Chapter 3 Pack Outsiders

Janet's POV

As a young pup, he didn't know what not to say in my presence. 

His mother had clearly filled his head with venom, whispering that I was the reason he couldn't live in the pack house with his Alpha father.

"Liam, that's enough. Mind your manners," Tiana purred quickly and offered me an apologetic look. 

"I'm sorry, Janet. He's only four."

"Must be exhausting, raising a pup on your own in a foreign territory," I said calmly. 

"Where exactly is your mate? A true Alpha shouldn't just act as a genetic donor. Or the kid's discipline will continue to worsen."

Tiana's smile tightened, her eyes flashing a sharp, dangerous amber. "It's a complicated pack arrangement."

"So he just let you fly back to Peterson territory alone with an Alpha heir? 

"Tiana, darling, you really need to be more selective about the wolves you move with. 

"What's the difference between a male like that and a ghost? Never around to defend his family.

"Only the Moon Goddess knows what other she-wolves he's keeping on the side in other territories."

My words hit every raw nerve in Tiana's pride while simultaneously taking a swipe at Michael's honor right in front of his mother.

Both of their faces stiffened, their scents souring with sudden aggression.

Michael frowned, his shoulder muscles tightening beneath his shirt as he stepped between us. "That's Tiana's personal pack business, Janet. 

You must be completely exhausted from the journey. Why don't you head up and rest."

Watching them struggle to maintain their composure, I simply nodded. "Sure. I'll go rest."

Before turning toward the grand staircase, I shot a lingering glance back at the happy little family and almost laughed aloud.

They were squirming.

I wanted to see how much disrespect they could take before their facades would fracture completely.

---

I slept straight through until evening, my inner wolf resting deeply as I prepared for the upcoming storm.

By the time I drifted downstairs, the Elder of the Peterson Pack, Clark Peterson, had finally returned from patrolling the pack's foreign properties.

During dinner, Clark brought up the Peterson Group's push into the lucrative Northfield territory.

"Janet's logistics trip to Northfield raised our profile and brought in some serious interest from the high-council packs," Clark stated. 

"I'm incredibly planning on expanding our business there. We are going to focus entirely on the upcoming investment summit. 

"The Robinson Pack and the Richardson Pack are our top targets."

Clark glanced at me from the head of the table. "These aren't small, regional players, Janet. 

"Your rogue background aren't at the level for negotiations of this magnitude. Let Michael handle the Alphas. 

"Tiana knows some key elders in Northfield during her time with the Anderson Pack. She will be assisting him."

I felt a sudden, lethal flicker of derision rise in my chest.

My background isn't at the level?

I had single-handedly closed corporate deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars while navigating the treacherous underbelly of the Lycan financial systems. 

If it weren't for my business acumen over the last five years, the Peterson Group would still be scraping for table scraps while losing border and properties in the City.

And now they wanted an investment from the Robinson Pack and the Richardson Pack?

I didn't know the exact inner workings of the Richardson Pack yet, but my newly designated fiancé happened to be the Alpha.

The Robinson Pack? 

My brother James had made it explicitly clear over the phone.

On any operations, I have absolute, unquestionable authority over the Robinson bloodline's wealth.

If these fools wanted Robinson, they needed to go through me.

Before I could voice a single word, Tiana jumped in. "I've heard of both lineages back. They are absolute apex predators. They are notoriously impossible to work with. 

"Especially Alpha Drake Richardson. I highly doubt a lone wolf like Janet can get anywhere near his inner circle. I only managed to meet him once, briefly, at an elite high-council dinner..."

"You actually crossed paths with Alpha Richardson?" Clark's face lit up, his aura flaring with sudden excitement. "Come to think of it, you and Michael grew up together in the same nursery.

"No pack outsider could ever match that kind of synergy. It's wonderful that you can step up to help him lead this expansion."

I caught the insult immediately. After five years of bleeding for this pack, I was still just a nameless "outsider" to them.

Tiana glanced coyly at Michael, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. "It's the least I can do for the pack. 

"But I'm not entirely familiar with the heavy financial side. Michael will have to walk me through the pack dynamics in private. And then, of course, there’s little Liam to take care of..."

Michael’s gaze softened to absolute mush, his inner wolf practically purring across the table. 

"Of course. Don't worry about Liam's training. Janet and Mom can handle Liam while we're in meetings."