Wolves at the door

I didn't actually sleep.

How could I? I sat on my couch with every light in the apartment blazing, my phone clutched in one hand and a kitchen knife in the other—like that would do anything against werewolves—listening to the sounds of the city outside.

Damien had stayed on the phone with me until the howling stopped. Then he'd texted every thirty minutes to make sure I was okay. The last message came at 4:47 AM:

Damien: I'm outside. Not leaving. Try to get some rest.

I looked out my window—carefully, without opening the curtains much—and sure enough, his black SUV was parked directly across from my building. I could see his silhouette in the driver's seat, phone glowing in the darkness.

He'd actually come back. And he was staying.

Something warm and complicated twisted in my chest.

By the time my alarm went off at six-thirty, I'd maybe dozed for an hour. I felt like death, looked worse, and my hands were still shaking when I tried to do my makeup.

My car. I needed to check my car.

I threw on jeans and a sweater—screw professional dress today—and headed down to the parking lot. The moment I stepped outside, Damien was there.

He looked like hell. His hair was a mess, his clothes were wrinkled, and there were dark circles under his eyes. But those amber eyes were sharp and alert.

"You didn't sleep," I said.

"Neither did you." He fell into step beside me. "Where are you going?"

"To check my car. I need to drive to work and—"

I stopped dead.

My Honda Civic looked like it had been mauled by an animal. All four tires were completely shredded—not just flat, but torn to ribbons. Deep scratches gouged the paint along both sides. And carved into the hood in jagged letters was one word:

HUMAN

I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach.

"Maya—" Damien's hand touched my shoulder.

"They did this while you were here?" My voice came out small and scared, and I hated it.

"Before I arrived. I got here about five minutes after they left." His jaw was tight with barely controlled anger. "I should have been faster. I should have—"

"It's a car." I forced the words out even though my throat felt tight. "It's just a car. It can be fixed."

"It's a message." Damien moved to stand between me and the vandalized vehicle, like he could shield me from it. "They're telling you that you're not one of us. That you don't belong."

The word HUMAN felt like it was burning into my brain. Like every insecurity I'd ever had was now carved in metal for everyone to see.

"Who are 'they'?" I asked. "You said Marcus's wolves last night, but Marcus is a rival Alpha, right? Why would his pack care about me?"

Damien's expression went dark. "Because you're my weakness now. Marcus has been trying to take my territory for years, but he can't challenge me directly—I'm stronger. So he looks for other ways to undermine me. And a human mate?" He gestured at my destroyed car. "That's the perfect target."

"So this is just going to keep happening? People—wolves—coming after me to get to you?"

"Not if I stop it." The edge in his voice made me look up sharply. "I'm calling a pack meeting today. Finding out who knew about this, who saw something. Someone gave Marcus's wolves information about where you live, your car, your schedule. That kind of intel doesn't come from nowhere."

A horrible thought occurred to me. "You think someone in your pack is feeding information to Marcus?"

"I don't want to believe it. But yes." His hands clenched into fists. "My pack knows better than to betray me. But Marcus is good at finding leverage. Maybe someone owes him a debt. Maybe he's got something on them. I'll find out."

The way he said it made me not want to know what would happen when he did.

"I need to get to work," I said, even though work felt absurdly unimportant compared to everything else. "The Meridian presentation is in three days and—"

"I'll drive you." He was already pulling out his phone. "I'm having someone tow your car to a shop I trust. They'll fix it and upgrade your security—bulletproof glass, reinforced frame, GPS tracking."

"Damien, I can't afford—"

"I'm paying for it. Non-negotiable." His tone left no room for argument. "Until we know you're safe, you're not driving yourself anywhere. And you're definitely not staying here alone."

"Where am I supposed to stay?"

"With me."

The words hung in the air between us.

"I can't move in with you," I said. "We barely know each other. You're my boss. This is already complicated enough without—"

"It's temporary," he cut me off. "My building has actual security. Guards who know what they're protecting against. Cameras. Safe rooms. You'll have your own space, your own room. But you'll be alive."

The blunt way he said it made my argument die in my throat.

"How long is temporary?"

"Until I deal with whoever's targeting you." His eyes met mine. "And until you can protect yourself."

"I'm human. How am I supposed to protect myself against werewolves?"

