Werewolves always underestimated witches. They thought just because witches needed a little bit of time to prepare for battle that it made them weaker, lesser. Prey. So she was happy to milk this for an extra second or two.
Then she shook her head. "I don't want war. I don't want to have to call in my parents' coven. And I don't want to have to fight any pack to date my boyfriend, so if the Iron Runner pack stick to their territory, I'm more than happy to stick to my own."
Dawson nodded. "That's agreeable to me."
He left them alone, and the threat of any war was taken care of, for now.
Delainey whistled out a breath. "Let's get out of here," she said.
"Wait," said Nico.
Elise looked up at him, and she realized what he had to be talking about. They hadn't discussed this, but it was the logical conclusion after that discussion with Dawson. If they didn't want war with the Iron Runner pack, they certainly didn't want war among their own.
"I'm glad we're not about to start anything with this coven tonight and that we haven't found ourselves in a war," Nico said, "but I don't want my loyalties divided."
He didn't step away from Elise.
"Your loyalties don't have to be divided," Cole said. "You are one of my betas. You are loyal to me."
"And she's my mate," he said. "I'm also loyal to her. That doesn't have to be in conflict."
Elise looked to her sisters. "We've never had any beef with them before, one tiny kidnapping notwithstanding."
"It was two kidnappings," Nico added unhelpfully.
Elise had to correct herself. "Fine, we've never had any beef with them before the last month. So can we just call this extenuating circumstances? And can we have a truce between the pack and the coven?"
Briana crooked her fingers, and the witches, except for Elise, huddled up around the table. Meanwhile, the wolves just looked at Cole for his decision.
Elise regretted making Dawson wait that extra beat because every second that ticked by while she waited to see what the verdict would be was an eternity of torture. She heard muttering from her sisters but couldn't quite make out their words.
Finally, the witches sat back and looked towards the wolves.
"We can agree to that," Briana said. "A truce."
Cole nodded. "A truce, so long as these two are dating and your coven doesn't pull any shit."
"Your pack better not pull any shit either," Delainey shot right back.
Briana leveled a look at Cole. "That's agreeable."
"So let's call it a truce," said Cole. "And let's go home. It's late."
The wolves headed towards Cole's truck, and the witches headed for Briana's Jeep. Elise was torn between the two again.
Delainey gave her an expectant look and nodded towards the car. Briana gave her a thumbs up. But Elise didn't immediately move.
She looked up at Nico. "I think I have to go have a talk with them. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Nico pulled her close and kissed her, and Elise wanted to sink into it forever and just stay right there with him until morning.
But she forced herself to pull back and then gave him one quick final kiss before turning around and getting into the Jeep and accepted the teasing that her sisters shot her way as they drove home.
Chapter
Thirty-Nine
There had beena fire at the coven-house.
