Chapter 56 Planning A Summit
ARYA
‘What do you think?’ Luca asked silently.
Hearing his voice in my mind. Not just the question he was asking but seeing how he was putting me first, letting me decide for myself. It made something inside of me crack. And I knew it was the right decision when I replied.
‘I’m with Caspian on this. But I also think we can’t hide.’
‘We need to be strategic.’
‘I’m not asking you to hide. Just to be smart about where and how we engage.’
‘Agreed.’
“Here’s what we’ll do,” I said aloud. “Increased security, yes. But I’m not going into hiding. Instead, we go on the offensive. We reach out to packs and kingdoms, build alliances, show them that unity isn’t weakness—it’s strength.”
“A tour?” Caspian looked skeptical.
“A summit.” The idea formed as I spoke. “Invite every pack Alpha, every Lycan Lord, every supernatural leader to a gathering. Let them see us. Let them hear our vision. Give them a choice to stand with unity or stand with prejudice.”
Luca’s eyes lit up. “That’s brilliant.”
“That’s dangerous,” Caspian countered. “Putting every major leader in one place? Perfect target for Theron.”
“Let him try.” I stood, moving to Luca’s side. “We’ll be surrounded by allies. Protected by combined forces. And if he’s stupid enough to attack a gathering like that, he’ll unite every supernatural being against him.”
“She’s right,” Luca said slowly. “It’s risky, but the potential payoff… we could end this before it really begins.”
Caspian looked between us, then sighed. “You two are going to give me gray hair.”
“You’re Lycan. You don’t get gray hair.”
“With you two? I’ll be the first.” But he was smiling. “Fine. I’ll start making arrangements. Where and when?”
“The Moonborne ancestral lands,” I said impulsively. “If they still exist.”
“They do. They’ve been protected, kept sacred even after your family’s fall.” Luca squeezed my hand. “It’s perfect. Symbolic. A Moonborne returning home to unite the kingdoms.”
“Two weeks,” Caspian decided. “That gives us time to secure the location, send invitations, and prepare defenses.” He headed for the door. “And give you two some time to practice not getting killed.”
After he left, Luca pulled me into his arms.
“You’re sure about this?” he asked, his eyes searching mine.
“No, not really.” I said the truth.” But I’m sure about us. About what we’re fighting for.” I looked up at him. “We can do this, right? Change centuries of hatred?”
“With you beside me? We can do anything.” He kissed me softly. “Though I have to admit, I preferred when our biggest problem was figuring out how fast to take our relationship.”
I laughed. “Simpler times. Like three days ago.”
“Three days ago I hadn’t claimed you yet. Hadn’t felt your mark on my skin, your love in my soul.” His hand found my mark on his neck, tracing it reverently. “Now I have everything. Which means I have everything to lose.”
“You’re not going to lose me.”
“Promise?”
“I promise. We’re in this together. All of it. The good, the bad, the terrifying.” I kissed him. “Partners, remember?”
“Partners,” he agreed. “My magnificent, terrifying partner who decided to host a summit that could either end a war or start one.”
“Go big or go home?”
“Something like that.”
His phone buzzed. He glanced at it, then smiled.
“What?”
“Message from Alpha Marcus. Apparently Jaime’s pack has declared support for the Moonborne.” He showed me the screen. “He sent this for you.”
I read Jaime’s message, feeling… complicated. Not love. Not longing. Just a strange sort of closure.
He’d finally chosen the right side. Too late for us, but maybe not too late to matter.
“You okay?” Luca asked, watching my face.
“Yeah. Just… it’s good. Him supporting this. Supporting me, even from a distance.”
“He loves you. In his own broken way.” Luca didn’t sound jealous, just matter-of-fact. “Part of him probably always will.”
“But I love you.”
“I know. I can feel it.” He pressed his hand to his chest, over his heart. “Every moment of every day, I feel it. Your love, your trust, your absolute faith in us.”
“Is it strange? The bond?”
“It’s everything. Overwhelming and perfect and sometimes inconvenient—like when I’m in boring meetings and you’re thinking about…” He grinned. “Well. Things that make it very difficult to concentrate on trade agreements.”
Heat crept up my neck. “That was once!”
“Once was enough. Do you know how hard it is to negotiate treaty terms when you can feel your mate’s arousal through the bond?”
“I wasn’t—” But I had been. Yesterday, watching him train with Caspian, all sweaty and powerful and gorgeous. “Okay, maybe a little.”
“A little?” His hand slid down my back. “You were practically radiating need. I had to cut the meeting short before I embarrassed myself.”
“Poor king. Suffering so much.”
“I am suffering.” His hips pressed against mine, and I could feel exactly how much. “Constantly. Because now that I’ve had you, all I want is to have you again. And again. And again.”
“Well.” I pulled him toward the bed. “We have an hour before the next meeting. Want to make the most of it?”
His answering growl was all the answer I needed.
The hour we’d stolen turned into two, then three.
By the time we finally emerged from our room, thoroughly sated and wearing matching marks on our necks, the afternoon sun was already beginning to dip toward the horizon.
Caspian was waiting in the hallway, his expression hovering between amused and exasperated.
“Enjoy yourselves?” His tone was dry.
“Immensely,” Luca replied without shame, his hand possessively on my lower back. “What do we have?”
“Responses to the summit invitations are already coming in. Faster than expected.” Caspian fell into step beside us as we headed downstairs. “Apparently word of last night’s confrontation spread quickly. Everyone wants to see the Moonborne who faced down Theron’s army.”
“How many acceptances?” I asked.
“Forty-three so far. Including some surprises.” He pulled out his tablet. “Alpha Marcus from Silver Creek. Alpha Damian from the Eastern Territories. Even the Bear Clans are sending representatives.”
“Bears?” Luca sounded impressed. “They never involve themselves in our politics.”
“They do when they think the world might actually change.” Caspian scrolled through the list. “We also have refusals. Predictably from territories aligned with the Nightshade coalition. But the number of acceptances far outweighs the rejections.”