Elle’s POV
I watched Sophia my knight without hesitation, a confident smile playing on her lips.
“You sure about that move? Abigail asked with a mischievous grin. Really no regrets?
“Of course I’m sure, Sophia replied smoothly, her ice–blue eyes sparkling with confidence.
Abigail’s smile widened as she slid her bishop across the board, effectively trapping Sophia’s King,
“Checkmate.”
“Damn it!” Sophia laughed, throwing her hands up in mock defeat. I totally fell for that
I couldn’t help but smile as I rose from my seat, leaving the two of them to reset their board. The gentle swaying of the RV was actually quite soothing, and I found myself craving something cold to drink. I made my way to the small bar area, impressed once again by the luxury of Brad’s travel arrangements.
“One ice water, please,” I murmured to myself, reaching for a glass.
Before I could fill it, Raymond Carter appeared beside me, smoothly taking the glass from my hands. “Let me,” he said gently, replacing my ice water with a warmer alternative.
I accepted the warmer water with a grateful smile. “Thanks, Raymond. And thank you for coming with es on this trip. I know it’s probably not the most exciting way to spend your weekend.”
“Are you kidding?” Raymond’s eyes crinkled with warmth. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
I took a sip of the water, feeling the baby shift slightly. I have to admit, this whole trip is half relaxation and half genuine business concern. The Moonvale project has been stalled for weeks, and I’m starting to wonder if we’re missing something crucial about why progress has been so slow.” I gave him a playful look. “With you guys here, at least I know nobody’s going to try to screw us over, right?”
“Of course,” Raymond said seriously,
I pressed on. “Since you’re familiar with the area, what your take on Moonvale Town? What are we walking into?”
Raymond leaned against the bar counter, his expression thoughtful. “Moonvale is… complex. It’s home to six small pack territories, each one fiercely independent but also interdependent. Think of it like a
carefully balanced ecosystem. The Rayne Group’s resource integration plan primarily affects the largest settlement called Moonvale Village, which is essentially a mini pack alliance in its own right.”
“What makes it so complicated?”
“The village houses six distinct packs: Silver Moon, Blood Fang, Storm, Wild, Shadow, and Stone Claw. They’ve lived together for generations, but they maintain strict boundaries about outside interference. They’re incredibly tight–knit, and they absolutely refuse to let external packs get involved in their internal
affairs.”
I studied Raymond’s face as he spoke. “So our project is essentially asking them to open up their resources
to outsiders.”
“Exactly. And it affects all six packs‘ interests, which means you have six different Alpha powers to navigate, all with competing priorities and centuries–old alliances and grudges.”
“Which pack has the most influence?”
Raymond chuckled. “That’s the beauty of it – they’re all perfectly balanced in terms of power. Though,” he added with a grin, “if I had to bet on which one could kick the most ass in a fight, I’d put my money on
Stone Claw.”
I was about to ask another question when Raymond’s expression shifted, becoming more contemplative. “You know, we’ve prepared some pretty impressive gifts for all six Alphas, but I’m still worried we might spend all this money and they’ll just tell us to fuck off anyway.” He paused, his voice growing softer. “If Dakota were still alive, this would be so much easier. She was brilliant at this kind of thing – she always knew exactly how to approach different packs.”
I felt my chest tighten at the mention of Dakota Blair, that familiar pang of… something I couldn’t quite name. “I don’t really know what to say to that.”
Raymond looked embarrassed. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought her up.”
I managed a rueful smile. “Yeah, the Blair family keeps saying the same thing. I think it’s from living in the estate – maybe I’m picking up her mannerisms or something.”
The truth was more complicated than that. Since breaking free from the suffocating control of the West
トミ
family, I felt like I was finally becoming who I was meant to be. The pregnancy had brought out a maternal
warmth I never knew I possessed, and navigating werewolf society had forced me to develop a quiet strength and diplomatic grace. Maybe that’s what they all saw – not that I was becoming Dakota, but that I was becoming myself.
“You know,” Raymond said seriously, “sometimes I think maybe you really are someone Dakota sent from heaven to finish the journey she couldn’t complete.”
His intensity was starting to make me uncomfortable. I forced a light laugh and steered the conversation
back to safer ground. “So what’s the actual plan for this trip? How are we dividing up the meetings?”
Raymond seemed to shake himself out of his reverie. “Brad’s already mapped it out. We’re splitting up to
cover more ground efficiently. I’ll handle Stone Claw, Silver Moon, and Blood Fang. Brad will take the other
three,”
When our convoy finally entered Moonvale Town, I immediately felt the shift in atmosphere.
As we drove through the town center, I watched the werewolves on the streets with fascination. They moved in clearly defined groups, each pack’s members marked by subtle scent signatures that even I could detect. The territorial divisions were invisible but absolute.
Brad appeared at my elbow, his expression serious. “This is going to be even more challenging than we
thought.”
Raymond nodded grimly. “But that’s what makes it interesting, right?”
–
Raymond continued, “These packs have incredibly strong territorial instincts they barely tolerate outsider werewolves, let alone human tourists wandering around their sacred spaces.”
“Sacred spaces?”
“The real issue,” Raymond explained, “is that Moonvale Village is where they honor the Blair family ancestors. During the Revelation period, these six small packs were vulnerable – bigger groups were trying to absorb them or drive them out entirely. The Blair family intervened, using their influence to protect these packs‘ territorial rights. But the agreement came with conditions: the packs had to stay in Moonvale Town permanently, no territorial expansion allowed. In return, they became the guardians of Blair family ancestral lands.”
The Blairs and their ancestral lands? That’s new to me.
Brad and I exchanged glances, understanding finally dawning.
“That explains something,” I breathed.
“Yeah, Brad murmured, his eyes thoughtful as he surveyed the carefully ordered territorial boundaries,
“This is going to require a completely different approach.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
