Chapter 2

"Are you crazy? You dare to ignore me?" she screamed.

"Do you know who my brother is? Do you know what he does to his enemies?"

My voice was flat. "Oh? So what?"

Cora let out a scornful laugh.

"You really don't get it, do you? No wonder you're just a grunt."

"Look, I'm treating my brother and his family to dinner in the Silver Moon territory tonight. To thank him for getting me this position."

"If you had any sense, you'd get over here right now, pay for our dinner, and then drive us all home. It'll leave a good impression on my brother."

"You keep us happy, and I might put in a good word for you. One word from him, and he can get you promoted from the bottom floor to a core department!"

What a nice little scheme.

So it wasn't just about free ore.

She wanted me to be the fool who paid for her family's dinner, too?

I paused, testing her.

"You're sure? One word from your brother and I get a promotion?"

The absurdity of it was staggering.

Jett was a Delta from a vassal pack.

He couldn't even approve a lunch order here, let alone a promotion.

In the Red Rock Pack, the rules were strict: mid-level appointments needed a Beta's approval, core positions required a vote from the Alpha Council, and the final approval for all of it landed on my father's desk, requiring the Alpha's signature.

But Cora answered without hesitation.

"Of course."

"Last month, some old geologist from the Stardust Mine argued with my brother, and just like that, he was transferred to the abandoned mines. Six years he'd served the Red Rock Pack. And he was gone without a whisper."

"So don't be an idiot. You have no idea how much power my brother has in this pack."

I fell silent for a moment.

I suddenly remembered. Last month, a skilled, senior member was indeed transferred from geological survey to a high-risk abandoned mine.

I'd thought it was strange at the time. I even asked why such a capable veteran would want to go somewhere so dangerous.

The Beta told me the member had requested the transfer himself.

I figured he was just looking for a challenge, so I signed off on it.

I never imagined Cora's brother was behind it.

I took a deep breath. "Wow," I said slowly. "Your brother really knows how to pull strings in this pack."

Cora missed my sarcasm completely. She was too busy bragging.

"You're just figuring that out?"

"My brother's plan is to place our Silver Moon Pack members into all of your key departments. Soon, the entire Red Rock Pack will be ours to control!"

What a Delta.

Ambitious, I'll give him that.

A small smile touched my lips. "And he's not afraid the Alpha will find out?"

Cora scoffed, a smug look on her face. "Oh, the great Red Rock Alpha? My brother says his power is exactly what makes him blind. He's busy managing an empire across North Land. He has neither the time nor the interest to notice what happens in one dusty corner of his territory."

"As long as the Alpha isn't here, my brother can do whatever he wants!"

I smiled.

It was true, my father managed over a dozen packs. But their operations were stable. He rarely had to intervene outside of major decisions.

This Stardust Mine, on the other hand… it was once the most promising mine in the Alliance, but its performance had been dismal for years.

That's why I'd been spending all my time here, inspecting the veins, checking the trade markets, trying to figure out what the hell was wrong.

Now, I finally knew.

So that was it. We had hyenas in our den. And they had a death wish.