Erring on the side of caution, Krish parks her hummer 5 miles south and downwind of Beta Thompson’s ranch. The ranch house lights are easily seen in the distance. There is no moon, she partially shifts so her eyes change to better navigate by the sparse starlight. Her thick honey-colored hair is drawn back in a tight braid and tucked up under an insulated hat. She slides a knife into her boot tucking in the cuffs of her cargo pants then slips a gun in her belt while shrugging on a camo jacket. Checking there is nothing on her to make noise, Krish slips keys under the hummer’s frame then slinks off into the dark heading towards the house.  

2 miles from the house she sees the first sentry, a young teenager named Luke. She tries to remember if he is Thompson's Son. Luke is absentmindedly playing with his phone leaning against a post. Stalking slowly up to him, the young man never hears her slip past. Her arm vines around his neck from behind. He gasps, she whispers “Don’t fight little one.” And holds until his body goes limp. Her sharp hearing tells her his heart is still beating so she settles him softly to the ground then moves on. “Stupid wolves using pups for such work.”

Closer to the house there are several familiar faces walking the wraparound porch. There is a line of Pickups and a pair of out of place BMW SUVs with black tinted windows. It looks like the entire Pack has been assembled for a meeting. She regards the sentry’s pattern and times her approach to leap onto the roof. Silently she slips along the roof testing windows until coming around the back and seeing several men standing near a corral. Gingerly she lowers herself off the roof suppressing the small giggle bubbling up from her throat.

“If I had known it would be this fun I’d have come into town earlier. These pups are actually trying to make an effort to look competent.” She thinks

Krish etches slowly towards the gathering of male werewolves. The local sheriff and pack Alpha, Davin, leans against a fence post, shoulders tense and scanning the dark. She freezes as his gaze slides over her position. Krish takes a slow deep breath, reduces her heartbeat, and begins to move a micrometer at a time. 

“Just like stalking any other prey. So much for superior wolf senses.” she thinks as she draws closer to the pack.

As she advances on the group details emerge. There are about 20 local pack members milling about the corral. Standing at the gate are four unfamiliar men wearing expensive wool overcoats and a woman in a white sable lined jacket wearing impractical stiletto heals. The group is speaking low with their backs turned on the others. A tall dark auburn haired man in the center of the small group shifts his weight uneasily. He glances over his shoulder in her direction, but shakes his head and resumes their conversation, the wind is still in her favor. Her gaze rakes over his form gauging the interaction between him and the other foreign figures, this man must be the Arch Alpha that Willie referred to. The female is obviously an Omega, lanky and lean with waist length curling platinum blonde hair, Krish can smell her sweet floral scent from here. The largest male, a brawny blonde easily cresting 6'10", appears to be a Beta by the way he holds himself and interacts with the Arch. Odd that the Arch was not the largest of the group. The other two are most likely Gamma enforcers, their posture giving them away. The Arch’s shoulders stiffen and he gazes out in her direction again, for a moment she thought he saw her. No, he goes back to the conversation.

Krish continues to stalk up to the local Alpha. 

Davin is a 6’2” muscular man with short cropped dishwater blonde hair greying at the temples. His hands are worn and cracked from working outdoors and his shoulders are thick and broad. Of the 20 local pack members attending, most are burly outdoor types. The stench of half breed wolf invades her nostrils making her stomach turn. An unfamiliar smell is mixed in with the human hybrid stench. The odor is a soft musk lulling her, she shakes her head to clear it. There is too much noise between Thompson’s wife scuffling around in the kitchen, the murmurs of the subgroups around the paddock, and the creaking of the porch boards as sentries walk around the house for her to make out conversations clearly. She does hear the word “rogue” float out of several mouths.

Coming silently up behind Davin’s broad tense shoulders, Krish hisses into his ear. “I think I solved your problems.”

Davin comes unglued, eyes flashing feral gold and claws extending, he whips around and slices at air. Krish has danced back a few feet out of reach, gripping her stomach while cackling insanely at the sight. The voices all fall silent, the only noise now her strangled attempts at regaining composure. All eyes have turned to her.

Davin, “Christ K, what the fuck are you doing here?” Davin half yelps.

Wiping tears of laughter from her eyes she gasps out, “Well if you didn’t set newborn pups out as sentries I probably wouldn’t be. I could still smell his mother’s milk on his breath.” Tickled at herself a new round of laughter erupts from her lips.

Davin’s eyes darken at her insult. Normally he would let it roll off his back, but the Arch is here and she is making him look bad. She throws her hands up seeing his intention. “I did not come here to fight you Davin.”

Thompson, Davin’s Beta, pipes up “Get that Cat out of here. This is official pack business.”

The men in wool overcoats are watching, the Arch Alpha is maneuvering slowly towards Davin, retinue in tow. Davin takes another step forward, claws still out. Seeing the Arch approach he feels he must exhibit that he has control in his small territory. Though honestly he’s terrified of the outcome if he attacks K. It’s never turned out well for anyone that he knows of.

The hair on Krish’s neck begins to stand up, there’s that intoxicating smell again. She shakes her head then stretches to her full height of 6” and stares into Davin’s eyes, all her mirth drains away “Back down child” she rumbles.

A wave of power emanates off her causing Davin to stop cold. He takes a few wary steps back altogether forgetting how this may look to the Arch Alpha behind him. Several of the local pack members are cringing, Thompson looks ready to dash into his house. 

The Arch and his men draw forward at a faster pace. Krish, noticing their approach, cocks her head surprised for a moment by their boldness. Then remembers, “Right, there’s a damn Arch here.”

She studies the 4 verifying not by size but bearing, who the Arch is. The Omega female has wisely chosen not to come towards her.  “Time to show these pups what dealing with a true warrior feels like.” She thinks

Focusing on the Arch, Krish balances on the balls of her feet. The man is measurably larger than Davin, dark auburn hair falling past his ears. The other men are glancing at him for cues as to how to react. Krish lets loose a deafening scream as she leaps right at the Arch and throws him backward onto the ground. She can feel the breath knock out of him then looks into his eyes preparing to… the heady odor slams into her and she emits a low growl then snickers salaciously. 

Eyes wide with shock, the Arch is riveted still when she bends down and whispers into his ear, “Well isn’t tonight just full of surprises?” 

The men with the Arch lunge at her, but Krish deftly rolls out of their grasp taking one man’s legs out and sending him toppling over. Growls and snarls erupt from several throats as the pack mentality of attack amps up and the local werewolves shake off her command.

At that moment the Arch finds his voice “LEAVE HER.” All the men stop, some already partially changed, claws extended clothes ripping.