Nigel's brow furrowed as he watched me hurry into the company building. He hadn't been able to escort me to my office only to the entrance and his confusion was written plainly across his face. How had our meal ended so abruptly? There were still a thousand things he could have said, gestures he could have made, yet it all felt cut short, and I could sense his pack instincts bristling with frustration.
I pressed my hand to my face as I stepped into my office. My mind was still reeling from the encounter at the restaurant the Alpha's dominance, the suffocating intensity of Elliot's claim. Twice in one day, he had awakened instincts in me I wasn't ready to understand. My pulse raced, my body still tingling from the memory of his possessive energy. I couldn't focus, couldn't breathe fully.
Meanwhile, somewhere in a lavish villa far from here, Hayley was restless. Sleep eluded her because the shadow of my presence haunted her like a relentless phantom. Night after night, she dreamed of Elliot the Alpha turning on her, his dark eyes filled with disdain, sending her away without mercy. No pleading could save her in those dreams. She woke drenched in sweat, feeling my presence like a weight pressing against her chest, knowing that my bond with him was something she could never sever.
"I won't let you ruin my plans, Anastasia," she whispered to herself, teeth clenched, fists tight. Her eyes gleamed with a vicious, predatory light. She knew that to strike at me, she didn't have to go at me directly she could use the weak points in my human pack, the mother and daughter of the Tillman Family. Erica's bitterness toward me over our family assets made her a perfect pawn.
Hayley's thoughts twisted cruelly. Didn't I love my son fiercely? Then let him feel the sting of suffering. Let the innocence of my child tremble under the weight of her pack's schemes. And if Elliot's blood his Alpha strength flowed within that boy, then that bond between us only fueled her jealousy further. Every ounce of resentment and hatred she felt concentrated on him, on the child, as if harming them could steal the fire of my bond with Elliot.
Her plan took shape swiftly. She reached for her phone and dialed Erica, her tone all honeyed venom.
"Hey, Hayley," Erica answered, suspicion and curiosity mixing in her voice.
"What are you doing, Erica? Has Anastasia returned the 8 million real estate yet?" Hayley's voice was sharp, almost serpentine, curling with malice.
Erica's teeth clenched audibly. "She can't even wait to take everything from my dad! Will she even return it?"
"Well, you can't let her get away with it you have to teach her a lesson," Hayley said, the edge in her voice like the growl of a wolf warning off intruders from its territory. "Otherwise, she'll think you and your mother are weak, that we're weak."
As the words hung in the air, I felt the ripples of their plotting like a shiver across the edges of my awareness. Even miles away, my instincts whispered that the web was being spun, that the pack around me was not entirely safe. The human world might call it real estate or business, but to a wolf, it was territory, influence, power and my bond with Nigel and Elliot was under threat.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing pulse. The day had barely begun, but already, the pack's invisible claws were tugging at the edges of my life. And I knew one thing clearly: wherever they plotted, I would defend my mate, my son, and my place in this modern pack world with every ounce of my strength.
"Of course, I have to teach her a lesson. When the moment is right, I " Hayley's eyes glimmered with cold fire, a predator calculating the perfect strike.
"Hayley, what moment exactly are you waiting for?" Erica's voice was sharp, but Hayley could sense the tremor of eagerness beneath it. "Anastasia isn't easy prey, but she has a young cub. If you make the pup suffer, she'll feel a hundred times more than if you tried to attack her directly."
Erica's frown tightened. "What do you mean by that?"
Hayley leaned closer over the phone, her tone like the hiss of a wolf circling its target. "Bring the child to your territory under the guise of play, a day out or a visit. Young cubs are naturally mischievous. One small 'accident' and you'll watch Anastasia's blood boil as she loses control."
The words hit Erica like sparks on dry grass. Her eyes lit up with greed and cruelty. "Yes! Why didn't I think of it before? If Anastasia rages herself into despair, I'll feel triumphant."
Hayley's lips curled into a smile. She knew Erica's mind was simple, easy to manipulate. Plant the idea, and Erica would carry out the hunt with the zeal of an inexperienced but loyal packmate.
"Erica," Hayley continued, her tone darkening, "you cannot let her take your father's territory under any circumstance. Eight million worth of land now… next year, it could be a high-value car, or the family company itself. If you let her chip away at your pack's strength now, it will be too late later. Make her understand who holds dominance first."
The seed of panic took root immediately in Erica's heart. Territory, power, pack dominance these were the things she cared about most. Her voice trembled with excitement and fear. "Yes… I have to strike first, or she'll think we're weak, easy prey."
Hayley exhaled slowly, savoring the pull she had on Erica's instincts. Everything was moving as she wanted. Erica would act as the bait, and the plan to isolate Anastasia's cub the child of the Alpha's bloodline would begin. Without the cub to anchor her, Anastasia's senses would scream in panic, her bond with her mate fractured even temporarily.
If the cub were lost to them, even momentarily, panic would ripple through her like a tide of fire. And if a predator human or supernatural took notice… the consequences could be permanent.
Most dangerously, the child carried the blood of Elliot, the Alpha. Removing him from her control, even briefly, could sever a thread of their pack's future, leaving a void no bond could immediately heal. Hayley's eyes glittered. The plan was perfect a strike against the bond without needing to challenge the Alpha directly.
All that remained was for Erica to take the bait. Once she moved against the cub, the hunt would begin, and the shadows of the pack would stretch over Anastasia's life in ways she couldn't yet imagine.