Page 3 of Jace's Mate
Jace tapped the conference table, and the polished wood shimmered, transforming into a global map lit with data streams and glowing pulses.
Ship movements.Truck routes.Every asset driven by one of his pack members was tracked in real time.
He scanned the display, taking in the details with one glance while his wolf thrummed with restless energy beneath his skin.
“Tell me,” he ordered.
Ragnor stepped forward without hesitation and pointed to three blinking red dots.
“The initial attack happened here,” he said, tapping a point in the Indian Ocean.“The second was in the Bay of Bengal, and the third occurred in the Andaman Sea.”He pulled his hand back and planted his fists on the table’s edge, frustration tightening his shoulders.
“Same tactics.Same timing.Whoever did this?It was coordinated.”
Jace’s eyes cut to Ciaran.“Have you scented any other invaders in the city besides shifters?”
Ciaran shook his head.“Not at the moment, Alpha.I've been focusing on tracking unfamiliar wolves.”He hesitated, his brow furrowed, before continuing.“I’ll expand my senses—open myself to other presences within our territory.”
Jace glanced at the others.“We have...unconventional alliances.With witches.With vampires.Maybe that’s why someone’s testing us.Maybe they see our partnerships as weakness—or worse, betrayal.”
Megin’s shoulders jerked upright, the room catching the ripple of his fury.
“Refusing to work with other groups is idiocy,” Ragnor snapped.“Security is security.You use every tool available.Our alliance with the vamps and witches has made us stronger.”
Ciaran immediately nodded, voice deepening as part of his wolf trembled near the surface.“We’ve never known peace like this.Or prosperity.Our pack is thriving—while the others across North America are barely holding on.”His claws threatened to break through his skin as he growled, “We’re stronger.Healthier.Our wolves arehappy.”
A low huff from Jace cut through the room.Controlled.Precise.
Instantly, the betas stilled.
They didn’t need orders.They didn’t need words.
When Jace made a sound—anysound—it triggered something deeper than obedience.
It awakened instinct.
The air shifted, charged with his dominance.The unspoken bond between Alpha and beta roared to life in the space between breath and silence.
Jace’s voice dropped to a quiet, dangerous calm.“Wearestronger,” he agreed.“And that strength has drawn attention.We’ve heard the complaints from the old-guard packs.They say we’re abandoning tradition.That shifters shouldn’t live so close to humans—shouldn’t cooperate with witches or vamps.”
He scanned each of his betas.“But our numbers are growing.And not from breeding alone.Rogue wolves are coming to us.Asking for protection.They’re integrating—thriving.They’re becoming equals.”
Then his eyes fixed on Ciaran.
“There are foreign wolves close by.I sense them, but haven’t scented them yet.”He paused as his betas reacted.“Find the invaders.Figure out which pack they’re from.If they’re rogues looking for safety, we welcome them.If they’re something else—something darker—we need to knownow.”
His voice dropped to a growl.
“And if another Alpha is behind this, I’ll handle it.Personally.”
Three heads bowed.
Three warriors ready to follow their Alpha into hell.
And Jace was ready to lead them.
“I want details,” Jace said, straightening from the digital view of his pack’s realm.“I’ll inform the alliance that we have a situation.”He looked at each of his betas in turn.“You have three hours.”
Jace walked out of the conference room, deliberately sidestepping the sports jacket that Lisel, his assistant, all but shoved in his face.
