Chapter 31 On the Syndarch’s Terms
On the Syndarch’s Terms
The whole situation did a one-eighty after Lucien uttered the two magic words: my Eteria.
First, the boy tapped on Lucien’s arm, indicating he needed to let him go. Lucien was reluctant, but he did, and the boy landed on the floor, wiped his blood, and flicked his fingers without saying a word.
A few moments later, a simple square table was carried into the room by one of the Fae, followed by two chairs placed on each side of the table.
A pair of Fae drew the chairs for Lucien and the boy to sit down on, and once they did, another Fae brought a stack of stapled papers, along with two pens.
The boy lifted a pen and said in a monotonous voice, as if he hadn’t just threatened my life or had his own life threatened by Lucien, “The contract between my Fae and Mack Page is already null and void, considering Mr. Page’s untimely demise.
” He delivered this observation dryly as he scribbled something down on the paper.
“I suggest we negotiate a deal between us with that in mind.”
Lucien grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers together, much to the Betas’ shock, as he leaned back and said, “I would like to know the exact details of that contract.”
The boy shrugged. “It’s very simple,” he said, tapping on the desk with his pen. “Mack wanted you gone. He offered to pay my Fae with five favors in return once you were dead, and gave them an advance of two favors.”
That didn’t seem to sit well with Lucien. “What kind of favors?” he asked, eyes narrowing.
“I am not so uncouth as to inquire of any Fae of mine what kind of favors they ask for in their private contracts,” he replied, sounding almost offended at the idea that he would know such private information, and so we were left to wonder.
Seeing he wouldn’t be able to get an answer for that, Lucien moved on. “I want a nonaggression agreement between the Syndicate and the Montrévère pack,” he said now, grabbing the other pen. “You won’t come for us, or for me, as the Alpha, under any circumstances, and we will not come for you.”
The boy smiled. “This is not how it works, wolf,” he said in a lecturing voice that made me scowl. “I require payment.”
“In the form of favors,” Lucien added with evident distaste.
The boy shrugged. “We are Fae,” he said matter-of-factly, as if that explained everything.
And it seemed it did, because Lucien gave a curt nod and said, “Then I would like you to pay us with favors in return.”
“Ah.” The Syndarch’s smile widened. “Now you’re talking.”
The next few minutes were a back-and-forth between Lucien and the Syndarch, as each changed, added, and removed terms for the contract. A lot of it I didn’t quite understand, but since Lucien obviously did, it didn’t matter.
I was no longer feeling sick, no longer sweaty and anxious, as if my body felt the danger had passed now that Lucien had declared me his Eteria. Yet some part of me was still uneasy, as if something wasn’t quite right still.
“To seal our agreement, the contract requires a member of your pack to stay here as a liaison,” the boy now said, leaning forward in his chair, his eyes falling on Teya. “I would like to add that I shall choose the liaison I see fit.”
Lucien didn’t seem to like it one bit. “I refuse to leave a member of my pack down here for an indefinite amount of time, Syndarch.”
The boy sighed again. “Under the agreement, I am not allowed to harass, abuse, or touch even a strand of any of your wolves’ hair,” he said, folding his arms. “This is a necessity for our mutual nonaggression relationship.”
It seemed Lucien couldn’t refute that, even though he didn’t like it one bit, as revealed by the curl of his lips. “Fine,” he grated out. “So in this case, I will choose the liaison of the Syndicate as well.”
“This is fair.” The boy nodded. “How many are we talking about? One?”
Lucien glanced at Teya, who seemed a little pale, and said, “Two.”
“Two,” the boy repeated in a murmur while making a face, another rare show of emotion. “No. Let’s make it three.”
“Fine,” Lucien said, blue eyes flaring in barely hidden hatred as he looked at the boy. “We choose today, then.”
The boy nodded and pointed at Teya, like a kid in a candy store. “I want her,” he said plainly. “I don’t care about the other two. Zairos can choose them.”
Teya’s pale face fell now, but I saw her trying to collect herself, to not show how distraught she obviously was.
It made me feel sick, seeing her so out of it.
While I didn’t know Teya, never talked to her, either, I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her.
She obviously didn’t want to be the liaison, and yet she had no choice.
