Chapter 3
Life in the Pack
Pack life was interestingto watch up close.Even though they were rarely disturbed and only when an important message needed to be passed on, she was staying in a pack house, and it was one that housed maybe a hundred pack members.It was almost like they were invisible, and she knew part of that was because there were other exits and entries, and the front of the house was mainly left to the pack alpha.The only people she ever saw were those who worked, taking care of the alpha's personal needs.Even those seemed almost magical, appearing when needed and disappearing when they weren't.
Behind the pack house, which was a mansion, there was another huge building full of pack members.It was simply called quarters and ran much like a military building.All their needs were taken care of in the building, including a cafeteria that served three meals a day and snacks.She couldn't imagine how many people lived there because it was set up like a military dorm and housed singles that were all available at a moment’s notice if there was danger to the pack or the pack alpha.Some of those people worked away from the pack, but they were available if needed.By staying in the building, they had access to food, maid service, and even laundry service.It's not a bad deal to make themselves available when they weren’t working elsewhere.
It was a good deal for the pack as well because they got the protection they needed.She couldn't imagine that they could afford to pay for that level of protection any other way.Many packs paid for food and sometimes made housing available to their members under certain conditions.Some even provided education and childcare for their members.Cally knew that Ariel provided those things for their members.She wasn't sure whether Carlos had offered that.In time, she was sure that she would find out.
Sunday had been a marvelous day, and she hoped that they would do something like that again soon.Carlos was making points with her, and there was no doubt that she was starting to fall for him.It wouldn’t be long before they were in bed together, not only because of his sexual appetite, but because of hers.She’d thought she had only a normal need, but it was becoming much greater the longer she was around him.There was also the voice of her wolf inside, saying Go for it.He's what we need, and he's the only one for us.
Cally wished that her wolf would just shut up because her human side was having a hard enough time figuring things out without that inner voice screaming at her.There had been two more attacks, but Sunday had been perfect, and she wondered why there had been no attacks that day.She was sure it was something Carlos had done to prevent her from being attacked.He had a small army at his fingertips, so she was sure that there was something that he could do.He was the strong, silent type, so he wasn't going to give her an admission, and things had been so perfect she didn't want to ask.Business was going well, and Tyne was thrilled.
Carlos was happy himself, even though he found it a bit overwhelming.It was halfway through the second week when the two of them were going out as a field crew.She was fully trained, and he would be the trainee.He’d added one more person to the office crew, and she had pointed out that they could always be reassigned to a field position if needed later.As far as she knew, only the office knew that she and Carlos were going out to work on a list of their own.That was why she had to admit that the attack the second they got to the first house was a surprise.This was the first attack on any of their field personnel.
At least it had only been six males that had attacked them, and they had taken them out with no problem.She'd had a stunner with her, even though she could have done the job without it.He'd called someone from his pack to come pick up their prisoners, and they had come immediately.This location wasn't far from the pack house.The question now was how they had found out and reached their location, not only correctly but also quickly.She might think it was someone in the office, but the Internet was very hackable, so maybe they just had someone capable of getting the information from their computers, or maybe there was a bug in the office.
Her training with Tyne had taught her to be very suspicious of everyone and everywhere.It had also taught her to wait to get proof before accusing anyone of anything.Since there had been no attacks on her back home, it made her wonder why attacks had started as soon as she had gotten here.
“You're thinking so hard I can hear the wheels turning in your brain.”
“Why here?”
“The house itself is isolated and appears to have been empty.”He suggested.
“Not the house.But why am I getting attacked as soon as I come to visit you?I've not been getting attacked at home, where I should be equally vulnerable.”
“You think someone might have it out for me or might live here?”
“What do you think?”Cally asked.
“I'll admit it's odd that you would get attacked here when you visit, go home and have nothing happen, and then come back here and be attacked again.But no one has been attacking me either.”
“It is a mystery and one that we must solve.Is there someone who wants to mate with you?A person who would find my presence threatening to them?”
“There is no one that I have offered to mate with in the past or that I had plans to mate with in the future,” Carlos admitted.
“No nearby alphas with pretty daughters that may have planned to create a larger pack?”
“None that I can think of.My pack is worthy of that kind of interest, but none of the surrounding pack alphas have daughters that I am aware of.”
“This is something we'll have to work on.It's too bad that none of the attackers ever seem to know who hired them or why.I can understand why the one planning this wouldn't tell anyone, but sometimes information gets out anyway.That's not been the case here,” Cally observed.
“No surprise, though, who would tell third-rate mercenaries their plans?Maybe another question we should consider is why this person cannot afford better help.”
“That is a good question.Maybe the better help is too close to them and would give them away.”
“That's a thought.I wonder how much help they can afford to lose?”Carlos questioned.
“An unlimited amount because when they don't come back with the prey, they don't get paid.That means that the mastermind behind all of this doesn't have to pay them a dime.”
“I never thought of it that way.Won't the word get out to other mercenaries?Shouldn't that make them afraid to work for this guy?”
“No, they always think that they are better than the ones who failed,” Cally explained.
“Here we are back at the office.We'll have to continue this conversation after we finish up.”
They'd had a good day and got a lot done, even though Carlos had been in training.There wouldn't be much to do here except turn in their list to show they'd completed all their jobs, and then they would leave.The truck could be resupplied now or in the morning, and she decided to wait until the morning.Once the list was handed over, they headed out the door.
