Ate’s POV:


    We decided to let him y out his ns. It took a lot more convincing than I would have liked but eventually my husband agreed if we let his father tire himself out it might be better. If we moved obvious targets and warned our people keeping preventative measures nearby it might be better to let him think he is winning to get the upper hand.


    “If a single one of our people is injured I mean even a paper cut,” he warned me.


    “It’s not as if I disagree Grayson, I want them safe too,” I shot back.


    “Yes but this is dangerous,” he’d scoffed


    “We are at war,” I was tired of his attitude. This was the best way to get the upper hand. Deacon was ying a game and expending resources it was best to let him have at it and try to minimize our damage while maximizing his.


    “They are my people too. But you and I both know to get ahead there has to be some risk we took a vote they all agreed. It’s decided,” I stood firm against him.


    It looked like he was fearful and I didn’t say it out loud because if I did I was sure he’d never listen. I just held my ground and he eventually gave in.


    We moved our grain Lillian and Steven agreed to house it and we put rocks in the silo. We made sure people knew where the bunkers were at fortified our buildings.


    We had to do our best to hide the effort and make it look like we weren’t doing anything. Like we were only recovering from the damage he done.


    We knew from the informant we caught that he was watching us. We knew it couldn’t be too closely otherwise we’d catch them. The P.I we had our dungeon was the best of the best clearly not that great but, Deacon was now using his second best. He was sure to be careful.


    It started off simple attempting to burn our fields. We put them out quickly but made sure to let some damage happen. Lillian was able to catch their scents, follow them back to their hiding spot.


    A few weeks went by nothing happened. We thought maybe they knew we were on them. Then a few of our sentries were attacked. They came out with minor cuts and bruises. Brian was there to take care of them.


    It seems like my n was right, Deacon wanted to tire us out make a bunch of smaller cuts so that when he came in for the kill, we were weak.


    So we returned the favor, leaked his bank records to the press, they had field day. Reporters camped out on hiswn, his old assistant gave a tell all interview, and his ounts were frozen.


    He still had the money to post bail and walk out of there a free man. We knew we didn’t get all of his money and he’d have more and more by tomorrow. Still We made a dent, I had a photo of him now walking out of the courtroom. He looked like he could kill the devil himself.


    “He’s angry that’s for sure,” Grayson half smiled half grimaced. “he’s going toe swinging,”


    And he did, a team came in the night and tried to burn down our keep. The whole let them out didn’t go as we wanted so unfortunately, they had to be dealt with.


    It didn’t sit well with me killing them just because they were fighting for Deacon. So the ones that surrendered were taken prisoner, and the looks on their faces when they realize that we knew it was going on were priceless.


    Once the second team didn’te back we figured Deacon had let it go. His thousand cuts n hadn’t worked, we were well aware and still alive.


    “You might’ve been right. This gave him a good enough distraction to not to see the leaking,” Grayson relented to me one night in bed.


    “I still know we need to keep our guard up, but this was a good idea. He thought he was winning. We need him to think that,” I agreed with him we couldn’t assume the fight was over.


    “I still want our defenses up, we let our guard down for even a second he’lle in and snap our necks,” Graysons hands clenched as he held onto me.


    “I know what kind of man he is…” my voice trailed off. I remember the night on the rooftop of the hotel the way that he was angry wasn’t like Marcus. He was a strategic and calcting man his anger was like venom.


    I could only imagine what it was like for Grace and as a child to have that spread throughout, you staining your memories, your mind. Made a lot more sense now the way we started. I shouldn’t have pushed him so much, he still shouldn’t have held on. If I had made it easier, we might’ve gotten along better


    “it was my fault, don’t do that. We both know who the childish one,” my husband ran a finger over my lips as our legs were intertwined.


    I kissed him softly, reminding him of how far we’de. Bringing my body beneath his, cementing our connection, letting him savour his touch of me.


    Sometimes those needed the reminder of where we were, and we anchored ourselves against each other.


    I knew he still med himself for all our troubles not just the ones outside our rtionship, but the rocky start we had as well. I wish he would understand my side that I realized how hard it was for him, how having someone soplete, that was all his was a terrifying thought.


    At the time he didn’t know how to beat both Alpha and husband. The worst part was he didn’t want to alpha when he saw me, all he wanted was me.


    All I wanted was him, and we both knew that if that meant putting Deacon in the ground we do it. So when we woke the next morning, and Deacon had sent an offer of peace. Neither of us wanted to ept.