No one said it out loud at first.
They didn't have to.
The division was already there.
You could see it in where they stood.
Who they stood with.
Who they avoided.
Scott noticed it the moment he stepped into the clearing that morning. The pack wasn't moving as one anymore. They had split quietly, naturally, like it had always been inevitable.
One side stayed closer to Garrick. Older wolves. Experienced. Loyal to structure, to tradition, to what the pack had always been.
The other side…
Smaller. Younger. Uncertain.
And watching Scott.
Not with trust.
With something closer to hope.
That might've been worse.
"You see it now."
Scott didn't look at him. "Yeah."
His best friend leaned casually against a tree beside him, arms crossed, eyes scanning the clearing.
"They've already chosen," he said.
Scott's jaw tightened. "Not all of them."
"No," his friend agreed. "But enough."
A pause.
"Which means you don't get to stand in the middle anymore."
That landed.
Harder than Scott expected.
Because he knew what it meant.
Choice.
And once he made it
There was no going back.
Garrick didn't wait long.
He never did.
"Everyone."
His voice cut through the clearing, sharp and commanding. Conversations died instantly. Movement stilled.
Scott stepped forward slowly, already knowing what this was.
A confrontation.
Public.
Final.
Garrick's gaze swept across the pack before settling on him.
"This ends today."
No hesitation. No buildup.
Just truth.
Scott stopped a few feet away, shoulders squared. "Then say what you want to say."
Garrick didn't blink.
"You brought a hunter into this pack," he said. "You defended her. You chose her over your own."
Murmurs rippled again but quieter this time. More controlled.
Because now
They were listening for a decision.
Not an explanation.
"You've put every one of us at risk," Garrick continued. "And after what happened yesterday after what you did this is no longer just about her."
Scott's expression hardened slightly.
"Then what is it about?"
Garrick held his gaze.
"You."
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
"You're unstable," Garrick said bluntly. "Your power is unpredictable. And now you're emotionally compromised."
Scott felt the words hit but he didn't react.
Not outwardly.
"Say what you're really getting at," he said.
Garrick didn't hesitate.
"You're not fit to lead this pack."
That did it.
The clearing erupted.
Voices rose. Some in agreement. Some in protest. Some just trying to be heard over the chaos.
Scott didn't move.
Didn't speak.
He just stood there letting it happen. Letting them show him exactly where they stood.
"Enough!"
The word didn't come from him this time.
It came from his best friend.
Loud. Sharp. Cutting through the noise just enough to make people pause.
Interesting.
Scott noticed that.
Filed it away.
His friend stepped forward slightly, positioning himself just behind Scott's side not in front, not fully beside.
Supportive.
Visible.
"But not overstepping."
Clever.
"We're tearing ourselves apart before anything even hits us," he said, voice controlled but firm. "That's exactly what our enemies want."
Some of the tension shifted. Not gone but redirected.
"Then what do you suggest?" Garrick challenged.
His friend didn't hesitate.
"We decide. Right now."
A pause.
"Not with shouting. Not with assumptions."
His gaze moved across the pack.
"With choice."
That word again.
Choice.
Scott's jaw tightened slightly.
He didn't like where this was going.
Didn't like how clean it sounded.
Too clean.
Too… prepared.
"Anyone who believes Scott should lead stand with him."
The words fell like a line drawn in blood.
No taking it back.
No softening it.
For a moment
No one moved.
Then
A step.
One of the younger wolves.
Then another.
And another.
Slowly, a group began to form behind Scott. Not large. Not overwhelming.
But real.
Scott didn't turn.
Didn't acknowledge them.
But he felt it.
Every step.
Every choice.
Across the clearing, Garrick didn't move.
But others did.
Older wolves. Stronger. More experienced.
They stepped to his side without hesitation.
Without doubt.
The divide became clear.
Sharp.
Unmistakable.
Two sides.
One pack.
Not united anymore.
Scott finally looked.
Counted.
Measured.
He didn't need to say it out loud.
They were outnumbered.
Not by much.
But enough.
"This isn't how a pack survives," Garrick said quietly.
"No," Scott replied.
His voice was calm now.
Steady.
"But it's how the truth shows."
Garrick's eyes narrowed slightly.
"And what truth is that?"
Scott stepped forward.
Not aggressive.
Not defensive.
Certain.
"That this pack was already broken," he said. "I just made it visible."
Silence followed.
Not because they agreed.
But because they couldn't deny it.
"Then we settle it," Garrick said.
Scott's gaze sharpened. "How?"
Garrick didn't hesitate.
"The old way."
A ripple went through the pack.
Scott felt it immediately.
That wasn't just a suggestion.
It was a challenge.
"Trial by dominance," Garrick continued. "Leadership isn't argued. It's proven."
There it was.
Scott exhaled slowly.
He knew this was coming.
He just didn't expect it this soon.
"You really want to do this now?" Scott asked.
Garrick's expression didn't change.
"I think we've waited long enough."
Scott glanced briefly at the wolves behind him.
Then at the ones standing with Garrick.
Then
At her.
Still watching.
Still silent.
But not unaffected.
The bond tightened again subtle, but there.
Reminding him.
This wasn't just about the pack anymore.
It hadn't been for a while.
Scott looked back at Garrick.
"Fine."
The word landed like a stone.
"But when this is over"
His voice dropped slightly.
"There won't be any more questions."
Garrick gave a single nod.
"Good."
The circle formed quickly.
Instinct. Tradition.
The pack moved without needing instruction, creating space in the center of the clearing.
Scott stepped into it.
Calm.
Focused.
But inside
Everything was shifting.
Not fear.
Not doubt.
Something else.
Something building.
Garrick stepped in across from him.
Older. Stronger. More experienced.
And fully in control.
"Last chance," Garrick said quietly. "Walk away from this."
Scott's lips curved slightly not humor.
Understanding.
"You know I won't."
Garrick nodded once.
"Then don't hold back."
Scott didn't.