CHAPTER 2

The Vaughn Great-Pack elders weren't aware of my pregnancy during the cycle, and I figured a few more months of silence wouldn't hurt. Even if Landon found out now, the storm would be the same. Aaron, ever the protector, was already envisioning a future where he’d have to endure Landon’s alpha fury just to shield me from the pack's fallout.

In that heartbeat, a blur of motion shattered the peace. A woman lunged, her claws snapping as she snatched the medical scroll from my hands. "I knew the scent was off! You’re carrying a litter, Sierra Vaughn! You’re dead meat this time!"

I stared at the masked intruder. Her scent was buried under pungent herbs, but the malice was unmistakable. "Daphne Wright?" I growled.

"The very same." She ripped away the mask, her face twisted in a jagged sneer. This was the first time I’d seen her since the Vaughn Circle had dismantled her family’s holdings.

"Hand it back, Daphne," I demanded, my voice dropping to a low, dangerous frequency.

"Why should I? Sierra Vaughn, you’re bearing a rogue’s pups, aren't you? Is it this healer? I’ve caught you in the act!"

Her words were laughable. "What does my pregnancy have to do with a fallen socialite? What do you want with my records?"

"They’re useless to me, but someone else is hunting for this scent. Candace Moore is very interested in your downfall. How many gold coins will she drop in my palm for this proof?"

My expression shifted, a cold mask settling over my features. "These pups have nothing to do with Candace. Even if you broadcast this to the entire Northlands, since when is a female bearing life against the Great-Pack laws? Go ahead, shout it to the trees."

Daphne hesitated. My indifference was a blunt instrument. She glanced at the pulse-report; she knew Candace had been sniffing around the moment rumors surfaced that a "relic" like me might be fertile. It was the ultimate leverage in a world obsessed with bloodlines.

While Daphne wavered, Aaron stepped forward, his presence expanding until the hallway felt small. He reclaimed the scroll with a snap of his wrist. "If you have a death wish, I won’t hold back my wolf. Was fifteen days in the silver-lined pits not enough for you?"

During the reclamation of the borderlands, we had ensured Daphne spent two weeks in the Steele Pack’s holding cells. She clearly hadn't learned her lesson. Her face paled, and she vanished into the shadows of the corridor before Aaron could shift.

"Forget her," I said, catching Aaron's arm as he prepared to hunt her down.

"What if she tells the Steele Pack? What if Cameron finds out you’re carrying?"

I took a deep breath of the pine-scented air. "He won’t believe a word from a disgraced exile. Besides, I have my ways. Don't worry."

"I’ll handle the sanctuary records," Aaron muttered, his eyes still scanning the exits. "I’ll scrub your name from the pulse-logs. If the Steele Industries investigators come sniffing, they’ll find nothing but dead air."

"That works." I tucked the report away. I would protect these pups with my life.

Aaron couldn't shake the unease. While I was finishing my final blood-mending checkup, he reached out to a contact via the mind-link. 'Find Daphne Wright. Ensure her tongue is silenced.'

Until I could lead the Vaughn Circle back to the Northlands in full strength, Cameron Steele had to remain blind to the existence of his heirs. Cameron didn't fear Aaron, but if he realized Sierra was carrying Steele blood, he would invoke the Ancient Custody Rites. The Steele Pack was a titan of industry and war; they wouldn't let a "True Heiress" walk away with their future Alphas.

Daphne ran like a crazed animal, her heart hammering against her ribs. She tried to spark a mental link with Candace Moore, but the connection was blocked. Anxiety was driving her to the edge of the forest.

Why wasn't Candace answering?

Left with no other choice, she scratched a message into a messenger-bird’s tag: 'I have proof of Sierra’s pups.' As the bird took flight, a jagged smirk touched her lips. She didn't care what Candace did with the news, as long as the payout was heavy. Daphne was desperate for resources.

Soon, Candace’s signature flared in her mind. Daphne’s eyes lit up, but as she reached out to accept the mental bridge, a heavy hand covered her mouth. Everything went black.

