The meeting hall felt too big with about half of wolves left. Empty spaces where pack members used to sit made the silence heavier. Nobody wanted to speak first.
"We need to talk about what happens next," Kai finally said from the front of the room.
"What happens is we're losing," someone called out from the back. "Smith has twenty wolves. Maybe more by now."
"We still have a good number," Marcus countered.
"For how long?" That was Rebecca, one of the younger wolves. "My brother joined Smith yesterday. He says they're stronger. Says they're evolving while we're stuck in the past."
"Your brother chose to abandon his family," Kai's voice went hard.
"Or maybe he chose survival," Rebecca shot back.
The room erupted in arguments. Wolves shouting over each other. Some defending Kai. Other
