Both boys rose and marched out of theroom.
My heart was beating double-time. I wanted to ask Liam if dragging my uncle down to this meeting was truly necessary, but bit my tongue. I didn’t think it judicious to challenge the Alpha before the meeting evenstarted.
Frank tipped his head toward Liam. Where the Alpha wasn’t speaking out loud, Frank was answering with nods andyeses, so a conversation washappening.
Muted grunts and heavy footfalls sounded just outside the room, and then Lucas and Matt were back, my uncle wedged between them. They released him in the last free chair before returning to their respectiveseats.
Jeb slumped forward, complexion as gray as his salt-and-pepper scruff, and forehead as puckered as a raisin. He seemed to have aged years in the space of a coupledays.
“Close the door, Little J,” Liam told one of the youngest members of the pack, a boy with acne and shoulder-length copperhair.
The boy reminded me of Everest the year I left Boulder. Everest, too, had worn his red hair long, and he, too, had had a bad bout of acne. I remembered wondering how he could stand the chemical smell of the cream he’d rub into his face every day to clear itup.
“Thank you all for coming.” Liam’s voice rang clearly in the low-ceilinged room, echoing against the clay-colored stone walls. “We have two matters to discuss tonight. Let’s begin with Everest Clark, my father’skiller.”
Frowns pleated foreheads, and gazes narrowed on me. My pulse spiked as I realized people still saw me as Everest’s willingaccomplice.
“Unless you can live without eyeballs, I urge you all to stop looking at Ness that way,” Liamgrowled.
The men averted theirgazes.
“The pack’s custom has always been to avenge a death with adeath.”
I’d been wringing my fingers together in my lap but stopped when Liam spoke of avenging deaths. I crossed my arms and leaned against the springy backrest.Not always, I thought but didn’t say out loud. Everyone around this table knew my father’s death hadn’t beenavenged.
“All those in favor of Everest Clark’s death, please raise yourhands.”
Jeb made this squeaking sound that prompted Nelson to put a hand on my uncle’s slouched shoulder. Although August’s dad didn’t say anything, his pinched expression told me he, too, thought having Jeb sit in on this meeting wascruel.
Many hands shot up; not mine. I didn’t want Everest dead; I did want him punished, though. I counted hands, looked at the faces of the men who voted for Everest’s execution. Thirty-four hands out of forty. Jeb squinted at the hands too, pallid lips wobbling. Nelson hadn’t raised his hand, but Augusthad.
Liam didn’t have a gavel, but he banged his fist against the table. “The majority hasdecided.”
And just like that—a fist against a table sealed my cousin’s fate. Blood beat against my skin that suddenly felt too tight for my body. I rubbed my bare arms, trying to ease the sudden strain. The dusting of hairs began to thicken underneath my palms. I was shifting! I couldn’t shift here. I closed my eyes, and my nostrils flared as I pushed against my risingwolf.
I would let her outlater.
Later,I promised her.Please notnow.
I couldn’t lose control in front of all thesemen.
I pressed harder against her. Repressed her. Slowly, like thawing ice, her hold melted away. When I felt in command of my body, I raised my lids and glanced around, praying no one had witnessed mystruggle.
Thankfully, the pack was discussing some other matter. Or maybe they were still discussing Everest. Whatever they were talking about, it captivated all of theirfocus.
No, that wasn’ttrue.
August was watching me, and from the concern smudging his expression, I deduced he’d witnessed my little tussle. I was about to offer him a reassuring smile but remembered his raised hand—his vote. I stared at the revolving ceiling fan, at its blades that blurred as they sliced the tension-filledair.
Liam tapped his fist against the table again to garner everyone’s attention. “Now onto the second matter at hand.” Liam dug an aluminum-foil tablet out of his jeans pocket and held the thing out between his middle and index fingers. “Is everyone familiar withthese?”
10
Liam wiggled the tablet,and the aluminum wrapping crinkled in the quiet conference room. “It’s called Sillin. We ingest it when we need to avoid shifting. In other words, if you ever travel out of state, break a bone, or get silver poisoning, this is what we’ll giveyou.”
Silver poisoning?I didn’t know Sillin countered thateffect.
“Over the years, we’ve amassed a large stock of these. Last time my father asked Greg to procure some from the hospital, the pack doctor was told the formula had been discontinued.” Liam tossed the tablet to one of the younger boys so he could take a look at it, sniffit.