On the other side of the territory, Candace Moore snarled at the silence. "What is with this girl? She pings me with a cliffhanger and then severs the link. Is she trying to extort me?" She stopped trying to reach Daphne. The girl would crawl back eventually.

Lexi Hart, standing nearby in the luxury beauty-den, looked up. "Was Daphne telling the truth? Is Sierra really carrying?"

"Who knows? That fool lost her status and her mind. She’s probably hunting for a handout," Candace replied, though her eyes remained narrowed.

Lexi nodded, but a shadow of dread crossed her face. If Sierra was pregnant, and it was Cameron’s child, Lexi’s "Fake Heiress" status was in jeopardy. But Sierra had been seen with Aaron Vaughn lately... could he be the father? The thought of Sierra being connected to the Vaughn brothers made Lexi’s skin crawl.

"Look into the healer records at the sanctuary," Lexi commanded her shadow-guard. "Find out if she’s carrying. If she is, that life cannot be allowed to see the first moon."

I returned to the Pacific Street Cafe where Patricia Bloom was pacing the floor, her eyes glued to her ledger.

"What’s wrong, Aunt Patricia?"

"Sierra, I heard the reparations for the Vaughn Estates' redevelopment were released yesterday. Everyone else in the district has received their settlement, but our accounts are bone-dry. Do you think Steele Industries is blocking us?"

That felt wrong. "I gave them the direct routing for the Vaughn Circle’s accounts myself. Did you confirm the details?"

"I did. I even have a mirror-image of the document. The numbers are perfect."

"Calm down," I said, a cold steel entering my voice. "I’ll go to Vista Properties tomorrow. It’s a massive firm; they wouldn't dare hold back Great-Pack funds without a reason."

I suspected Lexi Hart. She had threatened to choke my resources before. I returned to my room and opened my encrypted comms, reaching out to Miles Vaughn. "Miles, I need a technical favor."

"What is it, little sister?"

"How do I slip through a corporate firewall if I'm looking for hidden ledgers?"

I heard a soft chuckle through the link. "Which pack are you trying to haunt?"

"I'm not 'haunting' anyone. I'm just curious. I've finished the data-tracking lessons you gave me. I’m itching to test my own claws."

Miles knew I was gifted in information technology—a rare trait in a world of physical brawn. He had started training me months ago after a previous incident. He could see through my excuse, but he didn't stop me.

"It’s easy. Use the pulse-masks I taught you. Big firms like Steele Industries have 'Sentinels'—programmers who guard the gates. If they catch your scent, they’ll trace your IP. Use the 'Sittle Island' firewall I built for you. They won’t find a trace."

"Thanks, Miles."

"Save it. Ping me if you get trapped."

The next day, I brought my terminal to Vista Properties. Randy Skimmer, the man in charge of the redevelopment, worked here. I went straight to the receptionist. "I’m looking for Mr. Skimmer. My family’s compensation is missing while the rest of the territory has been paid. Explain."

"One moment. I’ll relay the request."

I sat in the corner, flipped open my terminal, and began my hunt. I ghosted through the internal system until I found the demolition schedule. There was Randy’s profile. An hour passed.

"Is he available yet?" I asked.

"He’s in a high-level meeting. Please wait."

I returned to my seat and pulled Randy’s private frequency from the system. I dialed it immediately.

"Hello?" a greasy voice answered.

"Mr. Skimmer, my family is missing their settlement. Are you available to discuss why?"

"Oh... you. Sorry, I’m buried in work. I’ll get back to you in a few moon-cycles." He hung up.

I called again. Blocked.

The realization hit me: this was a targeted strike. Lexi was behind this. Fine. If they wanted to play in the shadows, I’d bring the sun.

I hacked into the company’s internal broadcast system—the one every employee used—and sent a global ping: 'Mr. Skimmer, are you quite finished being busy?'

The entire office froze. Screens everywhere flickered with the message.

Upstairs, Landon Vaughn, who was visiting the subsidiary for an inspection, watched his monitor turn gray. His expression darkened. "What is the Technical Department doing? Find this intruder now!"

He rounded up the tech-shifters. Someone was testing his patience in his own territory. "You have ten minutes to scrub the screen and thirty to bring me the head of this hacker! Or you’re all cast out!"