"By learning how our world works. How to spot threats. How to handle yourself around wolves." He checked his watch. "But first, you need to meet my pack. The real pack, not just the corporate employees. They need to see you, scent you, understand that you're under my protection."

Scent me. Right. Because apparently that was a thing now.

"Okay," I said, because what else could I say? My car was destroyed, there were werewolves hunting me, and I was so far out of my depth I couldn't even see the surface anymore. "Let's go."

~

The drive to Sterling Industries was tense. Damien kept checking his mirrors, his body coiled tight like he expected an attack at any moment. I caught myself doing the same thing, studying every car that got too close, every pedestrian who looked our way.

Paranoia sucked.

"What's the name of your pack?" I asked, needing to break the silence. "You keep saying 'my pack' but you've never actually told me what it's called."

"The Cascade Pack," Damien said. "Named for the Cascade Range. Our territory covers most of Western Washington—Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia. We're one of the largest packs in North America."

"And Marcus's pack?"

"The Eastern Pack. They control the territory east of the Cascades—Spokane, the Columbia Basin. Smaller than us, but Marcus has been consolidating power. Absorbing smaller packs, making alliances." His grip tightened on the steering wheel. "He wants Seattle. The city is a major power center—financially, politically. Controlling it would make him one of the most powerful Alphas on the West Coast."

"But he can't just take it from you."

"Not without a formal challenge, no. Pack law is specific. An Alpha can't be deposed without either losing a physical challenge or being voted out by the Council." He glanced at me. "But there are loopholes. If I'm deemed unfit to lead—if my pack loses confidence in me—the Council can force a vote."

"And having a human mate makes you look unfit."

"To traditional wolves, yes." He pulled into the parking garage. "That's why you meeting the pack today is important. My wolves need to see that you're strong enough to be Luna. That you're not going to crack under pressure."

No pressure or anything.

We took the private elevator to the pack floors—the top three levels I'd never seen before. When the doors opened, I stepped into organized chaos.

The space was nothing like the sleek corporate offices below. This looked lived-in, comfortable. A huge common area with couches and chairs, a kitchen that smelled like coffee and bacon, floor-to-ceiling windows showing the Seattle skyline. And everywhere—everywhere—were people.

Beautiful people who all turned to look at us the moment we walked in.

My fight-or-flight instinct kicked into overdrive.

"Everyone," Damien's voice cut through the conversations. "This is Maya Chen. My mate."

The room went completely silent.

Then a blonde woman with amber eyes identical to Damien's launched herself forward and pulled me into a hug before I could react.

"Oh thank God, finally!" She squeezed me tight. "Do you know how insufferable he's been? I'm Sophie, by the way. Damien's Beta and the person who actually runs things around here."

"I run things," Damien said.

I was beyond surprised. a female beta? guess fiction and reality differs.

"You brood and make dramatic speeches. I run things." Sophie pulled back, studying me with eyes that were way too knowing. "You look exhausted. Did something happen?"

"Her car was vandalized last night," Damien said, his voice going cold. "Deep scratches, shredded tires, and a message carved into the hood."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.

"Eastern Pack?" asked a huge man with a shaved head and tattoos covering his massive arms.

"Most likely," Damien confirmed. "Which means someone gave them intel. I want a full accounting of who was where last night. Who left pack territory, who made calls, who had contact with anyone outside the Cascade Pack."

"You think we have a traitor?" The big man's voice was dangerous.

"I think we have someone who made a very bad decision." Damien's eyes scanned the room. "And when I find out who, they'll answer for it."

The threat in his voice made me shiver.

"Maya." Sophie touched my arm gently. "Come on. Let's get you some coffee and I'll explain how this whole thing works. The boys can handle the intimidation tactics."

She steered me toward the kitchen area, away from the crowd. A few pack members smiled at me as I passed. Others looked curious. A couple looked skeptical.

And one woman—dark-haired, gorgeous, wearing a designer dress that probably cost more than my rent—was staring at me with barely concealed hostility.

Vanessa.

Our eyes met across the room. She didn't smile, didn't acknowledge me. Just stared with those cold green eyes before turning and walking away.

"Don't mind her," Sophie said quietly. "Vanessa's... complicated."

"She hates me."

"She hates change." Sophie poured me a cup of coffee that smelled like heaven. "Vanessa expected to be Luna. Not because she's Damien's mate—everyone knows fated mates can't be chosen—but because she's high-ranking, powerful, from a good bloodline. She thought maybe Damien would choose her anyway, bond be damned."

