A Gift from the Goddess

Chapter Eighty–Two 

*Swear your oath,” I said, my eyes marrowing at the man before me. 

His body still lowered in submission, he placed a hand over his chest in respect. 

“), Alpha Tristan Green, of the Onyx Rock, hereby pledge my pack to the alliance offered by Alpha Ariadne of the Winter Mist. May our packs continue to prosper together under your guidance and protection.” 

Good. 

Satisfied with his words, I stood up and walked over to clasp my hand in his. 

“I accepi.” 

And with thai, another pack had joined the alliance. Though, more accurately, another had sworn to continue their alliance. Something that was seemingly slow going lately, the days dragging out. 

So much so, it was hard to believe that two months had already gone by. 

Two months since I‘d killed Tytus, imprisoned Aleric, and became Alpha of the Winter Mist. 

And things were... okay. 

Not to say I was doing anything wrong. On the contrary, I had the pack running like clockwork, making us more efficient than ever before. 

No, the issues were laid more externally. Specifically, other packs, 

I had been prepared for opposition to my rise in rank however, it seemed I‘d miscalculated just how many would be against pledging to an alliance with a female Alpha. 

The ways of our kind were apparently still too archaic, too set in stone with old beliefs. 

But I‘d been wearing them down slowly. 

Little by little, I was showing them why it was in their best interest to continue, proving I was far more fearsome than most had believed. Not the helpless Saintess I‘d initially built my brand to be... but rather a foe you didn‘t want to find yourself suddenly facing. The only issue was there were still so many packs left to go. There wasn‘t one simple way to get them all to agree at once so it had been a painstakingly slow process. 

“You‘ll have access to your supply route again within the day.” I continued to the Alpha, my lips slowly twitching into a triumphant smile. “Pleasure doing business with you.” 

“Now they‘ll never forget how easy it was for us to cut them off. How much they still need our support,’ the voice said inside. 

And I agreed. 

The Alpha didn‘t stick around for much longer once the requirements for the alliance had been finalised. Not that I blamed him. I was far too busy to care though, needing to focus on other problems. 

Behind the scenes of my new operation these last few months, Iris had been utilising her network of followers across the country to support me but, since hardly any of those extended to the ranked members of those packs, the results were not instant. Not to say those contacts didn‘t have their other uses though. Uses like uncovering information for me on their packs‘ weaker points. 

It hadn‘t been hard to figure out that most of these Alphas were never going to respect me unless I forced them into some sort of submission. Proof that I really was as formidable as the new rumours had hinted a 1. All they had wanted to see was a young, naive girl... right up until I suddenly had their whole pack in a 

checkmate. 

Some were still trying to play a waiting game though, holding off to see if I would crumble under the new responsibility. They wanted me to prove them right, prove that I wasn‘t cut out for this. A gamble that some were even now risking their own packs for. Though soon they would start to feel what the loss of our alliance meant. 

I wasn‘t entirely ignorant though. I knew under the surface that even my own pack was somewhat divided. They were forced to respect me because of the Alpha bond but I knew what some of them were thinking deep down. Or, at least, what some of them were hoping for. 

...Hoping for the rising of their Alpha heir. 

The one who had been living within a cell these last two months. 

If only they knew the kind of person he really was. 

“This is going too slow,” I grumbled to Elder Luke as we entered back into my office. “At this rate, we‘ll start declining too far in status if we can‘t make enough progress.” 

“I don‘t disagree,” he said, grabbing a few documents from the desk. 

chair. “I know it‘s only been two months but I thought by now we‘d be seeing a small upward trend of people joining. Except it‘s stayed about the same. It‘s almost like

harder to break traditions than you might believe,” he said, raising an

any comfort

said, holding my hand out for the documents he‘d been looking after for

of packs still pending for the alliance that I frowned, surprised over what

saw. 

accurate?” I asked sceptically, continuing to flick through the pages

he answered.

be

the Silver Lake pack still hasn‘t sent

“That is correct.” 

mean... have they provided a reason? I didn‘t think they, of all people, would reject my

happened between us? It seemed so petty to

something far worse too....

Elder Luke‘s mouth turned downward. “Well, after Caius was imprisoned here for so many months, to the point of almost

the one trying to free Cai that entire time. I was the one working

olet Enghe two 

saying this, but, were you not the reason why

bit the inside of my cheek,

Luke continued. “If we were to fall in status now, they would just stand to gain becoming the next powerhouse pack within our region. They have the least to

path you‘ve calculated ahead and I see it too. I know

were far worse than one would initially

much push back to join the alliance right

if the Silver Lake would

the Silver Lake refused to join now, we‘d be looking at a power struggle between us. The other packs within the previous alliance would need to choose a side and, in doing so, they would be deciding who would next become the strongest territory; gaining the ability to

fail to regain our position, the Winter

didn‘t refuse our request to fall under the umbrella of their alliance. Though, I was uncertain whether Tobias would even

devastatingly, it would mean our pack would be outcasted. Without the support of an alliance to strengthen us, we wouldn‘t be able to maintain our status for long. It meant putting ourselves in the hands

meant potentially the death of

might lay ahead for

the best chance of success. A path that reduced the most

...War. 

all in or nothing approach since, if we failed to acquire the numbers within the

packs were still being divided between us, before any one territory could become a clear victor. It would be only during that moment that we would still be able to

On 

or not we could convince the Silver Lake to join back

“Has anyone had any official confirmation

been busy these days, handling rogue disputes along

fine, then ask for a meeting with Cai,” I replied. “He is able to

say. He‘ll have enough senso lo realise this won‘t benefit either of us S katter everything we‘ve been through, he

times, in fact,” Elder Luke started the response was that he didn‘t want to get involved as he is ‘unwell. Evidently, sick enough to

almost

such a nerve

What are we children?” I asked, incredulously. “This feels so... so immature.”

things on the best of terms, but making excuses to get out of dealing with

his mate. Because she didn‘t want us to meet again given

or not his excuse is true, I‘m unable to verify,” Elder Luke said. “Though I would agree that

what to do in this situation. However, there weren

theirs was due to personal history so my best chance at success was to appeal directly to Cai He was

that I need his help,” I said. “I want a meeting before the end of the month, Luke. ‘No‘ is not

simply bowed his head,

vividly remember how he‘d looked at me eren once I‘d try to scare him away. We might

paperwork. However, Elder Luke remained seated, almost as

was asking for you again