Page 78 of True North

"Compromise how?" I ask.

"If you give me free access around the pack house, I'll stop trying to run,andI'll consider rethinking my position on the mate thing." She looks at me so hopefully that I almost instantly agree.

Then I slow the fuck down and really think about what she just said. I believe that she's not going to try running again right away. Despite what she says about her choice to return here, I know that confrontation with Maren spooked her. But based on all the evidence so far, I don't believe she's going to really consider letting me mark her.

Hell, the idea terrified her so much earlier when my mouth touched her neck, she managed to summon some kind of ancient shifter power to shove me away.

I'd say I should take that as a hint.

I could call her out right now, but I don't think that will get us anywhere either. I didn't decide overnight I wanted her. Hell, the morning after I first saw her, I thought my mind was made up that I would never be able to want her. And even after I dragged her out of Luca's place, with my wolf desperate for her, I wasn't ready to accept the bond.

Maybe with time and a little finesse, she might be able to change her mind. So I don't want to reject the offer outright.

"This is a negotiation?" I ask.

"Yeah, of course." She doesn't look quite so sure of herself now. I'm sure she realizes that as an Alpha and business owner, negotiation is a skill I've long been perfecting.

"Then if I'm putting my resources at your disposal, I'm going to need more of a good faith effort on your part to prove you're actually considering life as Luna here." I lean back, putting my arm casually across the back of the couch.

"What does that even mean? What would you consider a 'good faith effort'?"

Right now, I think she'd agree to more than she's comfortable with, but I'm not looking to break whatever tenuous calm there is between us at the moment. "I'd like you to continue staying in my room." She nods, that's an easy one since I've been forcing her to do it anyway. "I'd also like you to come to the office with me during the day."

“What? No! How am I supposed to have any time to research if I'm trapped at work with you like a lapdog every day?" Her nose wrinkles in disgust.

"That's not at all what I'm asking for. You'll come to the office with me, yes, but I don't expect you to be a lapdog, Tess. I'll make sure you have a computer, access to my admin team if you need help, and I'll make sure I supply you with any books you might need. The only ones that can't leave the pack house are the special history collection, but we can always focus on those in the evenings."

"We?" she echoes.

"Yeah. If I'm going to convince you that there can be a real partnership between us someday, I should probably start now, don't you think?" Considering I'm starting at such a disadvantage.

I'm impressed she manages to not pull a face. She's silent for a long time. I can't believe she really thinks that she's going to convince me she's ready to give me a fair chance. I think nothing could be further from the truth. For now. I still think I can change her mind.

She stands, pacing restlessly toward the window. I watch her as she admires the view of the yard. I'm not surprised to see her interest drawn there. I’ve noticed she does the same thing in my room. A thought strikes me.

"Did you have a yard growing up?" I blurt out.

She glances at me, cheeks turning red, then quickly back out at the yard. "No," she says quietly. "Not really."

I stand up, feeling weirdly energized all of a sudden. I remember that there was a conversation the Luna Sovereign advised we save for later. And I have my suspicions it involves Tess's parents, who neither her nor her sister have mentioned since I met either of them.

"I lost my mother to cancer," I offer, hoping she'll open up in turn.

"I'm sorry," she says, genuine empathy in her voice. But she offers nothing of her own in return.

It feels like something I shouldn't ask, though I can't pinpoint why. I push the words out anyway. "What about your parents? Where are they?"

"Dominic…" Her voice sounds defensive—a weird reaction to being asked a simple question.

"My father pushed a young wolf too far during fight training, and he ended up killed. And to this day, my father calls it a horrible accident but takes no responsibility for any of it. I nearly lost my position as Alpha when the pack found out." She still looks stiff, so I admit out loud the thing I've rarely admitted even to myself. "I don't actually blame him for what happened."

That gets her attention. She turns to look at me, curiosity but no judgement in her eyes. It was a complete shot in the dark, but the confession seems to resonate with her.

"What happened?" she asks softly.

"We invite the best of the best from our allies to come to training every year. That's the way it's always been, ever since my great-great-grandfather was Alpha. We have the perfect facilities here to train for all kinds of scenarios. Tradition always dictated that our former Alpha takes over the training program when a new generation rises to Alpha. At the time, that was my father."

It's so strange talking to someone about this after all the years my pack has spent trying to bury the memory of the shifter we lost. Theonlyshifter our training program has ever lost.

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