Three hours into our trip, and Kira was still on the phone with Jake, who had apparently decided that being an overprotective mate meant micromanaging every second of our mission. Despite my best efforts to convince him that he needed to stay put in the camp, he was losing his damn mind over the fact that Kira and I were heading straight into the Cross Pack’s territory. I had to pull rank on him just to keep him from hopping in his rig and tailing us like a lovesick puppy. The rest of the fleet wasn’t exactly thrilled either, but they at least understood the necessity of the trip. Kira and I had both agreed that keeping Zak’s little side mission under wraps was the smartest play. If the others found out, they’d be revving their engines before we could blink.

What really had Jake in a twist was that Kira and I would be so close to the Cross Pack’s turf. The guy practically had steam coming out of his ears at the thought of Kira being anywhere near that hellhole again. To keep him from brooding too much, I gave Stoneclaw the green light to start what he called “advanced basic training.” With Gunny’s help, that should keep everyone busy and too tired to worry about our absence. The beauty of werewolf packs being self-governed was that we had some leeway with military regs, as long as we met training criteria and followed upper command. And with the dragons and Gunny whipping the fleet into shape, I had no doubt they’d be ready for anything when we got back.

Suddenly, Kira’s exasperated voice cut through the silence. “JAKE! I SAID DROP IT!” she yelled before angrily ending the call and tossing her phone onto her bunk. The growl that escaped her made me arch an eyebrow. I glanced over at her, curious about what had her so riled up.

“He just won’t let it go. It’s like he knows we aren’t just heading to Aberdeen,” she grumbled, crossing her arms in frustration.

Her attitude caught me off guard. It wasn’t often I saw this more dominant side of Kira. I kept my eyes on the road, giving her a few minutes to cool down before speaking again.

“Is this the first argument the two of you have had since bonding?” I asked, keeping my tone neutral.

“No, we’ve had our disagreements before, but he’s being extra pushy now that we’re bonded,” she replied, her voice still tinged with irritation.

“Ah, the joys of relationship growing pains,” I said, smirking. “From what Star’s told me, it’s pretty normal.”

“What do you mean, normal? Aren’t bonded mates supposed to be perfectly happy and go-lucky?” Kira asked, her confusion evident.

I couldn’t help but snort. “Hell no… There have been days when I’ve seen Star nearly rip Cayro’s head off. There was this one time we were all training before the Second Twilight Winter, and Cayro had the bright idea to comment that Lady Lycotonu looked attractive in her training outfit.”

Kira’s eyes widened, her jaw dropping. “Did Lord Lycotonu get mad?”

“Nope. Cayro was just pointing it out because Zak couldn’t keep his eyes off his mate, and it was throwing off his focus during training,” I explained. “But Star… let’s just say she didn’t appreciate the observation. Between Lady Lycotonu and Star, you’ve got two of the most attractive women in the pack, and Star was already feeling a bit threatened. So when she heard Cayro mention how good Lady Lycotonu looked, she lost her shit.”

“What happened?” Kira asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

“Well, during our training session, Star swapped partners so she could take on Cayro herself. She then proceeded to kick his ass up and down the gym. To this day, there’s still a man-sized dent in the North American Wolf Council gym wall where Star slammed him into it,” I said, grinning at the memory.

“Holy Luna! I didn’t realize Star had such a short fuse!” Kira exclaimed, clearly shocked.

“You have no idea. Star can be a real force of nature when she’s pissed off. She’ll either get revenge or just outright kick your ass, depending on how mad you make her. Cayro, on the other hand, is the cold, calculating type. The angrier he gets, the more precise and ruthless he becomes. While Star has a mean streak a mile wide, Cayro will hit you where it hurts the most, and he won’t even flinch,” I continued.

“Jeez… you make it sound like the two of them are a ruthless team,” she said, a little unease creeping into her voice.

“They are,” I replied bluntly. “You saw how Cayro handled the Hell Hounds the other day. He doesn’t mess around. When he wants to make a point, he makes sure it’s understood.”

Kira hesitated for a moment before asking, “In reference to me and Jake, what would you suggest? He keeps hovering over me, always wanting to make sure I’m safe.”

“My suggestion? Set some boundaries. Now that you two are bonded, you’ll start picking up some of his abilities and traits,” I said, keeping my tone calm.

