Maybe I had underestimated how serious it was to speak about the pronouncement of wonder. The Oak Pack had followed that law for generations, claiming brides without caring about the pain those women went through. How many voices had been silenced? How many lives had been sacrificed to keep their traditions alive?

I stood alone, feeling the weight of the room closing in on me. I knew that challenging their law wouldn’t protect me, but I couldn’t stay quiet. Speaking up for Hina—and for ...