Asher delivered the statement at mid-morning in the main clearing.
The pack gathered quickly once the call went out. I stood a short distance to his right — close enough to be clearly associated with him, far enough that no one could claim I was being presented as already claimed. The fractured bond hummed under my skin the entire time, sensitive to every shift in his posture and voice.
He kept it controlled and deliberate.
“Three years ago, a decision was made that fractured more than one life in this pack. The full history of that decision is not for public debate. What matters now is this: Luna Hayes has returned under my protection and with my authority. The bond that once existed between us was never ordinary, and the consequences of its breaking have never fully settled. There are