Lucien didn’t seem happy about it either. “You chose one of my Betas,” he said in a warning tone. “That means you owe me a high-ranking member too.”
“This won’t be a problem.” The boy shrugged, a secretive smile on his lips. “I’ll do you even one better: I’ll give you the Mathenio.”
The silence that followed the boy’s words could have been cut with a knife. Everyone seemed shocked, holding their breath, at what the boy just said—including the Betas, and Blaise in particular, who seemed downright flabbergasted.
The shock didn’t bypass Lucien either; he stared at the Syndarch, almost disbelieving, and with a healthy amount of suspicion. “The Mathenio,” he repeated slowly, breaking the silence.
With another cold smile, the boy nodded. “Yes. You’ll get the Mathenio and two others of your choosing.”
As if he still couldn’t believe his ears, Lucien nodded before he turned to Blaise. “You choose the other two.”
Blaise, whose shock was still palpable, gave a sharp nod.
“Then if that is all, I think we are done here,” the Syndarch said as he signed the contract and pushed it toward Lucien. “It’s very nice doing business with you, Alpha wolf, and congratulations,” he added, glancing at me, “on your Eteria, that is.”
Lucien signed, too, his muscles tense, and rose to his feet, grabbing my hand. “Teya needs to pack,” he said, not acknowledging the latter statement, “and Zairos needs to pick the other two members of my pack. I’ll take them both with me and leave Blaise here to pick your members.”
The Syndarch rose to his feet, his face suddenly bored. “I’m looking forward to it,” he said, voice dry, before he turned his back to us and left the hall as if nothing had just happened.
We stood in the clearing deep in the Montrevere pack’s forest, after Zairos had given us shadow marks and we had all poured them over us and arrived safely. We’d been in the Underearth for about two hours, which meant it had been two days up here.
Oz was the first one to speak after we reappeared in the clearing. “Zairos will come with us, Alpha,” he said, and for the first time, the way he said the word Alpha wasn’t sarcastic or rude. “To see potential pack members, that is.”
The only indication Lucien noticed the change was the slight widening of his eyes, but he schooled his face and nodded. “Let’s meet back at the office.”
It was only after Teya, Oz, and Zairos took off, when Lucien and I were walking back toward his cabin, that I could finally breathe. “What’s going to happen now?” I asked quietly.
“Now our pack and the Syndicate owe each other ten favors, to be fulfilled within five years,” he murmured in response, voice tired. “This is the best possible outcome.”
I scanned the profile of his face. “So why do you look like you lost?”
His lips pursed. “Because Fae are dangerous, and leaving Teya and two other pack members in the Underearth makes me sick to my stomach with worry.”
Considering how unbothered, yet arrogant, the Syndarch was, I could somehow understand. “Teya is strong, though, right?” I said, squeezing his hand.
“She is, which is the only reason why I didn’t fight the Syndarch over this.
” He sighed before stopping in his tracks.
I stopped, too, and turned to look at him, frowning.
“What bothers me the most, however,” he said quietly, “is that the Syndicate now knows not only that I have an Eteria, but who my Eteria is.”
I tried to smile. “Then it’s a good thing you’re going to transform me into a werewolf, isn’t it?”
He didn’t smile back. “All it means is that even if you didn’t insist on transforming, I would force you to anyway.” He seemed tired and angry then. “Because if you remain human, powerless and easy to kill, the Fae will certainly come after you sooner or later.”
His words should’ve scared me, but I wasn’t scared. “Then it’s a good thing you’re going to transform me,” I said again, narrowing my gaze when I saw his hesitance. “Right?”
“This shouldn’t be the reason why you choose this path,” he murmured, but I knew he wasn’t disagreeing with me. Instead, he seemed infuriated at the situation rather than anyone specifically. “You shouldn’t . . . become a werewolf because of me.”
“Lucien,” I said, taking his hands in mine.
He searched my gaze. “You have to be sure, Drew,” he said quietly.
“And I am.” I smiled, my love for Lucien overwhelming me until I almost couldn’t take it. And this was precisely why I was ready. “So do it. Now.”
His expression shattered and he pulled me into a deep, warm hug. “All right,” he said, holding me close. “As you wish.”