27
CAIUS
“We have a problem,” I say as I enter the kitchen. There’s no greeting required. Tieran would have smelled me coming, just as I followed my nose to him here.
He’s wearing a towel, his damp hair suggesting he recently showered. As he usually stays up late, this doesn’t surprise me. But the three plates of food before him suggest he’s not the only one still awake.
That’s a good thing.
Because I have a lot to say.
Tieran picks up a glass of water and faces me, his gaze taking in the four wolves at my back before arching a brow at me. He doesn’t ask for an explanation with that look; he demands one.
Because I’ve very clearly broken protocol, something we both know I would never do without justification.
“Alpha Kin is working with the Nantahala Wolves,” I say, driving straight to the point.
Alpha Pan growls at my back, still furious by what we overheard. “He’s been taking advantage of his communications role on the island.”
I nod, pulling my laptop from my bag to set it up on the counter. “After seeing you off, I did some rounds, checking in on everyone, and saved Alpha Dirk’s clan for last. But they weren’t in their usual den. So I checked the island surveillance and couldn’t locate them. However, I noticed a weird little ripple in the frame. Which led me to Alpha Pan.”
I wake up my screen to pull up one of the feeds.
“And we discovered the feed was on a loop,” Alpha Pan says.
“No we about it. Alpha Pan did all the work,” I correct him, then show Tieran the loop in question. “He was able to override the glitch, which is what led us to find this.”
The image changes to depict Alpha Kin on a satellite phone.
“That’s not one of ours,” Tieran says immediately.
“No, it’s not,” Alpha Pan agrees. “But we were able to hack into the frequency to listen in.”
“I gave him permission,” I add, meeting Tieran’s gaze. He tasked me with keeping an eye on Alpha Dirk’s clan, but told me not to jeopardize their privacy.
It’s a demand I clearly disregarded when I asked Alpha Pan to hack the satellite phone frequency.
But Alpha Kin’s suspicious demeanor tipped me off.
Coupled with the strange loop in the feed, it was obvious he wanted to hide something. So, as acting Alpha on the island, I made the executive decision to fully monitor him.
I clear my throat. “Normally, I would have called to ask you first, but as Alpha Kin is in charge of telecommunications on the island…”
“You didn’t want to risk him overhearing,” Tieran finishes for me. “A wise decision, one I’m not disappointed about.”
I nod. “Good.”
“I’ll always trust your judgment, C,” he adds, his voice firm. “You know that.”
He’s right, I do. But it seemed important to explain my decision as it went directly against his wishes. He values the privacy of his pack, preferring to maintain leadership in a more compassionate manner than a cruel one. It’s what makes him a good Pack Alpha.
“What did I miss?” Volt asks, entering the room in a pair of jeans with Clove at his side.
Her sweet aroma swirls around me, momentarily captivating me and drawing me toward her on instinct. She’s so beautiful with her pink cheeks and plump lips, her hair damp from a recent shower.
“Hi, gorgeous,” I say, prowling toward her and wrapping her in my arms while Tieran summarizes what I’ve said so far about Alpha Kin.
Alpha Pan adds a few comments as he takes over my laptop. I don’t stop him, preferring to hold Clove over pulling up the transcript. She settles against my side as I purr a little, ensuring she remains somewhat calm for what she’s about to hear.
Alpha Kin’s voice starts playing, his low tones slightly marred by static. But his words are clear. “Yeah, tomorrow,” he’s saying. “Richmond, Virginia.” He gives the name of the Senator next, then the address. “I took it from their files. He’ll definitely be there as he just left with Tieran and Aspen.”
Clove frowns at the use of her first name—something I recently learned about her. Aspen Clover Donough.
However, the voice that follows makes her freeze. “Good. We’ll send a team in to dismantle the clan, then we’ll proceed as expected. I’m sorry she’s caused so much trouble. I didn’t think she would be able to shift.”
“You underestimated Tieran’s growl,” Alpha Kin replies.