"You''re seriously considering handing over territory to a group of witches who could betray you at any moment?" Richard sneered, disbelief clear in his voice.


    Ben didn''t avert his gaze from me as he replied calmly, "Is it really any different from a Gamma poisoning his Luna?” He paused, then continued, "I never said we''d give themnd outright. I''m talking about inviting them here, bringing them onto our soil. Offering them protection in exchange for their aid. The kitchen witches and elemental witches could be invaluable allies, and this would allow them to step out of the shadows. Like I mentioned before-cohabitation." His eyes locked onto mine, silently waiting for my response. He had a n, but by presenting it in front of everyone, he was showing he was willing to wait for my approval. It was a calcted move, meant to prove a point.


    He had a valid argument. Forming alliances with different species, humans included, could be a strategic advantage. If their help could benefit the shopkeepers and the entire pack, why wouldn''t I consider it? At the same time, I understood Richard''s skepticism. If witches were the source of our troubles, why extend trust to them? Perhaps that was exactly why Ben brought this up here so I could hear multiple perspectives and make an unbiased decision. I caught the way he referred to thend as “our”nd, and a flutter stirred in my chest, a subtle but unmistakable feeling of belonging.


    "Let''s reach out to Alpha James, make contact, and start from there," I said, feeling the weight of the decision settle on my shoulders.


    An exasperated sigh broke the silence. "What, Richard? He''s right. We''ve had plenty of time to get to the bottom of this, haven''t we? Hell, I''ve had time—and none of us have made progress. The only thing that''s changed is that a dozen of our kids


    are dead, and my parents are both gone. Something has to shift."


    Sebastian, sitting quietly in his corner, finally spoke up. "What about Jeff?"


    I nced at him. "What about him?"


    "I want a shot at him. I know we still have to prove our loyalty, and we''re far from being off the hook because of him, but he put my family in danger. I''m stuck at home, unable to do my job because of that selfish asshole.”


    "I''ll have Jax and Dev take you,” I said firmly, rising to my feet. "Just don''t kill him. Not yet, anyway." Now was the moment to move forward; I didn''t expect talking to these witches to be easy, but we had to try.


    Ben trailed silently behind me as we headed to the truck. Without waiting for an invitation, I slid into the passenger seat. He preferred driving, and I didn''t mind. I waited quietly for him to break the silence. He liked to mull things over before speaking, while I tended to throw out ideas as they came. I was curious to see where he would take us next.