Chapter 63

The council's reaction to the treaty was mixed, which Arianna had expected.

"You're trusting Viktor based on his self-interest?" one of the senior warriors demanded, looking at the draft agreement like it might bite him. "That's your foundation for peace?"

"I'm trusting that Viktor will honor an agreement that benefits him," Arianna corrected. "Which is more reliable than trusting someone's good intentions or moral character."

"She's right," Blackthorn said quietly from his position at the side of the room. He'd been attending council meetings more regularly now, his administrative expertise proving valuable enough that most wolves had stopped objecting to his presence. "Self-interest is predictable. Viktor gains more...