Axel steps forward again, and his presence shifts subtly from defensive to declarative.
“Stronger in that the Luna’s stability directly affects territorial stability,” he says, and there is no apology in his tone.
The murmur rises sharply at that.
“So if she loses control.”
“So if she leaves.”
“So if she is taken.”
The implications ripple outward like cracks in ice.
Atticus raises his voice just enough to cut through it.
“She is not leaving,” he says flatly.
“And she is not being taken,” Axel adds immediately.
The room stills again, but not entirely.
Fear does not evaporate because an Alpha speaks.
It recalibrates.
A senior warrior steps forward slowly.
“With respect,” she says carefully, “if the territory depends on one wolf, that makes her a vulnerability.”
The word lands
