Chapter 66

Ava

We all watched with bated breath as Dedrick strode into the chamber, his movements calm and poised as ever—not a hair on his head seemed bristled by this impromptu fourth trial, almost as though he already saw it coming.

He took his seat at the end of the table without hesitation, offering me a polite nod of gratitude as he picked up the steaming mug of coffee I had prepared.

“Thank you,” he said simply, bringing the ceramic to his lips for a sip.

I didn’t know what to say. He had just strode in so confidently, so casually, and then proceeded to drink his coffee. Across the table, I could see Olivia lifting her fingers to her lips as though she were hiding a smirk.

Chris launched into his instructions, outlining the scenario we would be presenting to Dedrick. As he spoke, I noticed Dedrick’s eyes already drifting across the map laid out in front of him, his brow furrowing slightly in concentration as he took in each carefully carved detail.

When Chris fell silent, the rest of us waited with bated breath to see how Dedrick would respond. For a long moment, he was utterly motionless, simply studying the map as if committing every line and piece to memory.

A small knot of doubt began to twist in my stomach. Dedrick was from the human realm—would he even understand the complex politics and alliances that governed our packs? Would we even have a viable candidate to take the position of Alpha after today, or would all three of them perform poorly?

I stole a glance at Olivia, whose face caught my attention out of the corner of my eyes. I couldn’t keep myself from wondering what the smug tilt of her chin meant—was she thinking the same thing? That Dedrick, the outsider, would inevitably fail this test, just as the other two had?

Was she hoping all along that this entire process would fail, just as I knew the Elders were hoping as well?

Just when I thought he might remain silent forever, Dedrick set down his coffee cup with a soft clink against the saucer. He leaned forward, his palms flat on the table as he surveyed the map with intense focus.

Then, to my shock, he began to move the pieces with decisive motions, spinning an incredible strategy for trade and diplomacy that left me utterly speechless.

“Two thirds of the moongrass shipment will go to Moonrise,” he said calmly, shifting the pieces to illustrate his point. “They are Moonstone’s closest allies. However, the remaining third will be portioned out to Moonshine—our second-strongest allied pack.”

He paused, those piercing eyes flickering across the silent Elders as if gauging their reactions. When no one spoke, he continued. Clearly, he wasn’t finished.

“But the moongrass itself isn’t the true issue here,” he declared. “It’s the political landscape that requires careful navigation. Moonrise and New Moon are sworn enemies—decades of preferential treatment from Moonstone toward Moonrise will only further strain our relations with New Moon’s wealthy pack.”

My heart stuttered at his words. He was right: preserving our allegiance with Moonrise was vital... but letting our ties with New Moon disintegrate could prove catastrophic as well if left unchecked for too long, and it had already been quite a few years.

“Instead of more moongrass,” Dedrick went on, “I propose we use Moonstone’s other biggest resource to our advantage: the moondeer.”

He paused again, glancing up at Chris, who remained silent. My breath caught in my throat at the mention of those sacred, beautiful creatures. I didn’t have a good feeling about this, but I wanted to hear him out.

“During the moondeer festival, when the stags are shedding their antlers, we will invite the highest-ranking delegates from both New Moon and Moonrise to bear witness to the sacred ritual,” Dedrick explained. “We will not only use that opportunity to increase tourism here in Moonstone, but also to request a diplomatic summit between the two packs.”

He knocked one of the pieces over, smiling faintly. “If all goes well, we can attempt to ease tensions and have both packs walk away with a sense of equality and mutual respect... as well as a share of the sacred moondeer antlers to honor them. In return, we simply request formalized trade agreements from each pack.”

The sheer simplicity of the plan left me reeling. Of course, using the moondeer as a neutral peacemaking tool could potentially shatter generations of hostility between the warring packs. And trade agreements with both would only strengthen Moonstone’s position.

But… They were our most sacred animals. Not a tourist attraction. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could, Chris cleared his throat.

“But what of the final two packs—Crescent Moon and Moonshine?” Chris asked, folding his hands on the table. “Such a summit would surely make them feel slighted, being left out of these talks despite being key neighboring packs.”

Dedrick only inclined his head, the faintest hint of a smile playing across his lips. “You’re absolutely right, Alpha Chris. That’s why I’ve also made provisions to involve them.”

With a few motions, he shifted more pieces into position as he spoke.

“We must establish trade with Crescent Moon,” he explained. “By allying with New Moon, we will be able to purchase New Moon’s supply of silks—something that Crescent Moon covets, due to their physical distance from New Moon.”

“So we would sell the silks to Crescent Moon?” Elder Bradley asked.

Dedrick nodded. “In exchange for Crescent Moon’s silver; that silver can then be used by Moonshine pack—who currently are facing a metal shortage, which they sorely need for their jewelry-making industry—in exchange for providing us with their potent, mineral-rich soil to fertilize our moongrass crops.”

My jaw went slack as the pattern emerged. A perfect, blended circulation of resources, goods, and diplomacy that would ensure Moonstone’s place as a vital political and economic linchpin for all five packs.

But still, I found myself stuck on the moondeer. I was appalled, actually, that none of the Elders seemed to be mentioning this. But, like Chris had said, comments could be saved for later. I was curious to hear their thoughts.

When Dedrick finally fell silent, replacing the last few pieces on the board with a sense of finality, the whole council chamber was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Despite the issue with the moondeer, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the map, my mind utterly blown by the intricacy of Dedrick’s proposal. Neither Allen nor Sam, both members of the werewolf world, went this far.

How could one outsider understand the intricacies of our world so innately?

Blinking, I carefully glanced up at the others. The Elders remained silent, too stunned to speak. Chris sat with his chin in his hand, his brow furrowed while Dedrick watched him intently.

And Olivia…

Olivia had the tiniest ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

“Thank you, Dedrick,” Chris finally said, his deep voice breaking through the silence after what felt like an eternity. “You are dismissed. We will be releasing our final decision later today.”

Dedrick inclined his head, rose from his seat, and strode from the chamber without another word.