Chapter 27 Chapter 27

Chapter 27 Chapter 27
Sabrina's POV

Everyone looked at me.

The meeting room was terrifyingly quiet. Only my heartbeat. Thump thump thump.

My palms were sweating. Throat tight. I had no right to speak. I was just an observer. A new warrior still on probation. But Kael asked me to speak. Everyone was waiting for me to speak.

I opened my mouth. But no sound came out. What should I say?

I looked out the window. Through the glass, I could see the wall. See the searchlight beams. And... Teresa. She stood by the wall. Looking outside.

She used to be outside the wall too. With her baby. Desperate. Afraid. Begging for someone to give her a chance. Then Kael gave her that chance. I gave her that chance too. I fought for her. Took Garrick's punch for her.

Now it was my turn. I took a deep breath.

"I think..." I started. Voice a little shaky. "We should give them a chance."

Hudson immediately stood up. "What?"

"Take them in," I said more clearly. "Let them in."

"Are you crazy?" Hudson said. "They're foxes!"

"They're people," I said. "People with children. Just like us."

"Not the same!"

"The same." I turned to him. "Three months ago, I was running too. With my daughter. If Kael hadn't taken me in... if you all rejected me... where would Abigail and I be now?"

"We were all refugees once," I continued. "We were all abandoned by our own packs. We know that feeling. That desperation. So we should help them. Because we understand."

Marcus shook his head. "Understanding is one thing. Trust is another."

"Then give them a chance to prove it," I said. "Just like you gave me a chance."

All eyes turned back to Kael. He sat there. Motionless. Face expressionless.

Silence. Long silence. My heart beat faster. Did I say the wrong thing? Did I overstep?

Then. Kael nodded.

"In that case," he said. Voice cold. Flat. "I announce we accept these shifters."

Mira's face showed a smile. Elena breathed a sigh of relief. Teresa jumped outside the window.

But Kael raised his hand. "However." He continued. "They're not allowed inside the walls. Not until they meet loyalty standards."

"They camp outside the walls. Under surveillance. Under trial. Any suspicious behavior, immediate expulsion. Understood?"

Everyone nodded. Even Hudson reluctantly nodded.

Kael stood up. His cloak billowed behind him. He looked at me. Though he couldn't see. But that feeling... like being pinned in place.

"Sabrina," he said.

"Yes?"

"You're in charge of refugee affairs."

"What?" I froze.

"Make sure they're settled properly. Food. Medical care. Shelter. Coordinate all parties. Report progress. If something goes wrong..." He paused. "I'll hold you responsible."

My stomach dropped. This was... this was huge responsibility. If I screwed up... if they betrayed us... it would all be my fault.

But Kael had already turned. Walking toward the door. As he passed me, his steps paused for a second. Just one second. Then continued.

But in that second, I felt something. Not pressure. Not threat. It was... trust? He trusted me. He gave me something this important. I couldn't let him down. I absolutely couldn't.

The meeting ended. People left one by one. Someone patted my shoulder. "Well done, Sabrina." It was Elena.

"Thanks."

"You made the right decision," Mira said.

"I hope so."

Teresa rushed over and hugged me. "Thank you! Thank you!"

"Don't thank me," I said. "Thank Kael."

I walked out of the meeting room. The night air was cool. I needed to check on Abigail first. Make sure she was asleep. Then I had to find Rosa. Needed medical supplies. Had to find Lily too. Needed children's items. Had to talk to Marcus. Arrange patrols. Had to discuss with Mira. Set up evaluation standards. Too much to do. My brain was spinning. Planning. Arranging. Coordinating.

"Sabrina."

A voice. I turned around. Garrick stood there.

He was tall. Broad shoulders. Rugged face. A python revolver at his waist. His expression was serious.

"We need to talk," he said.

"Now?"

"Now."

He walked toward the edge of camp. A quiet corner. I followed him. He stopped. Turned around. Looked at me.

"I don't agree with your decision," he said directly.

"Because they're foxes?"

"Not just that," Garrick said. "It's because they're immigrants. These fox shifters. They must be descendants of northern immigrants. Probably smuggled over from other continents. Migrated all the way. Ran all the way. They weren't even loyal to their original packs. How can you expect them to be loyal to Kael? To this camp?"

His voice was low. But powerful.

"And," he continued. "Foxes are foxes. You let a fox into your house. Sooner or later it'll steal you blind."

I shook my head. "I disagree."

"What?"

"We're also people abandoned by our packs," I said. "By your logic, we're not loyal to our packs either. Why should we care about that?"

I thought Garrick would have nothing to say. Would walk away red-faced. But he didn't. He got more serious.

"Because it's different," he said.

"How is it different?"

"This land." Garrick pointed at the camp. "We cleared it. My ancestors. Lived here for over two hundred years. Two hundred years, Sabrina. My grandfather's grandfather's grandfather. On this land. Maybe the pack abandoned me." His voice grew heavy. "Maybe the Alpha drove me away. But I'm still loyal to this land. This home. This is my roots. My blood. My everything."

He stared into my eyes. "But those foxes? Will they have that reverence? They're just passing through. Just temporary residents. They go wherever there's food. Wherever it's safe. Wherever it's rich. They won't fight for this land. Because it's not their land."

I opened my mouth. What he said... made sense. But I still couldn't fully agree.

"Maybe you're right," I said. "Maybe they'll leave. But maybe not. Maybe they'll fall in love with this place. Like I fell in love with this place. I'm an outsider too, Garrick. This is my home. I'll fight for this place. Die for this place. Maybe those foxes will too. If we give them a chance."

Garrick shook his head. "You're too naive."

"Maybe," I said. "But I'd rather be naive than cold-blooded."

"Naive will get people killed."

"So will being cold-blooded."

We stared at each other. Neither giving in. Finally I said: "I'll be careful. I'll watch them. If they do anything suspicious, I'll be the first to report it. I hope when that time comes you can still give me advice."

Garrick stared at me. His eyes were sharp. Like knives.

"You're going to cause trouble," he said.

"Maybe."

"Not maybe. Definitely."

He turned around. "When that day comes," he said. "Don't say I didn't warn you."