Kaelen's hesitation was brief, almost imperceptible but Aldric noticed it immediately.
The old witch's eyes flickered toward him before he gently tapped his cane against the stone floor.
The soft sound echoed across the chamber.
"You are all asking the wrong question," Aldric said calmly.
The murmurs died down.
"And what question would that be?" Corvin frowned.
Aldric regarded him with mild curiosity.
"You keep asking what the girl is." He slowly looked around the chamber, meeting the eyes of several alphas seated at the tables. "But the far more interesting question is—"
He paused. "Why now?"
A few wolves exchanged glances.
"Lyra Hale has lived among you for twenty-four years," Aldric continued.
He then turned slightly toward Alpha Jerold. "You are her pack leader, are you not?"
Jerold nodded. "Yes."
"In those twenty-four years," Aldric asked calmly, "has she ever demonstrated anything remotely similar to what happened yesterday?"
Jerold didn't hesitate.
