Lara was sitting at Nate's right side instead of standing behind him. That should have warned her.

Yet, she had naively accepted to follow him there and had to play by his rules. Sitting together with the managers of the company, however, felt somehow wrong. She was no one, just a part-time assistant.

?How are things proceeding,? Nate asked, looking at the charts in front of him. There were graphs with obligation prices, debt levels of some companies, income forecasts...

A lot of interesting data Lara didn't know how to interpret. She was familiar with most terms since her college days, but she had forgotten all about what all those terms were useful for.

Obligations...She knew what those were. But why was Nate so focused on them?

?Aren't there any action prices?? she asked in a moment of distraction.

She bit her lower lips soon after, realising she wasn't supposed to talk. That was a serious meeting, not a place for her to ask questions and inquire about the company.

Even the other managers turned to her, some surprised and some annoyed.

She let go of her lip, turned red because of the bites, and she took a deep breath, ready to apologise. Yet, she had no time because Nate answered.

?We don't sell actions. We're not a regular company, and we wouldn't risk having our actions bought by humans. We only emit bonds when we need money. It's the same for Blue Moon Enterprises. They are run by wolves, and they don't want to meddle with humans.?historical

?Blue Moon is... Ehm?? she stuttered.

?The company of the Mayford pack. They saw that it's easier to raise money like this, and they took inspiration from our idea. Oh, Mayford is the pack that attacked you, Lara.?

?You're taking revenge?? she said, widening her eyes. ?Because of me??

?It's not just you,? he sighed, even though the managers snorted or averted their eyes.

The Mayford pack had done a lot of damage to them, but Alpha Nate preferred to keep peace and solve the matters quickly. Until the day his mate was attacked.

It was obvious to them that the woman was the one causing their Alpha to react. Not that they minded it: it was damn time!

But still, the way their Alpha smiled at her and told her it was not her fault... Well, that was weird.

?They have been targeting us for years,? he said. ?It's time we give them back some of their trouble.?

?I see,? she said. So, she was just an excuse to take revenge. Not the primal reason. Oh, it was better to hear.

?And why are you looking at the bond prices, then?? Lara said, returning to focus. She was allowed a few questions, apparently, so she took the chance.

?We want to reduce the price at which their obligations are sold on the stock exchange. That way, no one will want to buy the new ones when they're produced...?

?And they'll need to offer a higher interest rate,? she realised. ?I get it! You'll make them lose money like that!?

?Exactly.? Nate nodded, oddly pleased that his mate could understand his plan.

?And that's the big plan?? Lara muttered. ?Making them waste money? Will that impact their reputation or their sales? After all, bonds are not actions.?

?No, but reputation is vital for companies. Bad bond prices might impact their sales, for people would wonder if everything is all right with their finances. Their partners will think twice before investing or collaborating. Their future projects might be delayed by the lack of funds, and everything else would follow suit.?

?You're too optimistic, Nate,? she pointed out, forgetting they weren't alone.

?Yes, I am,? he cut it short.

There was no reason to tell her he was getting ready to attack their bases, taking away their resources and places where to hide.

Then, one day, the Mayford pack would have disbanded. Because that's what happens when an Alpha is considered weak. Nate would have shown them that their leader wasn't capable of protecting them, and they would have changed sides on their own, at some point.

Other than stealing territory, he was going to bring chaos to them. The wolves in the pack would have started rebelling against the Alpha, and the Mayford pack didn't have an Alpha female to solve the crisis.

Differently from his pack, Nate thought. Even though not officially, Lara was there by his side. And she would have helped solve issues if they were to arise. As long as the pack gave her a chance.

?And when are we going to start the operation?? she asked, a little - just a little - excited by the planning.

Nate sighed, leaning back on the chair.

?We have just started, actually.?

Lara remembered where she was and what she was supposedly doing. Her face turned red, and she bent her neck to hide it from the managers. How could she forget about them? Also, they were openly staring with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. The only one acting as if nothing happened was Nate.

?S-sorry for the interruption,? she whispered, taking the pen to write notes for Nate. Or to pretend to be busy while digesting her embarrassment.

She started scribbling on paper, drawing stars and clouds without hearing anything from the meeting. Her mind continued to replay the scene, and she couldn't understand why she could act like that.

Moreover, no one has openly said anything to make her shut up. Especially Nate: he even replied to her questions as if she had the right to ask!

She couldn't notice his gaze because she didn't move her eyes from the notebook. Nate was staring at her hand, at the images she was drawing. His mind was already working hard to find a way to get his hands on her artwork...

He had a folder filled with her notes, but those scribbles done during a moment of embarrassment were suddenly way more appealing. They had to be part of his collection!