Chapter 12: Training the Pack

"If you want to lecture me about pack traditions, bring me your trade ledgers first, because empty pockets kill a pack faster than any rival Alpha."

Elara's proposal landed on the war table with a loud thud. Several senior warriors flinched, while the captains seated around the table exchanged doubtful looks. They had expected their new Luna to discuss household arrangements or perhaps complain about the servants. Instead, she had arrived with stacks of documents, carefully arranged figures, and a plan that threatened to turn their entire trading system upside down.

Captain Garrick leaned forward, studying the papers without touching them. "Is this supposed to be a joke? We called this meeting to discuss border security, not listen to a lecture about market prices."

Elara pulled out a chair and sat down, completely unimpressed by his attitude. "Good. Then you should be pleased that I am discussing something that affects your border security. Unless you intend to defend your territory with empty stomachs and unpaid warriors, I suggest you listen."

A few captains exchanged glances. At the head of the table, Silas leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed.

One of the older warriors cleared his throat. "With respect, Luna, these matters have always been handled by the Alpha and his appointed advisers. Managing trade is not a woman's responsibility, especially one who has only recently joined this pack."

Elara slowly turned towards him. "And yet the people responsible for managing it have allowed merchants to rob us for months. Perhaps tradition needs a little improvement."

The room fell silent.

She opened the first ledger and pushed it towards the centre of the table. "Your northern trade route brings in grain, iron, medicinal herbs, and livestock. According to these records, the pack has been paying nearly twenty percent more than the agreed exchange rate for basic supplies. The merchants claim the difference comes from transportation costs, but their own delivery records show that those costs have barely changed."

Captain Garrick frowned. "Those merchants have traded with Obsidian Fang for generations. Are you accusing them of cheating us?"

"I'm not accusing them. I'm showing you the numbers." Elara tapped the page with one finger. "Look at the deliveries from the last three months. The amount of grain received has decreased, but the payments have increased. Either the merchants are charging you for food they never delivered, or someone is allowing them to alter the figures."

A younger captain reached for the ledger and examined the entries. His brows drew together as he compared the figures on two different pages.

"These amounts don't match," he muttered. "The delivery record shows four hundred sacks, but the payment record lists five hundred and twenty."

"Exactly." Elara nodded. "And that is only one shipment. I found six more with similar discrepancies. Whoever approved these payments either failed to check the records or benefited from pretending not to notice."

The older warrior scoffed. "You speak as though managing a pack is as simple as counting coins. We have enemies, patrols, warriors to feed, and borders to protect. You cannot solve everything with a few calculations."

Elara gave him a cool smile. "No, but I can prevent you from wasting the money that should be feeding those warriors. You have been spending silver like a wealthy kingdom while earning like a struggling village. That is not strength. It is poor management."

A few wolves shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

Garrick finally pushed his chair back. "Enough. You have no idea how difficult it is to maintain trade when rival packs interfere. Red Moon has already restricted several supply agreements. Their merchants refuse to sell to anyone who trades with us, and you expect us to fix that with a few marks on paper?"

Elara turned towards him, her expression sharpening. "I expect you to stop depending on merchants who can starve us whenever another Alpha gives an order. Red Moon's embargo is only effective because we have allowed ourselves to depend on one route and a handful of suppliers."

She pulled out another sheet and spread it across the table. "Here is my proposal. We divide our northern purchases between three smaller trading groups instead of relying on one major supplier. We establish direct agreements with independent farmers in the eastern villages, exchange iron tools for grain, and use our own wagons for deliveries wherever possible."

Garrick folded his arms. "That will cost more."

"Initially, yes. But it will reduce the merchant fees that have been draining our accounts. We will also negotiate fixed exchange rates for essential supplies, so nobody can suddenly demand twice the silver because they think we're desperate."

One of the captains studied the proposal more closely. "And what happens if Red Moon threatens those villages?"

"Then we offer them something Red Moon cannot. Fair prices, reliable protection, and agreements that are honoured." Elara looked around the table. "You cannot expect people to risk doing business with us if we offer nothing in return. Trade is not about forcing others to serve you. It is about making cooperation more valuable than betrayal."

Silas shifted slightly in his chair, his gaze remaining on Elara. He had listened to enough meetings to know how quickly his captains dismissed anyone they considered inexperienced. Yet she was standing before them, dismantling their objections one by one without raising her voice.

A faint, proud smirk formed beneath his mask.

Garrick was not finished. "You still haven't explained how this plan will feed the pack within a single lunar cycle. We cannot wait months for new agreements to become profitable."

Elara nodded as though she had been waiting for that question. "The first week, we freeze all unnecessary purchases and audit every existing contract. Any merchant who cannot explain the difference between the goods delivered and the silver received loses their agreement. During the second week, we begin direct purchases from the eastern farmers and arrange exchanges using supplies already in our warehouses."

She turned another page. "By the third week, the first deliveries should arrive through the eastern route. We will reserve a portion of every shipment for the kitchens and another portion for the warriors stationed along the northern border. By the fourth week, we should have enough reliable suppliers to cover our basic food requirements without depending on Red Moon."

A captain with a scar across his cheek raised his hand. "What about the money? We still need silver to pay the farmers."

"Then we stop paying for things we don't need." Elara pointed towards a column of expenses. "Your records show that the pack has been purchasing imported wine, decorative weapons, and expensive fabrics while cutting the budget for grain storage. Why are you spending money on luxury items when your food reserves are barely sufficient?"

The scarred captain glanced at the figures. "Those purchases were approved before the embargo."

"Then they can be cancelled now. Nobody needs imported wine more than they need bread."

A few quiet chuckles escaped around the table, but the tension was beginning to change. The captains who had initially refused to look at her papers were now leaning closer, studying the calculations and asking questions.

The younger captain turned another page. "If we use the eastern route, we'll need additional guards for the wagons. The road passes through a stretch of forest where rogues have been spotted."

Elara nodded. "I accounted for that. Instead of sending separate patrols, we can schedule deliveries alongside existing border rotations. The warriors will already be travelling through those areas, so we can reduce the number of extra guards required."

Garrick looked at her again, this time without the earlier amusement. "And if the merchants refuse your new terms?"

"Then we find merchants who understand the value of a reliable customer. Obsidian Fang is not a beggar asking for scraps. We have iron, skilled craftsmen, medicinal plants, and a large population capable of producing goods. We have been acting as though we have nothing to offer, and that ends today."

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Then the scarred captain slowly closed the ledger. "The numbers support her proposal. If the missing payments are recovered, we could rebuild our reserves much faster than I expected."

Another captain nodded. "I want to review the eastern supplier list. Some of those villages have been asking for protection agreements for months."

Elara allowed herself a small smile. "Good. Bring me their names and current trade offers. I want every agreement reviewed before we send out the first wagons."

The older warrior who had questioned her qualifications looked down at the documents again. His expression remained stiff, but he no longer seemed eager to dismiss her.

Silas finally uncrossed his arms. "You heard your Luna. The audit begins tomorrow, and anyone who delays it will answer to me."

His voice was calm, but the warning underneath it silenced the remaining objections. Every captain straightened, understanding that the discussion was no longer a matter of whether they accepted Elara's plan. Their Alpha had already made his position clear.

Elara gathered the remaining documents and placed them neatly in front of her. She had not expected everyone to welcome her, but she had come prepared to prove that being a Luna required more than wearing a title or standing beside an Alpha.

She looked around the table, meeting each pair of eyes without hesitation. "Any more questions about my qualifications to sit on this throne, or shall we get back to saving your failing pack from bankruptcy?"