bChapter /bb276 /b

    Cyra

    Going back to the Academy was a little surreal. After the craziness of thest four days, the Academy seems calm.

    Yorick and I talkedst night aboutbining our rooms. It’s not like we’re ever going to sleep apart. We n to speak to bAlpha /bbflevach /babout it today. The spare room isn’t needed for someone else. There aren’t any more admissionsing this year to the Academyb, /bbbut /bbthis /bway, we can let them know that it’s avable if they need it.

    The first surprise came at breakfast Monday morning. Our group was sitting around chatting about the weekend and the week toe bwhen /bMegan showed up at our table.

    I sigh, ready for a fight.

    “I just wanted to say congrattions to both of you,” she says to me and Yorick.

    I look at her, waiting for the rest. There isn’t any more.

    “What’s the catch, Megan?” I finally ask.

    “No catch. I was wrong to go after your mate, even if I didn’t know you were fated, you were still together. I apologize for that,” she says.

    “I’m sorry, what? You don’t expect us to believe that you’re here apologizing for your actions, do you, Megan?” Piper asks her.

    “No, I don’t. But someone reminded me recently that I don’t have to be the person others think I am. I have the power to be the personb! /bchoose to be. I was wrong, and good Alphas acknowledge and apologize when they’re wrong. I’ll see you in ss. Congrattions againb,/bb” /bshe

    says, walking off.

    I stare after her.

    “What is she up to?” Yorick murmurs.

    “I have no idea,” I say. I watch her walk past the table with her cronies, not even acknowledging their presence.

    “Maybe it’s invasion of the body snatchers,” Zach whispers.

    “You’re such an idiot,” Piper says,ughing.

    We’ve just about finished eating when I see Hacker enter the dining hall.

    “Hey, I’m going to go talk to Hacker,” I tell him.

    “I’ll throw our trays away ande join you,” Yorick says.

    “Hacker,” I call out. He turns, waving. He looks tired, like he was up most of the night.

    “Hey, I wanted to ask you about a couple of things,” I say as he gets a tray and te and begins piling food on it.

    “There’s a possibility that I have money hidden away somewhere, money that my father put away. Sten and Christer balluded /bbto /bbit/bb, /bbbut /b

    Alpha Warren and I looked over the weekend and didn’t find any trace of it,” I tell him.

    “It’ll cost you. This is personal, not for the Council,” he says, not looking up.

    “I’m aware. Let me know how much,”

    bChapter /bb276 /b

    b“/bHow bmuch /bmoney do you think is hidden?” he asks, still focusing on his te of food.

    “Sten alluded that it would pay off the loan,” I say, making his hand stop partway to his te. He turns to look at me

    b“/bThe twenty–million–dor loan?”

    b“/bThat’s the one.”

    “And you didn’t find a single trace of it?” he asks, nodding to Yorick when he walks up.

    “Nothing that would make us believe that there is any money, much less that much money, hidden away somewhereb. /b

    “How would Christer and Sten have known about it?” he asks, resuming his food collection. How does one man eat so bmuch/bb? /b

    “My father, I guess. It’s the only thing that makes sense. We never heard anything on that recording that Christer had that made me bthink /bthere was money hidden anywhere,” I say.

    “Unless Sten and Christer knew where to look,” he murmurs thoughtfully. “I’m intrigued. I’ll take it. It will still cost you, but since bthis /bis bsort /bof rted to the Council issue and I may have to eventually report it to them, it’ll cost less. If it turns out that it’s rted to charges for either man, the Council will foot the bill entirely,” he says. “I’ll draw up the paperwork and iyou /icane sign it tonight after sses.

    “We thought maybe this would be a good learning opportunity for Sphinx,” Yorick says, making Hacker look up at him.

    “Sphinx is getting a lot of learning opportunitiestely, but yeah. This would be a good one. You said there were two things?” he asks, finally moving to pay for his food. His tray now has three tes full of food.

    “Is all that for you?” Yorick asks.

    “I missed dinnerst night,” he says.

    “The second is, and I’m not sure you heard that Yorick and I took over two packs this past weekend …”

    “I heard. Congrattions. I also heard they’re looking at you for C–Squad. Nice.”

    “Thanks,” Yorick says.

    “Well, after hearing about how weak Alpha Connor’s security is, I’d like to have our security assessed andbined. We, Yorick and I, thought that you might want to join us this weekend iso /iyou can physically see the packhouses and decide the best way tobine the security defenses and improve them,” I say.

    “Sphinx is supposed to being to our pack to set up a room for when she’s there with my parents. It could be another learning opportunity for her,” Yorick says.

