Bridges and Bones
The days following the vote were filled with cautious celebration and tense silence in equal measure.
The formation of the United Pack had stirred the roots of ancient customs—some embraced the change with open arms; others clung to the past with claws buried deep in tradition. Rowan and Caleb knew that winning the vote had been just the beginning. Now, the true work had to begin.
And it wouldn’t be easy.
Morning – At the Gathering Stone
The clearing around the Gathering Stone had once been neutral ground. Now, it was a scarred patch of earth—still blackened from the fires of the rogue siege. Caleb knelt beside a row of wooden stakes that marked the graves of the fallen.
He placed a wildflower crown at the foot of one.
Rowan approached quietly, a satchel slung over
