Chipping Away

Maddox’s POV

I sat quietly behind my desk, my attention fixed on the large map spread across its surface. Colored markers covered nearly every section of it. Each one represented a team. Every location had a purpose. Every assignment had been carefully planned.

One by one, I moved another marker into place before leaning back in my chair to study the bigger picture.

Most of them had checked in exactly as instructed. Everything was in position. Everything was progressing according to plan.

Then my eyes drifted toward the two black markers sitting near the edge of the map. Those irritated me. They represented failure. Two teams had already managed to screw up simple assignments before we had even reached the interesting part of the operation.

I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth. “Unbelievable.” Out of dozens of people, somehow I always managed to find the idiots.

The office door slowly opened before clicking shut behind whoever entered. I didn’t bother looking up. I already knew who it was.

A week ago, I would’ve had him chained to a chair with tape covering his mouth. Now… Things had changed. After our last conversation, I’d decided to take the restraints off Ralph. As much as I hated admitting it, he wasn’t nearly as reckless as I’d first believed.

His ideas weren’t polished. Some bordered on insanity. Even so… There was always a solid foundation beneath them. Most of them only needed a few adjustments before they became useful.

He still had connections. The kings had stripped him of his pack, but they hadn’t erased every relationship he’d built over the years. Those lingering contacts were worth far more than any title.

I glanced toward another section of the map. That pack had originally been one of my primary objectives. I intended to take control of it and use it as a doorway into the kingdom. A stepping stone. A place close enough to reach the kings… Close enough to reach Traci. That opportunity disappeared the moment they changed leadership. Now the elders had stepped in. Corbin had been placed there as acting Alpha. Royal warriors patrolled the territory day and night while additional guards rotated through on regular schedules. The place was locked down tighter than Fort Knox. Getting inside unnoticed had become nearly impossible. Annoying… But not impossible forever.

“She’s in place.” Ralph’s voice finally pulled my attention away from the map. He walked across the room before lowering himself into the chair opposite my desk.

Unlike the man I’d first met, he looked almost relaxed. He was calmer now. More collected. “I lined up another contact.” He folded one ankle across his knee. “I’ve also got that location under constant surveillance.” He smiled slightly. “The second an opening appears…” His eyes met mine. “… they’ll move.”

I leaned back in my chair. Another thing I’d noticed over the past week… Ralph wasn’t screaming anymore. Normally he couldn’t finish two sentences without raising his voice or threatening someone. Now… He spoke almost quietly. The change suited him. It made him far more dangerous.

We’d spent the last week working side by side. Surprisingly… It worked. I found myself respecting his instincts more with each passing day.

Ralph leaned forward until his elbows rested on the desk. His attention settled on the map. Without asking permission, he reached toward one of the markers. “This one.” He slid it a few inches across the map. “If this team moves here…” He tapped another marker that remained in its original position. “… and this group stays where it is…” His finger traced another possible route. “… anyone approaching from this direction walks straight into the gap.”

I studied the change. At first glance it looked insignificant. Then I followed the route again. My eyebrows slowly pulled together. It made sense. They’d never expect anyone positioned there. Every patrol would naturally focus somewhere else. That left one small opening. One opportunity. One person. Easy to isolate. Easy to grab.

A slow smile spread across my face. “I like it.”

“I figured you would.” Ralph leaned back again, clearly pleased with himself.

The truth was… We weren’t fighting the same war anymore. Another large-scale attack would accomplish nothing except filling more graves with our own men. We’d already learned that lesson. The kings were prepared. Their warriors had adapted. And Traci… She changed everything. The White Wolf wasn’t just powerful. She had become the center of three extraordinary fighters. Whenever she stood with Raiden and Zayden, they moved like a single force instead of three separate people. Charging directly into that again would be suicide. No. This war would be different. Patience would accomplish far more than brute force ever could.

Instead of striking all at once… We’d chip away at them. One problem. One distraction. One disappearance. One carefully planned move after another. Pressure never stopped breaking stone. Eventually… Even kingdoms cracked.

I rested both hands on the edge of the desk before looking back across the map. Every marker represented another opportunity waiting to unfold. Every colored piece had a purpose. Every position mattered.

Silence settled over the room as Ralph and I continued studying every possible route. There would be no rushing. No careless mistakes. No wasted resources. Everything would happen exactly when the timing benefited us the most.

I slowly closed my eyes. The arena had taught me something valuable. Winning wasn’t always about having the strongest army. Sometimes… It was about making the other side believe they were finally safe.

A week had passed since the tournament. A week of quiet. A week of rebuilding. A week of planning. They were probably beginning to think the worst was behind them. Good. I hoped they believed it. Because this time… They wouldn’t see us coming.

I opened my eyes and looked back down at the map. A slow grin spread across my face. I actually think this time… They’ll all go down. Yeah… It’ll take a little longer. But they’re about to start having a whole lot of bad luck.