"True, and yet you were also roaming the West Coast, hoping to find my kin so you could slaughter them."
Ryel and Finn glanced at each other; they couldn't refute that claim without lying because it was true. Ken had already told Beth some of the stories of what had happened in Silvercoast since she left. If the wolves were in Theo's position, they would never forgive the goblins. They were already struggling to maintain themselves in a tree full of goblins without bursting out into a murderous rage over the comparatively few wolves who had died because of the goblins.
Yet Theo hadn't ordered an attack yet.
"I was there on the battlefield when my father's army went after your former pack leader, Marc." Theo's eyes were distant as if caught in a memory. "It was a bloody, unnecessary, and gruesome battle. A complete loss and a waste of goblin lives. When my father didn't so much as flinch at the number of dead, and was prepared to launch a secondary assault, that was the day I decided I had to kill him. He was a threat not only to the wolves, but to the goblins themselves, not to mention anyone else who crossed his path. I do not wish to walk in his footsteps of war and bloodshed if there is a way we can come together instead."
Finn stepped forward, eyes narrowed on Theo. "I don't believe you one bit. You goblins are all the same, evil, scheming creatures, with black hearts and even blacker minds. You're only begging for peace now because you're weakened after we killed most of your kind off. You're afraid of being hunted into obscurity or, worse, to extinction. We don't need your peace."
Theo laughed. "On the contrary,wedon't needyourpeace. We are more than prepared to march on your pathetic town, eradicate your pack, and move onto the next one if that is what it takes to secure our safety."
"You wouldn't," Ryel snapped. "You don't have the numbers."
"But don't we? It's been five years since the slaughter and since my father's demise. He was a fool with no strategy besides killing.Ihave done the opposite. Five years might not be enough time for your kind to produce an army, but we goblins grow up fast."
"If you want peace, why wait until now to offer it? Why not come to us as soon as you murdered your father?"
"I thought you wolves were supposed to be smart?" Theo looked bored, and he scraped the wooden armrest of his throne with his knife. "We didn't come to you after the battle for the reasons you've already pointed out. We would have been weak, desperate, and at your mercy. But goblins are not weak. We will be at no one's mercy again. I come to you now from a position of strength and extend an offer of peace because Iwantto, not because Ihaveto. We have the numbers. We have magic on our side. And we have the willpower to fight to the last goblin standing should the need arise. Do you?"
"You mean you come to us with threats, demanding we cave to your false peace, under the expectation that you'll flex your power on us if we don't obey," Ken said. "If we say no, you'll what—kill us and lure the rest of our pack into a trap to find us? March on our town and steal children?"
"I did consider that route, indeed, but I find war boring and troublesome. It is far easier, and more efficient, to make friends." Theo pointed the blade toward the line of wolves, the edge glinting in the firelight. "But do not mistake my mercy for weakness. I will do whatever it takes to secure the future of goblin kind." He looked over the wolves again, considering their faces one by one. "So what say you? Will you consider negotiating a peace, or must I finish sharpening my knife and find a way to convince you it is in your best interest to do so?"
Theo's offer of peace sent ripples of shock through the pack. Ryel and Ken looked at each other in disbelief, even Beth struggled to believe that such a powerful goblin leader would be willing to negotiate with them, let alone offer a truce after laying out all the ways he could threaten their town.
Ryel looked to Finn next, who gave a sharp shake of his head. Of course Finn wouldn't want peace, but Rick and Ken seemed more contemplative. Beth wished she could hear what they were thinking. The pack she remembered always preferred to be more vocal as they debated each other's opinions to arrive at the conclusion that would benefit the most people. That was what happened at the town hall when Beth came forward with her news about the goblins.
But now, what would usually be a lively debate was limited to stares and quick movements of body language that Beth couldn't understand; she'd been out of the loop for too long. A quick glance at Lily showed that even she was following along, and a stab of jealousy cut through Beth when she realized she was the only one out of the loop.
She had no idea what their thoughts were. What their decision would be.
She could only cling to Ken's arm, hoping that whatever they decided on, it would be for the best for their pack. For her family.
Finally, the wolves went silent, and Ryel stepped forward again. "We are tired of fighting as well," he said. "For years Silvercoast has been anxious that the goblins would return in full force to finish what they started. After seeing the reactions to Beth's return with news of goblins in the woods, that much is clear. I believe that anxiety will always exist, unless we arrive to a peace strong enough to erase the past."
Theo nodded, and a smile came to his cold lips, extending to his eyes. "You are very wise after all, Alpha Ryel."
"However," Ryel interrupted, "it will not be easy to trust you. Nothing but hate has been sown between us for decades. I know this is a two-way street, and that trust must be regenerated on both sides, but what can you do for us now to convince us that you are genuine in your desire for peace? How can we trust you?"
"I'm glad you asked." Theo rose from his throne and slowly stepped closer to the wolves. "You can trust that I am genuine because I am like you: a wolf shifter."
Before anyone could object, pulses of energy began to crackle through the air. Muscles rippled beneath his skin as he shifted, growing larger and more powerful until he stood before them in the full form of a wolf. His golden eyes gleamed with an inner fire, and his fur seemed to shimmer in the firelight.
Beth's eyes felt like they were going to pop out of their sockets. A wolf shifter that was also a goblin?
Theprinceof the goblins?
This seemed so impossible that Beth's jaw fell open and stayed that way as she gawked at the massive wolf, sitting there with his tail flicking back and forth.
"How?" Ryel demanded. "What kind of trick is this?"
After a moment, Theo shifted back into his former self, and three goblins rushed over to redress him, although Theo didn't at all seem bothered by his sudden nakedness.
"My mother was a wolf shifter," Theo explained. "A prisoner of my father's. That is all you need to know." His stare was cutting, the threat clear if they pushed the matter further than that. "I have no interest in killing you because you are my kind as much as the goblins are. Instead, I will prove my commitment to you by choosing to mate with one of your females."
"W-what?" Rick sputtered. "That's ridiculous. Wolves mate for life. We can't create an arranged marriage on someone else's behalf like that!"
"Many alliances are forged on the basis of marriage. In return for this alliance, we will become united, and any vendetta the goblins had against the wolves will be erased. We will find ways to cooperate and advance in this world dominated by humans. Together." Theo's eyes lingered on Beth in a way that made her shiver, and rightly so. "She will do. I like her." The corners of his mouth turned up in a sly smile. "Will you be my new bride?"