Page 26 of An Ancient Power's Revenge

"That is not true! That treaty has benefited everyone," I argued. "Humans and supernaturals have coexisted here for generations. Pulling out now throws all that progress away."

"Progress built on a lie," Oberyn countered. "A lie that got our alpha killed."

There was no reasoning with him. Grief had morphed into a dangerous resentment, and I knew it wouldn't be easy to sway him. His pack members are probably putting too much pressure on him and he would rather go against us than them.

"We will find Mark's killer," I promised, pushing myself further back in the rickety chair.

"We will. But leaving Harmony Grove won't solve anything. Your pack needs the resources we offer, the protection…"

He scoffed. "Protection from you lot? We'll manage just fine on our own, thank you very much."

Frustration gnawed at me. "Oberyn, this isn't some childish tantrum. Leaving isolates you and makes you vulnerable. You'll be targeted by every rogue out there, every hunter who gets wind of your departure."

A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes. It was the smallest opening, but it was there.

"We can handle ourselves we have always done that before you came to us with your damn treaty," he growled, the defiance in his voice a touch less absolute than before.

Trying a different, dangerous tactic, I leaned forward in the chair, resting my elbows on my knees and interlocking my hands. “Tell me, Oberyn, did you think your alpha was strong?”

Oberyn’s head snapped back as if I’d struck him.

“Of course I do! … Or did,” Oberyn stammered, clearly flustered by the change in topic.

The approach was twofold. On one hand, saying no would strain his relations with those pack members who were fiercely loyal to the late alpha. On the other hand, if he says yes…

“Don’t you think, then, that Mark would have fought whatever killed him with everything he had to get back to his pack?” I met Oberyn’s angry eyes unflinchingly. I knew I had him right where I needed him.

“Yes, but—”

I cut Oberyn off, earning a low growl of annoyance. He may be the beta, but he was no less accustomed to respect than the alpha. “Then I think we can agree that although your pack could take care of itself before the treaty, times have changed. There is a mutual enemy out there that was able to take down your strongest pack member. You want to remain part of this treaty. At least until this is all resolved.”

Silence stretched, thick and heavy. Oberyn stared at the chipped table, his breaths coming out in ragged bursts.

"We'll find Mark's killer—," I pressed, hoping to capitalize on the momentary hesitation. "Together. That's what the treaty demands. That's what our alliance stands for." I stood from the chair, walking to where Oberyn sat and extended my hand to him.

He looked up, his gaze meeting mine. The anger was still there, but a sliver of something else flickered alongside it – a flicker of understanding, maybe even a flicker of acceptance.

"Find his killer," he said, his voice rough. "Find him, and maybe… maybe we can talk about the treaty again." Oberyn grasped my extended hand firmly, jerking my arm down in the angriest shake I had ever experienced.

It wasn't perfect, but it was a start. A shaky truce, a promise. It wasn't much, but it was all we had at the moment.

"We will," I assured him, relief washing over me. "We'll find him."

We sat in silence for another minute, the silence thick with the weight of what had transpired. Then, with a final glare, Oberyn rose from the chair, turning to face the rest of the council.

"You have ONE week to find the killer," he declared, his voice heavy with finality. "If Mark's killer is not found by then, we handle things our way."

I took a deep breath. "We respect your decision, Beta Oberyn. The search for the talisman and the killer will continue. It's in everyone's best interest to find both, as we don’t know who might be next."

My stomach clenched. It wasn't going to be easy to resolve this in a week but we had to try.

Tiberius turned to me, his gaze unwavering. "Alexei, ensure the investigation into the killings gets wrapped up swiftly. The humans cannot afford another reason to fear what lurks in the shadows."

The weight of his words settled heavily on me. Harmony Grove, the fragile peace we'd built for centuries, was teetering on the brink.

Oberyn stormed out of the meeting, leaving me alone with my thoughts in the council’s chambers. My head throbbed, exhaustion settling in alongside the worry.

It was time to head back, clear my head, and give Evelyn the time constraint issued by Oberyn. We have a crazed killer roaming free after all of us.

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