Downstairs, Randy was vibrating with terror. He scrambled to link with Lexi Hart. "Ms. Hart! Someone has breached the internal system! Is that Vaughn girl causing this?"

"Don't be absurd," Lexi barked. "She doesn't have the power to hire a high-level hacker. You must have offended a rival pack. My brother Landon’s team will catch them in heartbeats. Just hold the line."

Randy knocked on Landon’s office door, sweat beading on his forehead. "Alpha Vaughn... I am innocent! It must be a competitor trying to intimidate us!"

Landon glared at him. His other brother, Miles, was a legendary tech-innovator. No one should be able to play these tricks here.

Landon contacted Miles. "Miles, a daring intruder has breached our system. How do I track them?"

"Oh? Someone is bold enough to poke the Alpha? No one in the Northlands has the spine for that."

"Cut the talk. The Technical Department is failing. Send me the 'Slayer' program. I’m ending this today."

Miles smiled on the other end. "Not a problem. What’s the intruder’s virtual location?"

"Sittle Island."

Miles choked on his coffee. "What did you say? Where?"

"Sittle Island. It’s a strange name. Does it exist?"

"No... it’s a virtual ghost-realm."

Miles went cold. He had shared that exact firewall with me only yesterday. Had he just unleashed a monster on his own brother? "Wait, Landon. I’ll handle this personally. I need to verify something."

Landon’s brow arched. "You know this person? Are you protecting them?"

"I need to see the code first."

Landon granted him access. As Miles began the counter-attack, he felt a massive sense of déjà vu. The intruder’s movements were smooth, efficient, and hauntingly familiar. He stopped his fingers and reached out to my private line.

At my terminal, I felt a massive weight hitting my barriers. A master was attacking. If I hadn't used Miles's defense programs, my laptop would have fried. Then, my phone rang.

"Sierra," Miles said, skipping the greeting. "Did you use the 'Sittle' firewall today?"

I went silent. "How did you know?"

He sighed, a mix of pride and exhaustion. "I tracked the scent. Sierra, did I just cause you trouble with Landon?"

"I just wanted to teach Randy and Lexi a lesson," I whispered. "I didn't expect to run into you."

"I achieved my goal anyway," I added.

"Okay. Stop the breach now. I’ll cover your tracks from this end."

I closed the terminal. The master competitor upstairs stopped the chase. My point was made.

A moment later, Lexi Hart’s heels clicked across the marble floor toward me. "You shouldn't be here, Sierra," she said haughtily.

"I came for my gold. Where else should I be?"

"Oh, the 'True Heiress' is begging for scraps? I thought you didn't care for material things." Lexi leaned in, her voice a venomous whisper. "Want the money? Get on your knees and apologize for the humiliation you caused me. Maybe then I'll tell the Demolition Department to release the hold."

I managed a thin, dangerous smile. "No. I think I’ll wait for the company to apologize to me. Let’s see how Landon deals with the 'internal system error' once he finds out why it happened."

Lexi’s face flickered. "That’s my brother. Who do you think he’ll side with?"

"We'll see," I sneered.

Lexi hurried away to find Randy before he cracked. If Landon found out she was sabotaging pack funds, she would be dismantled.

Upstairs, Miles linked back to Landon. "Landon, stop hunting. Ask your manager, Skimmer, why the 'hacker' was looking for him. That’s your answer."

"What are you saying?"

"I’m saying your manager is picking on the wrong wolf. Investigate the Vaughn Estates demolition. Someone’s been blocking a certain female’s compensation."

Landon’s head buzzed. "Are you saying... Sierra did this?"

"She's my student," Miles said with a laugh. "She’s brilliant. Your entire tech team couldn't touch her."

Landon’s steely expression broke. A proud, alpha smirk spread across his face. "She breached us? Impressive. Truly impressive." He looked at his terrified staff. "You all have resumes from the top academies, yet you couldn't catch one girl with a laptop? What am I paying you for?"

He turned his gaze toward Randy Skimmer, his voice turning to ice. "Be very honest with me, Randy. What did you do to provoke a Vaughn heiress into ghosting my system?"