Aftermath
The return to Silver Ridge passed in a kind of suspended quiet.
No one spoke much on the walk back through the trees. The formal confrontation had drained something from all of them—adrenaline, tension, the sharp edge of anticipation that had hung over the previous five days. Lila walked between Ronan and Talia with her arms wrapped around herself against the lingering morning chill, the recorded statement still echoing in her head. *I closed the door. I am stating again… that the door stays closed.* The words had been necessary. They had also scraped something raw open one final time.
By the time the pack house came into view, the mist had burned off and the sun was fully up. A few wolves were already moving across the grounds—early patrols returning, kitchen staff starting t
