“You wanna pull a prank on hunters?! Have you lost your mind?!”

“They’re getting too close to our territory, it’s the perfect plan. Besides, it will also work like an alarm, so we know they’re here. Like I said, it’s perfect,” I stated, completely sure of my words. Nothing could go wrong. None of us would risk our lives, it would not threaten nature or our home, and we could observe the result from a distance. It was a smart plan, something the hunters certainly didn't expect from us. After all, they thought we were years behind the times.

We didn't leave our village unless absolutely necessary, and those who worked outside the home usually commuted to far away towns so no one could identify them as pack members. The others were either taking care of the household, running the pack, making products to sell, or doing their work online. So, to the outside world, it looked like we lived only on what we grew or caught, that we had no more than a basic education, and we only communicated with each other. What a bullshit. We may have been animals, but we were still humans too.

I was one of those online workers. I specialized in IT and web design but also learned other stuff during my studies. One of them was creating holograms and positioning them to look as realistic as possible. A neat little thing that I haven't had a chance to try in practice yet. That is, until now.

“If I lose my beta position over this…” Sam voiced uncertainly. Technically he wasn't a beta yet, but he was chosen for this position for the future, the very near future. And even though he was close with the future alpha, he and I have always had a close relationship since we were little kids. Maybe that's why they valued my opinion in the pack, even though I didn't come from any powerful family.

“Don’t worry, you won’t lose anything. I promise. We can ask Mason's permission first if that helps,” I assured him knowing that with alpha permission, everything was always easier.

“Too late for that, don’t you think?” It kinda was. I already had all the necessary things I needed for my plan in the car. It would be a shame not to use them.

"Then go ask him, and I'll wait for you at the place for now." I quickly solved the problem. I didn't want to dwell on something that I thought would work out anyway. Mason would be a fool if he didn't like my plan. He knew about my abilities and was smart enough to understand that we had nothing to lose. I never had a reason to question him, and he never had to question me. I respected him as an alpha, and he valued my ideas. Although he wasn't an alpha yet, like Sam, he had yet to reach his position, but I already knew that he was the perfect fit for it. Not because of how he treated me but the pack in general. He gave everyone a chance to reach their full potential.

"But it's your plan. How do I get the point across to him?" Sam remarked.

"Just tell him I've devised the perfect trap for hunters. No one has to set it off, they'll do it themselves, and we'll watch the results from afar, so if anything goes wrong, we'll be the first to know,” I reasoned. There was really nothing to go wrong. And that was an objective opinion.

“Okay, I'm going to see him. I'll see you in 10.” Sam waved goodbye, and in a second, I was looking at the dark brown wolf instead. He ran towards the main house, and I turned my attention back to the car full of technology.

I quickly scanned the contents of the trunk with my eyes. Satisfied with its contents, I slammed the door shut and moved to the driver's door. I got in, and the sound of a starting engine immediately surrounds me as I turn the key.

Carefully moving along the makeshift roads that we created ourselves, I reached the border of our territory. It was on this side that we came closest to a large city a few miles to the east. The only border with a sparse forest, at the end of which a second-class road could be seen in the distance. The border where we were most vulnerable. We didn't go here often, we watched it from a distance, mainly with cameras, since it was in this place where people could see huge wolves that no one could explain.

I tended to take patrol on this side. My wolf was not as big as some of the warriors, and during the years I was away from our village, I learned to tread almost inaudibly. The colour of my coat also helped. It looked like the fur of a common wolf in the wild.

It also meant that I knew the place better than others.

I parked the car far enough out of sight from the main road and quietly moved closer. Hidden behind a tree, I listened for a while to make sure I was alone. Like I said, it wasn't exactly a safe place, and going here alone was quite a risk. I waited a little longer to be sure, but the only sounds I heard were birds and small forest mammals.

I looked at the briefcase lying at my feet and carefully began to take out everything I needed from it. My fingers were shaking with excitement, and I couldn't wait for everything to be done.

“Everything looks good?” Sam contacted me via mind link as I was just finishing everything. All the devices were working, the cameras were set in the right direction, and nothing could be seen at first glance. I was satisfied.

“All good,” I answered shortly, humming to myself. Now all that was left to do was return home and watch the cameras.

“Sorry I couldn’t help.” Sam ended up not arriving as he was held up by other duties, but he had made sure Mason was fine with my plan beforehand. Plus, he had someone watch the cameras in case there were any problems.

“No worries. I have it all set up, and it didn’t even take that long,” I responded in my mind, already sitting back in the car. The hardest part was over, now all that was left to do was wait.

…

“So, when they cross that line, the holograms will automatically start, and they will be surrounded. Of course, the sound will get them first and they will hear growls like never before. I've programmed the holograms to move even faster than us so they think they've encountered their most powerful opponents, so it will take them longer to figure out that what they're seeing isn't real. I also connected them to motion sensors, so they should at least be able to dodge for a while. Moreover, if we were to be lucky and come across not the smartest hunters, they might think they are being haunted by ghosts. That would be hilarious,” I finished my explanation of the plan to the pack heads, laughing a little. I couldn't help it, the idea was too comical.

“What if someone else shows up? Tourists or even some animals,” Mason questioned. Fortunately, I was prepared for this situation and considered all possibilities.

“The first thing that starts is a sound signal that serves as a warning for us and for them - a growl. After it, exactly one minute is set, during which the person at the cameras decides whether to stop the visual effects or not. I set up a simple control, so you only need to press a single button to stop it,” I clarified, and I could tell by the nodding of their heads that they understood. Not that it was hard to comprehend.

"You really thought it through. I like it. Good job, Colby.” Mason’s mouth curled up into a proud smile, and I couldn’t be happier. Pleasing your future alpha was always nice.

“Agree. You really outdid yourself this time, Colby.” Pleasing your current alpha was even better. No one present seemed to want to protest against the approval of the two alphas, and my plan was not only approved but also appreciated. Now it was just a matter of waiting to see if it would be successful.