Estelle’s POV

The room was deadly quiet except for the sound of heavy breathing.

“Let me remind you,” I continued, “that Silverclaw hasn’t been able to finalize any crop trades this season. Your pack may have decent resources and mid-tier power, but your neighboring packs are too small to meet your agricultural needs to establish a proper trade.”

Hayden’s jaw clenched. He knew I was right.

“You’ve already fallen out with Moonveil,” I added. “And even if you hadn’t, their production has drastically decreased. Blackmoon is literally your only viable option for the crops your people need.”

I tilted my head slightly. “Of course, you’re welcome to source from other regions. But the transportation costs alone would bankrupt Silverclaw’s trade budget for the year.”

One of Hayden’s friends shifted uncomfortably. “Maybe we should just—”

“Shut up,” Hayden snapped at him.

I smiled coldly. “Time is running out, Gamma Hayden. Every day you delay, your pack’s food stores get lower. Winter is coming, and hungry wolves make poor decisions.”

I moved closer to him, my voice dropping to a dangerously quiet level.

“I’m sure Alpha Hugo would love to know that the reason his people are starving is that his new Gamma would rather hold on to petty grudges than act in the well-being of the pack.”

Hayden’s face turned red. His hands balled into fists on the table.

“You’re bluffing,” he said through gritted teeth.

I pulled out my phone and set it on the table. The recording app was still running.

“Am I?” I asked sweetly. “Would you like me to play back the conversation you had while I was in the washroom?”

The blood drained from Hayden’s face. His friends looked at each other nervously. One of them grabbed Hayden’s arm.

“Dude, Alpha Hugo specifically told us not to mess this up,” he hissed. “Our food reserves are critically low. We were just supposed to mess around with her a little.”

Another friend nodded frantically. “My mate’s already rationing meals for our kids. We can’t afford to lose this deal.”

“Yeah,” the first one continued, looking at me desperately. “Some people in the pack have been saying that the Alpha position was officially passed down to James Harper’s missing daughter, not Benedict. Maybe she really is the current leader of Blackmoon. We cannot mess this up with the Blackmoon Pack. Benedict might be wrong—”

“Shut up.” Hayden hissed. He then shot them a murderous look. “Traitors.”

“We’re not traitors,” his friend shot back. “We’re trying to save our pack from starvation. You’ve already gotten your revenge for Hannah. Move on, dude.”

I watched the scene unfold with satisfaction. Hayden was losing control of his own men.

“Even if she used to work for Moonveil,” another friend added, “she’s representing Blackmoon now. That’s what matters. She has the authority to make this deal happen.”

The room buzzed with whispered arguments. Hayden’s face grew darker by the second.

“This is ridiculous,” he finally exploded. “You’re all falling for her manipulation. She’s playing dirty!”

I raised an eyebrow before glancing at my watch theatrically. “Considering how you wasted my time with drinking games for the last two hours, I’d say this is perfectly fair.”

I held out my hand. Caleb immediately pulled another stack of papers from his bag. They were identical to the first set we’d presented earlier, but those had been soaked in alcohol when Hayden’s group used them as coasters.

“These hold the exact same conditions as before,” I announced. “Everything is unchanged.”

Hayden looked desperate now. “What if you run off like you did in Moonveil?”

I almost laughed at his weak attempt. “The deal between Silverclaw and Moonveil had already expired when Silverclaw reached out to them. You were in negotiations for new terms, which means there was no active contract during that period.”

I paused, letting that sink in.

“However,” I continued, “as a gesture of goodwill, I’m prepared to offer something different.”

I gestured to Caleb again. He handed me a fresh contract.

“This agreement will provide Silverclaw with free crops for one full month to help you through this crisis.” I set it on the table. “After that month, the contract will run for another five months. Six months total, which is half our usual contract period.”

Hayden stared at the papers.

“If Silverclaw wants to pull out during this time, or if our supply doesn’t meet your demand, you can terminate without consequences.” I smiled. “Usually, Blackmoon wouldn’t answer for Moonveil’s shortcomings. But since Alpha Hugo is my friend, I’d like to make up for the lack of communication.”

I emphasized the word ‘friend’ deliberately.

“This will also help you look better in front of Alpha Hugo,” I added. “You could use the extra credit, don’t you think?”

Hayden’s friends were nodding eagerly now. The terms were incredibly favorable.

“These conditions are already extremely generous for Silverclaw,” I continued. “If you’re not interested, I don’t mind looking elsewhere. We have other packs interested in partnerships.”

I stood up and smoothed my dress.

“However, you would have to explain to Alpha Hugo why the deal fell through. I’m sure he’ll understand that his Gamma prioritized personal vendettas over feeding his people.”

Hayden looked at his friends. They were all staring at him with pleading expressions. Their families were counting on this deal.

He reached for the pen with shaking fingers.

The signature was messy, but legally binding.

“Excellent,” I said with a bright smile. “I’m so glad we could work things out.”

Hayden and his friends started gathering their things to leave. But as they approached the door, Caleb stepped in front of it, blocking their exit.

The men froze. Fear flickered in their eyes as they slowly turned back to me.

I was still smiling, but for some reason, all of the men felt a chill go down their spines.

“Before you go,” I said casually, “I have one more question.”

The room felt suddenly colder.

“You all seem quite supportive of Benedict,” I observed, studying their faces. “Tell me, have you been in contact with my dear step-brother?”