Page 10 of Alpha Wolf (Return To Fate Mountain #6)

Chapter

Nine

Dom’s pack was assembled around the conference table, laptops open and files spread across the surface.

Coffee steamed from multiple cups, and the familiar scent of strong Colombian roast filled the space.

His crew had followed him across the country, trusted his leadership, and they’d built something meaningful together.

He couldn’t let his personal pain compromise their mission.

“Four days since Rebecca Mathews’ murder.” Dom settled into his chair at the head of the table. “What do we know?”

The weight of mounting police pressure hung over them like smoke. They’d all been careful during their individual investigations, avoiding direct interference with the official case while gathering intelligence. It was a delicate balance.

Axel looked up from his laptop screen, dark eyes sharp.

“Extended background check on Rebecca Matthews. Property ownership shows she bought the house five years ago. Stable residential area, no mortgage issues, clean neighborhood with mostly longtime residents. Family connections include elderly parents living nearby and a divorced sister in Portland. Professional history is solid - eight years with County Emergency Management, excellent reviews, emergency dispatch certification with security clearance.”

“Perfect target,” Siren observed. “Someone with access but no obvious protection.”

Axel nodded. “But here’s where it gets interesting. Her social media timeline tells a story.” He pulled up screenshots on his laptop. “Four weeks ago, she posted on Facebook: ‘Anyone else feel like they’re being watched lately?’ with a laughing emoji.”

Axel took a sip of coffee and continued.

“Three weeks ago, Instagram story of her checking car mirrors with the caption ‘Paranoid much?’” Axel continued.

“Same week, another Facebook post asking why she kept seeing the same car everywhere. Two and a half weeks ago, she tweeted about feeling like someone was following her but thinking she was probably just being crazy.”

“Then?” Dom prompted.

“Two weeks ago, all social media activity stopped completely.” Axel closed his laptop. “She went from joking about paranoia to complete digital silence in two weeks. Initially, she tried to laugh off the growing fear, but the posts became more frequent and concerning until she went dark entirely.”

Dom turned to Hunter, who was already reaching for his notepad. The man’s weathered face carried a satisfied expression of someone who’d gathered useful intelligence.

“Neighbors confirm the social media timeline,” Hunter said. “She’d been keeping to herself more lately. Stopped her regular evening walks about three weeks ago - walks she’d maintained for years. Avoided usual social interactions with people she’d known since moving in.”

Hunter flipped a page in his notes. “Classic behavior of someone feeling watched. Changes were recent but systematic.”

Dom nodded, pieces of the puzzle beginning to form a clearer picture. Someone had been conducting psychological warfare against Rebecca Matthews.

“Workplace intelligence confirms the pattern,” Hunter continued.

“Coworkers noticed increased nervousness at work. She’d been double-checking her car locks, looking over her shoulder constantly.

Asked a colleague about whether people could track your phone.

Became jumpy at unexpected sounds or visitors. ”

“Technology paranoia,” Siren observed. “Suggests a sophisticated threat.”

“She was worried about being followed or monitored,” Hunter continued. “Fear extended beyond home to the workplace. Behavioral changes were visible to multiple people, but nobody thought to connect them to anything serious until she was dead.”

Dom felt anger building in his chest. A woman had been terrorized for weeks, and no one had recognized the signs until it was too late.

Ryder cleared his throat. “Current surveillance around her house shows nothing. The area has returned to normal patterns, no suspicious vehicles or watchers. Whoever scared her has backed off since she died.”

“Mission accomplished,” Blaze said. “Professional cleanup with no loose ends left behind.”

Dom looked around the table at his pack, seeing the same grim determination in their faces that he felt in his chest. They were building a picture of professional intimidation and execution that went far beyond what local police understood.

“Siren, your analysis?”

She opened her tablet. “This wasn’t random intimidation,” Siren said, her voice carrying a cold edge. “Someone wanted her compliant and isolated before making their move. They knew she had called Steel Protection and eliminated her before the meeting.”

She looked up from her tablet. “Required resources include a surveillance team or technology to track her movements, communication intercept capability, professional execution team for murder and arson, and knowledge of her routines.”

Dom’s wolf stirred with hunting instincts. They were tracking a dangerous professional assassin, exactly the kind of threat that required their specific skill set to counter.

“We’re dealing with someone who had the resources to monitor her systematically, the patience to build psychological pressure over weeks, and the professionalism to eliminate her when she sought outside help,” Dom said.

“Investigation shows a clear motive - victim was researching organized crime and protection rackets, making her a threat to criminal operations. Unknown which specific organization or individuals she had identified, how close she was to exposing them, or if there are other potential targets with similar knowledge.”

“What’s our next move?” Hunter asked.

Dom looked around the table at the five people who’d followed him into this strange life.

“Rebecca Matthews called us because she was scared, and now she’s dead.

Whoever she was afraid of got to her first, and we’re taking the blame for it.

Time to show this community what Steel Protection really stands for. ”