Page 24 of Howl You Doin'

"That's what worries me." Caleb thought of Fiona's excited face as they'd planned the event, the way her eyes had lit up with each new idea. He pushed the image away. "Get everyone together tomorrow. We need to figure this out before-"

"Before Victor crashes our party?"

"Before I lose my mind trying to guess who I can trust." The words came out more bitter than he'd intended.

10

FIONA

The next morning, Fiona watched Caleb prowl around the community center like a caged animal, snapping at anyone who dared approach him. His dark mood cast a shadow over the normally bustling atmosphere, making volunteers scatter whenever he came near. When he barked at sweet old Emmett for dropping a box of decorations, she'd had enough.

"Okay, that's it." She marched over and grabbed his arm, the heat from her fingers seeping through his shirt sleeve. "You're coming with me."

"I don't have time for-"

"Now." She dragged him toward her office, ignoring his protests. The muscles in his arm tensed under her grip but he didn't pull away.

Once inside, she shut the door and crossed her arms in front of him. "What's eating at you? And don't say nothing because you're acting like someone replaced your coffee with motor oil this morning."

"There's another traitor in my pack." He paced the small space. "Victor knew about the festival. Someone told him."

"And?"

His blue eyes narrowed. "And for all I know, it could be anyone. Even you."

Heat flared in her chest, matching the anger bubbling up inside her. "Excuse me? I've spent every minute of the last day organizing this thing for you. I've called forty-seven suppliers, coordinated with fifteen different pack members, and filled out enough paperwork to wallpaper this entire building." She poked at his chest. "Why would I do all that just to sabotage it?"

"To gain our trust-"

"Oh please."She rolled her eyes. "If I wanted to sabotage you, I'd just do a terrible job managing this place. It would be a lot less work than orchestrating some elaborate betrayal."

Caleb stopped pacing. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly. "That... actually makes sense."

"Of course it does.”

Fiona perched on the edge of her desk, watching Caleb's brooding form by the window. The morning sun caught his dark hair, highlighting strands of midnight blue she hadn't noticed before. She shook her head, focusing on the problem at hand rather than how unfairly attractive he looked when he was sulking.

"You know what's not going to help find your traitor? Terrorizing everyone who walks through those doors."

"I'm not-"

"You made Jenny cry. She's been volunteering here for six years."

His shoulders slumped. "I'll apologize."

"And what about Mrs. Chen? She brought those amazing dumplings for the volunteers, and you barely grunted at her."

"Those were good dumplings," he admitted.

An idea sparked in her mind, making her straighten. "What if we fed false information to flush out the spy?"

His blue eyes locked onto hers. "Go on."

"We tell different volunteers different pieces of fake intel about having our own spy in Nightfang. See which version makes it back to Victor." She tapped her chin. "Like how we know his favorite breakfast spot, or what time he goes running."

"That... could work."A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You're devious."

"I prefer strategically minded." Heat crept up her neck at his appreciative look. "Besides, wedding planning taught me how to manage drama. You wouldn't believe the schemes I've uncovered between warring mother-in-laws."

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