Valentina

“No.”

I heard my father’s voice before I turned the knob on the door.

“It's standard protocol for an Alpha to bring an advisor to a negotiation,” he said.

“A strong Alpha makes his own decisions,” Sunya countered.

The tension in the room was almost tangible, and for a moment, I couldn't bring myself to move.

Great, they’re fighting now! This plan to make amends is quickly turning to shit.

“True strength comes from realizing that nobody is infallible. Two minds have more wisdom than one,” Cassius replied.

I wanted to speak, but it wasn't my place to, not yet, not until either Alpha had asked me to.

Sunya remained in his spot across the room on the other side of the table, his expression unyielding. “My pack was harmed, so I get to decide the terms of the negotiation.” He set his jaw, clenching and unclenching it. His opposing stance loomed in the room, the rising sun behind him piercing through the cabin windows and extending his shadow across the floorboards.

My father snarled and turned to me with an apology in his eyes. “Please, Valentina, wait outside.”

Heart racing in my chest, I could feel Sunya's eyes on me. His gaze was hard and calculating—assessing me. It had been disconcerting to have his gaze move over my body—pausing on my thighs, taking in the contours of my hips, and lingering on my chest before finding my eyes again. Then Sunya smiled, the curl of his lips darkening his expression.

What the hell was that?

Nodding and feeling the daggers of Sunya's glare, I stepped outside without a word. I understood why my father was going along with the request. Nothing was more important than maintaining the peace, but getting shut out in the process fucking sucked. There was no way for me to make this work—no words that would convince Sunya that a rogue Silver Ash wolf was responsible for Kaori's murder—if I wasn’t even included in the conversation.

As I stalked outside, an overwhelming sense of dread prickled my skin. I couldn’t do anything, and there was no feeling worse than hopelessness. All I could do was wait outside and hope for the best outcome.

Still, my mind raced for a solution, though I'd been silenced and shut out.

Father should tell him about Gio's other incidents! That might ease things.

Dammit, I should've talked to the treasurer before I left! Last I checked, there was a small surplus... I think...

The air had grown stifling since we'd arrived at the negotiation site, and I was desperate to get out of it. Sunlight warmed me, but it wasn't enough to quiet my mind. Rays shined brighter over the open space with each passing minute. Soon, I could see the patterns of the two cabins across from me, how the logs in their construction were facing north. I tried to focus on that and counted the logs before I ended up back in my head.

I wonder what's happening. Was it really that big of a deal for Sunya to ask me to leave? Ugh!

Behind me, Twin Rivers sloshed and splashed. For the first time since my arrival, a smile tugged on my lips at the sight of the flying fish that jumped their way across the rocks and back downstream.

A distraction.

It was better than nothing.

Fishing was an even better distraction from the sheer panic of my mind. The very least I could do was bring a sacred fish back to Silver Ash as a token of our journey to reestablish peace. Walking forward, I was careful to stay close to land as I headed toward the riverbank. Along the way, I gathered a stick and pulled the drawstring from my pants to fashion a makeshift fishing pole. My hands trembled, and I dropped the string once or twice.

Breathe, Valentina. Dad's got this.

War was to be avoided, but I didn't know how Cassius would negotiate with the pack leader who'd just lost one of their own. I plopped down on the grass and tried to let the sounds of nature calm my mind. The wind whistled, and the birds chirped loudly enough to make a song of their melody, but without luck, the foreboding returned.

War… this could be war. Why, Gio…

I should’ve shifted. I could’ve stopped him.

The man was fucking dead and could still raise hell from the ground.

A sharp tug jerked my stick forward and forced me from my thoughts. "Yes!" I sat up and yanked backward until a large violet-colored fish plopped onto the grass beside me. The color struck me and sent me back to a time I only associated with pain and hurt.

Mother.

The color had always reminded me of my mom. She had distinctive violet eyes and was easily one of the most beautiful women I had ever known—inside and out. The thought of her sent a wave of nostalgia through me. I could still feel her strong embrace, smell her sweet perfume, and envision the way her brown skin glistened even on the darkest days. It hurt so much to lose her.

A sigh eluded from me as I recalled the memory of her death. I was seven when her riverboat sank. I remember screaming, crying and being absolutely helpless. My father had tried to reach her, but it’d been too late. Turning back toward the river, I shivered with the memory. I had stayed away from boats ever since, and I only ever fished from the safety of the shore.

As I sat there on the riverbank, memories of my mother consumed my mind. Memories I had tried so hard to suppress, but which had always resurfaced. Memories of her infectious laugh, her warm smile, and her kind words. All of which were now just a distant echo in my mind. But alongside those pleasant memories came pain. The pain of losing her, the pain of not being able to say goodbye, the pain of not being able to do a single thing to save her.

I picked up the fish, and it flopped in my hands, still alive and struggling for freedom. Its scales glinted a deep purple that I admired for a moment longer before tossing it back into the river. A flash of silver and violet sped away on a ribbon of river water.

After my mother died, I’d always thought that anything in the color violet was a sign of her trying to communicate with me. So, I often communicated back.

“I miss you, Mom,” I said to the water. I missed her so dearly that it hurt.

The fish swam in circles, staying close by where the water met the land. What are you trying to tell me, Mom?

I remained still for some time until finally, a powerful gust of wind stirred up the calm surface of the river and made ripples on its surface. Standing up slowly, I watched as the fish quickly wrapped around another rock, then disappeared into the depths of the river. Before I could say goodbye, the sound of a slamming door jolted my attention to the lodge. My father emerged, a grim expression on his face. Quickly, I walk toward him as I returned to a state of anxiety.

“What happened? Will it remain peaceful?” I looked down and noticed Cassius’ balled fists.

“Sunya was ready to rip the treaty to shreds,” he said, snarling. “Apparently, Kaori was a favorite of his, and he is taking her death as a personal affront.” Just as I had feared, Sunya thought our invitation to Kaori was intended all along as a way to lure her into an ambush. “I swore to him it was the depraved act of a lone individual and that if I’d had any inkling it was coming, I would’ve stopped it.”

This was bad. Still, I wanted my father to continue before I would offer my advice.

"Sunya proposed that Hidden Spear should launch a surprise attack on Silver Ash, so we can experience the same paranoia that they are."

“That’ll ruin everyone's lives! No one would win in that situation. We can’t allow that to happen!”

My father nodded. “I was finally able to get Sunya to understand that this would lead to a cycle of retaliation that would ultimately destroy both packs. So, he came up with an alternate solution.” I held my breath as I waited for the words to come. His voice softened into one of apology. “He said it was the only way to prevent an all-out war.”

The air tensed and held the weight of my father’s words. After a moment, he rebalanced his weight and looked down at the grass as if gathering his courage before looking at me again.. My heart surged and sent my palms sweating. I wiped them on my pants, waiting.

What is he waiting for?

Perhaps I beat it out of him.

“What is it? What did he propose?” I asked to get my father to spit it out.

“You must marry Sunya’s son, Kenji.”