Page 6 of When Two Worlds Collide

I direct my words solely to Zane. “Is that true, Alpha? Do you value bloodshed over the welfare of your pack? Because that’s what you’ll get if you force this confrontation. Haven’s Heart has resources you can’t imagine.”

Something flickers across Zane’s face—not fear, butcalculation. This is good. Despite his wild nature, he’s no fool.

“You speak of compromise,” he says slowly, “but your proposal gives us only the land your people don’t want. The deep forest is already ours. We claim the river and the hunting grounds to the east.”

“The eastern hunting grounds support three settlements,” Elder Josiah protests. “Without them, our people will starve.”

“Then perhaps your people should learn to hunt properly,” Marcus says with a smirk. “Or adapt, as you’re so fond of claiming civilized shifters do.”

The meeting deteriorates quickly from this point. For every proposal I offer, Zane or Marcus finds a reason to reject it. The settlement elders grow increasingly distressed, while I struggle to maintain my composure in the face of the wolves’ inflexibility.

By midday, we’ve made no progress. The tent has grown warm, the atmosphere stifling with tension. I call for a break, needing fresh air and a moment to recalibrate my approach.

Outside, I find Julian waiting anxiously. “Any progress, Ambassador?”

“They’re testing boundaries,” I reply, though I’m not convinced it’s merely a negotiation tactic. “They want us to believe they’ll accept nothing less than total capitulation.”

“Will they?” he asks, fear evident in his voice.

I consider my answer carefully. “Zane Blackthorn is aggressive, but he’s not stupid. He knows an outright seizure of the settlements would trigger a response from Haven’s Heart that his pack couldn’t withstand.”

“Unless more wild clans emerge,” Julian points out. “If the barriers continue to fail...”

He doesn’t need to finish the thought. I’ve considered the same possibility. If multiple wild clans emerge simultaneously, Haven’s Heart’s resources would be stretched thin. The Shadow Wolves might be counting on exactly that scenario.

I’m about to respond when I notice Zane standing alone at the edge of the camp, staring toward the forest. On impulse, I approach him, hoping a one-on-one conversation might yield better results.

“Your pack is impressive,” I say, stopping a respectful distance away. “Strong, disciplined, loyal to their alpha. You’ve led them well in the Wild Territories.”

He turns, fixing me with his penetrating stare. “Flattery, Ambassador? I expected better from you.”

“Not flattery. Observation. I respect strength, Alpha Blackthorn. I wouldn’t have been sent here otherwise.”

“Yet you serve a council that values paper over power,” he replies, though there’s less hostility in his tone than before.

“I serve people—shifters like you and your pack, who deserve security and prosperity.” I gesture toward the settlements visible in the distance. “Those aren’t just buildings. They’re families, cubs, and elders. Just like your pack.”

“Not like my pack,” he corrects me. “My pack remembers wildness in their blood. Your... families... have abandoned their true nature.”

“Have they? Or have they simply found a different way to honor it?” I challenge. “The fire panther in me doesn’t disappear because I wear diplomatic clothes or sleep in a bed.”

His attention sharpens with interest. “Doesn’t it? When was the last time you hunted, truly hunted? Felt the blood ofprey hot in your mouth? Ran beneath the moon without paths or boundaries?”

The questions stir something in me I rarely acknowledge—a restlessness that sometimes wakes me in the night, urging me to shed human form and simply run. I push the sensation aside.

“We should return to the discussions,” I say instead. “There must be a solution that serves both our peoples.”

Zane studies me a moment longer, then nods. “Let’s see if your diplomacy is as strong as your conviction, Ambassador.”

The afternoon session proves even more frustrating than the morning. Zane systematically dismantles each compromise I propose, while Marcus openly mocks the settlement elders’ concerns. The wolves coordinate their approach, backing each other’s points, creating a united front that makes negotiation nearly impossible.

“Your alpha’s stubbornness will cost lives,” Elder Tessa finally snaps after another rejected proposal. “Does he care so little for his own pack’s future?”

Marcus rises halfway from his seat. He growls, the sound rumbling from his throat. “Watch your tongue, old woman, or?—”

“Or what?” I interject, my temper finally flaring. “You’ll threaten an elder? Attack unarmed settlement representatives? Prove every prejudice about wild shifters being nothing but savage animals?”

The tent falls silent. Zane’s face darkens as he turns to me. “Savage animals? Is that how Haven’s Heart views us, Ambassador? As beasts to be tamed or contained?”

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