Chapter 81 The negotiation begins 2

Chapter 81: Chapter 81 The negotiation begins 2

Talia’s POV

I thought about his terms, about what Kaelen would say, and about what Alpha Aldric would think.

I understood that public admission would humiliate Shadowfang, compensation would drain our resources, and moving the border would weaken our territory.

But refusing would end the negotiation before it even began.

I took a breath and offered different terms.

My voice did not shake, and my hands did not tremble. I was surprised at myself, because inside, I was screaming, and I was afraid. But I had learned to hide it, and to bury it so deep that no one could see. I thought about the storage room, and about the nights I cried into my pillow.

If I could survive that, then I could survive this.

"I am doubling my offers. We would send more food," I said calmly. "Double the shipments, and more medicine. I will personally ensure that your pack receives the best healers Shadowfang has to offer, and a trade agreement, not just charity, so that we will trade goods and resources as equals."

Alpha Stone’s eyes narrowed. "That’s not enough," he said.

"Then what is?" I asked.

He did not answer. He just rested back on his chair and stared at me.

I tried again with a different bargain.

"How about a mutual defense pact," I said. "If Stoneclaw is attacked, Shadowfang will fight beside you. Your enemies will be our enemies, and your borders will be our borders."

He was still quiet for a moment, but his jaw tightened, and his hands clenched on the arms of his throne.

Then he shook his head. "That is still too little, and it is too late," he said.

I felt a flicker of frustration in my chest, but I pushed it down.

Frustration was a luxury I could not afford, and getting angry would not help. Fear would also not save me, and raising my voice would not convince him either. So I had to be calm, I had to be steady, and I had to be the rock he could not move.

I thought about Kaelen’s voice in the study. "Do not let them see you sweat." I pressed my hands flat against my thighs and breathed.

I had to stay calm, stay patient, and stay focused.

"You lost your mate," I said. "I know what that feels like. Not the same way, but I know what it feels like to lose someone you love. My mother died when I was five years old. I watched her walk into a fire, and I never saw her again."

His eyes flickered, and something softened in his face, just a little, before the coldness returned. "I am sorry," he said.

"So am I," I replied.

The silence between us was different now, and a little bit less hostile.

Then he said, "Regardless, my pack comes first."

My chest tightened, but I did not look away.

"Then tell me what you want," I said. "Not what you think you deserve, and not what you want to take from Shadowfang. Just tell me what you actually need."

He blinked. For a moment, the hardness in his eyes flickered.

"I want my pack to survive," he said. His voice was quieter now. "I want my wolves to go to bed with full stomachs, I want my children to grow up without fear, and I want to finally bury my mate and know that she did not die for nothing."

I nodded. "That is not too much to ask."

"Then give it to me," he said.

"I am trying to," I replied.

I stepped closer to the throne, close enough that I could see the lines on his face, the gray in his hair, and the weight in his eyes. He was not my enemy. He was just a wolf who had been failed by the packs around him.

"I cannot bring back your mate," I said. "I cannot undo the raids or heal every wound. But I can promise you this: if you give me a chance, I will spend every day of my life making sure your pack never goes hungry again."

His jaw trembled. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because I have nothing to gain by lying. If you reject this treaty, I go back to Shadowfang, and nothing changes for me. But if you accept, then your pack survives, your children live, and your wolves thrive."

He stared at me for a long moment.

"You are young," he said. "Too young to carry this kind of weight."

"I have been carrying weight my whole life," I said. "This is no different."

The fire crackled behind him, and the shadows danced on the walls. I watched his face, and watched the war behind his eyes between the part of him that wanted peace, and the part that wanted revenge.

I had felt that war every day in Cresswood, and every night in the dark. I knew which side I wanted to win, and I hoped he did too.

He stared at me for a long moment, then he leaned back in his throne.

"Keep talking," he said.

I took a breath and tried again.

The words came slower this time, careful and measured. I thought about every lesson Kaelen had taught me, every tip, and every trick. I thought about the hours in the study, the candle burning low, and his voice steady in the dark. He had prepared me for this, and now, I just had to remember.

Now I just had to believe.