Page 155 of Wolf Roulette

Sascha wasn’t there yet.

Turning up the collar of my jacket against the wind, I approached the rock where Herc’s will was read.

Pascal’s words rang in my head. “Will you protect the stewards of Ni Tiaki with your final breath, Andie Thana?”

“I will.”

“Will you lead us in Victratum to the best of your ability?”

I whispered, “I will.”

The rumbling of Sascha’s pickup reached my ears. He parked, and I listened to his footsteps.

“You’re nervous,” he said at my back.

Understatement.

I turned, hair whipping around my shoulders. “Hey.”

Sascha darted a look over my face. “Tell me then.”

I shoved my hands in my jacket pockets.

Where to start? “The problem with peace in the past is that we didn’t have a cause to unify us. Until recently, all I could think of is that we both share a love of this land. But that’s also been the source of our discontent, and that’s why attempts at peace have always failed. I’ve found something that could hold us together—long-term.”

“I’m listening.”

I winced. “This is the part you need to be open about.”

He could smell my dread, so he didn’t laugh.

Sascha stepped forward and tilted my chin up. “You know what I need to consider. Within those bounds, I’ll do what I can.”

My plan required him to act outside of those bounds.“Days after learning I was Herc’s daughter, I placed a call to our importer list to introduce myself. One was a vampire and she asked about the werewolves in Deception Valley.”

Sascha’s expression hardened. “You want to work with vampires.”

“In a later exchange, she wassurprised to learn that the largest demon kingdom in the world bordered part of Bluff City, and that witches bordered them on the other side. They had no idea either supernatural race was in the vicinity—something both of us found unusual and suspicious.”

This intrigued Sascha, but the hardness remained.

I ploughed on. “I entered negotiations with the royal Vissimo family of Bluff City. My initial goal was to barter safe passage for the pack through their territory.”

“The airport.” He interrupted.

“Will take months. I needed a more immediate solution.”

Sascha focused on me, hope rising from him. “Their answer?”

I laid a hand on his chest. “The negotiations quickly changed to something bigger—to the proposal of an alliance between pack, Vissimo, and tribe. Not only were the vampires unaware of the demons and witches, but they’re too far away to monitor the situation if either of these races look to expand their territory in the future. Obviously, this should be a concern for us too. In an alliance, our proximity to the demons and witches holds great value to the Bluff City Vissimo. The pack has first-hand knowledge of demons and witches, and is capable of aiding the vampires, and vice versa, in any battle. And as humans, the tribe have the ability to scout and gather intel undetected—and are also training to fight.”

“The tribe and pack would constantly put themselves in harm’s way to monitor and gather intel. There seem to be few perks for us and a lot for the vampires.”

“Either way, whoever remains in this valley must educate themselves about our neighbours. Why not do so with fifteen thousand vampires at our back? Combined, the tribe and pack number less than two thousand. We’d greatly benefit from a powerful friend.”

That struck him the most out of anything I’d said.

I might be getting somewhere. “What if the pack won today, only to face the largest demon kingdom in theworldin fifty years? Our supernatural neighbours pose a serious threat that we need to prepare for, and Grids has given our people the perfect training to fight that battle. That aside, this threat is the only way I’ve thought of to convince the tribe and pack to a truce. I’m not saying peace will be easy, but with a cause to unite us, time and determination can do the rest.”

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