November 28th, xxxx

"Checkmate." A loud groan broke Nicolette's concentration. She let out a growl and waved her hand to where Seth and Lucas were sitting. Their chess board flew across Malcom's office.

"Pay attention to your pack," she growls. "This is the royal pack and it look like a regular pack. You are kings and you behave like children. Your pack is being threatened by a powerful force and all you are doing playing chess?" Nicolette let out a huff and went back to staring at the map.

"Nicole we've been here for three hours," Seth let out a groan. She rolled her eyes and clicked on the top of her pen over and over again.

"And that's three more hours that I've been more focused than you all," she muttered under her breath. Malcom watched the scene silently as he watched his mate, beta, and gamma bicker.

"I think that Malcom's attitude is rubbing off on you. Since you both mates and all," Lucas commented. Nicolette let out a growl and slammed her pen onto the desk.

"I'm going on another run," she huffs and storms out of the room. She went on a few runs already, scouting out every inch of the forest too see what the map could have missed. Every new lake, river, or mountain she found, she went back to add it onto the map.

They were right. She had been a bit on the edge lately after her and Malcom completed the mate bond. She decided that she would check on the royal guards that she hoped she had healed fully.

She didn't shift on her way there since she didn't feel like changing clothes again. So she walked instead, taking in the fresh air of the winter season. It wasn't as cold lately but it would freeze up again as the winter season reaches it's peak.

She walked slowly and made sure to remember every earth formation the map could have missed, anything that could help or hurt the pack when the attack starts. Malcom told her that she wouldn't be allowed to be the martyr, but he doesn't get to make that call.

She walked into the building and didn't see the usual crowd of royal guards. She looked around and almost no body was there, only the few people that work there.

"They're in the training grounds," a voice startled her. She turned around and saw a wolf that she had seen around here. He probably works here and watched everything unfold .

"Thank you," She smiles with gratuity. He nods and she walks all the way back to the training grounds, taking a different route to see if she can see anything else. She heard shouting and yelling as she got closer to the training grounds.

She turned the corner and peaked around the trees and watched. Two guards were sparring in the middle while everyone was watching. These wolves were in no shape to train, their muscles were broken down from not using them to their full extent.

Nicolette watched in amazement while they fought each other with no flaw in any of their moves. She was shocked, with the way they were injured, they shouldn't be up on they're feet and fighting but they did it flawlessly.

"Amazing isn't it," a low voice whispered by her ear. She let out a growl and snapped her face to Darius. He smirked as he stared at her eyes. "You're a little far away from my brother. I thought he'd be clinging onto you after you completed the mate bond."

"You better step away for me before I break every bone in your body and before you shift, I'll break all of them back into place," she snarled. He let out a laugh and backed away.

"Geez woman it's just a joke," he smiled. She rolled her eyes at his banter and focused her attention back to the royal guards. "An attack, Malcom says. He says there's going to be an attack on our pack, like the one we had a few months ago but worse. He wants them prepared for anything."

"They're not going to need to fight," she murmured. She had a plan that isn't going to involve anyone. Everything was an act, a distraction. Nicolette had her own plan that would put no one in danger.

"Well they're prepared so put them wherever you need to," he offered. She nodded and simply walked away, back to put on the fantastic show she was putting on.

~

Malcom watched Nicolette wall back in with a calm face. Seth and Lucas were now gone and no where to be seen. She just walked back to her seat and added more land formations to the map.

Malcom watched the little guard figures on the map move. Every time he watched it, he was still amazed at how her magic could add ink and move it. His mother never used her magic around him.

One day, when his mother finally kicked Zaine out, she said she lost her magic. Denali became depressed but not to the point of death. Malcom found that it was stupid that she fell into depression even after everything his father did.

~

Nicolette has wondered where the Beta and Gamma had went but didn't question it. Their scent peas fading off but they didn't leave recently.

Nicolette let out a sigh and leaned back in her chair. She was tired and needed to sleep. Even though Malcom thought she was sleeping, she stays up planning on her own.

"I think we should take a break together," Malcom said, breaking the silence. Nicolette looked to him and nodded.

"Alright."

———