Aaron
Duty never announces itself.
It waits.
That’s the mistake people make when they think leadership ends with resolution. When they believe the removal of a threat is the same thing as peace. The pack doesn’t fracture in the moment of conflict, it tests its seams afterward, quietly, when no one is watching for it anymore.
That’s when it matters most where my attention is.
And tonight, my attention is split.
I feel it the moment I leave the Alpha floor.
Not as weakness. Not as doubt.
As tension.
The packhouse moves through early evening with practiced ease. Wolves returning from patrols, training groups breaking apart, the low murmur of shared meals and unhurried conversation. Stability has settled in cleanly since Bethany’s removal. No spikes. No backlash.
Too clean.
The b
