Damian POV
“I’ve been back in my territory for less than half an hour, and already I hear that you’ve got the endorsement of most of my Elders. You’ve been busy.”
A faint smile touched her lips. “The Elders are very invested in the future of Crescent Peak.”
“They’re invested in control.”
Her expression didn’t change. “Those two things often overlap, in my experience.”
She was clever enough to sound honest. I took a step closer to her. She held her ground easily, not flinching or retreating. Her confidence in her purpose here seemed absolute.
“So, you’ve aligned yourself with my Elders. How do you see the rest of this playing out, exactly?”
“I’d hardly say that I’ve aligned with them. We’ve merely spoken.” She picked up the teacup that was sitting on the table beside her and took a
