Dragoncrest Cliffs Tardy for the party

Portia didn't seem in the least perturbed by Wildfire's baffled question, nor the fact that her son was no longer her son. Wildfire stared, jaw slightly agape, as the Fisa casually mentioned the disenfranchisement. She supposed it was a good thing Portia could be so upbeat and focused on her daughter, as well as her upcoming progeny. But even though Wildfire knew how the rules worked—wolves that left were considered enemies—this sort of scenario had never crossed her mind.

What if Artaax, Blixen or Bobby one day wanted to strike out on their own? Would she be forced to disown them? What about the children even now dancing in her belly? The thought left her feeling ill. She couldn't imagine how Portia could be so cavalier about it. The Feisripa didn't hold it against her, she just struggled to make sense of it.

But now was really not the time to dwell on such horrible things. Wildfire was supposed to be feeling celebratory. "How's Dalia doing? Artaax mentioned she'd been injured? I'm sorry I'm not as up-to-date on pack matters as I should be..." She paused. "Maybe we could go find her, tell her the good news?"