We leave before dawn, not because darkness gives us cover, but because the moment between night and morning has always been the most honest, when the world is undecided and instincts speak louder than plans. The packhouse stands quiet behind us as we move out, stone walls fading into shadow, and for the first time since all of this began, I do not look back. Whatever answers we are going to find are not waiting there.
Adam walks at the front, not because he needs to lead, but because the pack expects him to, his presence a steady axis the rest of us unconsciously align around. Justin remains behind, visible in the doorway long enough to meet Adam’s gaze and nod once, an exchange heavy with trust and unspoken contingency, before the doors close and the responsibility of holding the pack se
