"Am I the one bringing ill omens?"

I let out a bitter laugh.

"Or is it the one who changed the rite specifically for me?"

Morwenna's face turned ashen with fury.

Vesper rolled her eyes with a sneer.

"Sister-by-mating, are you really so attached to your hoard? We're pack. There's no need to be so possessive."

"If you're not possessive, then you pay it!"

I rose to my feet.

"I reject this honor. Give it to whoever wants it."

"Stay where you are!"

Morwenna stood as well.

"Once the rite is declared, it cannot be undone! The Moonbite Feast token is a tradition passed down through generations of our bloodline. Do you dare break pack law?"

"Did our ancestors decree that a junior pack member must surrender one hundred resource shares to the entire family?"

I gathered my five-year-old pup, Liri, into my arms.

"Those ancestors certainly knew how to run a profitable pack."

Morwenna stood with her hands on her hips, seething, then turned to her son.

"Kael, are you going to control your mate or not!"

Kael hurried to stand and pull me back.

"Lyra, stop making a scene. It's the sacred feast night..."

"Am I the one making a scene?"

I stared into his eyes.

"I told only you about the Moonblessing. No one else."

His gaze shifted away, unable to meet mine.

In that moment, everything became clear.

"Your shares are just sitting there anyway."

Kael lowered his voice.

"Sharing with the pack lets everyone partake in your good fortune."

I glared at him.

"Did you ever consider that we might face a wasting sickness, or some urgent need? That we should keep reserves for protection?"

Morwenna immediately spat twice in superstitious dismissal.

"Speaking of such dark things during the sacred feast—how dare you."

"The truth is, you're simply selfish!"

"Yes, I'm selfish."

I nodded.

"And selfish wolves don't deserve to share a feast with your pack. I'm leaving."

I held my pup close and turned to leave without another word.

Behind me, the den erupted into chaos.

The matriarch's shrill voice cut through the air like claws on stone.

"Walk out that threshold, and never return to this pack!"

I didn't look back.

In the corridor leading away from the central den, Liri asked in a small voice.

"Mama, why aren't we eating anymore?"

"Because they wanted to make your mother a fool."

"What's a fool?"

"Someone who... gets their throat torn out and thanks the wolf who did it."