He bared his teeth. "It's always about revenge. It's in our nature."
I gripped his shoulders, my thumbs digging into his skin. The skin-contact sent a wave of comfort through the matebond. He relaxed under my touched and his eyes softened as he leaned his forehead against mine. "Give me another solution."
He gave me an exasperated sigh. "I can have my Beta and a couple warriors seek the rogues out and explain the Lockhart situation. They can find the rogues who did this and have them punished, not killed, to preserve your alliance."
I pursed my lips and nodded. "Let's send your Beta and my Gamma."
"Alpha," Xavier said, running up to us with Riley and my parents in tow.
Blaine and I turned toward them.
Mom covered her mouth. "Oh, Gretta."
Dad shook his head with a sigh. "I think the pack needs to know about this."
I nodded. 'Pack meeting, now,' I mind-linked the pack.
I stood at the podium with Blaine, Riley, and Xavier next to me.
I gripped the podium and stared out into the confused faces of my pack. "We have lost an elder."
Whispers turned to shouts, wondering what had happened.
"It was Gretta. We've been at odds with the Lockhart pack for some time now. They killed a rogue and planted the body at our East perimeter. The rogues are retaliating, believing we killed one of theirs. My mate and I have come up with a plan to clear this misunderstanding," I told them.
"Are we going to kill the rogues that did this?" someone called out.
"I want to, for Gretta." I paused, swallowing. "But we cannot cause any more bloodshed. We will send Beta Cole and Gamma Xavier to track them down. They will explain our situation to the rogues, and they will propose to punish the rogues who did this."
"That's ridiculous! They will attack the moment they see them!" Lee, the previous Beta, remarked.
I shook my head. "Rogues aren't mindless killing machines. They're capable of being reasoned with."
"Bullshit."
Blaine growled. "Speak to your Alpha with respect, mutt."
I put up my hand before Lee could respond. "This is what's happening. I will not allow any more of our pack members to be killed because of a misunderstanding."
Lee narrowed his eyes at me, but he kept his mouth shut.
"Now, we need to discuss what we need to do about the Lockhart pack—" Blaine started.
"Alphas! There's been another attack," Jason, my top pack warrior, shouted as he came into the auditorium.
"What happened?"
"One of our warriors. He was patrolling and was attacked on the East perimeter. He's injured, but still alive. It wasn't rogues. It was the Lockhart pack. We killed the wolves that attacked him."
Rage overtook my body, and I slammed both of my palms on the podium as a growl rippled through my throat. "Riley, get the Alpha of the Lockhart pack on the phone. We are going to propose a meeting."
The sun was setting on the horizon as we arrived at the unclaimed territory. Oranges, pinks, and yellows blazed against the sky in a furious attempt to stay surfaced. The darkness of the night pushed them down, suffocating the colors with retribution.
I wrapped my arms around my body and took deep breaths as we waited. Blaine stood beside me with his arms crossed, his hair blowing wildly in the crisp evening air.
Riley and Gabe stood to our right. My pack warriors were on standby at the edge of our territory in case things took a bad turn, which I wouldn't put past Lockhart. Xavier and Cole had already left to find the rogues and explain the situation.
"So, this is Alpha Maxwell, daughter of the former Alpha," a chilling voice mused, emerging from the woods.
My eyes landed on Alpha Lockhart. His hair was a fiery red, but his eyes were black. Tattoos covered his tanned skin, and he held his head high as he stalked toward me. An aura of danger surrounded him, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand. His Beta and Gamma accompanied him.
I straightened, reaching my hand out to him. "Yes. It has been some time since we last met. It surprised me that you accepted my request."
He clasped my hand with a tight grip, staring deep into my eyes. "That it has. You have grown into a beautiful young woman, Alpha Maxwell."
Blaine growled.
Lockhart's head tilted to the side before dropping his hand. "And this is your mate? Blaine Huntington. Nice to see you again." He shook Blaine's reluctant hand.
"Likewise," Blaine said.
"Were you scared to meet me alone?" His black eyes flickered to me.
A chill quaked through my body as I shook my head. "I'm not scared of you."
Blaine snarled. "I wouldn't let her out of my sight."
Alpha Lockhart hummed. "Very well, Huntington. Your mate fascinates me."
"Watch your words, Lockhart." Blaine sneered.
"Back to the issue at hand." I cleared my throat. "I would appreciate it if we could come to a compromise about the unclaimed territory. And for your pack to stop painting a red X on us for the rogues. And stop attacking my pack members."
He grinned. "I think we can come to an agreement. Give me this territory, and I will put an end to it all."
I shook my head. "My father's been battling you for this his whole life. I won't just hand it over."
His eyes narrowed, and he crossed his arms. "I see."
"But I'm willing to compromise. How about we split this land in half and expand our territories?"
His eyebrows shot up. "You're willing to share this territory?"
"Not share it but split it. We can both extend our borders into the unclaimed territory until we hit the middle. That will be the new boundary between our packs."
He chuckled. "How interesting." He rubbed his hands together. "Very well, Alpha Maxwell. You have yourself a deal."
A shiver ran down my spine at his sharp laugh. "Thank you, Alpha Lockhart. I am pleased to come to an agreement with you."
His laughter ceased as he pressed his lips into a thin line. "Don't mistake my actions, Maxwell.
