I looked around the gathering, meeting as many eyes as I could. "In one week, I will formally claim my position as Alpha. Those who wish to be part of the new Graystone pack will pledge their loyalty then. Those who cannot accept my leadership or the changes that will come are free to leave without judgment."
The courtyard remained silent as my words sank in. Then, slowly, Elder Miriam stepped forward and knelt, her head bowed.
"I pledge myself to Alpha Marabelle Daisy Graystone," she said clearly. "To the new pack you will build."
One by one, others joined her—first the older wolves who had known my parents, then younger pack members who had grown up under Dominick's shadow. Not all knelt, but more than I had expected.
I felt Maison shift beside me, his presence steady and grounding a
