Gavin looked at Xander. Xander looked at the ground. The fire snapped, small and mean. Then Xander went to his knees and put his palms in the dirt.
“You don’t need to bow,” I said automatically.
He lifted his face. “I need to swear.”
We brought them home the long way. The pack watched them pass and didn’t jeer. We’d already cleansed that habit. There would be no public shaming under my roof. Only consequences and repair. Both are harder. Both matter more.
We held the oath at moonrise. The elders gathered on one side of the clearing; warriors on the other; Sharona a straight-backed pillar near the front with her apron off and her jaw set like she dared anyone to speak over her Luna.
And when it was done, Gunter spoke—not long, not loud. He named them Beta and Delta under probation, un
