Mated To An Enemy

After his conversation with Alice, Galen had done several things. The first was instructing the security systems team to run every cleaning program they could think of on all their systems. He was sure Alice had given him a clue when she mentioned the bug in his system.

He also sent a team of security guards throughout the entire facility to check for physical connections or devices. Just in case.

While he was implementing his extermination plan, he also discreetly tried to find the basis of the gossip she had mentioned. It didn’t take long.

Everywhere he went he heard rumors about Caleb and Ashleigh.

Galen sighed heavily. Alice hadn’t been lying, though he couldn’t help but wonder just how many of these rumors she may have had a hand in starting or at least spreading. He could almost see the smile and wink she would give him if he suggested it.

He lightly rubbed at the base of his thumb; a familiar hum told him he was connected.

“Madam, there are —”

“Is this about the rumors or the security issues?” Fiona whispered in his mind.

He chuckled to himself.

In her role as Luna, Fiona had always been ahead of the game. She had decent fighting skills, but she excelled in strategic planning and information gathering.

“I was planning to report both. But now I see there’s no need. What’s the point of me in all this again?” he laughed.

“Hush now,” she chided, “so how is he reacting to it?”

“I haven’t spoken with him yet,” Galen replied.

“Well, why are you talking to me?” Fiona laughed.

“‘Galen, you report everything to me first’,” Galen stated, “I believe those were your orders.”

“You are getting cheeky, you know that?” Fiona huffed playfully.

“You’ve given me too much freedom, Madam,” Galen laughed.

Fiona let out an audible sigh.

“Why do you insist on this ‘Madam’ stuff?”

“You won’t let me call you Luna anymore. Madam seems the next best title.”

“You could try ‘mom’…” Fiona offered.

“Madam…” Galen countered with a sigh.

“Come on, just try it, take it for a spin, see how it feels,” she laughed.

“That wouldn’t be appropriate,” he answered simply.

Fiona had been trying to get him to call her ‘mom’ for the better part of ten years. His mother had passed away when he was a teenager. She and Fiona had been as close as sisters. When she passed, Fiona had taken it upon herself to take Galen in as a second son.

His father had done his best, but the mate bond had ravaged him, he was sick for the rest of his short life. By the time Galen reached his mandatory rotation in the human world, his father had already joined his mother.

“You’ll call Caleb brother but calling me mom ‘wouldn’t be appropriate’” Fiona muttered in a mocking tone. “Whatever, go tell him what’s going on. See what he has to say about it. But make sure he takes action.”

“I can’t exactly force him to make any decisions,” Galen sighed.

“You can encourage him in the right direction,” she replied.

“And that direction would be?” he asked.

“Why are you asking me? I’m not the alpha,” she giggled, “Good night my sweet boy!”

Galen laughed as the connection was cut. He turned off his link and proceeded toward Caleb’s office.

He sighed heavily when he reached the door. He lifted his fist, hesitating to knock.

‘He’s probably busy. I should come back another time,’ Galen convinced himself.

He turned to leave when he had a sudden feeling of déjà vu.

“Come in, Galen,” came Caleb’s voice from the other side of the door.

‘Damn,’ he thought to himself, regretting that moment of hesitation.

Galen stepped into the large office, closing the door behind him.

“What is it?” Caleb asked from his desk, once more focused on his laptop.

Galen glanced around the room, his eyes landing on the small sofa and chair.

“Why don’t we have a drink and relax for a moment?” he suggested.

“Do you have nothing better to do?” Caleb asked, still staring at his computer screen.

“I have plenty to do, sir, since my tasks have recently tripled,” Galen replied through gritted teeth.

Caleb glanced up at him with an arched brow.

“Are you here to complain about being overworked?” Caleb asked with a hint of a smile.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Galen smiled.

Caleb chuckled, returning once more to the computer.

Galen sighed.

“Caleb—”

“Galen, I have work to do,” Caleb interrupted. “If you have something to say, then just say it.”

“Fine,” Galen said. “We need to talk about a possible security breach, as well as a general unhappiness among the rest of the Summer wolves.”

Caleb looked up and held Galen’s gaze, Caleb’s eyes held darkness in them.

“What security breach?” he asked seriously.

“I am happy to finish this conversation over a drink, at the sofa.” Galen smiled.

“Galen…” Caleb growled menacingly.

‘Stubborn dog,’ Galen growled to himself. ‘You’re not the one who has to keep going back and requesting new laptops or resetting all of the security systems for access!’

Galen swallowed before clearing his throat. He reached forward and grabbed Caleb's laptop.

