They returned to the eastern territories four days after the memorial.

The delay had been necessary and Marina did not regret it. The Renna situation had required immediate attention, and two additional wolves in the Bloodfang records had been identified and contacted before they left. Both had presented with the same configuration, the same history of misclassification, the same specific relief of receiving an accurate description of something they had been living with without adequate language.

Marina had run integration sessions with both of them. Brief, foundational, enough to give them the technique and the understanding. She had also left detailed written instructions with Senna covering what to look for,...