Page 24 of Bully Alpha's Pregnant Mate

“I don’t need humor, Damien; I need a solution,” I snap, not hiding the edge in my voice.

His smirk fades slightly, and he leans forward. “Trust me, I know. I’ve got Jade at home insisting the portal is still out thereand getting more frustrated by the day. She’s sure of it, Alec, and frankly, I trust her instincts. If Jade says it’s open, then it’s open. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to find it just by throwing scouts at the woods.”

Gray nods in agreement. “We need another angle. Whatever this thing is, it’s evading traditional methods. Maybe it’s cloaked or… operating on some kind of frequency that our people just aren’t able to pick up on.”

“Cloaked?” I repeat, raising an eyebrow. “We’re talking demons, not some kind of invisible force field. How the hell do we even prepare for that?”

Gray shrugs, and the lines on his face deepen. “Look, we’re still getting a handle on these things ourselves. We only just found out these things are actually real and not just bedtime stories our parents told us when we were cubs. But given what we’ve seen so far, it wouldn’t surprise me if demons were adapting, maybe even learning to mask their presence better. They’re not mindless. If they’ve survived this long in hiding, they must have some methods we haven’t figured out yet.”

“Great,” I huff, leaning back in my chair, feeling the beginnings of a headache creep in.

Damien clears his throat. “Look, Alec, what about reinforcing the current traps? I know you’ve been working on fortifying them with Isadora. Jade mentioned some of those methods were pretty advanced. Maybe that’s our edge.”

I sigh. “We’re trying, Damien. She’s got her own ideas, but let’s not pretend these things are foolproof. We’re talking about demons here, not some rogue wolves looking to cause trouble. They could open that portal inside the traps and avoid them altogether.”

Gray tilts his head, regarding me thoughtfully. “Isadora’s that good, then? I heard from my scouts that she’s added some high-tech elements to the traps. That’s unusual for a luna.” His tone is measured, but there’s a slight hint of intrigue behind it, as though he’s weighing her worth.

“Unusual is putting it lightly,” I mutter, hiding a small smirk. “But yeah, she’s been… effective. She trained with Ironclaw, learned a few tricks. She knows what she’s doing.”

Damien throws me a wink and teases, “Well, well, looks like married life might be making you a bit softer, Alec. You almost sound impressed.”

I shoot him a glare, but there’s no real heat behind it. “Let’s just say she’s been a surprise. But that doesn’t mean we’re suddenly ready to take on a demon horde with just a few extra barriers.”

“It’s not just about the traps, Alec,” Gray cuts in. “We need to be more proactive. If we’re waiting for them to come to us, we’re making ourselves sitting ducks.”

“That’s exactly my point.” I jab a finger at the map, feeling my frustration mount. “But unless Jade gives us a clearer direction, we’re running in circles. East Hills is massive, and so are your territories.” I glance between the two of them, my voice low and controlled. “What I need is concrete information, not theories.”

Damien’s face softens a fraction, and he nods. “Look, Alec, I get it. Jade’s got us all on edge, and it feels like we’re grasping at straws here. But she’s rarely wrong about these things. If she says there’s a threat, then there’s a threat.”

Gray looks away as if he’s searching for answers in the shadowed corners of the room. “Damien’s right. We’ve got a rare gift in Jade. We’ll keep working on it, but we need to startpreparing our people for whatever this might bring. Our packs can’t be caught unprepared if these demons decide to make a move.”

I nod, though the frustration hasn’t lessened. I hate feeling like we’re steps behind, especially with something this serious. “Then we triple patrols on the borders, add as many sensors and cloaked traps as possible, and keep scouts posted along the main routes. Anything suspicious gets reported immediately.”

Both men nod. “And if it comes to it, we’re ready to defend East Hills,” Damien says. “You know that.”

“Red Arrow stands with you, Alec,” Gray adds. “We’re not taking this lightly.”

There’s a weight to their words, a reminder that this isn’t just a problem for East Hills but for every pack in the region. If the portal remains open, if demons are truly gathering on the other side, then none of us are safe.

“Good,” I say, meeting both of their gazes with a nod. “We’re in this together.”

Damien grins, though there’s a hint of his usual bravado there. “And hey, if you need an excuse to throw a few punches, I’m happy to spar. Can’t let you get soft with all this domestic life, right?”

“Is that your way of saying you miss getting your ass handed to you?” I shoot back, unable to resist the jab.

Gray rolls his eyes, muttering, “Not this again,” but I catch a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. For a moment, it’s like we’re back to normal—a reminder of the camaraderie we’ve built over years of battles, scouting missions,and late-night strategy sessions. But then reality settles back over us, heavy and unyielding.

Damien sobers, his gaze shifting to the map. “Let’s just hope we find this portal before it finds us.”

The drive home is a quiet one. The meeting is still turning over in my head like an unresolved puzzle. Damien, Gray, and I combed through every possibility, every rumor, but nothing concrete surfaced about that demon portal.

Jade’s vision hangs in the back of my mind like a dark cloud, casting a long shadow over the day. The possibility of an attack on our pack—it’s not a matter I can afford to ignore. The threat is real, even if it’s just lurking at the edges of our understanding for now.

By the time I pull up to the house, twilight’s already sinking into night, and a chill is settling in the air. Inside, the place is dark and quiet, the only light spilling out from the living room. I’m halfway through taking off my jacket when I catch sight of Isadora on the couch, curled up and fast asleep with her hand tucked under her cheek.

I walk over, noticing the dark circles under her eyes, the slight crease in her forehead. She looks like she’d kept working on the border until she couldn’t anymore, just like she said she would. She’s even left her shoes and jacket on, her bag still on the coffee table. For a moment, I stand there, just looking at her, taken aback by how small she looks wrapped up in herself, oblivious to the world around her. She must’ve worked herself into exhaustion.

Without giving myself much time to think, I lean down and slide my arms beneath her, lifting her gently. She stirs just enough to murmur something, a faint sigh as her head falls against my shoulder. The warmth of her breath against my neckmakes my pulse quicken. I force myself to ignore it, carrying her carefully through the hall and up the stairs to her room.

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