us is absolute. The shock on Rex’s face is extreme.
“I know we suspected they knew something,” Rex says. “But does he actually know the legend? Would he come for the power?”
“He might,” I say. “Look, I really don’t know. It was just a hint he gave me. I might be imagining it, or just being plain paranoid.”
“We can’t dismiss it,” Brad says. “People do crazy fucking things for that snake, and it never works out well for them, or anyone else.”
“Agreed,” I reply.
“Any other good news?” Rex asks.
“Only this—I have a gut feeling Talon wanted to join the pack back to the human world. Jackson says that Talon wanted them isolated, and it was misguided, but I’m almost positive that Jackson is the one setting up the place, so he is the supreme power, and they are completely cut off and dependent on him.”
“If Talon was killed in Eccles, wouldn’t that confirm all the old suspicions?” Brad asks. “Jackson could really use that to his advantage.”
“But he wasn’t counting on us,” Rex says, smiling. “He probably thought we’d just take out their guys and not bother tracking them all the way up here.”
“It’s just the right amount of cunning and short-sightedness for that fucker,” I say.
“It would have been very neat,” Rex says. “‘Oh no, Talon’s dead, and it was evil Eccles that killed him. Now we have to lock down, and woe is me, I guess I’ll take up the heavy burden of leadership.’”
“That sounds about right,” I reply, nodding.
“Where is this crazy little fuck?” Luke demands. “I want to squeeze him a bit and see what oozes out.”
“He should be here by now,” I say, turning to lead the others over to the park.
As predicted, Jackson has arrived, and he’s standing in a group of adoring public. The grill is sizzling with meat from the previous day’s hunt, and a picnic is being set up, most of it from Jackson’s private stock.
If I’m right about his plan, how is he going to get it back on track? He needs to get rid of all of us if he wants to rule Clover like a little dictator.
“Shawn!” Jackson says, hurrying over to shake my hand. “Good morning to you—and our allies from Rose Hollow and Eccles. Come on in, Alpha Rex and Alpha Bradley. These must be your lieutenants?”
“Yes,” Rex says, giving Jackson’s hand a firm shake. “Thank you for the warm welcome.”
“My pleasure,” Jackson says. “Sit down, please, and have some cold beer. I’ve brought plenty of food so everyone can indulge themselves today.”
“Much appreciated,” Brad says. “We had a long journey.”
“Now that our alpha is here, and his friends from the nearby packs, I’ll continue with my announcement,” Jackson says, turning back to the people. A lot of them are smiling up at him, and I start to get a weird, creepy feeling.
“Renovations will be done on every single building in town,” Jackson says. “I will see to it that the standard of living is raised for all the wolves in the pack. My men and I will personally supervise supply runs to Eccles and Rose Hollow for resources.”
“Excuse me?” Rex mutters.
“Along with improvements to the buildings, we’ll be linking our supply routes to theirs to bring in modern amenities, including technology.”
Grateful whispers run through the crowd, and most people gaze at Jackson like he’s the second coming.
“What the fuck?” Brad hisses.
Jackson goes to open his mouth again, and I step forward and grab his shoulder.
