“Honestly? It’s a nightmare.” She pulled up her preliminary assessment, pointing to the various connection points she’d mapped. “The main lodge is running off an ancient server setup and whoever did the wiring either didn’t understand basic networking protocols or was actively trying to create chaos. I found a router duct-taped to a water pipe in the basement.”
“Did you really?”
“With actual duct tape. The silver kind.” She couldn’t quite keep the horror from her voice. “The signal from that router serves three separate buildings. It’s a miracle anyone can check email, let alone run coordinated pack communications.”
“Pack communication has traditionally been more… direct,” Irene said. “Wolves rely on scent, sound, physical presence. The digital infrastructure is a relatively recent addition.”
“An addition that needs a complete overhaul if it’s going to actually function.” She pulled up another window, this one showing a list of required upgrades that seemed to grow longer every time she looked at it. “Fiber-optic backbone for the main compound, mesh network for the outlying buildings, a proper server room with temperature control and backup power, security protocols that don’t involvepassword123as the universal access code.”
“Not good enough?”
“It needs to be longer. With capitals. And special characters. And maybe a blood oath, if wolves are into that sort of thing.”
Irene laughed suddenly. “I like you, Harper. You don’t bother pretending to be anything other than what you are.”
She wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to that, so she defaulted to her standard coping mechanism: more information.
“I’m presenting my initial assessment to the pack leadership this afternoon. Adrian said there’d be a meeting.”
“There will be.” Irene sighed. “A word of caution: the elders will not be receptive to change. Elder Howard in particular views any modernization as a threat to tradition. He’ll challenge you.”
“He already has.” She winced, remembering his attitude at dinner. “I can handle criticism of my work.”
“It won’t be criticism of your work. It will be criticism of your nature.” Irene met Harper’s gaze steadily. “You’re human. Female. You have no wolf dominance to command respect. In their eyes, you’re the lowest possible ranking in their hierarchy—someone to be dismissed. Unless you’re under someone’s protection.”
“I don’t need protection.”
“No,” Irene agreed. “But you’ll receive it regardless. Adrian has made his intentions clear to the pack.”
“His intentions?”
“To ensure your safety and comfort during your assignment.” Irene’s smile turned cryptic. “Among other things.”
Before she could pursue that dangerously ambiguous statement, footsteps sounded in the corridor outside. Firm footsteps accompanied by that scent that her brain had apparently decided to catalogue without her permission—forest and rainand spice with a wild undertone that made her pulse do inconvenient things.
Adrian appeared in the doorway, and the kitchen suddenly felt smaller.
“Irene.” His voice was perfectly neutral, but she caught the subtle shift in his posture, the way his golden-brown eyes moved immediately to her before dragging back to the older female. “You’re here early.”
“I’m precisely on time,” Irene said calmly. “You’re late.”
“I was detained. The patrol found signs of movement along the eastern boundary. Nothing concerning, but worth monitoring.”
“I’ll inform the relevant parties.” Irene rose briskly, straightening her already-immaculate blouse. “Harper and I were just discussing the upcoming presentation. I believe she’s well prepared.”
“Is she?”
The question was directed at Irene, but his gaze had fixed on her with an intensity that made her want to simultaneously squirm away and lean closer. His scent seemed stronger today, more potent, curling through her awareness like smoke.
Five days until the full moon, Irene had said.Adrian tends to become more intense.
“I’m standing right here,” she pointed out. “You could ask me directly.”
His lips curved into a hint of a smile. “Are you well prepared, Ms. Bailey?”
“I’ve documented the current state of your infrastructure, identified critical failure points, and prepared a phased implementation plan that accounts for both budget constraints and pack… sensitivities.” She straightened her spine, refusing to look away and the air thickened between them. “I’m ready.”
His jaw tightened. For a moment, she thought she saw his nostrils flare, like he was breathing her in.
