Chapter 219

Agnes

The men all stared at us with expressions ranging from shock to outrage. But I wasn’t about to be intimidated.

I scanned the room quickly, spotting a door at the far end. Without hesitation, I marched across the conference room, ignoring the disapproving glares from most of the Alphas. I flung open what turned out to be a supply closet, revealing stacks of folding chairs.

“Perfect,” I said, grabbing one. I turned to the other women. “Ladies? Grab a seat.”

The women didn’t hesitate. They filed into the room and each took a chair from the closet. I watched with satisfaction as they unfolded them and placed them around the table, wedging themselves between the men who were forced to scoot over to make room.

One man refused to move for his wife, and she snarled, “Get the hell out of my way, Steven. Unless you plan on sleeping on the couch tonight.”

The Alpha’s face reddened and he scooched over to make room. I snorted. Even some of the other Alphas smirked.

Elijah immediately stood and helped one of the Lunas position her chair. A couple of other Alphas—younger ones—followed his lead, although most remained seated and were clearly annoyed.

“What is the meaning of this?” Alpha Richard demanded, half-rising from his seat at the head of the table.

I set my chair down right next to Elijah’s and sat. “We’re here to participate in the discussion,” I said calmly. “As pack leaders alongside our mates.”

Richard’s face reddened. “This is highly irregular. These discussions are traditionally—”

“Maybe it’s time for new traditions,” one of the other Lunas cut in without missing a beat. She folded her hands in her lap and leveled him with a stern glare.

Richard looked around the table, clearly expecting support from the other Alphas. A few nodded in agreement with him, but others seemed uncertain. No one actually demanded we leave.

After a long, uncomfortable silence, Richard sat back down. “Very well,” he said with a sigh. “Since you’re all here, you might as well stay.” He shuffled some papers on the table. “We were discussing the disputed territory along the northern border.”

And just like that, the meeting resumed. I caught Elijah’s eye and saw the hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth before he turned his attention back to Richard.

Maps were spread across the table showing the boundaries between three neighboring packs. Richard explained that a valuable hunting ground was being claimed by all three.

“The maps clearly show it belongs to my pack,” one of the older Alphas insisted, jabbing his finger at the parchment. “My family has owned that land for generations. You can’t sit here and claim it’s yours!”

“Actually, it’s to the east of the ridge,” another Alpha argued. “And anything east of the ridge is part of my land.”

I studied the maps carefully while they bickered. The boundary lines were indeed confusing, with different markers used on different maps. No wonder they were at an impasse.

“Has anyone actually surveyed the area recently?” I asked, interrupting their debate.

The men turned to me, most with expressions that suggested I’d just asked if the moon was made of cheese.

“Why would we need a new survey?” Richard asked. “These maps have served us for decades.”

I leaned forward, pressing my finger to a spot on the oldest map. “Because this river has changed course,” I said. “Look at the newer maps. The river has shifted nearly half a mile east. If you’re using the river as a boundary marker, that changes everything.”

The room fell silent as they all peered at the maps, comparing the river’s path across the different charts.

“She’s right,” one of the younger Alphas finally said. “The river’s shape was altered during a flood years ago. These old maps are outdated.”

“And that’s not the only issue,” another Luna chimed in. She pointed to a section of forest. “This area was decimated by fire three years ago. It’s no longer the valuable hunting ground it once was. The real value now is in the eastern section where the forest has regrown and the deer population has exploded.”

One of the older Alphas scoffed. “And how would you know that? Do you hunt there?”

“I’m a wildlife biologist,” she replied coolly. “I’ve been tracking deer populations throughout the territories for the past five years. I have the data if you’d like to see it.”

The man’s patronizing smile faded.

As the discussion continued, more of the women offered insights—one about water rights, another about the impact of development on the edge of the territories. Each contribution was met with initial resistance, but as the quality of their input became undeniable, even the more stubborn Alphas began to listen.

I caught Richard watching me with a mixture of annoyance and begrudging respect when I made another observation about how sharing the disputed area might actually benefit all three packs if it was managed jointly.

“That’s... not how things are done,” he said.

“Maybe it should be,” I countered. “The land was severely altered by that fire, and the local wildlife is suffering. If you all put your resources together, it could be rehabilitated.”

“You say that like the fire was our fault,” an older Alpha growled.

“Actually,” Elijah spoke up, “it was. The wildfire was caused by a fireworks malfunction during the annual tri-territory Summer Festival in this area, was it not? A festival for all three of your packs? So technically, it was everyone’s fault.”

Richard drummed his fingers on the table. “Alpha Elijah is… right,” he said hesitantly.

“Of course he is,” I agreed.

The meeting continued for another hour, with the women actively participating throughout. By the end, even some of the more resistant Alphas were addressing questions and comments to the Lunas, acknowledging their expertise in various areas.

As everyone filed out of the conference room after Richard adjourned the meeting, Elijah hung back with me.

“That was impressive,” he said once we were alone, a proud smile on his face.

“Which part?” I asked. “The bursting in uninvited or the actual contributions to the discussion?”

“Both,” he laughed. “Although I have to admit, I wasn’t surprised by either.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I knew you would show up eventually,” he said with a shrug. “That’s why I wasn’t too worried about leaving you in that lounge. I figured you would come in guns blazing and carve your name into the table, metaphorically speaking.”

I stared at him for a moment, then shook my head. “You cheeky bastard,” I said, but I couldn’t help smiling. “You could have just brought me with you in the first place.”

“And miss the grand entrance? Never.” He leaned in and kissed me quickly. “Besides, it was more effective this way. You made your point better than I ever could have.”

Before I could respond, the conference room door opened again and Richard walked in. He seemed surprised to find us still there.

“Ah, Luna Agnes, Alpha Elijah,” he said, his tone much more respectful than it had been earlier. “I wanted to speak with you both.”

I tensed slightly, waiting for the reprimand I was sure was coming. Instead, Richard cleared his throat awkwardly.

“I was... impressed by your contributions today, Agnes,” he said, addressing me directly. “Your perspective on the territorial dispute was quite enlightening.”

“Thank you,” I replied carefully.

Richard shifted his weight. He paused, then seemed to come to a decision. “Perhaps you both would join me for dinner at my home tonight?”