At the Presgrave estate, the air already carried the pressure of an Alpha-line gathering. Every arrival shifted the atmosphere slightly, as if the land itself recognized old blood ties and territorial authority. Harriet stood near the main archway, her expression calm, though her senses remained alert to every scent that entered the manor grounds.
When Hayley stepped in, Harriet's gaze lingered longer than necessary. Something about her felt altered. Not weak, not entirely foreign, but… adjusted. As though her body had been shaped away from its natural imprint. In pack terms, it was unsettling. A wolf who denied their own blood signature never settled cleanly into hierarchy.
"I apologize for coming uninvited, Grandma," Hayley said softly, bowing her head. "I just missed you too much."
