“But the clan prizes tradition very highly. For one of their own to defy the edicts, that was unheard of, and dangerous. Finally, the clan had enough of her resistance and gave her an ultimatum: follow the clan’s directives or get tossed out.” Frank rubbed the back of his neck. “I was fifteen at the time—I’m the youngest, by the way—and when our mother choose exile, I went with her. None of my older siblings cared. She was hurt and felt betrayed, but she left with her head held high. We traveled the country together, doing odd jobs when we could, and eventually met Roy Voss, a black panther shifter in Kentucky.”