Carolina Moon

The Sanctuary Breached: Tess

We entered the bungalow, and my eyes immediately scanned every surface. Nothing was out of place, and the scent of my vanilla candles still lingered, but the air felt cold. The corporate violation had stained the walls.

I didn’t bother with my bag. Instead, I went straight to the kitchen and cleared the table. I moved a vase of dried flowers, then sat down with my laptop bag. My hands were shaking, but my mind was a cold, hard diamond. They threatened my grandfather. That would be the last thing they ever did.

I wasn’t just looking for shell companies anymore. I started looking into the Lowcountry Development Group’s footprint. It didn’t take long to find what I was looking for. They didn’t just buy old land. They bought old cell towers and water treatment facilities. Whatever they could get their hands on.

Their census wasn’t just about keeping track of the wolves. It was about control. They were building their own version of the S-Grate. I started sketching a map of the “dead zones” they were creating.

While I worked, K.C. was pacing the room. His presence was too big for the small space. Marcus and the other enforcers were setting up a perimeter. We weren’t going to hide, we were fortifying.

“K.C.,” I started softly, letting my pencil drop on the paper as I looked up. “We don’t know if they know about the cabin. I don’t want you to go back to it until we know it’s safe. Not even just to get supplies. You should have Marcus take you into town to get what you need to stay here for a few days.”

“I don’t want to leave you,” he immediately countered.

“I’ll be fine,” I reassured him. “The rest of the enforcers can stay here. You’ll know through the bond if anything happens.” The words left my mouth before I could even think, and I wasn’t sure if I was referring to the pack bond or a mate bond.

“Are you sure?” he asked, his hands resting on my shoulders as he searched my eyes.

“Trust me,” I nodded.

Reluctantly, he left with Marcus, and I picked up my phone.

“How’s small town life treating you?” my grandfather’s voice filtered over the line. “Ready to come work for me yet?”

“That’s not why I called, grandpa,” I replied, my voice feeling tight. I told him the truth. The kind of truth an old-school billionaire would understand. “Someone is trying to take the Beaumont books off the shelf. I need the shark you kept on retainer for the 2018 hostile takeover.”

“Does this have to do with what happened in Kingsport?” he asked.

“Yes.”

I heard a heavy sigh. Then he gave me the name and a code. The Beaumont Legacy wasn’t just money. It was a network of people who knew how to bury secrets.

I ended the call and looked out the window. The sun was lighting up the Spanish Moss. It was beautiful, but I knew it was probably full of sensors and cameras. I closed the laptop and stepped out onto the porch. The enforcers immediately stood at attention. “Miss Beaumont,” Marcus’s second-in-command, a massive wolf that I learned had retired last year from Kingsport’s hockey team, bowed his head. “Do you need something?”

“Check every tree, corner, and crevice for spyware. When K.C. and Marcus get back, I want the inside checked too.”

The enforcer, Holden, gave a sharp nod. His slate grey eyes immediately scanned the tree line with a predator’s focus. He signaled to the others, and I watched them move like a well-oiled machine. They didn’t just walk, they prowled. Their senses were tuned to frequencies no human could ever perceive.

I retreated back into the kitchen, the silence of the house pressing in on me. I fixed a mug of coffee, the weight of no sleep was finally starting to settle on me, and started at the map I had sketched.

I walked back to the front window and watched, waiting for K.C. to return. Holden climbed the porch steps and I met him at the door before he had a chance to knock. “Perimeter’s clear of bugs… Miss.” He talked to me the same way Leon had when Darian was trying to make me his Luna, but he was clearly hesitant to use pack terms. Whether that was because I was human or because he knew my history with the packs, I wasn’t sure. “The air is thick with RF signals though. They’re broadcasting on a frequency just outside of normal range. It’s like a low-level hum.”

“The static?”

He nodded a confirmation.

“Thank you, Holden.”

“Of course, Miss Beaumont,” he bowed his head slightly in another nod.

“Do any of you need anything?”

“Not right now.”

I went back inside and looked at the map again. Then at the name my grandfather gave me. Julian Vane. I pulled my phone back out and made the call, fighting down a yawn. Sleep would have to wait until I knew we’d at least bought ourselves more time.