Chapter 297: Chapter 297

“We are here to speak of a truce,” I said firmly. “We don’t come to waste time.”

The lady in golden armor raised a brow, clearly amused. “Straight to business, then. My Alpha believes the disputed territory is rightfully ours. We’ve been patrolling it for months. without interference.”

Dane scoffed, his fists clenching. “Kaida, patrolling it doesn’t make it yours.”

Kaida? It seems he had met her during the confrontation.

I placed a hand on Dane’s arm, urging restraint. “We’re willing to negotiate terms, but claiming what isn’t yours won’t be tolerated.”

Kaida’s smile spread. “And yet, here you are. If it wasn’t ours, why would you bother negotiating?

“We’re here to prevent unnecessary bloodshed. Mistaking our willingness to talk for weakness is not advisable,” I replied. Dane clicked his tongue as if he disagreed.

Orion’s eyes darted between me and Dane. “Interesting,” he murmured. “It would seem that even the mighty Broken Ridge

has its divisions.”

I felt the weight of his words settle into the air, my heart tightening. “We’re united in our goal to protect our pack,” I said, keeping my voice steady.

The more Orion spoke about his Alpha’s terms, the clearer it became that they wanted less to do with peace and more to do with a test of wills.

Words dripped like stones onto the delicate scale that kept Dane and me in balance.

Dane shifted closer to me, “Do you hear them?” Dane asked in a whisper. “They’re questioning everything.”

I nodded. “We need to address it head on before it spirals further.”

Dane’s jaw lightened. “And what about the negotiations? The longer we wait, the weaker we look.”

“Rushing into conflict isn’t strength, Dane,” I replied in a whisper, frustration bursting free. “It’s recklessness. First and foremost, we have to rebuild trust within the pack.”

His eyes flashed, and for a second, I knew he would resist. But then he blew out hard, running his hand through his hair. “Alright. What would you have me do?”