Chapter 4: Desperate Times, Desperate Measures

The next afternoon, Rose and I were in the kitchen, peeling the last three small, shrivelled potatoes left of this week's ration whilst Tobias sat repeatedly throwing a stone up into the air and catching it again in the same hand.

I had just finished peeling the final potato when I caught him doing it once again in the corner of my eye and clenched my teeth. After abruptly stabbing the peeling knife into the table, I snapped my head to him.

"Tobias," I hissed, "You are going to drive me insane."

He looked at me and sighed before lifting his feed off the table and leaning forward, "I'm sorry. Alpha Rivers could be here, on our territory, any moment and I'm anxious."

"Well, you're making us all anxious. Go and throw your stone somewhere else," I replied, "We're trying to make soup out of literally three potatoes and water over here."

"Well, maybe tonight we'll have grain to make some beautiful warm bread with. Or maybe we won't need to worry about food at all because we'll all be dead," he said, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Thank you for the optimism, hun," Rose remarked shooting me a slight grin.

"I'm serious!" he exclaimed, "What if I just inadvertently gave him a pass to bring his army onto my territory and slaughter the entire pack."

"So now you're worried about ulterior motives..." I muttered under my breath, "Didn't seem to matter when I was saying it before..."

"Yes, because Alpha Rivers totally needs a pass," Rose said to Tobias, "I'm not saying his intentions are good but if he wanted to do destroy the pack, he would have just done it. Plus, he didn't really give us a choice. He said he's coming and now he's coming. What could we have done?"

"Never agreed to meet him in the first place?" I muttered under my breath as I plucked the knife from the table and began chopping the potatoes.

Just then we heard the neigh of a horse outside the front of the house. All three of our eyes snapped to the window where we saw a large black horse, followed shortly by a cart drawn by two more horses.

On the first, sat Alpha Rivers and behind him on the other horses were two unfamiliar men, both with demeanours as equally unsettling as their Alpha's.

"Guess we're about to find out," Rose said as we watched as they looked around them, taking in the house and the trees that surrounded it.

Tobias then stood up, took a deep breath and we followed him outside.

Alpha Rivers was just dismounting his horse when he saw us. He didn't smile and hardly acknowledged us at all until he had gathered the reins of the horse and straightened his shirt. He then took his time, turning to face us.

"Your grain," he said gesturing to his men who were unloading the grain from the cart, creating a pile by the house.

Tobias stepped forward and opened one of the brown, hessian sacs, revealing the most beautiful grain, each bran like a little bead of gold that rolled over the skin of Tobias's delving hand. When the wheaty scent filled my nostrils, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Alpha Rivers," Tobias said with a genuine smile, "We appreciate your help."

But Alpha Rivers was too busy still looking around to accept the gratitude. He stood a few metres away, his back turned to us as he looked out into the tall, spindly trees of the forest around us.

"Peace is precious, isn't it?" he asked.

We all stood in silence for a moment, hearing the tweeting of the birds, the swaying of the trees and the general quiet that the forest held, not quite sure what to make of his sudden comment.

"Yes," Tobias said. "It is."

Alpha Rivers then slowly turned back to us, his face now hard and neutral, "Can I come in? I want to discuss what I wish for in return for this grain."

It was more of a command than a question.

Tobias nodded and stepped aside.

Rose and I stood watching him closely as he marched towards our home with long relaxed strides as he examined the place closely with his shifty eyes.

His eyes then fell down to me as he passed, giving me a cold glance before he ducked to get through the front door, leaving his two other men with the horses.

I saw Rose grit her teeth before she encouraged me to follow after him into the kitchen.

"Goddesses please have mercy," she whispered in my ear.

Once he had entered the kitchen, he didn't hesitate to make himself at home.

He ran his hand along the bookshelf by the window before inspecting his fingertips with a scrutinous eye. He turned to the table and picked up one of the half-peeled potatoes.

"You have a nice home," he said before putting the potato back down, "It's...cosy."

His smile was irritating and condescending and all I wanted to do was punch it from his lips, an urge that only grew stronger as he turned to me.

He held his attention on me for a few seconds, his eyes wandering all over my body as I stood still, hiding my discomfort and holding my head high.

Having provoked no response so far, he narrowed his eyes a little before he produced a smirk.

