Maria put up her hand like she was stopping traffic. “I don’t want to hear it!” she said. “I underestimated you, Tora. I thought you were stupid and ugly, but now I know you’re just ugly.”

Tora could feel the hair along her back begin to bristle.

“And I’ve always felt there was something weird about you and your brothers, and I mean really weird.” The right corner of her mouth curled up in a sly, sick sort of smile. “I didn’t care all that much before, but now I’m going to find out what it is.” When she was done talking, Maria stomped her right foot, spun around on her heel and stormed out of the auditorium.

Tora was left shaken. All of the anger she’d felt toward Maria drained from her body, replaced by a needle of fear. The pack feared no human, but there was something about the tone of Maria’s threat that suggested she wouldn’t stop until she knew the truth about them. There was going to be a problem…a big problem.

“We’ve got to find Noble,” Tora said.

“Why? What for?”

“I’ve got to talk to him. Right away.”

“Relax,” said Noble, appearing by Tora’s side. “There’ll be plenty of time to talk later.”

Harlan moved in close to his sister. “Right now, it’s time to celebrate your win,” he said.

Argus joined them. “With some burgers,” he said, rubbing his hands together and licking his lips.

Michael suddenly found himself an outsider, with three brothers between himself and Tora. “Am I invited to this victory party?” he asked.

The pack turned to Michael.

“Of course, you’re invited,” said Noble.

Argus put an arm on Michael’s shoulder. “Someone has to pay for the food.”

The five of them left the auditorium together, laughing and happy.

For now.

Acknowledgments

Writing a novel is always a solitary endeavor, but there are invariably a number of people who assist the author along the way and this is the place to offer them a bit of thanks. And so, thanks, then, to Kathy Lowinger of Tundra Books for believing in the Pack; to Lakeshore Branch Manager, Marilyn Pillar, and the excellent staff of the Innisfil Public Library who helped give this novel its point of origin; to Sergeant Amanda Allen and members of the Peel Regional Police Auxiliary, and their families and friends, who lent their names to a worthy cause—Tyler Allen, Bill Droine, John Hughson, Donna Hughson, Dick Terashita, Brian McAteer, Jake MacKinnon, Willem Grant and Alise Grant; and finally to my wife, Roberta, without whose love and support this book and all my other books would never have been possible.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR