Anya moved her laptop to the massive antique wood desk in Kaelan's office, installing specialized encryption software. The air still held the suffocating musk of his scenting, making her movements feel sluggish and heavy.
Kaelan stood over her, impatient. "Show me the anti-tracking technology used by the traitors."
Anya projected the encrypted data stream onto the office's holographic display. It was sophisticated, designed by a mind as sharp as her own. "They used a quantum tunneling protocol. It makes their location data look like noise."
"Break it," Kaelan commanded.
Anya ignored the Alpha Command's faint thrum and pointed. "I can reverse-engineer the noise filter, but I need uninterrupted focus. Your constant Alpha Presence is distracting."
Kaelan leaned closer, his eyes narrowing. "That is the bond, Mate. Learn to live with it."
Ignoring the heat radiating off him, Anya plunged into the code. Hours passed in silence, broken only by the rhythmic tapping of her keys. Kaelan, surprisingly, sat down and watched, his gaze intense, assessing.
"You're good," he finally admitted, the compliment tasting like ash on his tongue.
Anya smirked, a sliver of defiance piercing through the bond. "I'm better than good, Alpha. I'm the best. And you are dependent on me."
Suddenly, the encrypted shield on the holographic map fractured. A single, unstable beacon flashed: a location deep within the city limits. Anya had found their target.
"The conspirator is moving," she announced, turning to see Kaelan's face, a mixture of predatory focus and grudging awe.