Breach at the borders.

Alpha Zayne Steele

Staring back at the situation at hand, "this is someone with deep pockets for sure, the person or persons behind this. I want you and your team to check back on all stories or clippings involving an animal attack."

"An animal attack involving a female victim between the ages of four to twenty-five"—thinking of the girl in the photo, Zayne reached into his pocket and pulled out the picture.

He showed him— "the girl in this picture is about four to five years old. Still, we have no idea of the exact age she was at the time of the attack as we don't have all the details."

Goddess alone knows if this particular picture had anything to do with what the Doc said. For all they know, this could be one of the worker's kids who was there the night of the mission.

Nevertheless, Zayne has no plans to leave any stones unturned.

He handed him the photo and told him, "maybe this can help shed the pile and check around the time when all this started and then go back some years before."

Even when this started, they needed time to plan and prepare for their experiments.

"And another thing, you can pause on this for tonight. I need you to take a team to Alpha Jude Dartwoods community."

Jovi's eyebrows creased in confusion, so Zayne explained why and what he hoped to accomplish. Understanding took over Jovi's features. This was big and could lead to a main center or post.

Or, if they were lucky, right to the lion's den.

With that, he left Jovi to get back to work.

Zayne mind-linked his Beta and told him to meet him in the pack house, he needed to grab some dinner before turning in, and he also wanted to run some things by Mekhi and hear his thoughts and input on the matter at hand.

Zayne then made his way there...

On his way to the pack house, he walks by various young and older community members, carrying about, living life, and having fun. The place is a buzz as people are doing their own thing in their different little groups.

He heard laughter from a group of teenagers hanging over by the pool. Zayne loved seeing everyone so happy and carefree. That's what he wants for his community and to keep everyone safe.

He wanted peace.

As long as this goes on, they are not safe. No one was. This threat was looming over their heads, and Zayne was afraid pretty soon that it would be more than he could handle.

"Goodnight, Alpha!"

As Zayne continued his trek, he ran into the Smiths. They greeted him all cheerful and happy. They seemed to be in good spirits. He liked it, and Zayne smiled.

"Goodnight, Mr. and Mrs. Smith," Zayne then asked, "How is the cabin?"

Mrs. Smith gushes, "Alpha, we thank you so much again. We truly can't thank you enough, it's amazing, beautiful, and quiet, also very far away, and we love it."

"Oh, that's great news. I am glad to hear it. You all be good now," Zayne nodded, inching closer to the pack house.

They said, "Have a goodnight, Alpha!"

"And you all do the same," he responds over my shoulders.

"Oh, we will," they said in unison, then looked at each other and laughed lightly...

Chuckling, he reached the pack house. Entering, he quickly found his Beta on the couch, watching TV. He mind-linked him as he made his way to his office on the second floor. The soft whispers of Mekhi's footsteps can be heard as he quickly falls into step at Zayne's side.

"Hey, how did it go?" Mekhi asks, keeping with Zayne's pace.

"Not as good as I would have hoped." Zayne casually responded, shrugging when his stomach growled.

Mekhi glanced at him.

He rolled his eyes, "don't even," Zayne warned.

"But I did not say anything," he answers incredulously.

"Yes, you did. You said it with your eyes." Zayne shut back.

He sighs, "You need to make time to eat."

Entering the office, Zayne mind-linked David, who's currently working in the kitchen, to bring him a plate of food.

Then he begins giving Mekhi the details of the interrogation's findings and his meeting with Jovi.

They had settled in, and Zayne had already eaten.

He swallowed that food, honestly. Now they were on a couch lounging while Mekhi gave him some updates.

Zayne then got up and poured himself and Mekhi a drink.

Sitting back on the sofa, they discussed their flash drive options. As it turns out, Mekhi has a good hacker friend who is very skilled. They had a little tryst, though, and she is human.

Zayne asked him if she could be trusted and if he was sure about this?

Mekhi reassured Zayne that it was okay, they remained good friends, and there was no bad blood between them.

Downing his drink, Zayne told him he had better be sure because they couldn't afford to have someone destroy the little that they had. "No, for sure, but there is no way that will happen," he reassured Zayne.

After every mission, they started paying attention to what happens after an attack. A team usually heads out as they head in to look out for when someone arrives and all that happens next. Even following some of them, they are usually lackeys, but they always lead us to the following setup... eventually.

Moving on, Zayne asked how the tailing was going.

Mekhi answers, "They reported movements hours after we left this morning. Some men came and cleared the perimeter, it looked like. Then they went inside, not coming out for hours."

"A cleanup crew came and probably, wiped the place down as usual. Our team then followed the men that cleared the perimeter, and they are still following them around".

Zayne simply got comfortable, head resting on the couch as he listened. Mekhi continues, "they said they heard some chatter about an attack going down tonight. They didn't...."

BOOM!..... Mekhi was cut off by the sound of a deafening explosion...

Then the next moment, chaos!

Shouts were coming through the mind-link— everyone saying something or the other, while some people were freaking out and panicking.

Some are already getting the women, children, and elderly to safety, and guards are already fanning out.

"There is a breach at the borders, Alpha. I am heading there now with some men to take a look," Zayne heard the voice of his Delta Rafael clearly through the mind link, and he focused on it.

He said, "the guards at our tower are closer and already on the way."

"It seems they took out the front gate," Zayne heard his lead warrior Nathanial through the mind link now.

At this time, he and Mekhi sprang into action, darting out the office door, Mekhi jumping down the staircase and making his way outside. While Zayne went to the third floor where the Dartwoods were staying.

Bursting onto their floor, he saw Alpha Dartwood and his wife bustling out of their assigned room. His wife was closely tucked by his side, "Where is Leandra?" Alpha Dartwood shouted relief on his face on seeing Zayne.

"Leandra? I don't know?" How the hell would I know where Leandra was, Zayne wondered.

That question was soon answered by what Alpha Dartwood says next, "She left saying she was coming to speak with you."

"Oh, I have not seen her." Zayne hurried them along. "Now, come on, let us get you down to the basement."

"No, I can't go without my daughter," Alpha Dartwood quickly said.

Zayne added hastily, "I will look for her. Now come on, I don't have time to waste."

He stopped again when Zayne said, "Look, the longer I take to get you two to the basement, the longer I am away from looking for your daughter. Now hurry up." Zayne then walked away, leaving them to scamper behind him.

They quickly fell in step behind Zayne, trying to keep up with his long and hurried strides.

After he got them into the room, meeting other scared members on the way, Zayne hurried out the door after he told them to stay put and that someone would get them when it was over.

Outside, Zayne saw that some of the Elderly, a few pregnant women, and some children still running about, looking scared, confused, and lost.

He ordered the elderly, women, and children to "seek refuge in the pack house, underground basement, and seal the door shut."

He boomed at the top of his voice and through the mind-link so they could hear him and start making their way to the basement.

He stopped, only to look closer. When he saw that Leandra was one of them, already in motion assisting the elderly and children.

He ran to her, "Your parents were looking for you. They are in the basement. Please get to safety at once."

"No," she shouts defiantly, "I am helping those who cannot help themselves."

Not having one minute to spare for this back and forth, Zayne adds, "When you are finished, lock yourselves together in the basement. Someone will come to get you all when it's over."

He then catches up with Mekhi in the weapons room along with some warriors busy gearing up.