Claws and code

Who's that?

David had taken quite a beating and his father had told him he wasn't allowed to shift for the week it would take his body to heal. Shifting sped up the healing process even more and they already healed so fast.

Daniel didn't care the other pack delegations would be here in two days and see his son all bruised and battered. Cindy explained that violence was natural and harsh punishments the norm. We had a good pack and it wasn't needed often. She admitted that they had kept me away from any public punishments prior to this one. She also assured me that nobody would think any less of either Daniel or David, or the pack.

When the other packs arrived, I was housebound. The first day they would surely go into the systems room during their tour so I couldn't be there. I set up my laptop, linked to the work stations in the systems room so I could spy on the new arrivals. I had however privately asked the Alpha for permission first. Daniel had laughed and told me to tape any embarrassing footage of the delegations. I told him I could tap into all the security footage but he wouldn't let me spy on them everywhere. The systems room was my territory and he said that gave me the right to at least see that.

I heard the cars arrive but was called into the kitchen at the back of the house for coffee. I heard the doors open and close but Cindy went and closed the windows and doors before I could hear anything more than two greetings. I tried to sneak into my room to peek out of the windows but one of my lovely adopted brothers was lying on my bed with a big smirk. 'Mum said you might try to sneak away to have a look. We can't let you. You are dealing with top of the line lycans, Mowgli, they can sense it if someone is watching them.'

Grabbing my laptop with a bored sigh I dropped on the bed beside him. He curiously looked at my fingers flying over the keyboard. The meeting room blinked into existence on my screen. Technically the meeting room was adjoined to the systems room and I worked in it a lot. I had happily used that as a justification for setting up a computer in there to spy on the meetings. If the Alpha found out, I had my excuse ready.

I put in my headphones so that it couldn't be heard downstairs and then pulled a bud out to give to my now pale faced, sorta sibling. 'You could get into so much trouble for this!' He whispered.

'Only if they find out.' I glared at him. He dropped the earbud like it was poisonous and walked to the comfy chair by the window.

'I know nothing.' He mumbled as he turned his head away and closed his eyes.

People had filed into the room while we had our little exchange. I could immediately tell the Alphas and their Betas apart from their systems people. And I could tell whom the security guys were because none of them sat down. Knowing how sensitive their ears were, I couldn't zoom the camera on anyone because they might hear the slight hum of the machine. For now, the computer looked like it was off. Supernatural Suckers! This little human wasn't going to be excluded.

Much to my disgust none of the Alpha's and Betas introduced themselves, they simply introduced their systems people. I just had to be happy with what I could get. Thankfully they didn't engage in small talk, they went straight to business. My view of David and his father was via the mirror across from them and I could see David glaring at someone. Even when other people spoke his gaze never left this guy. I memorised his face, that had to be the snitch and I promised myself a date with his system.

The problems they'd had, had been happening for a good while before they caught on. Somebody had been discretely mining their machines, going deeper and deeper every time. If it hadn't been for an accidental, late night system dive from one of their people they wouldn't have found it. But when they tried to trace it, they ended up in the system of another pack and no closer to whomever was doing it.

One of the visitors opened his computer and turned it to Daniel and David.

'So, are you the infamous Mowgli?' The guy asked David as he pushed his laptop over to show him something. I tried to read the screen but it was too far away and David blocked most of the screen. Zooming in was now very tempting.

David growled and finally snapped at this. 'It's been more than five years since I told one person, one thing in private. I thought I could trust this person.'

'Dude, wait till you see this!' The man he'd been glaring at replied. 'We can't even find a signature on this mole. We need help and we need the best. I tried contacting Mowgli on the dark web, thankfully I used a standalone because all I got was freaking monkeys invading my system and tossing my files.. Like literally, on screen and then I found out that while the graphics did that, the whole system on that machine had been pulled apart too.'

One of the other guys growled. 'Same here.'

I grinned, pleased with myself. I did that to everyone who tried to contact Mowgli. I even made sure that it traced back to the Amazon region. Looking at my Alpha, I noticed a wry smile on his face, he put his hand on Daniel's arm.

'I understand the scope of the problem, that is why I invited you all here. Mowgli is one of mine and we will help.'

All the system guys looked ecstatic until he added. 'But nobody meets Mowgli.'

One of the Alphas asked why that was the case and everyone seemed to hold their breath. This would be interesting. They could tell if someone was lying and I was pretty sure Daniel didn't want everyone to know he had an unattached human in his pack.

'Mowgli has had a hard life and it took a long time before we established a good relationship where Mowgli accepted the adoption family and the pack without doubts, suspicion or fear.'

He deftly avoided saying he or she, Go Alpha Daniel! I grinned to myself.

'Why would there be fear or suspicion to your pack? Did you steal Mowgli from another pack through a mate bond?'

'We did not steal Mowgli! Mowgli had been hurt quite badly by people who should have protected and loved the little one, after the parents died. There were inherent trust issues, bred by a lonely and painful childhood.'

One of the men that stood against the wall spoke. I couldn't see which one but his voice was delicious. 'How do we know that this Mowgli isn't behind all this, if he's that smart? If we can't meet this person and talk to him, how do we trust him?'

'Why would we want you_' David started talking but I was interrupted from the answer because my little brother had pulled my earplugs out and was looking at the screen in suspicion.

'You are aroused. Who are you looking at?' The blush staining my cheeks had to be bright red. Aroused. And he wasn't wrong either. Just that voice had been enough to make me fantasise while trying to find out which one had spoken. A shiver ran through me as I thought about it.

Snapping my laptop shut, I stood up and marched to the door.