Chapter 4: Rival's Warning
Chapter 4: Rival's Warning
Luna found the first threatening note in her desk drawer three days after the break room incident. The elegant script bore Alessandra's distinctive scent: "Wolves who don't know their place end up put down."
A lesser wolf might have been intimidated. Luna simply added the note to her growing evidence file. Her week at Sterling Industries had already revealed suspicious patterns - secret meetings, coded messages, and now threats from the CEO's daughter.
The second warning came more directly.
"Miss Stone." Alessandra's heels clicked against marble as she cornered Luna in the women's restroom. "We need to discuss boundaries."
Luna continued washing her hands, refusing to show submission. "Threatening employees seems beneath an heiress of your status."
"Playing innocent seems beneath a rejected mate." Alessandra's smile turned cruel. "Did you think I wouldn't recognize your scent on him? The desperate way your wolf reaches for what isn't yours?"
"Interesting choice of words." Luna dried her hands slowly. "Considering Dante isn't yours either. A true mate bond can't be replaced by arranged marriages and corporate mergers."
Alessandra moved with preternatural speed, slamming Luna against the wall. Her perfectly manicured nails lengthened to claws. "Listen carefully, little wolf. Dante rejected you. He chose me. The sooner you accept that, the longer you'll live."
"He didn't choose you." Luna met the rival she-wolf's gaze steadily. "He's being forced to accept you. The question is - what does your father have over him?"
Alessandra's grip tightened, drawing blood. "Stay away from Dante. Stay away from Sterling Industries' executive floor. And stay very far away from my father's private files."
So they had noticed her after-hours research. Luna filed that confirmation away. "Or what? You'll fire me? Go ahead. It won't break a bond that's already been rejected."
"No." Alessandra released her, stepping back to examine her bloodied claws. "But it might break your sister's new scholarship to Bergen Prep. Prestigious school. Shame if the board discovered irregularities in her application."
Luna's wolf surged forward, a growl building in her throat. "Touch my sister and no corporate alliance will protect you."
"Then be a good little marketing coordinator." Alessandra reapplied her lipstick in the mirror. "Stick to your assigned projects. Forget about Dante. And maybe Emily gets to keep her bright future."
She sauntered out, leaving Luna alone with the copper scent of blood and rage. Her hands shook as she pulled out her phone, typing a quick warning to Sarah: "They're watching Emily. Need extraction plan."
The response came immediately: "On it. Check your email. Found something about Project Moon Phase."
Luna pulled up her encrypted email, careful to angle away from the bathroom's security camera. Sarah's brother had discovered restricted files mentioning experimental drugs, genetic manipulation, and something called "bond suppression therapy."
The pieces started clicking together. Sterling Industries' aggressive expansion into pharmaceutical research. The strange medical wing being built on the executive floor. Dante's unnatural ability to resist their mate bond...
A noise in the hallway made Luna snap her phone shut. She quickly cleaned the blood from her neck, straightened her blazer, and headed for her office. She needed to warn Dante about Sterling's experiments. But how could she reach him without alerting Alessandra?
The answer presented itself unexpectedly. Through her office window, Luna spotted Dante on the connecting bridge, ostensibly taking a business call. His back was to Sterling Industries, but his position gave him a perfect view of her office.
He'd been watching her.
Their eyes met across the atrium. Even at this distance, Luna felt the mate bond spark between them. Dante's shoulders tensed, fighting the pull. But he didn't look away.
Luna held his gaze as she pressed her hand against the glass. After a moment's hesitation, Dante mirrored the gesture from his side of the bridge. Energy crackled between them, their wolves reaching across the divide.
Then Dante's phone rang - for real this time. Luna saw him check the screen, his expression hardening. He dropped his hand and turned away, but not before Luna caught the flash of gold in his eyes.
Their wolves weren't done fighting.
A message popped up on Luna's computer: "Meeting in Marcus's office. 2PM. Project Moon Phase review."
Perfect. Luna gathered her notebook and backup phone - the one Sarah had modified to record conversations. If Sterling Industries was developing drugs to suppress mate bonds, she'd find proof.
The elevator ride to the executive floor gave Luna time to compose herself. Her wolf still bristled from Alessandra's threats, but she couldn't afford to show weakness. Not when she was so close to answers.
The executive suite smelled wrong - antiseptic and chemical beneath the expensive air fresheners. Luna's enhanced senses picked up other warning signs: reinforced security doors, white-coated researchers hurrying between labs, the faint sound of muffled growls behind closed doors.
What kind of pharmaceutical company needed containment units designed for werewolves?
"Miss Stone." Marcus Carrington's smile reminded her of a shark. "Please, join us. We're discussing the marketing strategy for our newest product line."
Luna took the offered seat, noting the other attendees. Researchers. Lawyers. Security personnel. No other marketing staff.
"As you know," Marcus began, "Sterling Industries leads the market in werewolf pharmaceuticals. But our latest breakthrough will revolutionize pack dynamics forever."
He gestured to a sleek presentation screen. Luna's blood ran cold as chemical formulas and trial results filled the display.
Project Moon Phase wasn't just about suppressing mate bonds.
It was about controlling them.
"Imagine," Marcus continued, "being able to choose your mate. To strengthen or weaken pack bonds at will. To ensure only beneficial alliances form between prestigious families."
Like forcing an Alpha to reject his true mate in favor of a corporate merger.
Luna kept her expression neutral as fury built inside her. They weren't just manipulating Dante - they were trying to rewrite the fundamental laws of their species.
Her wolf howled a warning, sensing danger too late. The conference room door locked with an ominous click.
"Of course," Marcus added pleasantly, "we need to ensure absolute confidentiality during the testing phase. I trust you understand, Miss Stone?"
Luna met his predatory gaze, knowing her cover was blown. Across the atrium, she sensed Dante suddenly stiffen, their bond flaring with alarm.
She reached for her phone, but security was faster. As hands grabbed her arms, Luna had one last thought:
She really should have listened to Alessandra's warning.