She spoke with a quiet confidence that silenced the room. For a moment, he could see her not as the woman who had set his entire being on fire, but as the brilliant strategist Derek had hired. Unfortunately, Elder Howard was not so easily silenced.
“We don’t need human security.” Howard’s voice was dismissive. “Our territory is protected by wolves. We know every inch of these mountains.”
“I’m sure you do. But your data doesn’t live in the mountains. It lives in servers that are connected to the internet, which is connected to everyone who’s ever wanted access to your private information.” She clicked to the next slide, displaying a list of attempted intrusions she’d identified during her initial assessment. “In the past month alone, there have been one hundred and forty-seven attempted breaches of your network. One hundred and forty-seven. Most were automated—bots scanning for weak points—but at least three show signs of directed effort.”
That got their attention. Wolves who had been lounging in their chairs sat up straighter, and he caught several exchanging glances.
“Who?” he asked sharply. “Who’s trying to breach our systems?”
“I don’t know yet. The attempts were sophisticated enough to bounce through multiple proxies. But I can find out, given time and proper resources.” She met his eyes directly, somethingeven most of his pack couldn’t do. “Which is part of why I’m here. To protect you from threats you can’t fight with teeth and claws.”
Silence stretched through the room and he felt the weight of it, the assessment happening behind dozens of predator eyes.
“The human speaks of digital threats,” Howard said finally. “But what of the threat she represents herself? An outsider with access to our most sensitive information. How do we know she won’t use it against us?”
“Because I’m not that kind of person,” she said calmly, then smiled. “And also because I signed approximately fifty-three non-disclosure agreements before being allowed anywhere near your precious data, and Derek’s lawyers are scarier than any werewolf I’ve met so far.”
A snort of surprised laughter came from somewhere to his left, but she kept her focus on Howard.
“You have no wolf,” the elder said dismissively. “No pack allegiance. You’re a lone human in a world of wolves. Why should we trust your loyalty?”
“You shouldn’t.”
He shot her a quick glance, but her face was still calm and untroubled.
“You shouldn’t trust my loyalty because I haven’t earned it yet. I’m new here. I’m an outsider. The only thing you should trust is my competence.” She clicked to her final slide—the proposed implementation plan, with its phases and timelines and budget projections. “As I said, I’m very, very good at what I do. Derek sent me because he wanted the best for his brother’s pack.Whether you believe that or not is up to you, but my work will speak for itself.”
The room broke out in hushed murmurs. He let them continue for a few moments, then rose to his feet. “We’ll proceed with Phase One of the proposed plan. Ms. Bailey will have full access to the necessary resources.”
“Alpha—” Howard began.
“The matter is decided.” He pinned Howard with a commanding stare and the other male reluctantly bowed his head. “The pack’s security depends on modernizing our systems. We will do so under Ms. Bailey’s direction.”
The meeting dissolved into smaller conversations as wolves dispersed, some stopping to examine her displayed diagrams, others filing out with carefully neutral expressions. She saved her files and began packing up her equipment, shooting quick glances at him from under her lashes.
“You handled that well, especially for someone who claims to be bad at social interaction.”
“This wasn’t social, it was data, and I know my data. I simply told them the truth.”
“It’s an unusual strategy. Most humans who deal with wolves learn to be more… diplomatic.”
“Diplomacy implies I’m trying to manipulate the outcome. I’m just trying to fix your network.” She zipped her laptop bag and frowned at him. “Though I’ll admit, having the Alpha override all objections makes it easier.”
“You disapprove?”
“I’m not sure,” she finally admitted. “In my world, you earn authority through demonstrated competence. You proved you can do the job, so people trust you to do it. Here, it seems like authority comes from…” She gestured vaguely at him. “Whatever that is.”
His mouth twitched in spite of himself. Fuck, she was adorable. “Whatever that is?”
“You know what I mean. The Alpha thing. The whole ‘I’ve decided, so it’s decided’ approach.” She shouldered her bag, meeting his gaze directly again. “It works, obviously. But I’d rather convince people through logic than have you override their objections with sheer dominance.”
“And if logic fails?”
“Then I try harder logic. Maybe with charts.”
His laugh took them both by surprise. Her eyes widened and she leaned towards him almost imperceptibly, her own lips curving into a smile. The sweetness of her scent increased, and he fought back the immediate, driving urge to pull her into his arms, to feel that slight body press against his, to bury his nose in the curve of her neck where that intoxicating fragrance would be strongest. His fingers curled into tight fists at his sides, claws biting into his palms as he struggled to maintain the thin veneer of control that separated the Alpha from the beast.
“You should return to the office, kitten,” he said roughly. “The afternoon’s getting late.”