"Esme, sweetheart," he began in a provocative tone, "I've made a long journey. Fetch your guest a glass of water."

His eyes then glinted as he watched me tighten my lips, resisting the urge to snap.

"The tap is behind you," I said, "And you'll find glasses in the cupboard on the left."

"I'm very fatigued, I'm not sure I'll manage," he replied, the glint in his eye igniting more.

I could tell winding me up was bringing him a thrill.

And I certainly wasn't going to be his source of entertainment.

So instead I went to the cupboard, which both Tobias and Rose were closer to, got out a glass and filled it with water before forcing a smile and handing it to him.

He took it and smiled, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I replied.

I turned back around to see Tobias watching me again with a raised eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes and stood back next to Rose, folding my arms and fixating my glare on Alpha Rivers, just as she already was.

"So," he began after a small sip of water, "Who would have thought? You, Alpha Brynn, inviting me, Alpha Rivers, into your home. After everything that's happened."

"Well, desperate times call for desperate measures," Tobias replied.

"I happen to agree with you there," Alpha Rivers replied, putting the glass down, still almost completely full.

"What do you mean?" Rose asked.

"In return for this grain, I don't want your money or riches but I do want your cooperation."

"Our cooperation?" she questioned.

Alpha Rivers rested his hands on the table and looked up at Tobias, "Let's just say I have bigger fish to fry than this little tit for tat feud we have going."

"You mean you want peace?" Tobias asked.

He gave a confident nod, "And take the grain as my offering."

There was silence for a few more moments.

Alpha Rivers watched us, waiting for a response as if what he had just said made perfect sense.

"My apologies, Alpha Rivers," Tobias began, "But for years, you attack our people, steal our land and strive to destroy us and then suddenly...peace?"

"As I said," he began firmly, a small hint of irritation in his tone, "I have bigger things to worry about."

"Like what?" I probed.

He finally turned from Tobias to face me, "That is not for you to know."

"And what exactly does peace mean to you?" Rose asked.

"The end of the conflict and the beginning of an alliance," he said.

"Alliance?" Tobias asked, "You mean-"

"I mean the Pheonix pack and the Nightingale pack will work together," he said with a nod.

"To fry these mysterious fish, I presume?" I remarked.

His eyes snapped to me again briefly before he turned back to Tobias, "In exchange, the grain will keep flowing and your people will be safe...from me at least."

Tobias nodded, "My sister is right, we want to know the details of why exactly it is in your interest to form an alliance."

Alpha River's face straightened and he clenched his jaw before finally speaking, "All you need to know is this: your pack is small and weak. I could crush it in a day but the force I now face could crush it in an hour if they had the will. And believe me, they have the will. So join forces with me or get fucked...and starve. Your choice."

I narrowed my eyes, "And if we're so small and weak, why on earth would you want to recruit us?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, right?" he said. "So is this a deal?"

Tobias and Rose made eye contact. I could tell they were edging towards agreeing by the way they looked at each other.

"I think we need some time to consider," I said before either of them could answer.

Alpha Rivers looked at me and cocked his head to the side, "Sorry, remind me who the Alpha is again?" he said, in a sly tone.

His eyebrow then slowly raised as he watched me carefully. After a few moments with no response, he nodded in satisfaction before turning back to Tobias.

"I'd prefer an answer today, Alpha Brynn," he said in a deep tone.

Tobias nodded, "To relieve my people of this famine and the conflict between our pack's, my Luna and I are willing to look past our history and form an alliance with you, Alpha Rivers. I'm sure the third leader of our pack will understand this soon too."

I shot Tobias an angry glare as Alpha Rivers smiled complacently and held his hand out to Tobias.

"Peace," he said as they shook.

"Peace," Tobias reciprocated.

"I will return tomorrow with more grain and to discuss finer details," he said.

Tobias nodded before Alpha Rivers turned to Rose and shook her hand too before finally reaching me.

When he held out his hand, I looked down at it before up to his stony eyes. I reluctantly reached forward and took his hand. It was unexpectedly warm and surprisingly soft but his grip was unnecessarily tight, which paired with the intense eye contact, made me want to cower away.

But I certainly did not cower away. He did not intimidate me.

"Goodbye, Esme Brynn," he said slowly letting go of my hand.

He then turned to Tobias and Rose and nodded, "Alpha, Luna," he said before leaving us stood in silence once again.