a
ve tea to the pack elders in the grand hall. It was a ritual
lent, powerful statement of her supp
mile playing on her lips as she served the elders and accepted their fawning compl
posture was erect, my movements deliberate. I approached the highest-ranki
he delicate
lled with disdain. "Kneel," she commanded, her voice loud en
archaic pack customs, she was not wrong. A low-ranking ne
ray, remained perfectly
sha's smile widen. She was enjoyin
ve my ignorance, Elder. But it is my understanding that the mate of the Alpha Apparent, t
ersonal respect into an insul
red. "How dare you?" she sputtered.
through the tension. "Elder Eulah, Ila is correct. She rep
ance against the elder on my behalf. Eulah, seething but outmaneuvered,
I proceeded to serve the oth
her attention back to Asha. "At least Asha has grace and skill. The embroid
se, basking in the attentio
asual, almost an afterthought. "I'm gla
universe of meaning. It was the tone
d. A flicker of unea
rned to me, a question in her eyes
I spent three months working on that piece. It was meant to be my wedding gi
the silent hall like st
lie!" she shrieked, her voice high and shr
n. "On all my major pieces, I have a little habit. A signature. In the bottom right corner, by the wolf's rear paw, I always stitch
the means of verif
, her eyes darting towards the wall whe
ous life, she had simply claimed all of my best work as her own, and she had done t
a, and the silent, beautiful artwork hanging on the wall. The
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