Chapter 18

Luciano's POV

"I want eyes on Jimena Verity the second she steps foot in this city."

I slammed my palm down, the heavy desk taking the impact without a sound. Karlos, my Beta, did not even blink. He knew the drill. Weeks had passed since the Lunar Gala. It felt like months. The Crystal Lake Pack's moves were still a mystery, and it was driving my wolf crazy. Spring was almost done. The warm air of early summer did nothing to calm my nerves.

My focus had narrowed to a sharp point: Alanza.

I pushed off the desk, pacing across the office rug. Karlos watched me, his expression neutral. He was waiting for the full order.

"Crystal Lake sent a notice," I said. My voice was tight. "His Beta's daughter, Jimena Verity, is coming to Granite City for university. No formal request. Nothing."

Karlos’s jaw tightened. "Bold. Or stupid."

"A courtesy they ignored." I stopped near the window. My pack territory was spread out below, peaceful and unaware. "She's an insult. A deliberate poke. I need to know why she's here. I want her monitored from the moment she arrives."

The unspoken rule was clear. An outsider pack leader doesn't send family into another Alpha's domain without asking first. It was a sign of respect. Crystal Lake offered none.

"If you find even a whisper about her sister, anything about Alanza," I left the rest of the thought hanging in the air.

Karlos simply nodded, his eyes grim. "Understood, Alpha. We'll set the watches up immediately."

The silence returned, but my thoughts raced faster now. The Crystal Lake Pack was playing a long game. I had to figure out the angles. My mind always circled back to the garden. To Alanza's scent. It was everything a mate's should be, yet my anger was a cold fire in my chest.

"What if it's a scent enhancer?" I muttered, leaning against the cold glass of the window. "Some kind of drug. A way to fake the mate connection."

Karlos shifted his weight. "I didn't sense anything off that night, Luciano. No chemical smell. No weird change in the air."

I scoffed, turning to face him. "She would have used it right before. She knew I was watching. It's the perfect setup, Karlos. Lure me in with the scent, make me vulnerable, and use that to get inside our walls."

He scratched the back of his neck. His doubt was clear. "I saw her with her family, though. It was strained. Real tension. It didn't feel like a united front."

"Exactly," I snapped. I walked back toward the desk, my hands clenching into fists. "That makes it more likely. If her relationship with Crystal Lake is bad, she'd be desperate to prove herself. To earn his approval. She uses herself as the bait. It’s what a desperate wolf does."

Karlos’s eyes went wide. "I hadn't thought about her desperation. That does make a terrible kind of sense."

Rage heated my skin. The thought of Alanza being used, or worse, willingly using herself, was a heavy punch to my gut.

"We need to assume the worst," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "The Crystal Lake Pack is making a move. I will not let them touch what we have built here."

"I know," Karlos said. He spoke firmly. "We all know. We will watch Jimena. If we find any proof of a plan..."

"Then we will remind them who runs this territory." I stared out the window at my city. The Crystal Lake Pack could keep their secrets, but I would burn their world down to find the truth.

I must have fallen asleep at my desk. A sharp knock on the door made me jolt upright, my papers scattering across the wood. I rubbed the grit from my eyes. It was still dark outside.

"Come in," I called out, my voice thick from sleep.

The door opened. Ramiro Toro, one of my deltas, walked in. He was stiff, holding his body straight. I could feel his unease. He was trying to hide something.

"What is it?" I asked, sitting up straighter. I hated being caught like this.

Ramiro cleared his throat. He glanced at the mess on my desk, then back at me. "Alpha, one of our scouts in Crystal Lake territory sent an urgent update. It came to my email. I printed it out privately. Sealed it. No one has seen the contents."

He handed me an envelope. The paper felt crisp under my fingers. My heart gave a sudden, hard knock against my ribs. I set the envelope down on the desk, forcing myself to be calm.

Before I could dismiss him, Ramiro spoke again. His tone was hesitant.

"Alpha, if I can ask a question," he said. "Do we need to spend this much time chasing down one girl from the Crystal Lake Pack? Shouldn't we focus on our own pack, on the issues that are right here?"

The question hit harder than it should have. I always told my men to ask questions. Shutting down their voices was how an Alpha became a tyrant. But the words that came out were sharp and immediate.

"Are you questioning my orders, Delta?"

Ramiro held my gaze for a moment, then looked at the floor. "No, Alpha. Just asking where the focus should be."

"The focus is on the threat," I countered. "The Crystal Lake Pack is the threat. Their Alpha has challenged me. His people are the weapon. Until I know their purpose, everything else is secondary."

I picked up the sealed envelope. The silence stretched thin. Ramiro did not move. He was waiting.

"You're dismissed," I said. My fingers traced the sealed flap.

He nodded, turning to leave. As his hand reached the door handle, he stopped.

"Alpha," he said, turning back. "Before I go. I heard a rumor. It’s probably nothing. But they say Alanza is being punished by her father. Confined. They say the pack house guards are tripled."

My breath hitched. My hand froze over the envelope. "Punished for what?"

"For failing to secure the bond. They say Crystal Lake is done with her."