“I had fragments that didn’t make sense until now.” Ash doesn’t back down from the challenge in my aunt’s tone. “Psychic abilities don’t come with instruction manuals. We interpret what we can and wait for context to fill in the gaps.”
Kira leans forward, adding her perspective. “I’ve always felt something muffled about Llewelyn territory. Like emotions, they are wrapped in layers of thick cloth. I’m clairaudient—I hear what people feel even when they don’t speak it—but with Llewelyn women, there’s this barrier. A dampening effect that I assumed was cultural training rather than magical suppression.”
“Three psychics experiencing similar impressions about Llewelyn,” Oren counts them off. “That’s not a coincidence.”
My aunt’s face remains impassive, but I know her well enough to see the calculations happening behind those pale eyes. She’s weighing evidence against tradition, logic against the possibility that everything she knows about our pack might be built on a lie.
“What evidence do you have beyond visions and feelings?” She directs the question to Reeyan. “What concrete proof suggests this curse exists?”
“The Hysopp Coven’s documentation of the magical working. Historical accounts from multiple packs note the change in Llewelyn behavior within a three-year period. The consistent reports from psychics who interact with your territory.” Reeyan pulls up more documents on the display. “And Sera’s targeting by Thornridge. They knew where she’d be, when she’d be traveling alone, and they had suppressors ready to cut her off from her wolf. Someone fed them information, and theywanted her—an archivist with newly manifested psychic abilities who can see through the curse.”
“You believe Thornridge knows about this alleged binding.” Matriarch Lydia makes it a statement rather than a question.
“And that they’ve discovered how to exploit it. Or how to break it for their own purposes.” Reeyan returns to his seat. “Either way, Sera becomes valuable to their plans because she’s the first Llewelyn woman in centuries to recognize what’s been done to her pack.”
The council chamber falls silent. I watch my aunt digest the information, see her sorting through implications and potential responses with the level-headed approach that makes her an effective leader.
Finally, she speaks. “I want full access to these historical records. Every document, every reference, every piece of evidence you’ve collected. If there’s truth to this theory, I need to see it for myself.”
“Of course.” Reeyan nods. “I can have copies sent to you within the hour.”
“You mentioned a warning inside the vision prevented Sera from coming to me rather than seeking out Grayhide.” My aunt’s gaze finds mine through the screen. “What sort of warning?”
I swallow hard before answering. “The voice said someone within our walls would stop me from finding the truth. That if I spoke about the vision to anyone in the pack, I’d never break free.”
“Free from what? The curse, or your duty to your pack?”
“I don’t know,” I admit. “Maybe both.”
Matriarch Lydia is quiet for a long moment. When she speaks again, her tone has softened—still formal, but with an edge of something bordering on maternal.
“Sera, you understand that leaving without authorization and conducting secret investigations go against everything we value as Llewelyn. Trust, transparency, loyalty to pack leadership.”
“I understand, but the vision was clear. Telling anyone in Llewelyn could have triggered exactly what it warned against.”
“And now?” she questions. “Now that the information is known to multiple packs, to councils and leaders across the region. What happens when you return home?”
The question settles in the space between us, and I have no answer. Going back to Llewelyn means facing wolves who might be influenced by the curse without knowing it. Means navigating politics and power structures that could be built on three hundred years of magical suppression.
“She’s not going back yet,” Reeyan speaks before I can respond, and I feel my wolf perk up at the protective edge in his voice. “Not until we understand the full scope of the threat. Not until we’ve investigated the Hysopp Coven’s archives and identified how Thornridge is connected to all of this.”
“You presume to make decisions about one of my pack members?” Matriarch Lydia’s tone goes cold again.
“I’m exercising authority under the inter-regional agreement to protect someone targeted by an unknown enemy force. Sera is working with me to investigate a supernatural threat that affects multiple territories. That investigation takes precedence over pack politics.”
“And if I order her to return immediately?”
“Then you’d be putting her in danger,” Oren intervenes before the situation can escalate further. “Matriarch Lydia, with respect, four Thornridge operatives tried to kidnap Sera three days ago. They used advanced suppressor technology and coordinated tactics that suggest planning and resources beyond what we’ve seen before. Until we understand why they want her and how to counter that threat, keeping her in a secure location with a protection detail makes strategic sense.”
My aunt’s jaw flexes—the only outward sign of her frustration. “And Grayhide territory is this secure location?”
“It’s where we have the resources to investigate and the security to protect her. We’re not trying to keep Sera from you. We’re trying to keep her alive long enough to find answers that could help all of us.”
The silence stretches longer this time. I watch my aunt’s face, trying to read the thoughts behind that carefully controlled expression. She’s weighing options, running the risks, and deciding how much trust to extend to wolves outside her pack.
“Very well.” The words come out clipped and formal. “Sera may continue the investigation under the authority of the inter-regional agreement. I expect regular updates on her progress and her safety. Any findings related to Llewelyn’s history or the alleged curse will be shared with me at once. And I want assurances that appropriate security measures are in place.”
“Reeyan Hale will serve as her official protection detail.” Oren declares. “He’s already demonstrated his capability in that role, and his historical expertise makes him ideal for supporting the investigation.”
