Catherine's POV
"What are you asking?" I said.
He did not hesitate. "For guidance."
Aurora would have asked for context. For risks. For permissions layered in diplomacy.
I did something else.
"How many?" I asked.
"Three hundred," he replied. "Mixed bloodlines. Wolves. Witches. Humans."
"And if we do nothing?"
"They'll suffer first," he said. "Then the fault lines will widen."
I nodded once.
"We'll redirect the flow," I said. "Not reinforce Deephowl's wards. Replace the dependency."
Several heads snapped up.
"That would weaken the pack," someone said.
"Yes," I agreed. "Which is not the same thing as harming the people."
The room went very still.
This was the moment.
The first decision that reached beyond me.
"Do it," I said. "Quietly. No announcements. No symbols. If it works, they won't need to know who helped them."
"And if Deephowl notices?" the scarred man asked.
I met his gaze evenly. "Then they'll have to ask why their stability depends on neglect."
