The cheers celebrating the completion of the marking ritual had only just begun to settle when the tribe elder lifted his weathered wooden staff once more. The lively conversations immediately quieted as every member of the Wolf Tribe turned their attention toward him.
"It is now time," the elder announced with a warm smile, "for our Alpha and our Lady Chief to fulfill the next ritual of the ceremony."
Aurora already knew what came next.
Traditionally, the Alpha and his chosen wife personally distributed food to every family within the tribe. Usually, that meant handing out fresh raw meat and fruits gathered during the previous day's hunt.
But Aurora had different plans. She had already fed the tribe roasted meat the previous few evenings, so there was no way she's going to hand them raw meat tonight.
At Asher's signal, several warriors stepped forward and arranged the wood exactly as Aurora had taught them over the past few days.
The entire tribe watched curiously.
