Page 62 of Alpha Bond

Casey sucks a breath in through her teeth.

Callum pinches the bridge of his nose. “We didn’t expect this so soon.”

“Maybe that’s our problem.” I’ve known that Titer had grown complacent. Now it seems like the rest of us have too. “This pack is hungry. They’re expanding. Meanwhile, we’re sitting here thinking that there’s nothing to worry about. Goddammit.”

“Now isn’t the time for recriminations, Law. We need to come up with a plan.” Callum locks eyes with me.

“You’re right,” I acknowledge. I look around at the others. “I say we take advantage oftheirweaknesses before they can find ours.”

“And that would be?” Heller doesn’t look convinced.

“We hit them first. While their fighters are scattered. We keep a tight grip on home security but send our best teams in to hit them where it hurts. They’ll be forced to turn back home, but it will be too late.”

Silence settles as they take this in. I can see the gears turning in their heads as they weigh the risks and potential outcomes.

Casey breaks the silence. “We’ll need to be precise with our targets. If we strike indiscriminately, we risk losing our advantage.”

I nod in agreement. “We’ll have to gather as much intel as possible beforehand. See if we can pick out high-ranking males and take them out first. It’ll shake them.”

“That could be tricky.” Casey rubs her jaw. “How do we get that close?”

“We need someone on the inside. I’ll go in.” It’s Heller.

I look at him in surprise. “You’re sure of that?”

“Yeah. I figure they’ve got men coming and going all the time. I’ll slip in with one of the groups. Do a quick scout. If it’s just me, I have a better chance of getting in and out without being spotted.”

“That could be suicide, Gage.” Callum is staring at him.

Heller lifts a shoulder. “You got a better idea?”

“Fuck.” Callum exhales. “We might think of one if we had a little more time.”

“Well, we don’t. So I’m it.”

A newfound respect blossoms as I nod at the man. “Casey and I will head in with a leader group once you’ve come back with your intel. We can put together five more teams to come at their base from all angles.”

“Use our numbers against them,” says Casey.

“Exactly. We’ll need to hit them hard and fast,” I say, thinking out loud. “We’re not going to get a second chance. And they can’t get wind of it, so we need to move quickly. If they lock that place down, we’ll be facing a fortress with no way of getting in. Then, we’ll be starting a war with an enemy with nothing to lose. They’ll come back at us hard.”

Callum joins in, his voice serious and determined. “I’ll make sure our home defenses are at full alert while you’re all out there.”

The value of his role has more weight than all of ours. Protecting our home. Our families.

Sierra.

“You’re our last line, Callum. I’m sure you know there’ll be no room for mistakes.”Mistakes…I stop talking as I think of our alpha. It seems I’m not the only one.

“Something else has come up,” Callum says. “We brought the committee together after you left last night. Titer has been told to step down.” Sorrow flickers in his eyes. “He didn’t fight it. I think he knew it was coming.”

“Jesus.” I rub my eyes. “Why couldn’t he have said something before?”

“Pride, I guess.” Callum’s lips purse. “He admitted that he’s been having lapses for months. He’s scheduled to see the Doc for tests. If there’s any way to stop the deterioration, she’ll find it.”

“Good, I hope she does,” says Casey.

“Which leads me to the next issue,” Callum goes on. He’s looking at me as he says it. “The committee voted on a new alpha. They want you, Jagger.”