They seat me slightly to the right of Landon.
Not beside him as equal.
Not behind him as silent support.
To the right.
Visible.
Symbolic.
“Luna-in-progress,” one of the elders called it earlier in the week, as if I am a concept still under construction rather than a leader already walking the ground.
The council chamber feels different tonight.
Not tense.
Divided.
Warriors cluster closer to Landon’s side of the table, shoulders squared, expressions open but guarded. Elders sit opposite in a quiet, deliberate arc that suggests cohesion without declaring it outright. Between them are wolves who once moved easily between both groups and now seem uncertain where to rest their hands.
I take my seat without comment.
Layla stays quiet beneath my ribs, not coiled, not aggressive, simpl
