Page 15 of Bully Alpha's Pregnant Mate

I follow, intrigued in spite of myself. “Not bad for a luna.”

She raises an eyebrow, not even breaking stride as she scans the perimeter. “If that’s supposed to sound surprised, just wait.” She gestures for me to kneel beside her by the next trap, which is barely visible under a cover of brush. “This is an old charm-based pressure trap. It releases a standard charge if something heavy enough steps on it.”

“Right. Standard defense,” I say, wondering where she’s going with this.

“Except the activation lag on these older charms is pathetic,” she points out, brushing aside some dirt to reveal faded runes carved into the plate. “A quick-footed threat would be long gone by the time this thing even released a pulse.” She digs into her bag and pulls out a thin, fresh charm plate. “This one’s designed to activate the second it senses magic. It’s set toemit a warding pulse that doesn’t just warn—it’ll actually repel.” She connects it to the existing wiring.

“Most lunas spend their time planning banquets, not setting up warded traps,” I comment, watching as she rewires the entire plate.

Isadora rolls her eyes, snapping the last connection in place. “And most alphas don’t assume their lunas are only good for seating charts.” She motions toward the trap with a challenge in her eyes. “Go on, try it.”

I give her a wary look, but I press my boot on the plate, expecting a lag. This time, there’s a near-instant surge of energy, enough that I feel a faint pulse pushing back against my boot.

I glance up, feeling something close to respect settle in. “You’re right. That’s… efficient.”

Her gaze softens just a little, like maybe she’s pleased, though she’d never admit it outright. “See? Trust me, Alec. If we get these defenses in place, our borders will be more than ready.”

We move along the boundary, and I can’t help but take in how seriously she’s assessing every weak spot. She stops at a cluster of trees where another old proximity sensor is wired. Its casing is cracked, and its runes are faded.

“Looks like it hasn’t worked in years,” she mutters, bending down to inspect it. “If a demon were to cross this area, it’d get through without a hitch. This thing might as well be a welcome mat.”

“So what’s your fix?”

She smirks before reaching into her bag again and pulling out a thin metal case with several small discs. “Soundproof, energy-reactive proximity alarms. These are designed to detectsupernatural energy fields, so if a demon’s around, it triggers silently and alerts only those we link to it.”

“Silent alarms? High-tech,” I remark, studying the disc as she hands it to me. “Didn’t realize the Ironclaw were so, uh… modern.”

“They’re forward-thinking, and they don’t take chances,” she explains, attaching the discs around the perimeter of the trap. “This way, we get notified, but the intruder doesn’t. The alerts are silent and can be picked up by anyone we link to the system. Perfect for when you want to know about a threat without giving it the heads-up.”

I’m honestly impressed. It’s not just the equipment; she knows what she’s doing, clearly trained and prepared. “And you really think these upgrades will make the difference?”

She doesn’t look up, just remains focused on securing the discs. “Alec, if Jade’s right, we’re not dealing with ordinary rogues or pack rivals. We’re talking demons, things that don’t think twice about tearing through territories. These modifications will give us the upper hand, or at least a warning. Right now, that’s our best shot.”

Her voice has a new seriousness, and it’s not lost on me how easily she could be off elsewhere, away from East Hills and our problems. But here she is, working to secure a pack she barely knows, and I have to admit—maybe I was wrong to think of her as just another reluctant bride.

“Alright,” I begin as we head to the eastern boundary, where the land slopes into a dense forest. “if you say these will help, I’m listening. But let’s see if they hold up when things get intense.”

Her smirk returns, confident as ever. “They’ll hold up. The Ironclaw wouldn’t have used them otherwise.”

We reach the last boundary point. She stops, frowning at a section where the usual markings fade out entirely. She shakes her head and scoffs. “This gap is basically an invitation.”

I raise an eyebrow. “And you have a fix?”

She nods, reaching into her bag for a final piece of equipment: a small black box with an intricate set of dials. “This is a frequency jammer,” she explains, adjusting the settings. “It’s programmed to disrupt any unrecognized magical frequency. Even if a demon gets this far, this’ll scramble its energy just long enough to alert us.”

For someone I assumed would be indifferent about East Hills, she’s putting her all into this defense.

I lean against a nearby tree, half-smiling despite myself. “You’re full of surprises, Isadora. Can’t say I ever pictured you out here wiring traps.”

She laughs, a dry, humorless sound. “Oh, I’m sure you thought I was all etiquette lessons and book clubs. And don’t get me wrong, I did plenty of reading. But I’m here now, and I’m more than capable of protecting what’s mine.”

Something in the way she says “mine” catches me off-guard. There’s a fierceness I didn’t expect. A claim to this territory, to this pack. Maybe even a claim on me, though I doubt she’d admit it.

“Well, let’s see what you can do, then,” I say. “Because if these defenses don’t work, you’re the one explaining it to the council.”

She rolls her eyes, packing up her bag. “Trust me, Alec. When it comes to protecting this pack, I won’t be the one doing the explaining.”

As we finish setting the last jammer, Isadora straightens up, brushing a stray lock of hair out of her face, looking more self-assured than I’ve ever seen her. She surveys the trap with a faint smile, that small, smug look of satisfaction that’s somehow satisfying to witness.

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