The Silver Wolf novel · Chapter 23 of 24

Chapter 23: Her Mother's Name

The envoy ate three of Hattie's eggs and did not say a word until she had finished them.

We sat at the kitchen table at noon, the four of us, with the sun on the cloth.

Hattie's reading glasses lay folded by the salt.

Cormick sat on my left with his arm along the back of my chair.

The envoy folded her napkin.

"Silver wolves are protected under Council law," she said. "They have been for four hundred years. We lost track of your line when the last Warden's records burned."

"I'm the last Warden," Cormick said.

"So I'm told." She looked at him for a long moment. "And you have taken the kneeling."

"Yes."

"Then she is sworn to nobody and you are sworn to her. That's the right way round." She turned to me. "Edric Hartwell has been bound at the Long House. We will take him to the Council tonight for the murder of your mother, and he will not come back."

"Good," Hattie said.

"There is the matter of the seat."

I put down my fork.

"The Alpha's seat is empty," the envoy said. "Alder Hartwell has resigned it. The Council has no wish to appoint one. The pack has asked me to tell you that it would like you to take it."

"I know."

"Will you?"

I looked out of the window.

Down the lane, the kids who ate pie on Sundays had gathered on the fence to look at the house.

They waved.

I waved back.

"No," I said.

The envoy raised her eyebrows.

"I don't want to lead them," I said. "I want them to be safe from the next Edric. Give it to the Beta. He's the one who knelt first, and he's the one who told Lorelei to leave."

"He's not a Hartwell."

"Good."

"He hasn't the blood."

"He has the pack's trust," I said. "I'd take that over blood."

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