Chapter 115 A HARD PATH
DEREK’S POV
I led my pack to the boundary just before noon. The air was tense in a way I couldn’t explain, like everyone already knew this wouldn’t end well. My beta, Drake, walked beside me, his jaw tight. The others followed in a loose line, alert and ready, but not looking for a fight. At least, that was my hope.
When we reached the clearing that marked the boundary, I saw them. Amber was already there.
Her pack stood behind her in a tight formation, more disciplined than mine, faces hard and unreadable. She was at the front, shoulders squared, chin lifted. She looked like she had prepared herself for this moment long before any of us showed up.
I stopped a few steps from the boundary line. My pack halted behind me and no one crossed. That alone told me how serious this was.
“So,” I said, breaking the silence. “You didn’t waste time.”
Amber’s eyes met mine, calm…too calm. “Neither did you.”
For a few seconds, no one spoke. Just the sound of leaves shifting and boots scraping the dirt as people adjusted their stance.
I cleared my throat. “We came to talk, not to fight.”
A low scoff came from somewhere behind her. One of her warriors stepped forward but Amber raised a hand without looking back, he stopped instantly.
“Say what you came to say, Derek,” she said.
I nodded and took a breath. “There’s been too much bloodshed between our packs. Too many losses. This back-and-forth isn’t working, something has to change.”
Murmurs rippled through both sides as I heard someone behind me curse under their breath.
Amber didn’t react. “And what change are you suggesting?”
I didn’t like how steady her voice was, like she already knew.
“We’re proposing a truce,” I said. “A real one with clear rules. There are no crossing lines and no raids. No silent attacks because we coexist.”
The reaction was instant especially since I was expecting it long before now and here it was.
“What?” Cole snapped before I could stop him.
From Amber’s side, voices rose just as fast.
“A truce with them?” “They killed our people.” “This is a joke.”
I turned slightly and shot my pack a look. “Enough.”
Amber did the same. “Quiet, that’s enough.” She said.
The noise died down, but the anger stayed. You could feel it hanging there, thick and heavy.
Amber folded her arms. “A truce doesn’t erase what’s already happened.”
“I know,” I said. “But it can stop more from happening.”
She laughed once, sharp and humorless. “You think words fix this?”
“No,” I said honestly. “I think time does have boundaries and restraint.”
She studied me for a long moment, like she was trying to see past my face and into my head. “And what’s the real reason?”
I didn’t dodge it. “Because if this keeps going, we’ll destroy each other and neither pack will survive what comes after.”
That earned a reaction, a few of her elders exchanged looks. My own gamma shifted uneasily like it knew what was about to happen.
Amber’s jaw tightened. “You don’t suddenly care about survival after everything.”
“I care now,” I said. “That has to count for something.”
Her eyes hardened. “It doesn’t.”
The tension snapped after that just as one of my warriors stepped forward without permission.
“Your pack crossed first last winter, don’t act innocent.” He said.
Amber’s people erupted immediately, like they were expecting all of this from the very beginning. “You burned our outpost.” “You ambushed our scouts.” “You started this.”
“Back up,” Drake barked, grabbing the warrior by the arm and pulling him back.
Amber’s beta moved at the same time, positioning himself just behind her, ready. Their hands went to weapons. Not drawn, but close enough to be a threat.
“This is exactly why this won’t work,” Amber said. Her voice was louder now, edged with anger. “You stand there and talk about peace, but your people still think they’re right.”
I took a step forward, stopping just short of the line. “And yours don’t?”
She stepped closer too, the line between us felt thinner than it really was.
“Don’t do this,” I said quietly.
“Don’t pretend,” she shot back.
I turned and addressed both packs. “Listen to me, all of you. No one here is innocent, we’ve all lost people. We can keep trading blame, or we can stop before there’s nothing left.”
A bitter laugh came from one of her elders. “You expect us to trust him?”
“No,” Amber said. “He does.”
That stung more than I expected and because there were many other things that felt awkward like all of this was wrong.
“I expect us to respect the boundary,” I said. “That’s it, nothing more.”
“And when will your people cross it?” she asked.
“They’ll answer me.”
“And when mine do?” she continued.
She already knew the answer especially from the look in her eyes, it was there, steady and sure like there was nothing anyone else could convince her.
“They’ll answer to you,” I said.
Silence fell again, heavier this time.
Amber exhaled slowly. “You’re asking us to swallow years of anger and call it restraint.”
“I’m asking you to choose survival,” I said.
She looked back at her pack, I could see the split clear as day. Some wanted blood and some wanted peace. Most just wanted the pain to stop.
She turned back to me. “This truce,” she said. “It won’t last.”
“Maybe not,” I admitted. “But it’s a start.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line. “We are not merging packs, we are not sharing land and we are not allies.”
“I didn’t ask for that,” I said.
“Good,” she replied. “Because the answer would be no.”
A warrior behind her shouted, “We should drive them back now.”
My pack bristled, Drake moved in front of me without thinking.
Amber raised her voice. “Enough!”
I did the same. “Stand down.”
It took a moment, but both sides listened even though it was difficult at first.
Amber met my eyes one last time. “We stay on our land and you stay on yours, no exceptions.”
I nodded. “Agreed.”
She stepped back, signaling her pack. They began to retreat, never turning their backs, eyes still sharp and watchful.
I watched Amber as she moved away. She didn’t look relieved and didn’t look satisfied either and neither did I.
When my pack finally relaxed enough to breathe, Cole leaned closer. “That went bad.”
“It went as expected,” I said.
He frowned. “You think this holds?”
I looked at the boundary line, still untouched. “For now.”
As we turned back toward our territory, I knew one thing for sure. This wasn’t peace, it was just a pause an
d pauses never last as long as you want them to.
LINES ALREADY DRAWN