After Thorne's removal, Nightshade had transformed. Our expanded territory housed over three hundred wolves, nearly double our original population. The new residential area was completed, with comfortable homes for families and individual wolves alike. Our infrastructure was solid, our resources well-managed, our community thriving.
But success brought new challenges. Some traditional packs viewed our growth with suspicion, seeing us as a threat to established hierarchies. Rumors circulated that we were planning to challenge other Alphas, to force our reforms on unwilling packs.
"It's not true," I told Alpha Sera when she visited to address the concerns. "We're not trying to force change on anyone. We're just offering an alternative model."
"Your existence is force," Sera said, though not unkindly. "By thriving, by proving that another way works, you make traditional Alphas look cruel by comparison. That's threatening even without deliberate action."