"Can he do that? Just ignore the mate bond?"

"Technically, yes. It's rare and it hurts like hell, but some Alphas choose political mates over fated mates." Sophie's expression turned serious. "But Damien would never do that. He's been waiting for you his whole life, Maya. Whether he knew it or not."

The words made something warm bloom in my chest, but I pushed it down. I couldn't afford to get emotional right now.

"So Vanessa's just bitter I exist?"

"Vanessa's scared," Sophie corrected. "Of losing her position, her influence. And scared people do stupid things."

The way she said it made my stomach drop. "You think Vanessa gave information to Marcus?"

Sophie's silence was answer enough.

"But she's pack," I said. "Damien said betraying your Alpha is—"

"The worst crime a wolf can commit, yes." Sophie leaned against the counter. "But Marcus is good at manipulation. If he approached Vanessa, offered her something she wanted—maybe a position in his pack, maybe just revenge against you—she might have been tempted."

"That's insane."

"That's pack politics." Sophie smiled grimly. "Welcome to the world of werewolves, Maya. It's beautiful and brutal and absolutely nothing like the romance novels make it seem."

A commotion near the elevators made us both turn. The doors had opened, and Vanessa was there, talking rapidly to Damien. Her body language was defensive, her voice rising.

"—didn't tell anyone! I would never—"

"Then explain how they knew which car was hers." Damien's voice was deadly calm. "Explain how they knew her exact apartment. Her schedule. Details that only pack members would have access to."

"I don't know!" Vanessa's composure was cracking. "Maybe they followed her. Maybe they have someone watching the building. But I didn't—I wouldn't—"

"You've made your feelings about Maya very clear," Damien said. "You don't think she's worthy of being Luna. You've questioned her qualifications, implied she slept her way into this position. So forgive me if I find it convenient that Marcus's wolves knew exactly when and where to strike."

"Damien, please." Vanessa's voice broke. "I've served this pack for ten years. I've bled for you. I would never betray the Cascade Pack, no matter how I feel about your choice of mate."

The room was dead silent, everyone watching the confrontation.

Damien stared at Vanessa for a long moment. Then he said, quietly, "Prove it."

"How?"

"Find out who did this. Use your connections, your sources. If you're not the traitor, help me find who is." His eyes were hard. "You have forty-eight hours. After that, I'm conducting a full investigation, and everyone—including you—will be under suspicion."

Vanessa's face went pale, but she nodded. "I'll find them."

She turned and left, her designer heels clicking sharply against the floor.

Sophie let out a low whistle. "Well, that was intense."

"Is he always like that?" I asked.

"Only when someone threatens what's his." She looked at me. "And like it or not, Maya, you're his now. The whole pack felt the mate bond snap into place. There's no going back from that."

My phone buzzed. I pulled it out and froze.

Unknown Number: Enjoyed the artwork on your car. Consider it a welcome gift. See you soon. - M

Marcus. It had to be Marcus.

My hands were shaking as I showed Sophie the message.

Her expression went dark. "He's escalating. Taunting Damien through you."

"What does he want?"

"He wants Damien to make a mistake. To lose control, break pack law, give the Council a reason to intervene." Sophie took my phone and showed it to Damien, who had approached while we were talking.

Damien read the message, and I watched his eyes flash gold. For a second, I thought he might shift right there in front of everyone.

"He's declared war," Damien said quietly. "He's using you to provoke me."

"So what do we do?"

Damien's smile was cold and dangerous. "We prepare. And we make sure that when Marcus makes his move, we're ready."

He looked around at the assembled pack members. "Gather the inner circle. War council in twenty minutes."

As people scattered to follow orders, I stood there trying to process everything.

War council. Because apparently, my life now involved werewolf war councils.

Sophie squeezed my shoulder. "Come on. You need to be there for this. You're going to be Luna—you might as well start learning how it works."

"I haven't agreed to be Luna," I protested weakly.

"Honey, the moment you didn't run screaming when Damien showed you his claws, you agreed." She grinned. "Now let's go figure out how to keep you alive long enough to make it official."

As I followed her deeper into the pack territory, I caught Vanessa watching me from across the room. Her expression was unreadable.

Either she was innocent and scared, or she was guilty and plotting.

And I had no idea which.