“Circumstances change,” he replies. “Your people need this information. Marcus will escort you to the settlement boundary.”
Marcus looks surprised but pleased by this assignment. I suspect Zane deliberately separates us, perhaps sensing the beta’s growing hostility toward me.
“Very well,” I concede, though frustration rises within me. Just as I’ve begun to grasp the Wolf clan’s perspective, new complications force us apart.
Zane addresses Marcus. “Ensure the ambassador reaches her people safely. Return before nightfall.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Marcus responds, satisfaction evident in his tone.
I collect my few belongings from the shelter, including my council uniform, now neatly folded beside the pallet. This unexpected sign of consideration surprises me.
When I emerge, the camp has transformed for defensive preparation—wolves organizing scouting parties, setting up additional guard posts, preparing weapons. Their preparations remind me that these people have survived centuries in the harshest environments through discipline and cooperation, not merely savage strength.
Marcus waits impatiently at the camp’s edge. “We should move quickly,” he says without greeting. “Bears occasionally send scouts beyond their main hunting parties.”
When we prepare to leave, Zane approaches. “A moment, Ambassador.”
Marcus frowns but steps away, giving us minimal privacy.
“What you learned today,” Zane says quietly. “The markers, the spring, our history—will you share it with your council?”
The question holds meaning beyond its simple phrasing. He asks if I truly understood what he showed me—if I recognize the legitimacy of his clan’s claim.
“Yes,” I reply firmly. “The council should know the full history before making further territorial decisions.”
He examines me for a long moment, searching for deception. Finding none, he nods slightly. “Safe journey, Ambassador Steelclaw.”
“Thank you for your hospitality, Alpha Blackthorn,” I respond formally, aware of watching eyes.
Our journey back proceeds in tense silence. Marcus clearly dislikes me, yet professionally fulfills his escort duty. I use the time to organize my thoughts about everything I’ve witnessed—the sacred sites, the pack dynamics, the emerging bear threat.
When we reach the settlement boundary, Marcus stops. “You continue alone from here.”
“I appreciate the escort,” I offer diplomatically.
His expression remains cold. “Don’t mistake the Alpha’s interest for pack acceptance, Ambassador. Many wolves question his judgment regarding you.”
“Including you,” I observe.
“Especially me,” he confirms. “I’ve served as beta since we were adolescents. I’ve never seen him distracted from pack welfare before.”
The implication hangs between us. “I have no intention of harming your pack,” I state firmly.
“Intentions matter less than results,” he replies, echoing Elder Mira’s earlier words. “Civilized principles mean nothing when survival is threatened. Keep that in mind, Ambassador.”
Without waiting for my response, he turns and disappears into the forest, leaving me at the settlement boundary.
I watch him go, troubled by the complexity of what I’ve learned. The Shadow Wolves have a legitimate historical claim to this land, yet the settlers have built lives here ingood faith. The emerging bear threat adds urgency to a situation already fraught with conflict.
And beneath it all lies that strange connection between Zane and me—the inexplicable pull I feel in his presence, growing stronger despite my efforts to ignore it.
I turn toward the council headquarters, my diplomatic mission now complicated by divided loyalties and newfound insight. The council must hear the truth about Shadow Wolf history, even if it challenges our comfortable assumptions.
Yet as I walk, Zane’s sacred spring lingers in my thoughts. For centuries, his people preserved memories of ancestral lands they never expected to see again. How many generations died holding that dream? What would I sacrifice to protect my own people’s heritage?
The answers elude me, but I know with growing certainty that traditional diplomatic solutions won’t resolve this conflict. A new approach must emerge—a path neither fully wild nor completely civilized.
Finding that path before violence erupts may prove the greatest challenge of all.