    “Are you trying ito /ihook me up with your sister, Striker?” Hacker asks.

    “No, not at all. And I will warn you that I wille for you if you hurt her. And I won’t be the only one. But I know she’s extremely excited abouting to the Academy next year. She is on early eptance and under the Tech Team’s supervision, so I thought this might be ba /bgood opportunity for the two of you ito /iwork together on a project,” he says.

    He looks at us for a long moment. “I won’t know how much it will cost you until I see what we’re working with pending bon /bbSphinx’s /bbability /bto assist, I can reduce that cost, if she’s willing to work for free.”

    “We’ll pay the full amount. I don’t want to take advantage of my sister,” Yorick says.

    “When are you going back?” he asks.

    Chapter b276 /b

    b“/bFriday after sses,” I tell him.

    “Until Sunday night?” he asks.

    “Yesb./b”

    “Okay, I’ll clear my schedule.”

    “Thanks, Hacker.”

    We say goodbye as Yorick takes my hand, and we head outside for Sparring ss.

    Hacker POV

    A chance to spend the weekend with Wendy? Hell fucking yeah I’m in. I’d do this for free if I didn’t think it would clue Striker in that I’m interested in his sister. I might have been a bit too excited that he was using her as bait to get me to agree.

    Little does he know just how good his bait is.

    As soon as I get back to my room, I pull up the chat. I didn’t tell Yorick and Cyra that I missed dinnerst night because I was talking Wendy through a meltdown. She’s hit a wall with her warrior training. She’s struggling to push past it. Since I still haven’t told the others on the Tech Team about it, I’m making it my personal mission to get her through it. If I have an entire weekend with her, I’m sure there will be an

    opportunity for the two of us to get away from the others. I have some ideas of how to push her in her training and work her past this mental

    block she has.

    Me: I hear you’re going to your brother’s pack this weekend.

    Sphinxi: /iHow did you know? Apparently, I need to pick out a room until we have a house built on Yorrie’s packnds.

    Me: Apparently, they need some help with their security and guess who’sing to visit as well?

    Sphinx: You?? Really?? Do I get to assist?

    Me: I’d be offended if my young Padawan didn’t assist me.

    Sphinx: Ohhh, I could use this as my gift to them for bing/Alphas!

    Me: That’s between you and your brother. But I want you to n to spend time sparring with me.

    I can almost hear her sigh.

    Sphinx: Do I have to?

    Me: Yes, you do. This is important. Your brother and father haven’t been able to push you past this. Even Quirin hasn’t been able to get you past this. Give me a chance to try.

    Sphinx: Maybe you’re wrong. Maybe I am broken.

    And this was our discussionst night. She’s frustrated that she can’t move past the attack. She still freezes bon /bbthe /bsparring field when bthe /bfighting gets to be too intense.

    bI /bflick on the camera and dial her number.

    She answers the phone as the cameraes on and I can see her lips pressed tightly together. Since this is important to bme/bb, /bbI /bbflip /bbmy /bbcamera /b

    on too so she can see me.

    Inu 14 Aug

    “Say bit /bto my bface/b,” I growl at her.

    She looks down but stays quiet.

    “This weekend. You and me. I’m pushing you past this.”

    “How?”

    “If! tell you how, you’ll just find a way to block me and make it harder for me. This way, you can mentally prepare to be pushed bhard/bb, /bbut not how to get around my intervention.”

    She looks back up at the camera. “Do you really think you can fix me?”

    I lean forward, letting her see my irritation.

    “Fixing you implies that you’re broken, Wendy. You are NOT broken. You’re traumatized and your family is using kid gloves with you.I’m about to put you in a big girl boxing ring and make you fight your way out of it,” I tell her.

    “Do you think it will work?” she whispers.

    “I’m not going to let you stop until it does,” I say.

    “Thanks, Jude,” she says.

    ス

    “Don’t thank me yet. I’m sure you’ll be cursing my name this weekend.”

    “No pain, no gain, right?” she asks.

    “That’s the spirit,” I say, watching as she smiles. Finally. She didn’t smile at allst night. This opportunity couldn’t havee at a better time. I was already trying to figure out how I was going to get to her so I could push her through this before shees to the Academy next

    year.

    “So, I’ll see iyou /ithis weekend?” she asks.

    “Yes, but before that, your brother and Alpha Cyra gave me a new project. Want to help?”

    “Yeah, what is it?” she asks excitedly.

    “Apparently, we’re going on a treasure hunt.”

    A