“Not force. Partner with. The agreement allows for collaborative research and intelligence gathering when threats emerge that could affect multiple territories. I could formally request your participation as someone with direct knowledge of both the supernatural element and the Thornridge attack.”
“That’s coercion dressed up in legal language.” She takes a step closer, and despite everything, my wolf perks up at the proximity. “You’re threatening to use bureaucracy to keep me from my pack. To make this official, so I can’t refuse.”
“I’m offering you a legitimate reason to collaborate.” My voice drops lower. “If you partner with me to investigate the vision and the potential curse, you have authority under the inter-regional agreement to be here. To work with Grayhide’s resources and intelligence network. Your matriarch can’t argue with an official request backed by treaty law.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then I’ll have to formally report the vision and the attack to all pack leaders as a potential cross-territorial threat.” I hate myself for the manipulation even as I speak. “Which will put you under scrutiny from multiple territories, not just Llewelyn.Every pack will want to question you about what you saw, what Thornridge wanted, and why you were targeted. You’ll face council meetings and interrogations from wolves you’ve never met, all demanding answers you don’t have.”
Her face goes pale. “You wouldn’t.”
“I don’t want to.” The truth of it echoes through my chest. “But if the only way to keep you safe is to make this a multi-pack concern that requires your cooperation and protection, then yes. I’ll do it. I’ll file the official report and let the councils decide how to proceed.”
“You bastard.” The words come out quiet, but they cut deep. “You’re blackmailing me into staying here.”
“I’m giving you a choice.” Even I don’t believe that. “Stay here and work with me to investigate what’s happening under the protection of the inter-regional agreement, or face immediate scrutiny from every pack leader in the region who will have questions about supernatural visions and targeted kidnapping attempts.”
“That’s not a choice. That’s a threat.”
“It’s a path forward.” I force myself to hold her gaze even though I want to look away from the hurt and anger I see there. “One that lets you maintain some control over the situation instead of having decisions made for you by multiple councils who don’t know you and won’t care about your comfort or preferences.”
She stares at me for a long moment, and I can see her mind working, weighing the options and potential consequences. Coming to the same conclusion I already reached. She doesn’t actually have a choice here. Not really.
“How long?” she finally asks.
“Until we understand what the vision means. Until we can identify any potential threats within Llewelyn. Until we’re certain, returning you to your pack won’t put you in more danger. A few days at minimum. Maybe a week.”
“A week. You expect me to stay here, away from my pack, for potentially a week while we chase theories about curses that might not even exist?”
“I expect you to partner with me to protect both you and Llewelyn from threats we can’t yet identify. To use Grayhide’s resources and my historical knowledge to investigate something that could be affecting your entire pack. Something your matriarch might not even believe exists.”
“And after we finish this investigation?” She crosses her arms and juts out her hip. “Assuming we find anything at all?”
“Then I’ll take you home myself. I’ll personally deliver you to your matriarch and brief her on everything we discovered. She’ll hear it from me so there’s no question about what happened or why you were here.”
“You swear that?” she asks, squinting at me. “You’ll let me go back after we investigate? You won’t find new reasons to keep me here?”
“I swear it.” The words taste like ash because I know how hard it will be to watch her walk away. But I convince myself I mean them anyway. “Once we understand what’s happening and can ensure your safety, I’ll take you home. No excuses, no delays.”
She’s quiet for a long moment, and I can practically see the war happening behind her eyes. Pride fighting with pragmatism. Anger battling with reason. The desire to tell me to go to hell warring with the knowledge that I’ve backed her into a corner she can’t escape from.
“Fine,” she grinds out. “I’ll partner with you to investigate the vision and potential curse under the authority of the inter-regional agreement.”
Relief floods through my body so strongly that I have to focus on staying upright. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. This isn’t cooperation. This is coercion. You’ve given me no real choice, and we both know it. The moment this investigation is complete, I’m gone. And I don’t want to hear another word about safety or protection or any other excuse you might cook up to extend my stay.”
“Understood.”
“I want my own room. With a lock on the inside.”
“Of course.” I gesture down the hallway. “The guest room is the second door on the left. It has its own bathroom and locks from the inside. I’ll get you clean towels and anything else you need.”
“And I want access to communication.” She raises her chin. “I’m allowed to contact my pack to tell them I’m safe and where I am. That’s non-negotiable.”
“Agreed,” I nod. “But we should be strategic about what you tell them. If there is an infiltrator—”
“I’ll be vague,” she cuts me off. “I’ll tell them I’m working with Grayhide on a research project related to the inter-regional agreement. That I’m examining historical documents that might relate to Llewelyn’s founding. That should satisfy them without revealing too much about the vision or the attack.”