“What do you mean by that? I’ll start picking up his abilities?” Kira asked, furrowing her brow.

“It’s part of the bonding process. You’re a lower rank in the fleet, and Jake is an Omega. As you know, Omega wolves don’t fit into the traditional pack rank structure. By choosing to mate with an Omega, you’ll start gaining some of his abilities, which essentially makes you an Omega through him,” I explained.

“Really?” she asked, a mix of excitement and skepticism on her face.

“Yep,” I confirmed.

“So, I’ll no longer be a submissive wolf?” she asked, her voice tinged with excitement.

I chuckled softly. “I think the display you just put on proves that.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, still not quite getting it.

“Sit on your hands,” I ordered, letting a sliver of my alpha power lace my words.

Kira arched an eyebrow but didn’t move. “I don’t want to,” she said, her tone defiant.

“See? You just defied an order from me,” I said with a smirk.

I watched as the realization slowly dawned on her, blinking in surprise.

“That was an order?” she asked, her voice quieter now.

“Yep, and you ignored it completely,” I replied.

She turned to stare out the windshield, clearly deep in thought. I had a sneaking suspicion that neither Kira nor Jake had been taught much about mate bonds. It made me wonder what else they didn’t know. For the next few hours, we rode in silence, the only sounds being the hum of the engine, the road noise, and the soft music playing in the background. I wanted to give Kira the space she needed to process everything before we tackled the mission Zak had assigned us.

As I spotted a truck stop up ahead, my stomach growled, reminding me that it had been a while since our last meal. I began to slow down, merging off the interstate and checking my mirrors to ensure the RGN trailer we picked up from the Ankeny yard cleared the turn. It was a regular company trailer, nothing fancy, but it would do for this trip.

Pulling into the truck stop, I circled around back and scanned the fuel island. Luckily, a few pumps were open, so I pulled up and parked the truck a safe distance past them. Glancing over at the coms tablet, I noticed Scuzball had already put me off duty. I gave the little A.I. a nod and a grin before climbing out of the truck. Kira followed suit, and together we made our way into the store.

Once we were inside the store, I made a beeline to the restrooms. After a few minutes, I emerged feeling significantly lighter and much better. While waiting for Kira, I wandered through the aisles, grabbing a few cans of Red Bull and a large bottle of water. As I scanned the shelves for something edible, I thanked the stars that this truck stop had more than just the usual junk food. The selection of prepackaged meals was decent, and I was eyeing some options when Kira joined me, arms loaded with bottles of Mountain Dew.

She quickly skimmed the food display before grabbing two containers—one of spaghetti and meatballs, the other of meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy. I opted for macaroni with meat sauce and Mexican chicken with seasoned rice and veggies. With our meals in hand, we picked up sporks and headed to the checkout counter.

The cashier couldn't stop staring at us, his eyes practically glued to us as we approached. I met his gaze and raised an eyebrow in question, silently daring him to say something. I mean, I got it—Kira and I weren’t exactly your everyday truckers. She had the badass vibe down pat, and I, well, I was a short silver-haired chick with silver eyes, wearing a baggy sleeveless gym shirt that flaunted my sports bra.

“Can I help you?” I demanded bluntly, breaking the awkward silence.

“Sorry,” he stammered, snapping out of his trance. “You just look familiar.”

“Probably. I’ve stopped here before,” I said, not really caring to elaborate.

“No, I mean I think I’ve seen you somewhere else,” he replied, still trying to place my face.

I gave him a quick grin as I took my receipt. “Maybe you have, but we’ve got to get back on the road.”

Kira grabbed her receipt, and together we walked out of the store, climbing back into the truck. This wasn’t the first time I’d been recognized at a truck stop, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. When I’m on the clock, I don’t have time to chat or take pictures with fans—learned that the hard way when I lost nearly an hour to a crowd once.

“Does that happen to you a lot?” Kira asked as we got back on the interstate.

“Unfortunately, yes,” I answered with a sigh.

“I get it all the time too, but it’s usually guys wanting to date me because I’ve got curves, tats, and piercings,” Kira said with a shrug.

