And I suggest you consider whether the alliance you risk turning down is one that others would leap at.
Darius’ words rang in Serena’s head, it was as clear as a bell. Her spine stiffened despite herself. Those words weren’t just for Riven, they were for everyone in the room. A line had been drawn, one no wolf could ignore.
Serena didn’t need a soothsayer to tell her what came next.
She would be called upon soon. Not just as a warm body to fill a seat or someone to oversee social niceties. No, she would be expected to step into her full role, Ambassador of Crimsonclaw, a daughter of the Eastern war-blooded wolves, carved and polished by tradition and struggle. She was no longer merely an outsider bearing witness to Ironshade’s revival. She would be a piece on the board. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel★fire.net
Serena squeezed her hands together under the table, fingers curling into her palms until they ached. She exhaled slowly, steadying herself.
Across the table, Livia’s eyes flicked toward her. A brow arched, subtle but knowing. Serena gave a tight shake of her head. She was not ready. But readiness was a luxury they couldn’t afford now.
It had been wishful thinking, foolish, really, to believe she could remain in the background forever. She had been born with a mark, one that ran deeper than her title or her training. Whether she saw it as a curse or a blessing, it did not matter. Her father did not raise her to be a wolf who bowed her head when war drums thundered. It was still a frightening thought.
Serena turned her attention back to the table.
Darius returned to his seat beside Ryker, his face a mask of composure, though his fingers tapped absently on the armrest. His gaze didn’t stray to her, not even once, but she could feel the ripple of tension ebbing through him as he settled. The point had been made. Whether Dawnbreak respected it or not remained to be seen.
Ryker cleared his throat and picked up where the meeting had left off.
"We are not asking for miracles," he said, voice cool but even. "Ironshade’s offer is built on necessity and mutual gain. As for the structure of trade, we propose to begin with seasonal shipments. Iron and gemstones will be moved first. Each will be weighed, documented, and split by agreed-upon ratios."
There were small nods from both sides of the table. The tension hadn’t vanished, but it was changing, finding a new form, something more like wariness than hostility.
Cedar leaned forward slightly, his hands clasped. "And we expect the first shipment to be received at Stonebrae. There are fewer risks that way. It is a border town so there will be less opportunity for miscommunication."
One of the Dawnbreak wolves, a woman with a long scar down her jaw nodded slowly. "We will require our own surveyor to inspect the ore on delivery."
"That is reasonable," Julian said, adjusting his glasses. "As long as we can retain the final tally on the outgoing manifest."
The conversation began to loosen. A few of the Dawnbreak wolves spoke more freely, asking clarifying questions about Ironshade’s storage and transport methods, raising logistical points. It was the kind of talk Serena had heard dozens of times before, but now she listened with new ears.
She tracked Riven’s expression, the subtle flick of his fingers when he disagreed with a point, the way he leaned back when the discussion turned toward Ironshade’s output limits. He was observant, that much was certain. He hadn’t challenged Darius again, but his silence did not mean retreat. She figured it was some form of a strategy.
Serena’s gaze swept to Elen, seated further down the table. The brown-haired woman kept her eyes low, only speaking when directly asked. She looked... subdued. Serena remembered the shadows in her face from earlier. Whatever had happened to her had not left her.
Livia’s voice cut through her thoughts.
"We are open to co-managed posts along the Western routes," she said. "But Ironshade will retain the final word on any settlements in that region. It’s still our land, regardless of who walks it."
"No one is asking to plant a flag," said a Dawnbreak wolf from Riven’s side. "We just want access. That stretch is too valuable to stay closed forever."
Silas, who had been silent until now, grunted. "Then stay on the roads and do not go sniffing into places that haven’t had company in years."
A few murmured chuckles passed through the Ironshade side of the room. Even Serena allowed herself a faint smile.
It was strange, how these wolves, so wary, so guarded still managed to find humor within the tense room. Maybe she was the strange one out of all of them in the room and this would be something she would have to learn.
"Let’s keep it simple for now," Ryker said. "We finalize the resource allocations. Iron for medicine and cloth, beginning next season. A joint inspection team to oversee the first trade handoff. No permanent stations or forward camps, just roads and trust."
"And we will see if that trust can be built," Riven said, finally speaking again. "We’ve no intention of rushing into anything."
Serena watched him closely. He wasn’t smiling, but the sharp glint in his eye had dulled. Perhaps just a sliver or maybe it was just her imagination and the trick of the light. The room quieted again as Ryker marked the parchment before him.
"This is a start," he said.
There it was... the first stone laid in a foundation. It was small but eventually it would prove itself to be the most important piece of the building.
And she knew, without question, that her turn would come. Whether it was in the next meeting or the next conflict, she would be asked to stand and to speak. She would have to represent a land she had never been to, it was just her father’s blood that ran in her veins. Perhaps even Ironshade, in some strange, growing way.