Ex-Alpha's Regret: Siren's Comeback novel Chapter 90

POV: Seraphina

The interior of Killian Vance's yacht was as sleek and ruthlessly efficient as his correspondence. We sat in a minimalist, state-of-the-art conference room, a large screen on one wall displaying the satellite image of a remote, verdant island. There were no pleasantries, no small talk. We were not a disgraced Luna and a benefactor. We were two strategists at a negotiating table.

And for the first time in a very long time, I felt… alive.

"My firm has secured the asset," Killian began, gesturing to the island on the screen. "Aethelgard. It's a former sovereign outpost, fully fortified, with its own deep-water port and geothermal power source. It is, for all intents and purposes, untraceable and unassailable. It is yours, to serve as the headquarters for our joint venture."

He slid a sleek, encrypted data key across the polished table. "The deed of ownership. A gift. My initial investment in your talent."

I listened as he and Jax discussed the logistics of moving my people, of setting up the infrastructure. But my own mind was already racing ahead, dissecting the plan he had praised, identifying its weaknesses, refining its strategy.

"Your plan to co-opt the smaller packs by offering them better trade terms is brilliant," Killian said, turning his attention back to me. "But it's reactive. We need a first strike. A move so bold it will announce our presence and permanently cripple Blackwood's economic dominance."

"The silver trade," I said instantly, the words coming to me with a cold, clear certainty. "Damian controls ninety percent of the refined silver market in the northern territories. It's the bedrock of his wealth and his military power. We don't just offer an alternative. We create a collapse. We flood the market with a cheaper, purer product from a new, untraceable source, and we drive the price of Blackwood silver into the ground."

Killian's eyes lit up with a genuine, intellectual excitement. "Fascinating. But the initial capital outlay to secure and develop a new mine…"

At the end of the meeting, the alliance was forged. We stood, the deal sealed not with a handshake, but with a shared understanding. As I reached for the data key that held the ownership to my new home, my new life, my fingers brushed against his.

His skin was warm. The brief, accidental contact sent a tiny, electric jolt up my arm. We both paused, just for a fraction of a second.

He looked at me, his gaze direct and sincere, and his smile was no longer just appreciative. It was warm.

"Welcome home, Siren," he said.