Chapter 3

Alpha Brown texted me as soon as his flight landed.

After a quick reply, I walked over to the Pack’s assembly hall to wait for him.

As soon as I reached the steps, Lisa Johnson blocked the entrance with her hands on her hips. Emily Davis and a few other lackeys stood right behind her. The main hall was packed with people looking out through the glass doors.

"Oh, you still dare to show your face? What, did you bring the money?"

Seeing that I remained silent, she gritted her teeth.

"Fine. If you won't pay, I have plenty of ways to make you."

She stepped closer, scanning me up and down, then turned and shouted to the crowd inside the hall:

"Everyone, look! This is the outsider I was telling you about!"

"Alpha Brown never told anyone she was coming. She isn't even in our active directory."

"An unidentified person has been lurking around our Pack for days. Who knows what she’s planning?"

The crowd began to murmur in worry.

"She’s not in the directory? Then how did she get in?"

"I knew there was something sketchy about that new face."

Lisa smiled at the crowd's reaction, then turned back to me.

"You claim Alpha Brown sent you. Let me ask you this: when did Alpha Brown ever notify the Pack? I know exactly what he ordered before he left. He never mentioned your name once."

She was telling the truth. To keep my mission confidential, Alpha Brown hadn't told anyone.

And that was exactly what Lisa was exploiting.

"So, who are you really? Who sent you? What are you doing in Crimson Springs?"

I said nothing.

Lisa sneered and reached for my canvas bag again.

"Silent? Let’s see what you’ve got in here."

She yanked my bag away, dug through it, and pulled out the folder.

As she flipped it open, her face tightened.

Inside were the documents showing her embezzling the Pack's public funds.

But she quickly covered her shock, tucking the folder under her arm.

"Well, look at this. An unidentified stranger carrying our Pack's financial records. Which Pack sent you to spy on us?"

"No wonder you've been acting suspicious. You're here to steal our secrets!"

She turned to the crowd. "See this, everyone? She’s a spy. If I hadn't stopped her, she would have stolen everything our Pack owns!"

The crowd erupted in anger.

"Throw her out!"

"She doesn't belong in Crimson Springs!"

Lisa raised her hand to quiet them down, then looked at me with a smirk.

"Want this folder back? Sure. Pay the three-thousand-dollar bar tab first."

"Otherwise, I'll treat you as a spy and run you out of town myself."

I looked at her, completely unfazed.

"Give it back. You still have a chance to walk away from this."

Lisa laughed out loud.

"Are you threatening me?"

"I’ll give you three days. Pay the money and get out. Otherwise, I’ll spread the word to every neighboring Pack. You won't find a place to hide."

She then pulled the documents out and ripped them to pieces right in front of everyone.

"Oh, by the way, I had someone shut down your laptop. Everything in it is gone now."

My chest tightened with anger.

I knelt down, gathered the shredded paper, and wiped the dust off my hands.

"First, I don't owe you anything. Second, you destroyed my property, and you will pay for it."

Lisa’s eyes flared with rage, and she immediately dialed the Alpha to report me.

"Alpha! This newbie is out of control! She refused to pay her bar tab and stole our financial records!"

"Alpha, you need to come back and banish this spy immediately!"

The line went quiet before Alpha Brown’s voice filled the room.

"A newcomer? Jessica is already there? She arrived early, and I haven't been notified yet."

The speakerphone was on, and everyone froze in shock.

The person next to Lisa panicked and grabbed her sleeve.

"Wait... could she be the elite warrior the Alpha invited...?"

Lisa’s face drained of color, her lips trembling.

But Alpha Brown continued:

"Probably not. If it were her, I would have already ordered a private cottage for her."

Hearing that, the crowd let out a sigh of relief.

Lisa relaxed and immediately regained her arrogant smirk.

"Did you hear that? Even the Alpha doesn't know you're here. You're just a spy who sneaked in."

"I officially declare you banished from Crimson Springs. I want you gone before sunset."

She turned to leave, then paused.

"Oh, and I tore up that folder. If you know what's good for you, don't cause any more trouble."

I watched her walk away in silence.

She had no idea that I had already taken photos of every single page of those financial records and backed them up on my phone.