“Speaking of which, what made you decide to get tattoos?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“I got them to display my internal scars. The pain of getting inked helped me release some of the inner pain I was feeling. My style? That’s my way of rebelling against my father and his twisted ideologies,” she explained, her tone taking on an edge.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

“And what does Jake think about them?” I asked, steering the conversation into safer waters.

“He loves my piercings and tats. He actually helped me design a few of them. He’s especially fond of my first tat,” she said, her voice softening with a smile.

“Oh? What tattoo is that?” I asked, intrigued.

Kira pulled up her shirt, revealing her midriff. Just below her navel, above the waistband of her pants, was a shadowy black paw print, partially encircled by calligraphy script. I couldn’t read it while driving, but I caught the general shape.

“A wolf paw print?” I guessed.

“It’s his wolf paw print,” she said proudly.

“And the script?” I asked.

She blushed a little as she pulled her shirt back down. “It says, ‘Two hearts, one soul, never alone.’ It was a promise we made to each other when we were kids.”

I gave her a knowing grin. “Looks like he claimed you as his mate long before you two actually bonded.”

“I got the tattoo right before he left the pack. When my father saw it, he finally realized just how close Jake and I really were. He was furious that Jake had left, and when he understood that Jake intended to claim me, he tried to use me as leverage to get Jake back. A few months later, Jake came to my work and used his abilities to suppress my pack bonds. We used his old truck to escape,” she explained, her voice tinged with the weight of past struggles.

“Are you sure it was a good idea to come on this trip?” I asked, my voice tinged with concern. “Maybe it would’ve been better to bring Jake instead.”

“Seriously, Lyra?” Kira snapped, her frustration bubbling to the surface. “My father doesn’t care about me. I’m not an alpha, and I’m a female. To that asshole, I’m just a tool, nothing more.”

“Eesh, sorry,” I replied, taken aback by her intensity. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt or something else happen that will cause you or Jake pain.”

“It’s better that I’m here. If my father captured Jake, he’d torture him until he complied. Trust me, Jake being here would only make things worse,” she replied, her tone resolute.

“Alright, so what’s the plan then? Lord Lycotonu said you’d fill me in on what he wants us to do,” I asked, trying to steer the conversation back to the mission.

“He wants us to infiltrate the pack headquarters and gather evidence of what’s going on. Apparently, my father’s been dealing in some very unethical business practices since Jake and I left. Lord Lycotonu believes he’s selling secrets to other nations. There have been major information leaks about certain projects and activities involving the disaster zone,” Kira relayed, her voice steady but laced with the weight of the task ahead.

“Did he give you any specifics on what to look for?” I asked, mentally preparing for the worst.

“Paperwork, surveillance footage, anything that can expose what he’s been up to,” she answered, a hint of determination in her voice.

“Why didn’t he get someone more qualified for this mission?” I wondered aloud, unable to shake the feeling that we were being thrown into the deep end.

“I think that was his initial plan, but when he realized that both Jake and I were part of your fleet, he probably figured we’d have a better shot at infiltrating the pack. We know the place inside and out. Plus, the wolves there are loyal to my father. Anyone who tries to leave? He has them killed.”

“How did Jake manage to escape then?” I asked, suspicion creeping into my tone.

“Jake didn’t broadcast his plans. And, more importantly, my father wanted him alive. We were careful. Once we were out, we used trucking to keep him from tracking us down,” she explained, her voice filled with a mixture of pride and lingering fear.

“Smart move,” I acknowledged, appreciating the careful planning that had gone into their escape.

“Thanks. We had a few close calls, but we managed to avoid capture,” she replied, the memory of those tense moments flickering in her eyes.

“So, what’s the plan for getting in?” I asked, focusing on the task at hand.

“The pack headquarters is in the metropolitan area of Baltimore. Jake used some underground tunnels beneath the building to escape. He used bleach, pine cleaner, and cut through a nearly flooded storm drain to throw off the scent. By the time the pack realized he was gone, he was already out of range and paid a truck driver to get him out of the state,” Kira explained, cracking open one of her Mountain Dews.

“If he used those tunnels to escape, how do we know your father hasn’t blocked them off or posted guards?” I asked, playing devil’s advocate.

“By the time my father noticed he was missing, it had been several hours. The cleaning crews had already tidied up the areas Jake passed through. He timed it perfectly—right before the crews started and while most of the pack was in a meeting,” she said, a satisfied grin spreading across her face as she sipped her drink.

