Chapter Twenty-Six

Judge Jackson

“This doesn’t make any damn sense,” I complained as I reviewed the charts. “These numbers are off…really off.”

Pressure built behind my eyes after reading the charts once more. The fertility rates of purebred wolves had dropped to a concerning level. Thirty-eight percent was alarming, but what was even more shocking was that the breeders are taking longer to become pregnant. Instead of becoming pregnant within two months of their departure from Eden, breeders were now taking as long as eight months to become pregnant.

Why do these rates look so dismal? What has changed just from last year?

“We need to run the numbers again.”

“There is no use. The numbers were run repeatedly. They’re accurate,” Elder Francis confirmed with a heavy sigh.

He’s sighing. It’s never good when an elder sighs. Usually that means that changes are coming, and lives will be affected.

“Do you know what this means, Judge Jackson?”