Page 60 of Wolf Roulette

Whatever.I’d learned my lesson on confronting these things early on. “I’ll tell you what I told Valerie. If I ever detect that your opinion is affecting your job, you’ll be dropped from the head team without warning. We don’t need to be friends to get the job done, and I can empathise with how you feel about my part in Herc’s death, but I need the support of every person in this room. If you can’t do that, you’ll be reassigned.”

I listened to his thumping heart as anger rose to the surface.

He tempered it. “I believe my best friend’s death could have been avoided. I’m frustrated and upset about that, but I voted for you to return all the same. Herc may have misjudged you in some ways, but he didn’t misjudge your ability to lead. I don’t like you, but you won’t encounter any opposition from me. Not in this room, and not behind closed doors. You’re the best leader for this tribe, and the tribe is my life.”

Truth.“Then we’ll continue.”

The door opened, and Wade entered, dressed in a three-piece suit.

“I have arrived.” He took the empty seat on my right that Rhona once occupied.

I smiled at him. “That you have. Welcome to the head team.” I addressed the others, “Not only is Wade on a first-name basis with the entire tribe, his advice has guided me on many occasions. This team is made up of the most discerning minds the Ni Tiakihas to offer, and that’s exactly why, despite his youth, Wade is with us now. In time, I’d like to give him more responsibility with the stewards. Until that time, let’s show him how we work.”

The head team greeted him with varying levels of enthusiasm.

They’d see.

“Now.” I leaned forward. “Please bring me up to speed.”

Pascal cleared her throat. “After Rhona cast you out, things here were unsettled. Many disagreed with the violence of what she proposed.”

I sat back. “When Sandstone was lost?”

“It got worse. Rhona… It became apparent to the head team that her choices had far less to do with helping the tribe than gratifying her personal issues. Tribe dissent grew vocal, fronted by a steward called Jessi Angel.”

She was big on peace. That didn’t surprise me.

Stanley took over. “Pascal brought your Timber tip to Rhona, saying she’d spoken to a supplier who’d mistakenly told her the contents of another order from Deception Valley. One for a huge amount of climbing materials.”

I’d wondered how she convinced Rhona about that. “Smart.”

“We thought up a counter-strategy, but as you know, we lost that grid too.”

“What’s the current feeling?”

Wade answered, “The stewards were more hostile than we’d seen them since Herc’s death, but no one expected Rhona to leave. When they heard the news… you can imagine how betrayed they felt. Three groups have formed. One is peaceful and led by our tree-hugging friend. Another pities you but believes you should be held accountable for what happened to Herc. The third hate your guts. The vast majority of the tribe are undecided.”

Okay.“How evenly do you believe the groups are split?”

“The middle group is the largest.”

I tapped a finger on the table. “I can’t work with the hate group, but I can drown them out with enough numbers.”And a few threats.

“If I can make a suggestion?” Trixie said. “None of the tribe have heard your side. An explanation could go a long way.”

I’d had the same thought at 5:00 a.m. when it became clear Sascha wouldn’t return. “Please call a gathering for tomorrow night. The tribe deserves an explanation, and I deserve the chance to tell them what really happened.” I exhaled. “Moving on. We know the pack will pick Iron next. This is the closest the pack has ever been to winning. Sascha will throw everything he has at us. Every resource he can spare. Every weapon.”

Before I could lose to the pack, I had to negotiate a truce with Sascha.

Until we spoke, I had to assume losing to the pack wasn’t an option.

Victratum had existed for more than two centuries.

But I had to win it.

10

I clicked Send.

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