The words shocked even me a little, hearing them out loud. But I didn’t back off.
“She is to be regarded as an equal member of the Black Oak Pack.”
That was the blow that landed. I could feel it. The collective intake of breath. The muttered curses barely stifled. A tin cup dropped somewhere near the back. Someone stood and then sat again without a word.
But no one dared speak yet.
“She will train,” I said, voice sharp now, cutting through the disbelief. “She will fight. She will bleed beside you. If she fails, she will fall — like anyone else. But I am giving her that chance.”
I walked slowly along the edge of the platform, watching faces. Watching doubt form behind old loyalties.
“If she proves herself — fully — she will bear the crest. Officially. She will wear our mark. She will
