CHAPTER 29

Helena's pov

The rain poured down in heavy sheets outside the high-tech tactical trailer, but inside, the air was warm. Maps, blueprint schematics, and live satellite feeds filled the glowing monitors lined up along the metal wall.

Standing around the central map table was an unexpected team.

On one side stood Jarrett’s most loyal pack members who were strong, quiet wolves with sharp eyes and steady hands. On the other side stood my elite security personnel from the sports league, seasoned professionals who knew how to handle high-stakes crises.

Two completely different worlds; the secret wolf packs and the human sports industry were sitting in the same room. And for the first time, I was leading both of them.

"Listen up, everyone," I said, stepping up to the head of the table. My voice wasn't loud, but it carried absolute, unbreakable authority. Every single head in the trailer snapped toward me.

Jarrett stood just half a step behind my right shoulder. He didn't try to take over or speak over me. His massive frame was a calm, steady anchor, his proud eyes signaling to everyone in the room that I was the one in total command.

"We just pinpointed Brent’s location," I continued, tapping a key on the digital map. The display zoomed in on a dense forest area along the sharp border of the North Ridge territory. "He’s holed up in an old, abandoned hunting lodge off Highway 9."

"Is Kade holding him hostage?" asked Marcus, one of Jarrett’s senior pack lieutenants.

"Worse," I replied, bringing up thermal camera scans of the perimeter. "Brent isn't just hiding; he’s acting as live bait. Kade gave Brent a fake sense of security, letting him stay at the lodge while encircling the entire woods with North Ridge enforcers. Kade expects us to rush in recklessly to grab Brent, walking straight into a trap."

Jarrett leaned over the map, his jaw set. "Brent is terrified out of his mind. He thinks he’s hiding from his debts, but Kade is just using him like a worm on a fishing hook to reel you in, Helena."

The thought of Kade’s forces lying in wait in those dark woods should have made my pulse race with fear.

But as I looked at the map, my mind moved with the sharp, crystal-clear precision of a championship game playbook.

I didn't see an overwhelming threat, I saw a poorly executed defense waiting to be broken wide open.

"Kade thinks like a bully," I said, a confident smile touching my lips. "He expects brute force, panic, and chaos. He thinks we're going to charge down the main road. So, we aren't going to fight him on his terms. We’re going to run a classic pincer play."

I grabbed a digital marker and drew three sharp lines across the map interface.

"Team One," I instructed, looking at my league security chief, "you will set up road spikes and decoy vehicles two miles south. Turn on your emergency lights and cut off Kade’s primary escape route down the highway. Make him think the league and law enforcement are shutting down the border."

"Understood, Boss," the security chief nodded, already radioing his team.

"Team Two," I turned to Marcus and Jarrett’s pack members, "you take the eastern ridge. Move quietly through the treeline. Don't engage their guards. Just use noise-makers and motion flares to draw Kade’s outer scouts away from the lodge. Make them think a massive rival pack is surrounded on their left flank."

"And what about us?" Jarrett asked, his dark eyes locking onto mine with total trust.

"You and I are taking the northern blind spot," I said, tapping the dense, muddy trail behind the lodge. "While Kade’s men are distracted by the decoys on the south and the flares on the east, we slip through the back door, secure Brent, and neutralize Kade’s trap before he even realizes the game has started."

Marcus grinned, looking genuinely impressed. "That's brilliant, Helena. It’s completely bloodless. We outmaneuver them without firing a single shot or starting a full-scale pack war."

"That’s the point," I said smoothly. "A bad leader relies on violence and fear to force people into line. A true Alpha uses strategy, control, and intelligence to win the battle before it even begins."

Jarrett stepped forward, putting a warm, steady hand on my shoulder. "You heard the Commander. Move out!"

The room erupted into fast, organized motion as both teams grabbed their gear and headed out into the rain. The atmosphere was charged with purpose, there was no doubt, no hesitation, and no fear.

I grabbed my dark rain jacket, pulling it over my shoulders. As I zipped it up, I caught my reflection in the dark window of the trailer. My eyes shimmered with a brilliant, golden Alpha light that looked like it was steady, powerful, and completely under my control.

Brent had tried to sell me out like a pawn. Kade had tried to hunt me like a trophy. But they had both made the exact same mistake: they forgot that I was a championship manager long before I ever discovered my wolf bloodline.

I knew how to analyze an opponent, how to exploit their weaknesses, and how to win.

"Ready?" Jarrett asked softly from the doorway, holding open the exit.

"More than ready," I replied, stepping out into the storm with my head held high. "Let's go hunt the hunters.”