Stephen smiled faintly. "Then we adapt. We're humans, after all."
Clementine eyed him lazily. "You sound confident."
"I am."
Ashmere studied him carefully now.
Stephen leaned back comfortably again. "Humans evolved surviving creatures far larger than wolves." He lifted one shoulder lightly. "We simply needed time to understand you first."
"And now you think you do?"
Stephen's smile widened slightly. "Not fully." His gaze sharpened. "But we are beginning to understand enough."
The candles flickered softly around the room. Outside the courtroom walls, the castle remained quiet beneath the deep night.
Ashmere's fingers tapped lightly once against the armrest of his chair. "Once the dosage is complete, how quickly can humans move?"
Stephen answered without hesitation. "Fast enough. Don't worry, we won't back down."
Clementine watched him silently.
