Terms of Surrender

Calculated Compliance: Darian

I could hear Tess, even from the other side of the penthouse, still awake in her bedroom. Her scent was no longer laced with fear. There was just a cool, calculated stillness in her now. I couldn’t sleep with the uncertainty of what was going on in her mind. Tears or continued resistance would be expected, understandable even. Not this unnerving calm.

I knocked twice, a simple courtesy, before opening her door. She had changed into silk, lavender pajamas, but she wasn’t in bed. Her head turned, looking away from the papers she’s spread across the desk and made deliberate eye contact with me. She didn’t speak though, and it was even more unsettling.

I was certain this quiet compliance was somehow a new form of defiance. Her stare was the only acknowledgement of my presence. I sniffed the air, but there wasn’t the slightest hint of panic. Her eyes shifted again, returning to her notes. This felt like a challenge, and I had the slow, dawning realization that those were the notes from my company’s audit. She was trying to use it as a form of reconnaissance.

“You never ate tonight,” I started, my voice low and calm. “You need to eat, Tess.”

I was trying to settle into the domestic provider role, but she pushed back. “I am fine, Mr. Whitmore, thank you. Are we going to discuss this biological imperative now?”

I attempted to sound reasonable, but I couldn’t just tell her that I’m a werewolf or about the pack. I repeated my words from the restaurant, and her posture never changed. She sat there, staring at me like an auditor, analyzing my every word. “You are mine, Tess. You will learn to accept my protection and this life. It is absolute,” I finish.

She didn’t flinch. I almost wished she would. At least then I’d have some sign of what she was feeling. “I understand the absolute nature of your demands, but a partnership requires mutually beneficial terms. We can begin when you explain what my cooperation provides you, beyond mere survival.”

I was in awe of her cool audacity. She’d moved past fear, and was trying to negotiate the value of the bond. I couldn’t bully her, and had to genuinely prove the value of the bond. I hadn’t just captured a frightened consultant, Tess was a dangerous, intellectual equal who would not break. She would be the fiercest Luna the Silvercrest Pack had ever known.

I took a moment, walking over to an armchair and sat down. Her eyes tracked my every move. “You seek a benefit? Fine. Your cooperation provides stability, for myself, as well as for the Silvercrest Pack.” Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she tried to process what my words meant. I had made a massive concession just by giving her this much. “I am the Alpha. The Silvercrest Pack controls this city.”

She didn’t speak. Her eyes darted to the notepad beside the audit papers, and I was certain she was writing the name down.

“The mate bond prevents my instability,” I continued, clarifying her value. “It anchors me. Without you, the pack fractures, and this entire territory falls into chaos. Your value is stability. Your reward is absolute protection within my territory.”

Her silence continued as she analyzed my words, searching for flaws. I had already said too much though.

I stood up, ending the conversation before she could press for more. “That is enough for tonight. Process whatever you need. Eat. Sleep. We will continue tomorrow.” I pointed to the notes, “The audit is irrelevant now, Tess, but the data on the Silvercrest Pack should keep your mind occupied.”

I turned and left the room, hearing the scratch of her pen against paper before the door even clicked shut.