My attention remains fixed on her.
Siena steps back, her shoulders squared, but I notice the slight tremble in her hands as she clasps them together. She hides it well, but I know that gesture. I’ve seen it before. She’s not as unaffected as she wants everyone to believe.
Why does that matter to me
Lila shifts beside me, her displeasure radiating off her. “She probably bribed them,” she mutters, venom lacing her words.
1 clench my jaw. “She didn’t.”
16:25 Mon, 21 Apr H
Chapter 46
51%
I find myself leaning forward despite my resolve to appear unaffected. Beside me, Kuro shifis uncomfortably, sensing the mood in the chamber changing
The northern territories represent something precious–a chance to build true community between our kinds. While others see land to be claimed, we see sacred ground where innovation and werewolf tradition can flourish together.”
It should be amateur. It should fail spectacularly. But it’s not….
“For generations, we’ve spoken of coexistence as if mere tolerance is the goal. Windhowl envisions more. We’ve implemented cultural preservation initiatives in our current territories that honor both and werewolf heritage. Our elders work alongside historians to document shared stories that would otherwise be lost to time.”
She paints a picture of a future where both thrive, where their coexistence is more than just survival. Her hands move with an expressiveness Id always discouraged during our diplomatic training sessions. Too revealing. I’d told her. Too honest
“This isn’t idealism–it’s practical vision. When we preserve cultural understanding, we prevent the conflicts that arise from ignorance and fear. Our joint patrols have reduced border incidents by forty percent because they operate from mutual respect, not mutual suspicion.
Her words are raw, unpolished, but filled with conviction. Where my presentation was precise and calculated, hers flows like water finding its course–natural, unstoppable.
She speaks of integration programs that weren’t in any intelligence briefing my team prepared.
“Imagine settlements where children learn our traditions while werewolf cubs benefit from education systems. Imagine medical facilities that combine modem medicine with our ancestral healing practices. This is the future we can build–not just surviving alongside each other, but truly thriving together.”
The council reacts–eyes softening, posture opening. I recognize the shift immediately, Councilman Davis, who nodded politely during my economic forecasts, now leans forward with genuine interest, Ambassador Williams has stopped checking her communication device entirely.
“The northern territories need stewards who see beyond extraction and exploitation. Windhowl commits to development that honors the land and all who will call it home. We will build bridges, not just between territories, but between peoples whose futures are inextricably linked.
They’re captivated. They’re listening to her in a way they never listened to me, despite my meticulous preparation and flawless delivery. I feel something uncomfortable twist in my chest–not quite jealousy, not quite admiration. Something more complicated that I refuse to name
“This is the opportunity before us–not just expansion, but transformation. Not just coexistence, but communion. Windbowl stands ready to lead this new chapter in our shared history”
Pride flares within me. But something darker simmers beneath it. This is Siena. This is what she can do when she’s allowed to be herself.
When she finishes, the room falls into silence. For a beat too long. The council members exchange glances. Then murmurs of approval ripple through the room.
My a attention remains fixed on her.
Siena steps back, her shoulders squared, but I notice the slight tremble in her hands as she clasps them together. She hides it well, but I know that gesture. I’ve seen it before. She’s not as unaffected as she wants everyone to believe
Why does that matter to me!
Lila shifts beside me, her displeasure radiating off her. “She probably bribed them,” she mutters, venom lacing her words
I clench my jaw. “She didn’t.”
16:25 Mon, 21 Apr
Chapter 46
Lila’s head snaps toward me. “What?”
I don’t respond. I can’t explain why I know she didn’t. I just do.
The council’s decision comes quickly.
Windhowl–Siena–wins the expansion rights.
51%A
The announcement hits me like a blow, but I can’t look away from Siena. Her reaction is quiet, composed, and when her lips barely quirk in satisfaction, I realize–she expected this.
She earned it
A storm brews inside me. Pride. Jealousy. Anger.
“Unbelievable, Lila hisses beside me. They fell for her act.
“It wasn’t an act,” I murmur, my eyes still on Siena.
Lila’s hand freezes, and I feel her gaze on me. “Raiden?”
I force myself to look at her, offering a tight smile. “It’s nothing”
I can’t get Siena out of my mind.
“You’ve changed since the competition.”
I don’t answer. Because she’s right.
Zion’s presence around Siena gnaws at me. They’ve grown closer, and I can’t stand the familiarity between them.
Lila presses closer, arms twining possessively around me. “You need to stay away from her. Remeber what’s important Raiden, remember us,” She smiles swetely, smuggling her head into my shoulder.
–
Lila is right, and it makes sense. I’ve always told myself Siena was a mistake. That Lila was the right choice. But my wolf disagrees.
I can’t get Siena out of my head.
I’ve been wrong. About her.
About everything
For the first time….
I’m not sure I want to walk away
unscathed.
I’m sure of it, I deserve this pain.
