Chapter 20: The Word

At dawn two hundred wolves filled Hollowmere's pack hall and waited to be told what to do.

The oldest council woman stood at the speaker's post with her hands folded.

"The old law is simple," she said. "The pack votes with its feet."

"Stand on the left of the hall to keep your Alpha, and on the right to let him go."

"Does the Alpha speak first?" someone asked.

"He may."

Corbin stepped into the middle of the floor.

He wore the grey Alpha's coat over his bandages, and he was standing very straight.

"I won't ask for your vote," he said. "I haven't earned a single one."

"I told you for five years that a child was mine and that the loan was clean."

"I let you believe the Luna was a stranger."

"You were fed on a lie, and I called it leadership."

"Vote how you want to. I'll stand where you put me."

He stepped back.

Nobody moved for a long moment.

Then a young man near the door walked to the right wall, and a woman behind him followed.

Then the hall began to flow.

It was not a rush. It was slow, and quiet, and awful to watch.

Families took their children's hands and went right.

The gray-bearded man who had spoken at the Stone went right and would not look at Corbin.

The old cook stood in the middle of the floor with her apron in her fists.

She went right.

Her chin shook, and she walked there with her head high and her face wet.

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