Alpha's mate is a male?!?-Chapter 126: A call to Face The Truth

The night is thick with tension, yet the discussion drags on. The second letter had demanded something impossible, something that only deepened the divide between them and the people they were trying to reach.

The weight of it lingers in the air, pressing down on the gathered group like an unseen force.

Ace leans back against the wall, arms crossed, staring at the letter still resting on the table. "Well! That’s total bulshit! We’re not doing that. We rather choose war than sacrifices." Ace snaps, his composure thinning. Just by the mention of sacrifices his powers start sparkling.

Kieran noticing his uneasiness, holds his hand. He knows Ace hates anything to do with bloodshed, and right now this must be killing him, this must be what has been stressing him since he doesn’t know how to end this conflict in peace.

This makes Kieran think harder, he goes quiet trying to find a solution that Ace will like, that will help him end the war the way he wants.

Ace sighs, calming down a bit, his fingers laced with Kieran’s, "They’re not serious about peace," he says finally. "They want to make us desperate, make us feel like there’s no way forward except to bend to their will."

Elira sighs, rubbing her temples. "Yes, they don’t actually want a trade or a sacrifice. They just want to see us struggle to give them what they already know we can’t."

Jun, who had been silent up until now, exhales sharply. "Then what do we do? Ignore them? Play their game? Because if we refuse outright, they’ll take it as a declaration of war. Or maybe weakness."

"We could try reasoning with them again," Rika suggests, though her voice lacks conviction. Even she knows it’s a weak idea.

"They’re not looking for reason," Kieran says suddenly, his voice steady but firm. "They’re looking for power. They think they control this situation because they get to make demands, set conditions. That’s what needs to change."

Ace’s gaze sharpens. "Go on."

"We send them another letter," Kieran continues. "But not to beg or explain. We turn it around on them. Force them to face us."

Max raises an eyebrow. "And how exactly do we do that?"

"We call them out," Kieran says, leaning forward. "We send a message that forces their hand. No more letters, no more waiting. If they want war, they need to come and say it to our faces. If they want peace, they do the same. And if they refuse to show up... we make it look like..." He lets a small smirk form. "... they’re the ones who look weak."

Silence follows for a moment as everyone absorbs the idea.

Ace grins. "That could work, if they come, we can as well try talking it out with them."

Jun rubs his chin thoughtfully. "It’s a risk. If they do show up, it could go either way."

"But it also puts them in a position where they have to act," Elira adds. "Right now, they’re dragging things out to make us feel like we’re at their mercy. This flips it on them."

Rika nods. "We won’t be running after them anymore. They’ll have to decide if they actually want something, or if they were just stalling to make us bend."

Max crosses his arms. "Alright. But we need to be careful with how we word it. We can’t make it sound like an invitation they can ignore. It has to challenge them, make them feel like if they refuse, they’re the ones who are backing down."

Ace grabs a quill. "Then let’s do this. Let’s write."

They gather around as Ace starts the first lines.

Kieran leans over his shoulder. "Start strong. Don’t ask. Demand."

Ace nods and begins.

To those who seek to hold the past over our heads,

Jun reads over his shoulder. "That works. It acknowledges their position but doesn’t give them power."

Ace continues writing.

Enough waiting. If you want war for what has already passed, then come and declare it to our faces. If you also seek peace, do not expect it on a silver plate, and do not think it will come through empty demands.

Max lets out a low whistle. "That’s going to get under their skin."

Kieran smirks. "That’s the point."

Elira taps the table. "We need to make sure they know we’re serious. No backing down."

Ace adds,

We will not play messenger games. Tomorrow, come and speak your truth. Say what it is you want, without hiding behind ink and paper.

Max leans in. "Now, we should make them feel like they have to come."

Ace thinks for a moment before writing:

If you do not come, we will take your silence for what it is... an admission that you have nothing left to stand on. That your anger is a mask, hiding the fact that you no longer have the strength to claim what you pretend to seek.

Kieran grins. "That’ll do it."

Rika smirks. "They’ll either come, or they’ll be humiliated trying to explain why they didn’t. Wow Ace, you thought of what to write on your own and it’s brilliant. Bet this will really provoke something in them." She adds tapping Ace’s shoulder, only to meet Kieran’s sudden glowing eyes, looking at where she is tapping Ace’s shoulder then back at her.

She yanks her hand away immediately. Looking away, tense.

Ace doesn’t even notice that. He is busy focused on the paper infront of him. He adds the final line:

’Shadow valley at 12 PM , we will be waiting.’

Ace sets the quill down and looks up. "Satisfied?"

Max exhales. "More than."

Elira shakes his head with a half-smile. "You always find a way to make things less chaotic. Well, that was a brilliant idea Kieran. And Ace you’ve done great putting the right words down on paper."

Kieran leans back. "Now we see who dares to show up."

Without another word, the letter is sealed and sent by Max.

This time the sign of delivery comes almost immediately.

Now, all they have to do is wait.

Tomorrow they’ll head to Shadow Valley and wait for their guests. And ofcourse they’ll go prepared for anything.