CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY NINE – NEGOTIATIONS

The negotiations with Lord Vladislav and his council stretched on for hours, the tension in the room palpable as centuries-old grievances and suspicions bubbled to the surface. Laura found herself mentally exhausted, struggling to keep up with the complex web of vampire politics and historical conflicts that seemed to underpin every argument and counterargument. Logan, for his part, maintained a facade of calm diplomacy, though Laura could sense the strain in his voice as he addressed yet another accusation of past werewolf transgressions. "The incident at Marseille in 1782 was a regrettable misunderstanding," Logan explained, his patience clearly wearing thin. "Our pack had no knowledge of the vampire coven's claim to that territory. The resulting conflict was unfortunate, but it was nearly two and a half centuries ago. Surely we can move past it in the face of our current, mutual threat." Lord Vladislav leaned back in his ornate chair, his piercing blue eyes studying Logan intentl