Minutes after he’d removed his ski boots and switched into a fur-lined pair, Grayson, both beta of the pack and CFO of the resort, entered his office. He was usually well-groomed, but he had growth on his face and bags under red eyes. Stress and lack of sleep were affecting all in the pack.
“I smelled them too,” Grayson declared.
Rafe slammed his fist on his desk. “The audacity.” He spat and shook his head. “Did you find any damage to equipment?”
“No. It looked like they attempted to break through a lock, but weren’t successful.”
Rafe scowled. “They might return to finish the job.”
“I have an enforcer who can guard the area.”
Rafe cocked his head. They’d already spread them thin along the mountain. “Who?”
“Damon.”
“Damon?” he repeated with a slight flinch.
Damon was the enforcer who had fought the Sacco wolf—and fortunately won. Once the Saccos demanded his head, Rafe and Grayson told him to leave for his safety until the situation was resolved.
“Once he learned that negotiations had failed, he returned, eager to do his part to defend the pack.”
Rafe nodded. “Yes, station him near the main lift tonight. I have a feeling they’ll be back.”
“Will do, alpha,” Grayson replied.
“And if anyone catches a Sacco, hold them for me.”
Mila
“Are you sure you can do this?” Mila’s father, the alpha of the Sacco pack, asked her.
Tonight was Mila’s turn to head over to Franconia territory. One of her pack mates had found an unguarded access point where they could slip in each night to find a way to sabotage their operations. The goal was to damage equipment so the Franconia’s would be forced to shut down operations.
What a sweet image. Franconia Mountain would return to the way it was meant to be, as part of the forest, not stripped bare of trees so humans could parade over it with ridiculous narrow strips beneath their feet. The Franconia pack had lost their way as wolves by selling themselves out to humans.
“I am, Father,” Mila replied in a solemn tone.
She yearned to make him proud. He made no secret that he wanted a son to carry on the pack after his death, but after her mother died in childbirth, that possibility died with her. She was his mate, and he had no desire to mate with another, even to create another heir. Instead, he let the loss of his mate turn him into an angry and bitter alpha.
Still, he was her father, and she wanted to prove to him that she was just as capable and worthy of leading the pack.
He would prefer that she mated with one of the shifters of the pack, especially his beta, Lars, but she had zero interest in doing so—especially with Lars. They had zero sparks. If she was going to commit herself to someone, couldn’t she at least have that magical connection of a true mate?
Mila waited until nightfall before she left her cabin in the forest. As she trudged through the trees, she stripped off her clothing and shifted to wolf form. She bounded through the woods over to Franconia territory. This should be a quick mission. She visualized returning to her pack and declaring that her job was a success.
She bounded across the snow-covered lands. Too many Franconia enforcers patrolled the borderline, so she veered down through the forests, concealed by the shadows and nightfall. The trek wasn’t straightforward, as she would have to run out of the forest and down the road so she could slip in from the other side of the village. She followed the directions that Victoria, a shifter from the Franconia pack who had defected to the Saccos, had provided. Mila didn’t like or trust Victoria. If she betrayed her pack, why should the Saccos trust her? She slinked around with her sneaky vibe and flirted with both Mila’s father and Lars. Was she so desperate to link up with a powerful member of a pack? Still, the information Victoria provided about the layout of the resort was valuable.
As she approached the main road, she peered out for any humans driving by. Wolves were not known to live in the New Hampshire forest and it was better that they kept their existence secret. After all, humans were the most destructive creatures on earth, not only towards other species, but to themselves.
Mila waited for the absence of any car headlights before she bounded across the road. She sniffed for any signs of a nearby Franconia as she hid in the shadows.
Her heartrate escalated as she edged closer to the forbidden Franconia territory. Franconias had broken the treaty and killed one of their enforcers, Alex, so they deserved the repercussions. Her pulse jolted with the final inches, and then she passed over.
She followed the instructions given by one of her packmates for an optimal way to sneak through the village, back across the road, and down a path through trees into Franconia territory.
Several minutes passed as she slipped by condos and developments that catered to the humans. She paused to examine her surroundings. After hearing so many negative reports about the Franconias and their garish lifestyle, she had to see for herself. Under the moonlight and stars, the brick buildings didn’t seem as hideous as she’d expected. Still, they’d gobbled up so much land to satiate their audacious lifestyle. What a shame. Those lands had once been covered by forests.
She found the spot to cross back over the road and slipped in through a section covered with pine trees.
She did it. Her success filled her with elation. Although it was only the first step, she had managed to cross successfully into Franconia territory without being detected.
The lodges were ahead, and beyond it were the chairlifts that carried lazy humans up the mountain.
Slipping by the base lodge, she approached her destination—a power grid.
Mila scanned her surroundings once more for anyone who might observe her. The mountain was quiet. She trotted up the slant toward one of the power generators and then shifted to human form to better carry out her task using her hands. Although she was naked beneath the moon, no one was around to see her. A cool night breeze traveled over her flesh. With the lack of fur covering her, she wrapped her arms around herself. At least, she wasn’t as helpless as humans with their inability to withstand any cold. They’d be shivering without numerous layers of clothing.
Still, Mila wasn’t crazy about bare feet in snow. She approached the shed door and tried to open it, but it was locked. Shoot. She attempted to force it open, but it didn’t budge. That wouldn’t thwart her since a rock might help her break through. After finding a sizable one near a pine tree, she returned to the shed and slammed the rock onto the lock. It took several attempts before she broke through. Once she succeeded, she threw the rock down and opened the door, facing a gray panel with all kinds of knobs. She didn’t know what she was looking it, but she didn’t have to know. What she had to do was destroy it. She reached for the rock she’d just dropped.
A net covered her. Her heart locked up and she struggled against the covering. “What the—?”
“Don’t move,” a massive shifter with shaggy brown hair warned. “You’re coming with me.”
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