Page 13 of The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate
I take the seat directly across from him, right in front of a fan so my scent wafts his way. If he’s going to ignore me, I’ll make sure he has to work at it.
Darius arrives a moment later, coffee in hand and looking far too relaxed for someone mediating what is probably going to be a tense meeting.
“Good morning everyone,” he says, settling into his chair. “Thank you for being here. Today we’re going to dive into the actual framework for integration. Sienna has prepared a comprehensive overview of the proposed structure.”
He gestures to me.
I stand and move to the front of the room, where I display my presentation on the screen. I don’t look at Lucas. I slip into work mode instead, doing what I do best without unnecessary distraction.
I pull up my first slide: a clean, professional overview of the project model.
“The merger framework is built on a phased integration approach,” I begin, my voice strong and clear. “Phase oneis assessment, which we’ve already discussed. Phase two is planning and preparation. Phase three is full integration and implementation.”
I click to the next slide, showing the timeline.
“The entire process, from initial assessment to full integration, is projected to take three years. This isn’t a rushed merger. We’re taking the time to do it right.”
I can feel Lucas’s gaze on me now. I ignore it.
“Each phase has specific milestones and decision points,” I continue, walking my audience through the timeline. “If at any point either pack determines the merger isn’t working, we have built-in exit strategies that allow for clean separation with minimal disruption.”
Marcus leans forward. “What kind of disruption are we talking about?”
“Financial, primarily,” I answer. “There are some shared resources during phase two that would need to be untangled. But we’ve structured the plan so that both packs retain operational independence until phase three. No one surrenders autonomy until we’re certain this is going to work.”
I click to the next slide: security protocols.
“One of the biggest concerns in any pack merger is security. We’re proposing a joint council with representatives from both packs. All major security decisions require unanimous approval from the council. Neither pack can be overruled on matters of their own safety.”
Sarah nods approvingly. “That’s smart. Prevents either side from being bulldozed.”
“Exactly.” I move to the next slide: territorial projections. “Now, regarding territory management and resource allocation—”
“Question.”
The voice comes from one of the Silvercrest advisors I’ve only met once. Older man, silver hair, sharp eyes. His nameplate reminds me that his name is Richard Chen.
“Yes?” I keep my tone pleasant.
“Your territorial yield projections…” He taps his tablet. “You’re estimating a twelve percent increase in combined territory value. That seems optimistic.”
“It’s based on current utilization rates and projected development,” I explain.
“Yes, but your model assumes Silvercrest’s western boundary follows the pre-expansion lines.” He flips his tablet around to show me the map he has pulled up on it. “We expanded that territory two years ago. Your yield calculations are based on outdated data.”
I let him finish. Let him lay out his entire counterargument about why my projections are inflated, why the actual yield would be closer to eight percent.
The rest of the room is quiet, watching.
I wait until he’s completely done. Then, I smile.
“You’re absolutely right that Silvercrest expanded their western boundary two years ago,” I say calmly. “The expansion added approximately two thousand acres of previously unclaimed territory.”
I press one key on my laptop to display a different slide: detailed boundary maps with dates.
“The yield calculations in my model are indeed based on the post-expansion boundaries. I’m using the current territory data, not the historical data.” I zoom in on the western section. “The confusion might be coming from the fact that I referenced the pre-expansion population density in section four. That’s not a projection error; that’s showing the growth rate comparison.”
I cite the exact acreage from memory, then walk him through the methodology step by step.
