Chapter 3

I stood by the elevator and watched Bertha rage.

For wolves, dumping filth at the edge of someone's territory is about as blatant as provocation gets.

I didn't blow up. I took out my phone, pulled up the hallway camera feed, and made sure every second of this was being recorded in full.

Right then, the elevator opened again.

Vernon's wife Krystal strolled out with their month-old pup in her arms. She saw me, and instead of the slightest guilt, she rolled her eyes.

"Well, look who's off work," Krystal drawled. "Mom, quit sweeping. She's too precious for our dirt. But hey, that territory's going to waste anyway. We're heading in today. Our boy needs his moonlight."

Bertha dropped the broom immediately and planted herself in front of me, hands on her hips. "Open the door! My grandson sleeps on that terrace tonight! Say one word against it and I'll tear you apart!"

I looked at this shameless family and changed my mind.

Garbage at my door wasn't enough to put them away. Fine. Let's see how far they'd go. My cameras covered every inch of the place.

I pressed my thumb to the lock.

Beep. The door swung open.

Before I could even step inside, Bertha rammed her shoulder into mine and charged straight into the living room. Krystal followed, baby in her arms, heading for the second-floor terrace like she owned the place.

"This is breaking and entering." I stood at the door, my voice cold. "Get out. Now."

"Breaking and entering? Neighbors can't drop by anymore?" Bertha wandered the living room, touching everything, her eyes greedy. "Tsk. Nice place. Wasted on a she-wolf who can't even breed. Vernon already said it. This is our pup's playground now!"

I didn't waste another word on her. I went straight up to the terrace.

The moment they forced their way in, my security system had already sent an alert to my family's private security center. It did that automatically.

I didn't cancel it.

Upstairs, Krystal had already laid the pup on the huge white stone in the center of the terrace.

That was my Arctic frost stone, flown in from the polar circle. It kept the air around it cool on its own and gathered moonlight into one concentrated spot. For a pureblood silver wolf, there was no better aid for feeding the blood.

"Ugh, this thing is freezing. What if it makes my son sick?" Krystal kicked the stone, annoyed, then called over her shoulder. "Mom! Smash this ugly rock! Clear some room for my son's cradle!"

"On it!" Bertha produced a heavy emergency hammer from somewhere, wound up, and swung it full force into the frost stone.

Crack!

The stone's smooth surface split. A huge fissure tore across it, spraying chips everywhere.

I stood where I was. I didn't stop them. I just watched, and reached over to press the save button on the wall panel for the home cameras.

"Do you know what you just smashed?" I asked evenly.

"A crappy rock, that's what. Why, you going to shake us down over it?" Krystal jerked her chin up at me.

Footsteps pounded up from downstairs. Vernon was home from work.

He rushed onto the terrace, saw the shattered stone all over the floor, and instead of stopping anything, he smiled. Pleased.

"Wren, my mom broke your little rock. Worst case, I'll pay you a hundred bucks." Vernon walked up to me, and his body started to swell. Muscle strained his shirt, his hands turned into gray-furred claws, and fangs slid out over his lip.

A half shift, meant to crowd me into the corner with sheer size and muscle.

"You had your chance to play nice. Let me spell it out. This terrace is ours today whether you agree or not! I can crush you at the Calloway Group, and I can crush you just as easily right here!"

His gray wolf dominance rolled over me. All I felt was the urge to laugh.

"Can you." I looked at his twisted face, calmly took out my phone, and dialed the Enforcers.

"Hello, Enforcement? Intruders broke into my territory and destroyed property worth five hundred thousand dollars. The address is—"

"HAHAHA!" Vernon cut me off, howling with laughter. "Five hundred grand? Who are you kidding? This rock, half a million dollars? In Monopoly money, maybe! Go on, call them! Let's see who they arrest when they get here. Me, or the little bitch who tramples her elders and freezes out a newborn pup!"