Oliver sighed softly, like he expected that answer.
“That is what you always say,” he muttered.
“And it has always been enough,” I replied.
A quiet pause followed again, longer this time.
Then I straightened slightly and changed the subject completely.
“Enough of that,” I said. “Tell me something useful. What is happening beyond our borders? How was the pack while I was away? Any issues?”
Oliver immediately adjusted his stance. He understood the shift in tone.
“Black Hollow,” he said.
That alone already lowered the temperature in the room.
I waited.
Oliver continued.
“The last message their Alpha sent through the usual channels,” he said. “It was not polite. It was becoming less formal, more… bitter.”
I frowned slightly.
“Bitter how?” I asked.
Oliver hesitated.
“He believes
