Chapter 29

I walked into the Gamma compound a week later.

The last few days had passed in a blur, as I worked on organizing plans for the school with Sean, and the reconnaissance mission with Adrian.

I’d barely seen Hunter.

I was relieved that we hadn’t had much interaction, and at the distraction of all the planning I was working on.

In fact, aside from the ticking clock of my pregnancy, which was going to be showing soon, I’d been feeling the best I had in a while.

I was impressed when I entered the spartan concrete building. The officers looked more organized, with uniforms uncreased and boots polished. There was no one casually wandering the hallways, but men in their postings at doorways and gates. It seemed that the changes I’d demanded had been effectively taken to heart.

I went straight to the Captain’s office, and didn’t make any small talk.

“It looks like the discipline I recommended is working,” I said curtly.

He nodded, a slight grimace on his face. I wondered if it annoyed him that a woman—a Delta—had been commanding him regarding military style tactics. But he couldn’t argue that it was working.

“It has,” he said quickly. We’ve adjusted our tactics in the field as well.”

“With the watch patterns and the outposts?”

“Yes,” he said. “We’ve moved positions so that the road is well observed from all areas, and changed shift patterns to alleviate gaps. There hasn’t been an attack since.”

“You’ve done well,” I said. “But I don’t think that’s why there hasn’t been another attack. We should assume that the rogues are much more organized than has ever been the case before, and that they’ve got a leader competent in military strategy and guerrilla tactics.”

I paused, taking a deep breath in. I didn’t want to give away anything that Adrian would still want kept confidential, but I also knew that he needed the information. I decided to be vague but truthful.

“It seems that they’re searching for something, and that they’re functioning almost as an actual pack. They’re likely to continue targeting small groups with at least one female, in situations like cars and other circumstances where a small group is exposed. Keep an eye out for it.”

He nodded slowly.

“Have you put any more thought into who might be leaking information to them? Have you questioned anyone lately?”

He nodded, this time even more slowly.

“Yes, but it’s come to nothing so far.”

There was something untrue about what he was saying. I felt sure about it. He might have questioned them, but there was something from the interviews he wasn’t telling me about. Or he hadn’t questioned the officers. And if that was the case, then why?

“They’ve been moving in ways I don’t expect,” he said quickly. His eyes seemed slightly cloudy, like he was thinking about something other than what he was saying. “The patterns don’t follow any of the ways we used to expect to see them traveling.”

I wasn’t surprised. This aligned well with what Adrian had said about their new M.O.

And it all made me glad I’d agreed to be involved with Adrian’s mission. I felt better knowing I’d soon be gathering more information about what was happening.

I left the Captain a minute later and stopped at the supply room. I took night vision goggles and low-light recording equipment, as well as a few other small items Adrian had asked me to procure.

I was almost to the front door when I nearly ran straight into Hunter.

“Oh, hi,” I said awkwardly.

He blinked at me.

“Sorry,” he said quickly. He stepped slightly further away from me, as if he wanted to give me space.

Odd, after our last interaction, when he’d been so aggressively in my face.

And so close to me in other ways.

“How are you?” he asked.

I blinked, surprised. It was out of character to ask a casual question about how I was doing. Always, but especially lately.

“I mean what are you doing here?” He corrected himself.

I ignored the question.

“Congratulations on the Alpha Council,” I said quickly. “I know you’ve been working toward that for years. You deserve it.”

“Thank you,” he said quietly.

“I’ll probably need to ask Leo to do more as Beta, but I’m nervous about how he’ll be received as a leader in practice. And I’m worried about leaving Maya with too much responsibility. Leaving her at all really.”

“Well of course I’ll be prepared to step in as needed,” I offered.

“I know you will,” he nodded slowly. He did look like that genuinely made him feel better. “How about the school plans?” He asked, seeming to want to redirect the conversation.

I told him about Sean. He smiled when I described how many questions the other Alpha had asked, and his manner. I knew Hunter would. For a moment, it felt almost like normal: like we were back to the dynamics between us of the time before Maya.

“How are you feeling?” He asked as I moved to walk away.

I felt my mouth fall open slightly, but then my eyes narrowed. He’d asked me that, or similar, already. Why was he so interested? I’d momentarily felt pleased that he was again taking an interest in how I was doing. But it was out of character for him—even before Maya came along—to ask about me in this way.

His eyes flick downward.

Is he looking at my stomach? Can he see something there?

Does he know?

Is there any way he could?

If he does, the comment is a veiled threat. That he knows, and that the’s not going to let me and the child get away.

“I feel fine,” I said sharply. “Normal.”

He nodded.

“Anyway,” I continued, “I need to go. I’m preparing for a mission.”

I regretted mentioning it as soon as the words were were out of my mouth.

He narrowed his eyes and stepped a half step closer my direction.

“A mission?” He said gruffly. “What kind of mission?”

His eyes were hooded and intense. I considered ignoring him, but I couldn’t realistically do that. He’d get the information out of me, or get it out of someone.

“With Adrian,” I said. “We’re going to sneak to the rogues’ camp to find out more about what they’ve been up to.”

His eyes looked baffled at first, then concerned, then angry.

“What are you hoping to find? How are you going to get there? Does anyone know where they do camp? Is it even always the same?”

“I’m not sure, but Adrian knows the general area. We’ll phase and then walk in quietly. It’s the only way to find out more about their leader.”

“I won’t allow you to go,” he said quickly.

“Allow?” I spoke quietly and slowly, enunciating.

He was going to try and have it both ways again. Either he didn’t care about me and he could spend as much time with Maya as he wanted. Or he cared and was still worried about my health and safety. He couldn’t do both. I wouldn’t let him.

I turned on my heel with a huff, and stormed out of the compound.