# Chapter 54

Word of Ravenwood's asylum offer spread faster than Arianna anticipated. Within three days, two more small groups of displaced wolves appeared at the border—one family fleeing economic collapse in a failing settlement, another group of young wolves escaping what they described as "forced conscription" into a warlord's private army.

"This is becoming a pattern," Ruth observed during a meeting with Arianna's senior advisors. "We're developing a reputation as a safe haven for refugees. That could be either a strength or a vulnerability."

"Or both," Blackthorn added. He'd been increasingly integrated into advisory sessions, his administrative expertise proving too valuable to ignore despite his past. "Other territories will...