Aria's POV
One by one, the councilors voted. The tally came quickly, and enough voices rose in favor.
Relief loosened something tight in my chest.
A few days later, the vampire clan's representative arrived under a formal escort.
Damon stood beside me as the vampire representative approached. The vampire stopped several feet away and inclined his head respectfully.
"Alpha Aria." His eyes moved briefly toward Damon before returning to me. "We are here to negotiate the terms of peace."
"Then let's begin."
The negotiations lasted for hours. There were disagreements over borders, prisoner exchanges, patrol routes, trade, and the limits of movement between our territories.
At times, neither side was willing to give an inch, but eventually, we found common ground and reached agreements t