“What about cameras? Didn’t they check the footage to trace his route?” I asked, trying to poke holes in her story.

“There are areas without cameras, like the stairways and maintenance halls. My father never thought they were necessary since the maintenance areas don’t connect to any outside entrances except the loading docks,” she said, her confidence unwavering.

“If Jake didn’t escape through the loading docks and didn’t use any other exits, how did he get out?” I pressed, needing to be sure.

“Just before the loading docks is the entrance to the boiler room, which goes below the docks. From there, there are tunnels leading out. Jake used bleach and pine cleaner to kill his scent at the boiler room door. He even sprayed the door frame and floor once he was through. By the time the pack realized he was missing, they couldn’t track him past the fourth floor,” Kira elaborated, her grin growing wider.

“I didn’t realize bleach and pine cleaner were so effective at hiding someone’s scent,” I remarked, cracking open one of my Red Bulls.

“Believe it or not, bleach is great at destroying scents, and pine cleaner helps mask what’s left. My father hates smelling other wolves near our suites. He uses the combination to track who comes and goes from the upper floors where we lived,” Kira explained.

“Interesting,” I mused, taking a sip of my drink.

For the next few hours, I kept my focus on the road, mentally working through a plan. The biggest challenge wasn’t getting into the building—it was getting out undetected. The pack would easily scent us once we were inside. We needed a distraction to draw them out, but the question was how.

My coms tablet trilled, signaling that I was running low on drive time. Without prompting, Scuzball pulled up a rest area a few miles ahead where Kira and I could swap out. She had dozed off in the passenger seat, her soft snores breaking the silence. She’d been up earlier, texting Jake after cooling down from their argument.

As I pulled into the rest area and parked, Kira jolted awake at the sound of the air brakes engaging. I glanced at the coms tablet to see that Scuzball had already switched me over to sleeper berth mode and activated Kira’s ELD account. I couldn’t help but notice how unusually quiet he’d been during the drive.

Sliding the driver’s seat back, I stood and made my way into the sleeper while Kira stretched and prepared to take over. I sat down on the lower bunk, pulling out my tablet from my go bag. As soon as I opened it, Scuzball appeared on the screen.

“Are you doing okay?” I asked softly.

“Yes, just figured you and Kira needed time to talk,” he replied.

“That’s not like you. Normally, you’d be butting into the conversation,” I commented.

“Not always. Only when I think it’s relevant,” he said with a nonchalant shrug.

“Fair enough… Did you listen to our conversation?” I asked.

“Of course,” he replied.

“What are your thoughts?”

“About the mission to infiltrate the Cross Pack Headquarters?” he clarified.

“Yes,” I said, lying back on the bunk and holding the tablet above my head.

“I’m not sure infiltration is a good idea. It’s going to be very difficult,” he said, a hint of concern in his voice.

I sighed, letting my thoughts churn. This wasn’t going to be easy. “Kira, what kind of business does the Cross Pack run?” I called out.

“Cross Pines Real Estate,” she replied over her shoulder.

“Thanks,” I said, looking back at the screen. Scuzball seemed deep in thought, digital data streaming across his body like a high-tech waterfall.

“What are you thinking?” I asked, curious about his sudden focus.

“Give me a moment,” he said, his digital form flickering with activity.

I got up and made my way to the passenger seat just as Kira released the brakes and shifted the truck into drive. Once we were back on the highway, I buckled in and watched as Scuzball’s calculations continued.

“Alright, I’ve found the city blueprints for the area where Cross Pines Real Estate is located, along with the internal building structure. But it’s going to take me a couple of hours to access the building’s network,” Scuzball announced, his voice tinged with the excitement of a digital cat with a puzzle to solve.

"It doesn’t normally take you that long to access things like that,” I noted, a hint of concern creeping into my voice.

“Sorry, I’m stretched a bit thin right now,” Scuzball replied. “I’m listening in on a meeting with Star, Cayro, and the President while also working on something else near the West Coast.”

“Are you running out of processing power?” I asked, unable to hide the worry.

“No, it’s more like I’m stretching my consciousness a bit more than usual,” he answered, his tone nonchalant but not entirely reassuring.

“Damn, don’t overwork yourself, Scuzball,” I said softly, a frown tugging at my lips.

