The board met at seven.
We were four hours away when it started — the compound still dark with early morning, the bond warm with the compound's sleeping rhythms. Cole had stayed on his phone for most of the night, receiving updates through the board's communication channel that he filtered and condensed and delivered to Darius and me at intervals.
At seven-twelve: *The individual has arrived at the board session. Attended voluntarily.*
At seven-thirty-one: *The presiding Alpha has presented the chain documentation. The individual has been informed that the name was delivered to the board prior to any cooperation offer.*
At seven-forty-four: *Brief recess called.*
I was in the kitchen at this point — the east kitchen, the automatic destination when I needed to think, the range lit thou
