Silence lingered like a thick fog, heavy and unmoving after Jason's speech. Some members avoided his gaze, others looked down in shame, the ripple of his command still vibrating in the bones of every wolf present.
And then, Susan stepped forward.
Calm and collected, like still water after a raging storm. The hall was so quiet that her footsteps could be heard, it was unnerving, sober. She stood beside Jason but didn't touch him. Her hands were clasped loosely in front of her, and her voice, when it came, was clear but soft, like morning dew settling on burnt earth.
"If any of you were truly worried about me," she began, sweeping her eyes across the crowd, "you would've come to me."
The words dropped like pebbles in a silent lake. Ripples of shame flickered in several faces.
