Falconâs POV
We had five trucks packed within two hours. Anna had even packed fresh sandwiches..drinks, and candy for the pups. Sheâd found three large canvas tents in one of the shedsâ¦determined to make things easier. I love this woman! She puts everyone first!
Taking off for the rogue camp, I told her âMost rogues are scumâ¦so I donât want you to get your hopes up. They may refuse our help altogether⦠I donât want your heart to hurt, corazonâ mio!â She just smiles âIâm not worried. My daddy and mama used to do this when rogues would ask permission to cross our territory. Daddy always said âferal rogues just takeâ¦they wouldnât ask permissionâ so, thatâs what Iâm hoping forâ¦that none are feral!â
She teaches us something every day! Almost an hour later, we rolled up to the loo campâ¦and several men walked close to the trucks. And before I could stop her, Anna hopped from the truck and had her outstretched hand ready to shake the oldest manâs hand âHi! Iâm Anna Rivera! Luna to Amber Mountain. We brought some things we are hoping will improve your living conditions a little better. Please say youâll accept themâ He shook her hand âAlvin Beckerâ¦we donât want no charityâ she scoffs âIt isnât charityâ¦I am hoping to barter the items for information. I would never expect you to accept something for nothing!â
Well shit! Sheâs clever! Alvin smiles âI donât know if I have any information valuable enough to trade for goods..but I reckon I can let you decide!â She grins..ear to ear and shouts âYâall wanna come help us unload these trucks?â And thirty people haul ass over grabbing boxes.
âAlvinâ¦come meet my mateâ¦Falcon, this is Alvin Becker!â I stuck my hand out âWeâve met..when we spoke several months back about your group setting up camp⦠Is there someplace we can sit and have a chat?â He nodded and led the way to a firepit with stumps as seats. We all satâ¦as I looked around the pups were eating and men were setting tents..laughing and talking.
Alvin tells us â I canât thank you enough. The tents will keep out of the weather with those!â I laugh â This is all my Lunaâs doing. It never crossed my mindâ¦to my shame!â He nods âwhat can I help you with?â Anna looks at us âIâm playing with the pups..this is mantalkâ we laughedâ¦.âWhen have you ever not wanted to be at the center of the conversation?â She laughed âsince Pups, Falcon! Since Pups!â
I look over at Alvin and ask âwhat can you tell me about hunters? I have reason to think I may be having issue with some soonâ He watches me for a long silent moment. âHunters..dirtbagsâ¦they hunt weres for sportâ¦for fun. They killed my mateâ¦and my son. Four years ago we were a happy family of five.. living in a small town out of Cheyenne.. We are registered as lone wolves with the councilâ¦.my mate and oldest child had gone hunting for elk.. and hunters spotted them leaving town. Followed them out into the forestâ¦shot my mate first, thatâs pain I wouldnât wish on my worst enemy.. when my son tried to protect herâ¦they filled him with silver buckshot. When I reported the murders to the council, I was told they couldnât and wouldnât do anything. That by applying for lone wolf status absolves them of any responsibility for us.â
Iâm shockedâ¦I knew council didnât feel responsible for roguesâ¦but lone wolves are registered with them! And they donât protect them? Thatâs bullshit! âHave you ever heard of a man named Cyrus Culver?â He jumped up and growled âThat son of a bitch created the shotgun shells with silver shot.. for Hunters Glenâ¦a militant groupâ¦they have arrows with silver heads.. all courtesy of that bastard. He hunts with themâ¦because he can scent us! Is that who youâre having a problem with? Because I will gladly fight alongside of you!â
I tell him I know heâs involvedâ¦possibly two of his sons! He growls again and then looks up and says âSnow? Itâs July? The fuck!?â And I laugh as I look over at my mateâ¦lying on a blanket of snowâ¦surrounded by ten pupsâ¦making snow angels! I holler âBabyâ¦did you make it snow?â She giggled and jumped up..making snowballs and throwing one at me! The pups were making little snowmen and rolling around with her. Alvin laughs âsheâs a big kid, ainât she?!â And I just nod!
âSorry about that. She distracts me.. How many men do you have with you? Iâm going to step up border patrol out hereâ¦so donât be alarmed.. If they ever tell you thereâs trouble..would you take your group to the nearest bunker? I can protect you. And, if youâd like..you can petition our pack for sanctuary and we could move your camp onto our land. Itâs something to think aboutâ¦and everyone would need to be vetted..but the offer is there!â He sat there quietlyâ¦with a look of shock on his faceâ¦then a tear rolled down his cheek. He asked âCan I get back to you in a day or so? I want to run it past the groupâ¦.Good Goddess! To be pack again! Thatâd really be something! To know my twin girls would be protected! Yeah! Thatâd be something!â
I hear Anna singingâ¦Do you wanna build a snowman? Come on! Letâs go and play. I never see you anymoreâ¦Itâs like youâve gone awayâ¦. and she was skipping in a circle around a tiny foot tall snowman, holding the pups hands. They were giggling and her face was so happy. Then, I realizedâ¦she never got to do any of that. Not play in the snowâ¦or with other pups⦠and I run over and scoop her up spinning her in a circleâ¦faster and faster..and she laughed so hard! I said âTime to go home.. we have to check on some thingsâ We said our goodbyes and I told Alvin to come talk when he was ready!
On our way home, I told Anna what Alvin and I have talked about and he was talking to his group about sanctuary! She squealed and hugged meâ¦kissing me all over my face!
We walked into the office..Anna immediately going to research the hunterâs group Alvin told us about. My phone rang and I immediately had it on speaker.