portions: high ceilings, marble floors, a row of brass lamps converted to electric light sometime in the last century. The l

it that

flat tone when we passed beneath it. The guard at the desk, a grey-haired woman named Ruth with re

you," s

f us,"

egistry attorney walking in together on a mate summons

It is not a secret. It

per, and she tore it off and handed it to me. A visitor's pass

lding arguing other people's case n

s bolted to the wall in the years when the Registry still worried about p

the edge of his collar. His name plate said Owen. He looked at me, then at Kade, the

ication,

on the desk. K

ightly. "The Registry has no record for him. He will n

il we have read the terms. I am r

fingers found his collar. "The atto

assi

own bond case. It is in the act, section twelve. A Luna may

nted to hear him say it, because hearing a thing said ou

te of record, I am entitled to re

me. The folder had my name printed on the front tab, and below my name, in the space where the Registry

opened the fo

ummons Elias had brought to the camp. T

subject to the approval of the Council of Alphas. Her assets, income, and property are held in joint trust with her mate for the duration of the bond. She may not dissolve the bond with

s, and the hum of the brass lamp

tice?" I asked. "In plain wo

e bond is a contract. The Registry licenses the pair, and the Luna

she cann

cannot leave w

e con

. And the R

d, and his face had not changed at all since we walked in,

w this,"

w some

I become property. That is what the act means, whatever pre

ly. "It is an honored position. You

territory I cannot leave, with my income in joint trust and my exit subject to a Regist

corridor a phone rang and was

ternative. If you refuse, the Registrar will rule on the bond without

pena

o the green belt until the Registrar rules. I do not k

he folder, and held

and I are going to find a room where

t looked out over the green belt gate and the grey hills beyond it. I close

in," I

ad already lost its Alpha. The Registry planned to move you in, license you to a wolf of their choosing, and use you to co

story I have ever heard from a man who is cu

the t

prov

today. The file is

s not a kind laugh.

uld kill me before I could tell you. I did not plan on the Registry licensing us off th

hought

d

ne arm and his grey hair combed neatly back, and behind him Thessaly, the Council inspector, with her silv

and I came down to offer my assistance. The confirmation hea

us patience of a man who had bee