“Let’s just…” he began as he unplugged the laptop and moved it to the table behind him. “Yep, that’s better.”

Galen turned back to see an irritated expression on Caleb’s face. He shrugged in response.

“Galen! The security breach?” Caleb grumbled.

“Right, you had me looking into Alice,” Galen began. “The time that I mentioned before doesn’t appear to be the only time she has either been spotted in or around the restricted simulations.”

“Where else?” Caleb asked.

“I don’t know which specific simulations she might have seen, but from what I have put together it looks like she is focused on the Fae tactics.”

Caleb took a deep breath.

He had known it was a risk that someone would find out eventually, especially after he allowed Ashleigh to watch one of the simulations.

“There were also some questionable data streams close to the times she was spotted. Nothing solid, no videos or calls. But data spikes that were large enough and close enough to raise concerns.”

“Weren’t all phones and communication devices confiscated upon the arrival of each of the representatives?” Caleb questioned.

“Yes, but they have been allowed access to some degree,” Galen replied, rolling his eyes before continuing, “Jerry wouldn’t shut up until we allowed him his phone.”

“Jerry?” Caleb wondered, not recognizing the name.

“The idiot from Autumn,” Galen replied.

Caleb growled.

“Yes, I know.” Galen sighed.

“Why does that idiot have any say in the decisions of Summer?”

“He doesn’t,” Galen answered, before adding. “But I only agreed with the expressed limitation that all phone calls would be recorded, all messages monitored, all pictures erased. The security systems team hands the phones out and collects them again. They are monitored and wiped.”

“Has there been anything of note in the monitoring?” Caleb asked.

“Of note? Jerry is a disgusting idiot. We have had to switch out the analyst reviewing his information three times now.” Galen replied with revulsion.

Caleb gave him a questioning glance.

“You’d be shocked how many dick pics can be both taken and sent in the half-hour he has his phone each day… seriously… I don’t understand how it’s physically possible.”

Caleb closed his eyes and brought his hand up to squeeze his temples.

“Alice’s phone, Alice. Is there anything of note in her data?” he grumbled.

“Not really. She uses her phone to play games during her allotted time. A mix of puzzle games and those choose your own adventure love story ones,” Galen answered. “And the data spikes I mentioned aren’t at those times. They happened earlier in the day.”

“You said she has been spotted, what do you mean? If she was seen in a restricted area why weren’t there any reports about this?” Caleb demanded.

“Well… that’s…” Galen hesitated.

“Just spit it out, Galen,” Caleb muttered.

Galen cleared his throat.

“There were no reports for two reasons… the first, there was an issue in scheduling. For some reason, there was an overlap of shifts and later a gap between shifts.”

“How the hell did that happen?” Caleb said angrily. He had always made sure that his people were organized and structured, this report was more aggravating than anything else Galen had told him.

“We think there is a bug in the system. I have analysts hunting it down through now. I also have guards searching for any physical device that could be loading any new bugs.”

Caleb let out a heavy sigh and sat back in his chair.

“And the other reason?”

Galen cleared his throat. “The second reason was because of some confusion.”

“What kind of confusion?” Caleb leaned forward.

“The kind of confusion caused when the Alpha takes a member of an enemy pack into restricted areas as though he were some kind of tour guide,” Galen answered quickly with an awkward smile.

“Excuse me!” Caleb shouted standing from his chair so fast that the chair slammed against the wall.

“And that’s why the laptop is over here,” Galen said quietly, avoiding Caleb’s icy glare.

“Are you saying that this security breach is somehow my fault?” Caleb asked, his voice dripping with venom.

“No,” Galen said, “your people are saying that.”

Caleb’s eyes widened; he was shocked by Galen’s words.

“What?” Caleb asked incredulously.

Galen sighed and rubbed the base of his thumb; a soft hum signaled his access to the neural link. He sent a signal to Caleb, the only other wolf to have a neural link installed in his person.

Caleb opened his connection and was shocked by what he heard.

Galen shared a memory through their link, the things he had heard just walking in the street and hallways without even trying to find them.

“The Winter bitch has done something to the Alpha.”

“Someone saw them running off together into the woods, why would they do that? Where did they go?”

“I heard he let her into the restricted areas. Why do we have to train for years to even get a glimpse, but our enemy just gets to go in anytime she wants?”

“Caleb forgives too easily.”

“There is no honor in this exchange. Alpha Caleb is too young, swayed by a pretty face.”

“Alpha Cain would be so disappointed.”