How it's Done

***Ella*** “I know how it’s done.” Austin’s words pull me out of my reverie as I stare across our grounds from the patio. “Hmm?” I ask as he approaches, my thoughts still drifting elsewhere. “I know how Ophelia gives up her birthright,” he clarifies. “Ah…” “It all sounds very mystical,” he says, dipping his head slightly. I know he accepts Ophelia’s decision, but it will definitely weigh on him for some time yet. “The very nature of a pack and its leadership is rooted in the mystical,” I point out, partly to distract him. “With humans, the firstborn is not biologically different from any siblings who follow. Something else exists. A magical component.” “Beyond science.” “Yes. And a great deal of what has happened in the last six months is well beyond known science,” I agree. “Ho