Chapter 118 TRYING TO RECONCILE
AMBER’S POV
The meeting was called less than an hour after we returned from the boundary, and the urgency sat heavy in my chest as I walked into the room. My father was already there, standing near the long table with his arms crossed. His face was unreadable, which usually meant he was upset but holding it back. Derek stood on the other side of the room with his father’s beta, Marcus, who looked as stiff as ever, like he’d already decided this whole thing was a mistake.
No one sat at first and that alone told me how bad this was.
“We don’t have time to waste,” my father said. “What happened out there almost turned into a fight.”
“It almost turned into one because people refuse to think past their anger,” I replied, keeping my voice calm.
Marcus shook his head. “Anger isn’t the problem. History is.”
I moved closer to the table. “History is exactly why this plan makes sense.”
My father looked at me sharply. “Amber.”
“I know,” I said quickly. “I know what’s been lost. I know what both packs have done to each other. But that’s not a reason to keep bleeding.”
Marcus let out a breath. “You’re talking about cooperation after years of conflict. That’s not something you fix with rules.”
“I’m not saying we’ll fix it overnight,” I said. “I’m saying we stop making it worse.”
My father finally sat, rubbing his temple. “You’re asking people to trust the same pack that burned our land.”
“And you’re asking them to keep fighting until there’s nothing left,” I shot back.
Silence followed. Not peaceful. Heavy.
I pressed on. “The benefits are obvious. Fewer patrol clashes. Clear boundaries. Time to rebuild. Less death.”
Marcus frowned. “And when one side breaks the rules?”
“Then leadership steps in,” I said. “Not mobs. Not revenge attacks.”
My father shook his head slowly. “You’re asking for discipline from people who are drowning in grief.”
“I’m asking for survival,” I replied. “If we keep going the way we are, both packs lose. You know that.”
He didn’t answer.
I turned to Marcus. “Your alpha trusted Derek to lead through this. Doesn’t that count for anything?”
Marcus hesitated, just slightly. “Trust only goes so far.”
I felt frustration rise, but I pushed it down. “This isn’t a weakness, it’s control. It puts power back in leadership instead of letting emotions decide everything.”
My father stood again. “You’re seeing this from one angle.”
“Because someone has to,” I said firmly. “Someone has to stop and think.”
The room stayed tense, every word I’d said hanging there without landing. I could feel it slipping, the same way it had at the boundary. They were listening, but they weren’t convinced and that scared me more than shouting ever could.
The room stayed quiet until Derek finally moved.
He hadn’t said much since we walked in, and that worried me more than if he’d argued. When he stepped forward, every eye turned to him, including mine.
“I know this looks impossible,” he said. His voice was steady, not raised, not defensive. “I know none of you want to hear about patience after what’s been lost.”
Marcus crossed his arms. “Then why keep pushing it?”
“Because the alternative is worse,” Derek replied. “And we all know it.”
My father studied him carefully. “You’re asking both packs to hold back when they’ve never done that before.”
“Yes,” Derek said. “Because what we’ve been doing isn’t working.”
Marcus scoffed. “That’s easy to say when it’s not your land burning.”
Derek didn’t flinch. “It was my land too.”
That shut him up.
Derek continued, “Every raid, every retaliation, feels justified in the moment. But step back and look at what it’s done. We’re weaker, both sides.”
He looked at my father next. “Your people are exhausted. Mine are too. They’re angry because they’re tired of burying their own.”
I watched my father’s expression shift, just a little.
“This plan isn’t about forgiveness,” Derek went on. “It’s about damage control. Clear rules mean fewer accidents. Fewer deaths mean stronger packs in the long run.”
Marcus frowned. “And if it fails?”
Derek nodded once. “Then we reassess. But if we don’t try, we already know how this ends.”
Silence filled the room again, but this time it felt different.
My father exhaled slowly. “You’re confident you can keep your people in line?”
“I will,” Derek said without hesitation. “And if they don’t listen, they answer to me.”
Marcus raised an eyebrow. “Even if it costs you?”
“Yes,” Derek said. “Because leadership means taking the hit before your people do.”
I felt some ease in my chest at that.
My father looked between us, then sat back down. “You’re both stubborn.”
“That’s not new,” I said quietly.
A corner of his mouth twitched before he caught himself. “I still don’t like this.”
“I know,” I said.
“But,” he added slowly, “I can’t deny that continuing like this will finish us.”
Marcus sighed. “My alpha won’t be happy.”
“Mine won’t either,” Derek said. “But they don’t have to like it, they just have to follow it.”
The room settled into an uneasy calm, the last thing I expected to feel seeing that before today, tensions were already high.
My father looked at me. “This better not be blind hope.”
“It’s not,” I said. “It’s a calculated risk.”
He nodded once. “Then we proceed carefully.”
Relief washed through me, quiet but real.
As the meeting ended, I caught Derek’s eye. He gave a small nod, like we’d just crossed a line together.
I knew this wasn’t the end of the fight but for the first time since everything started, it felt like we had a direction.
“You okay?” Derek asked.
I knew he was just making sure I was okay but at the same time, I didn’t know what else to say anymore because it just felt like everytime I talked to him about it, it just felt like complaining and I hated it because it felt like a disturbance I didn’t want happening. I had no idea where all of this would lead to but still, I knew I needed to keep my head up not just for my sa
ke but for the sake of everyone involved.
AT A CROSS ROAD