CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

«Now?» the soldiers asked while following their Alpha.

«Yes, now. They're not expecting us to attack before the preparations are over.»

«Yes, Alpha! What about the boss, though? Where is Samantha Murphy?»

«She's on a mission. Separately.»

«But...»

«It will be fine. She'll come when she's done.»

«Okay...»

«Don't worry,» Nate said. «It will be all right. We're working together on more than one side. Now, focus on your task. We have to find Luciano Polenta, lure him out so we can duel, and then he'll lose the respect of his people. Without that, Mayford won't be a pack anymore.

Not without anyone guiding them.»

He patted the soldier's shoulder.

They were all wearing military clothes, some of them also had weapons.

«When his successor establishes his rule, we will sign peace and our problems will be solved.»

«I trust you, Alpha,» he said. «It's just that it feels odd lately. As if the pack changed. But we're

«You will get used to it. It's been a few hours only since you arrived. Now, let's go. I repeat one last time. Priority is finding Luciano Polenta. Don't be violent against those not opposing us, most importantly children and elders.

Neutralise the dangers, especially those on the list of potential attackers. There are quite a few powerful wolves in Mayford. They can't be underestimated.»

«But... What if Luciano Polenta runs away?»

«That is what he'll do,» Nate said. «Then, we'll make sure his people see it. When they understand who they have followed, they will wake up from their daze.»

«Yes, Alpha!»

«Also... If you can, don't kill anyone. Not even the threats. Only if you can, though. If the situation is out of control, you have my authorisation to protect yourselves and your team members by any means.»

They sat in the cars, the drivers starting the engines and turning on the road. A few kilometres from Mayford, they took an old, not maintained road without cameras. They parked not too far from the Mayford base and got ready to fight.

«From here, we start the operation,» Nate said. «Just remember: to destroy that pack, we first need to show them how weak their leader is. When we're done, they won't be able to put up a fight with us anymore. Maybe for years, and maybe forever.»

The soldiers nodded before turning in the quarter's direction. They started running, each of them at their pace. Only when they were close enough did they synchronise with each other.

The Alpha had told them not to turn if it wasn't necessary, and they were used to fighting in their human form. There were around thirty special force soldiers and fifty among the other members of the pack. Half of them were attacking, while the rest was split among the base and the company.

They could storm in, fight with the guards until reaching the house in the centre and then get Luciano Polenta out. But, to do that, they needed to overcome the different layers. Living together wasn't too much of a novelty, but it wasn't too frequent among modern packs. Especially those running a company in human society.

«First, we need to deal with Omegas,» Nate said.

The guards and soldiers already knew it, but he wanted to repeat it, just as a reminder.

«Don't waste your energy. The worst will come later.»

As he stepped inside the area of the Mayford headquarters, quite a few eyes turned to him. He moved a few steps and waited for the attack, but nothing moved. After a couple of seconds, a few weak wolves stood in his way. They had no weapons, not even their fangs.

They trembled but stood their ground.

Nate realised, for the first time, that he had underestimated the outer circle. Passing there would have been difficult without hurting those weak wolves. But he also couldn't afford to waste time with them.

«Move,» he said and, surprisingly, some of them followed.

They were conflicted, but they also knew their limits.

The few who stood in the way didn't flinch.

Nate observed them for a long second, his men behind him ready to intervene. Yet, he sincerely didn't want to hurt those innocent. Who kidnapped his mate wasn't on the outskirts. Other than Alpha Polenta, all of the wolves involved in that incident lived in the inner circles.

He took a step and, seeing no one moved, passed by the weaklings. He almost grazed one's shoulder, but he moved at the last moment and avoided sending him to the ground by chance. In the end, without touching anyone, he passed.

His men followed behind, swift.

«The first layer is over,» the second-in-command said, checking the time.

«Yeah, but it's just the beginning. Special-force soldiers will intervene only at the end while the guards will take care of those in the intermediate layers. You will need to keep the way open to retreat if things don't go as planned.»

He switched a small earpiece on, and the others did the same. They could communicate using human technologies if anything went wrong with their instincts and empathy. And he doubted Luciano would have a jammer ready to disturb the frequency.

The first real fighters were taken care of in a few moves, and they were immobilised and tied, possibly knocked out.

Nate could advance one step at a time, and his plan was unfolding as perfectly as when he created it. Even the small tricks he had prepared for unforeseen circumstances seemed useless.

«Clear,» the captain of the soldiers said.

They had almost reached the core of the base. From that point onwards, they would need to fight and leave people behind. Quickly immobilising the enemy was not an option anymore.

The alarm sounded, warning everyone about their presence, but that made Nate laugh. They had taken their time before announcing the danger to the pack. Oh, but did it mean Polenta had already left?

Or was he getting ready for a fight?

Nate couldn't wait to find out.