“It’ll be fine,” he assured me. “Just tell me what you’re thinking about this mission, and I’ll chime in where I can.”

I shot Kira a concerned glance before looking back at my tablet. Scuzball was no longer visible, just a cat-shaped icon with a pulsing green border on the screen. I hoped my digital companion wasn’t pushing himself too hard. Laying the tablet in my lap, I turned to Kira.

“My main worry is how we’re going to get out of that building once we’re inside. Lord Lycotonu’s mission is risky enough without adding an escape plan that’s full of holes,” I said.

“That’s my concern too,” Kira agreed, her brow furrowing.

“I think we need a solid distraction—something big enough to draw the pack out of the building, giving us the chance to sneak in and out,” I suggested.

“That makes sense, but what could we do to lure them out?” she asked, clearly pondering the possibilities.

“Is there anything your father considers vital enough that he’d send the whole pack to deal with it?” I probed.

“Hmm… He and a few pack members own several businesses around the city. There’s also the pack’s hunting grounds and a warehouse facility near the docks,” she explained.

“What if we caused some trouble at one of those locations? Enough to make it a priority for your father and the pack to check it out?” I mused.

“He does have an extensive car collection near the hunting grounds,” Kira suggested, a spark of mischief in her voice. “If something happened to those, he’d definitely leave the headquarters.”

“That could work,” I said, thinking out loud. “If we create enough chaos there, it might pull them away long enough for us to get what we need.”

“But we won’t be able to get near that location. It’s heavily guarded by a security firm,” she pointed out, dashing some of the optimism.

“Well, let’s see what Scuzball comes up with once he’s back and focused on the mission,” I said, checking my tablet to see if our feline AI friend had returned. He hadn’t.

Kira nodded and kept her focus on the road, the weight of the mission pressing down on both of us. I climbed out of the passenger seat and retreated to the sleeper. Lying down, I opened the company app and sent a quick message to check in with Steve, making sure everything was under control back at the fleet. After that, I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Star, letting her know I was worried about Scuzball. It didn’t take long for her to reply.

Star: Is everything okay?

Lyra: Scuzball’s acting a bit weird.

Star: What do you mean?

Lyra: He said he was stretching his consciousness a bit thin.

Star: Not again… I’ll talk to him.

Lyra: This isn’t the first time?

Star: No, he tends to overwhelm himself with too many “projects” at once.

Lyra: When did this start?

Star: A few months ago.

Lyra: Does Cayro know?

Star: No, it’s another reason why I sent him to help you. I figured giving him a mission to sink his teeth into would keep him from overwhelming himself.

Lyra: Alright, I could really use his help on my current mission.

Star: Not a problem. I’ll talk to him.

Lyra: Thanks.

I set my phone down, only for my tablet to buzz almost immediately. Picking it up, I saw a new message from Steve.

Steve:

Hey Lyra,

The rest of the fleet is doing well. We’re currently running military movement drills around the camp. Each dragon has paired up with a wolf and is individually training them. Stoneclaw put Ironfist in charge of the fleet training regimen, and he seems to be really enjoying the job. Mac and the other mechanics have started on the rig upgrades too. Your truck’s in the shop; there’s been a lot of grinding and welding noises coming from the bay, so whatever they’re doing is big. Jake isn’t doing great. We had to confiscate his truck keys so he didn’t follow you guys. He mentioned he and Kira had an argument earlier? I hope they’re working it out. Stoneclaw’s training with him to keep him busy and out of trouble. Hope the trip’s going well, looking forward to seeing you back in a few days.

Sincerely,

Steve Amarok

P.S. When you return, Catalina and I would like to talk to you about something. It’s not urgent, so don’t worry about it while you’re on your trip.

I laid my tablet on my chest, processing what Star said and Steve’s message. Scuzball’s pushing himself too hard again—sure, he’s a powerful AI, but even he has limits. I was relieved that the fleet was managing fine without me, though the news about Jake made me worry. Good thing Stoneclaw was keeping an eye on him. And then there was Mac—what was she doing to my truck this time? The bulldozer blade was already crazy enough. I just hoped she wasn’t going too far.

Closing my eyes, I let the rumble of the truck lull me to sleep. I was going to need rest with the plans we still had to make.