I didn't stop to see if Noah followed me. My heart was pounding, a mix of lingering anger and the sudden, heavy realization that I had just drawn a line in the sand with one of my husbands, something I had never done before.
But there was no time to second-guess. I had a promise to keep, and twenty-four pairs of eyes were already waiting for the sun to rise tomorrow to know if they were going to chew me out or praise me.
I marched toward the northern edge of the clearing, the weight of the three cubs in my arms making my back ache with every step. I saw Oryn first, his massive dark frame towering over a pile of fresh pine logs. His men were moving with a focused grunt, their muscles bulging under the strain of the timber.
It felt like a lot for them, given they weren't all massive bears like him.
"Oryn!" I called out, my voice cutting through the thud of the wood.
