Page 44 of A Bear's Secret

Chapter Twelve

Trevor

The momenthis father told him there was a pack meeting, Trevor had gotten worried. Pack meetings were normally on a schedule, and they took place on Saturday mornings. They weren’t at night with no notice.

He’s found out already, Trevor thought. That was faster than I anticipated.

By now they were in the workshop, his father leading him into the big meeting room. Everyone in the pack was there, thirty or forty wolves, all sitting around quietly.

Trevor felt watched. No, more than watched. He felt like he was under a microscope, almost like he was prey. The thought made him stand up taller.

You could run, he thought. Prey would run.

There were wolves in front of the door, and the workshop didn’t have windows. Trevor was trapped and he knew that there was only one way out — through the other wolves.

This is payback for Olivia,he thought. This is what I deserve.

He sat on a stool, watching his father.

Buck stood in front of everyone. As much as Trevor didn’t agree with his father, he had to admit that the man had charisma. Who else could get this many other wolves to be here, even after getting two of their comrades killed? Who could have them all hanging on his every word?

He waited until the big, echoing metal room was totally silent before he spoke.

“As most of you know, we’re almost ready to put the plan into action,” he said.

Trevor blinked.

What?

“The time is right for the wolf to rise up and take what’s his,” he went on. “No more being under a human thumb. Wolves first, now and forever!”

On that cue, there was a screech of metal from the back of the room, and Trevor turned. Two enormous metal cabinets were pulled open by two wolves, a man and a woman, the horrible sound of metal on metal clattering through the workshop. Inside the massive cabinets he could only see shadow, but in the pit of his stomach, he had a terrible, terrible feeling.

“Wait,” said his father. “Not yet.”

His eyes, copies of Trevor’s own, raked the room.

“First we demand loyalty,” he said.

What the fuck is going on, Trevor thought, just as his father’s eyes slid over to him.

“As we all know, loyalty is the most important thing to a wolf pack,” his father said. “Bring him out.”

The office door opened, and a human teenager came out, led by a big, burly wolf. The kid’s hands were tied behind his back, and he already had a black eye.

The kid looked terrified, and Trevor could feel his wolf rise to just beneath his skin, fueled by adrenaline and danger.

“Trevor and Rick, we’re going to need a show of loyalty,” Buck said.

Trevor stepped forward, along with a younger wolf.

“What did he do?” Trevor asked.

His father shrugged.

“Why’s he here?” he asked, his voice rising.

“So you can show us that you’re not going to betray your own people,” his father said, his voice hard. “Don’t worry, I’ll go first.”

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