Terms of Surrender

The New Assignment: Darian

I was still processing this revelation, watching Tess eat while my mind caught up. In one afternoon she went from accepting a supernatural truth to finding my rival’s corporate weak spot. She wasn’t just the Luna, she was a weapon the Silvercrest Pack had lacked for decades. Her intelligence was a skill I didn’t even realize I had been looking for.

I struggled to maintain my composure, and had to contain the wolf’s adoration for the moment. As much as I wanted to pull her into my arms and praise her, I was still earning her trust. Her guard appeared to be lower, but her continued careful observation of me shows that she’s treating this as a business transaction still. She barely seemed to register my linen pajamas, she was still dressed as if she’s going to work. She wasn’t concerned about the Mate Bond yet. She cared about data, and I must respect the terms that she’s tentatively given. I had to focus on the theory she’s presented.

Her theory aligned perfectly with what I knew. Apex Land Ventures had been working out of the same sectors the Steelclaw Alpha, Kyvan had been targeting in an effort to seize control of the city’s foundational infrastructure.

“Of course. Without the full financials, you can only infer. But publicly filed documents will confirm the scale of their acquisitions and their debt-to-equity ratio. That is enough to plan a counter-strike.”

I pulled my phone from my pocket and sent out a series of messages to Leon, as well as to the Pack’s legal and financial analysts requesting the necessary documents.

“You require the documents for your analysis, I require a guaranteed time frame. When will you have the audit ready?”

“Get me the documents now, and I’ll have the analysis ready by morning.”

I nodded as I pulled a chair out opposite her at the table. “You will work here or in the study. I will not leave the penthouse while you’re working on this.”

She tensed for a moment then nodded her concession. I could feel the energy between us shifting into something else. She still wasn’t fully accepting the idea of being my mate nor was she fully embracing what it meant to be my Luna. However, she seemed willing to accept a business partnership. She stood, carrying her empty plate to the sink, and I could see the determination in her eyes.

Within thirty minutes of sending out the texts, I was standing in my private office printing out the documents regarding Apex Land Ventures. Tess had already moved back to the study and begun writing out every acquisition that my company was already aware of. Every acquisition that interfered with Silvercrest’s own inner-workings. I gathered the pages from the printer and crossed the penthouse, going back to her study.

She was once again seated behind the desk, and this time I didn’t mind. I was eager to watch her work. To see her analytical mind in action when it wasn’t being used against me. She didn’t look up when I walked in, a habit that I felt like I was going to be forced to get used to, and I placed the Apex documents on the desk. “These are the public filings. They cover the last three years.”

Tess immediately pulled the stack towards her. Her focus was singular and intense. My presence still went ignored as she began tagging pages. I watched her from the armchair, lost in her work. I stayed quiet but vigilant. I didn’t want to distract her, but I was trying to make myself available if she needed clarification on anything.

Her hand flew across the notebook, her handwriting precise, her margin notes surgical. She was dissecting Apex Land Ventures as if she was performing an autopsy. I was fascinated, mesmerized by her competency.

The Bond hummed while I watched her. Her focus was calming the instability that had plagued me all day. This close, I could feel her heart beating, strong and steady. She didn’t even know she was already healing me. Her focus appeared to only be on the data, she was entirely unaware of the biological effect of our close proximity.

After some time, I finally broke the silence, “You’ll be up all night. You should take a break. The analysis will be better if you rest.”

“Do you think the Steelclaw Pack will rest?” she asked, not looking up. There was no malice in her retort though. A simple rhetorical question that proved her dedication to the task. “I require silence.” There was a long pause after she spoke, followed by a quiet, “Please.”

My lips pinched together, though I wasn’t upset. I settled back into the armchair, ready for a long night of watching my Luna work. She was the perfect weapon, terrifyingly competent and completely dedicated to the task I gave her. All I could do is watch and make sure her cage was secure. Not to lock her in, but to keep her safe.