Garrett nodded. It was a delicate balance...showing strength without appearing suspicious or defensive.

By midday, he made his way to the omega work areas.

The omegas were scattered across multiple sections of the compound, each team assigned to different preparation tasks. Some were cleaning and organizing the guest quarters. Others were preparing the kitchens and dining areas. Still others were organizing the storerooms where supplies would be kept during the Summit.

Lilith was part of the team cleaning the guest quarters.

Garrett spotted her working on one of the upper-level suites, scrubbing surfaces with focused intensity. Her movements were efficient, economical, directed toward completing the task. But even from a distance, Garrett could see the exhaustion in the set of her shoulders. The way she moved suggested her body was struggling to keep up with the demands being placed on it.

She’d volunteered for the extra shifts. Of course she had. He’d heard from Dora that the omega who’d been sent to the Blackwoods as payment was taking on additional work despite obvious physical strain. It spoke to either desperation or determination...probably both.

Garrett didn’t linger. He simply noted her presence and moved on.

Emma was working nearby, helping another omega move furniture. She worked with a steady, sustainable pace, not pushing herself to exhaustion, but maintaining consistent effort. The contrast between her approach and Lilith’s desperate intensity was notable.

Cole, the hard-looking omega, was directing a team with surprising competence. She clearly had some experience with organizational work, and the omegas responded to her authority.

Dora was overseeing all of them, moving between work areas, checking on progress, ensuring that the tasks were being completed correctly.

When Dora spotted Garrett, she straightened slightly.

"Alpha," she said, approaching him. "The first day is progressing well. The omegas are working hard. The extra wages have motivated them."

"Good," Garrett said. "Make sure they’re not pushing themselves to injury. We need them functional for the next three weeks."

"Understood," Dora said.

Garrett left the omega work areas and made his way back toward the main administrative building.

The day was advancing, and there was still much to discuss with the elders. Political protocol. Resource allocation. How to position Shadowmere during the Summit. How to navigate the presence of so many powerful alphas in their territory.

The elders were already waiting in Garrett’s office when he arrived.

Elder Theodore, Elder Mateo, and Elder Rivers were seated around the conference table, papers and maps spread before them. They’d been working since early morning, strategizing about the logistics and politics of hosting the Summit.

"Status?" Garrett asked, taking his seat at the head of the table.

"The compound can accommodate approximately one hundred visiting alphas," Elder Rivers said, reviewing his notes. "The guest quarters will need to be expanded slightly, but we can manage it. We’re coordinating with the kitchen staff to ensure we have adequate food supplies."

"Security?" Garrett asked.

"We’re positioning warriors strategically," Elder Mateo said. "Visible enough to show we’re serious about protection, but not so obvious that it appears we’re hostile. We’re also reviewing the alphas who’ve confirmed attendance, identifying which ones have historical rivalries or territorial disputes that might escalate during the Summit."

Elder Theodore was studying the political map spread across the table.

"The real challenge," he said quietly, "is navigating the politics. There will be alphas here from packs that view Shadowmere as competition. There will be alphas here from packs that have grievances against us. We need to position ourselves strategically, show strength without appearing aggressive, show openness without appearing weak."

"And there’s still the question of why we were chosen," Elder Mateo said. His voice carried the underlying concern that had been present since the letter arrived. "The Supreme Council doesn’t make decisions like this randomly. There has to be a reason."

Garrett had been thinking about this constantly. The question gnawed at him every moment. Why Shadowmere? What was the Supreme Council’s motivation?

"For now, we proceed as if we were chosen because we’re capable," Garrett said. "We prove that capability by hosting the Summit flawlessly. If there’s an ulterior motive, we’ll discover it when the time comes."

The elders nodded, though none of them looked entirely convinced.

They spent the next several hours reviewing details. The layout of the main hall. The security protocols. The political positioning. The alpha families who would be attending. The ones who might present challenges. The ones who might be allies.

Outside, the work continued. The compound was being transformed. Warriors and omegas moved with purpose, driven by the urgency of the deadline and the weight of the responsibility.

Garrett was reviewing supply requisitions when the mindlink came.

Luke’s presence appeared in his mind with sudden clarity: "Alpha, a letter has just been delivered to the estate gate. From the Blackwood alphas."

Garrett’s hands stilled on the paperwork before him.

The Blackwood alphas. Why would they be sending a letter now? Three weeks before the Summit. The contract with Lilith had been fulfilled. The debt had been paid. There was no pending business between Shadowmere and the Blackwoods.

Unless there was.

Unless something had changed.

Garrett responded immediately via mindlink: "Bring it to my office right now."

"Yes, Alpha," Luke confirmed.

Garrett looked at the three elders still seated around the conference table, engaged in discussion about political protocol.

"We have a visitor," Garrett said quietly.

The elders looked up, immediately sensing something in his tone.

"The Blackwood alphas have sent a letter," he continued. "It’s being brought to my office now."

The silence that followed was heavy.

Elder Theodore’s expression shifted, not to surprise, but to calculation. Like pieces on a board had just moved and he was reassessing the game.

"The Blackwoods," Elder Mateo said slowly. "Why would they...."

"We’ll find out," Garrett said.

The three elders exchanged glances, their earlier discussion about protocol and supply management suddenly seeming much less important than whatever the Blackwood alphas had to say.

The office fell silent as they waited.

Outside, the compound continued its frenetic activity. Warriors moved materials. Omegas worked on cleaning and organizing. The first day of preparation continued with relentless momentum.

But inside Garrett’s office, the atmosphere had shifted. Something significant was happening. Something that tied into the mystery of why the Supreme Council had chosen Shadowmere to host the Summit.

And three weeks from now, the answers would arrive on Shadowmere’s grounds.

Garrett stood and moved to the window, looking out at his pack’s territory.

The Blackwood alphas. The Supreme Council’s decision. The unexplained letter arriving on the first day of preparation.

He didn’t know what it meant yet.

But his instincts, sharp from years of navigating pack politics, told him that this letter was significant.

That this letter changed things.

The knock on his office door came moments later.

Luke stood in the doorway, a sealed letter in his hands. The Blackwood seal was unmistakable, the family crest of three intertwined wolves, dark and powerful.

"The letter, Alpha," Luke said, extending it.