"Of course, Alpha. We will not fail." Mikael replied, a chill running down his spine at the steel in his Alpha's voice.
He turned to leave, but Marcus's voice stopped him once more.
"Wait, Mikael. There is more we need to discuss."
"Yes, sir?" Mikael pivoted back, facing his Alpha with renewed attention.
Marcus leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk.
"I have been thinking about Alpha Victor's elder son, Asher. The one who remains in the pack." He began slowly.
Mikael nodded, recalling the information they had gathered.
"Ah yes, Victor's firstborn. The one who chose not to attend the academy with his brother." He chimed in.
"Precisely. From what our sources tell us, he's quite... shall we say, impressionable?" Alpha Marcus asked rhetorically, a calculating gleam in his eye.
Mikael caught on quickly.
"Indeed, Alpha. Our reports suggest he is more interested in leisure than pack politics. Some might even call him an airhead." He chipped in.
At that, Alpha Marcus's lips curled into a smirk.
"Perfect. An easily manipulated piece on our chessboard. I want you to find a way to exploit this weakness. Asher could be our key to penetrating Victor's inner circle." He maintained.
"A brilliant strategy, Alpha." Mikael agreed, his mind already formulating plans.
"What approach would you suggest?" He inquired.
Alpha Marcus stood, pacing thoughtfully.
"Start with flattery. Appeal to his ego. Make him feel important, valued. Then slowly feed him information - nothing too sensitive at first. Let's see how he handles it." He said.
Mikael nodded, taking mental notes.
"And if he proves receptive?" He questioned further.
"Then we push further. We could use him to sow discord within Victor's pack, or even as a direct line to Victor himself. The possibilities are endless." The Alpha replied, his voice low and intense.
"I understand, Alpha. I will put our best operatives on this immediately." Mikael assured him.
Marcus nodded approvingly.
"Good. This could be the advantage we need. Keep me updated on any progress." He instructed.
"Of course, sir. Is there anything else?" Mikael asked, ready to carry out his Alpha's orders.
"That is all for now. Remember, Mikael, every move we make brings us one step closer to our goal. We must be patient, but decisive." The Alpha maintained firmly.
"Understood, Alpha. We won't let you down." Mikael said with conviction. Then he bowed deeply, turned and left the study, his mind buzzing with the new possibilities this plan presented.
As the door closed behind Mikael, Alpha Marcus returned to his seat, a satisfied expression on his face. The pieces were in motion, and soon, very soon, everything would change.
~~~~~~~~~~
Back at the campus; the first period was over and it was time for lunch.
"Where is Liam?" Clarissa asked no one in particular as she got to the table that was always reserved for her and her bethroted.
Lena who was behind her quickly glanced through the bustling hall.
"He is nowhere around here. Do you think he has perhaps go after that nobody? Remember how he wanted to chase after her at..." Lena was saying, with concern etched on her face but couldn't finish before Clarissa cut her short.
"Why would he skip lunch just to go after that nobody?" Clarissa snapped, directing her anger at her concerned friend.
Lena pressed her lips into a thin line.
"I was just..." She tried to talk again but got interrupted.
"Keep quiet if you don't have a better idea. He surely won't go after her!" Clarissa snapped again, her eyes darting around the hall in search of him.
"Huh! The queen is at it again." Lena thought to herself and bit her lower lip uncomfortably but she remained silent in order not to upset Clarissa further.
"I'm out of here." Clarissa announced, dropping her untouched food tray on the table and before her friend could protest, she was already making her way out of the hall.
"Wait, where are you going?" Lena yelled.
Reluctantly, she slumped her shoulders, heaving in defeat then trotted after Clarissa.
~~~~~~~~~
As Clarissa stormed out of the cafeteria, lost in her frustration, she didn't notice Caleb until she collided with his muscular frame.
"Easy there!" Caleb said, steadying her with a hand on her arm.
"You look like you are on a warpath. Let me guess - looking for your elusive fiancé?" He stated as he studied her face.
"How did you know?" Clarissa narrowed her eyes.
"It's written all over your face. You are practically steaming." Caleb chuckled, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"I just don't understand where he could be." Clarissa huffed, crossing her arms.
Caleb's expression turned sympathetic.
"Well, you should be worried about the new girl, Clarissa."
Clarissa clenched her jaw at the mention of Flora.
"I am Clarissa. I don't have to worry about anything, especially about a nobody like her." She said stiffly.
"Come on, Clarissa. We both know Liam has been paying her a lot of attention lately. But you know what? There are ways to keep your man focused on you." Caleb said, his voice lowering conspiratorially.
That piqued Clarissa's interest despite herself.
"What do you mean?" She questioned.
"Well, for starters, you need to keep him busy. When he is busy, he won't have time to chase after anybody." Caleb pointed out, a sly grin spreading across his face.
"That... actually makes sense," Clarissa admitted grudgingly.
"Of course it does." Caleb said, puffing up slightly.
Clarissa nodded slowly, her mind whirring with possibilities.
"Do you have suggestions on how I can keep him busy?" She inquired.
Caleb glanced around the hallway, then leaned in closer.
"Of course, I have different strategies that might help, but this isn't really the place to discuss them." He told her.
"Where then?" Clarissa asked, her earlier anger forgotten in her eagerness for more advice.
A slow smile spread across Caleb's face.
"Actually, I have got something to show you. It might just give you the edge you need to keep Liam's attention where it belongs. Will you follow me?" He asked her.
Clarissa hesitated for a moment, glancing back towards the cafeteria.
Then, she made her decision without thinking and she turned back to Caleb with determination in her eyes.
"Lead the way." She said firmly.