"This must have been Masha's work!" one of the elders suddenly shouted. "This witch has been here because you wanted him to make a man conceive! You wanted exactly what you had forbidden everyone else from doing! You wanted a man! And since you knew you couldn't be with him without children, you got a witch to make a man pregnant!"
The accusation exploded through the courtyard, everyone speaking at once, throwing out the theories they had built in their minds.
Anger, disbelief, and confusion filled the air as more people kept arriving through the gates. It was clear they were calling each other, spreading the news that something extraordinary was unfolding at the packhouse.
Jethro stood still at the center of it all, letting them speak. But eventually the noise became unbearable. A low, raw growl rolled from his chest.
It wasn't loud, but it carried the unmistakable authority, the entire courtyard fell silent instantly.
