Chapter 39: Chapter 38

Clive

When I ran with Vera when she first shifted I saw her magnificence and if I was being completely honest with myself then I would have fully soaked in the fact she was a different, and very unique sort of wolf. Me burying my head in the sand and not understanding the gravity of Vera’s lycan was my oversight.

I stared back at myself looking at the glaring bruises placed around my body. Each one represented a spoil of a one sided battle. Vera was more than just a wolf, she ran with a powerful, otherworldly, ancient wolf possessing extraordinary strength, enhanced senses, heightened perceptive awareness and could inflict carnage on a group of seven fully trained wolves.

My brother was in the worst way, and I would have to see about him shortly. I dabbed near the cut above my eyebrow struggling to come to terms with Vera’s wolf. I was a warrior and had traveled far and wide on many reconnaissance missions and I had never experienced such a rare sight.

I mean I’d heard the legend tales about lycans growing up as a young wolf pup, but I didn’t pay much attention back then. Out of sight, out of mind for me. A true lycan, and one which I wanted to protect and had come to love as my sister. The ointment Vera had created was working its magic even though it stung putting it on the lump. My body had taken a beating and all parts of me were weary.

Archer swung past the medic room as I saw the pack nurses moving like the wind to tend to the injuries of Reily’s crew. If only they knew not to mess with her. I raked a hand through my golden hair which when I came back into human form had twigs and leaves entwined in it. So much so anyone would think I’d deliberately created hairstyles with the forest debris.

Archer’s face held a solemn, stoicness to it. He fared only a little better than me. He was dressed in plain clothing. A t-shirt and jeans with a large look-at-me bruise on his chin.

“How are you holding up after everything?” Archer asked as he leaned against the doorframe.

I pulled my lips together in a thin line as I finished up dabbing the stinging liquid on my other wounds on my face. “I’m alive, and still standing. That’s lot more than my brother and his crew. Bet they will never go near Vera again.”

Archer stared through the mirror to look at me as his jaw puckered in and out. “You really think that? Dane is going to have a fit once he learns about her wolf. He won’t allow her to live. Once word gets to him he’s going to take Vera out. She can’t stay here, she won’t survive, Clive.”

Archer was right and I had no ideas on how to tackle the situation. I stepped back from the medic cabinet closing it up. “How is everyone in there?”

Archer crossed his arms as he winced stepping out of the door jamb. “You’re avoiding the subject. You have to consider what I’m telling you. We have to get Vera out of here” Archer switched positions as he hissed with his eyebrows drawing together. One of the nurses looked up with panic in her eyes at us both. They were scared too. The wounding of the other wolves was so bad, they’d used most of the gauze bandages, and were working overtime to restore the health of the perpetrators.

“Archer,” I said tersely. “Did you know? Were you aware of her powers?” Archer remained silent as his eyes flipped around the room now becoming the avoidant one. “Yes,” he declared with simplicity. “I knew. I was there at the border when she changed, however I didn’t know to what extent she had those abilities. I missed that part.” His eyes claimed different, and for the first time upon Archer’s arrival to Mount Hunter I felt as if there were hidden elements to him. Archer eventually removed his gaze from the coming and goings of those around him as we walked in step down the hall. The barracks smelt of blood, and I’d wanted to cover my eyes as I watched the nurses walk out with buckets of blood stained cloths from washing wounds.

“Why wouldn’t you tell me about this? Why would you keep it hidden?” I pushed past him, flabbergasted at him keeping such a huge thing concealed.

“I wanted to give Vera, some... I don’t know... space to breathe. She has endured so much heartbreak in her life that I felt she deserved to shift in peace.”

Archer’s compassion made perfect sense but as we both tip toed past the broken wolves to the mess hall, I felt remorse in the days to come. “I get it, but now we are in danger. She’s in danger. She’s a lycan,” I shook my head so violently my hair flipped forward. I sat down on the nearest chair.

Nobody was in the hall and it was just us. There was an inherent fear that time was running out and we would both need to come up with a plan to defuse the situation. Sliding around in the seat, I couldn’t possibly sit still I regarded Archer’s calm and composure.

“She is a beauty isn’t she?” Archer had a look in his eye that puzzled me, until I gathered he had feelings for Vera. Hard not to have feelings for her. She was sweet, caring, noble, and now fiercer than the blaze of hot sun at the peak of summer in Mount Hunter.

“I can’t disagree with you there,” I muttered through gritted teeth as I discovered a large series of knots at the base of my neck. Archer chuckled as he backed onto one of the trestle tables which had been left standing.

“I think it’s a fairytale story in a way,” Archer mused poignantly as I scoffed as both my eyebrows shot up.

“How so?”

“She was basically being tortured, she lost her parents, and yes okay she shouldn’t have followed them to the battle ground, but their was a fight going on anyway, who knows how it would have ended.” Archer skimmed his fingers over his own wound near his cheek. I forgot he’d been knocked around like me except he was quicker off the mark. He paused for a minute and kept talking. “Then she’s rejected like the ugly ducking or something by her own grandfather who could give two rats if she lives or dies. A bunch of her own pack preying on her at every turn. I would say Vera having the last laugh is justice in its most pure form.”

I rubbed my knees trying to break up the whirring thoughts in my head of Dane’s oncoming wrath.

“You’re making logical sense to me. I hate to say...” my voice trailed off for a moment as a sick feeling washed over my stomach at the sight of my brother when I found him. “I would say my brother deserved all he received. Years of payback wrapped in one,” I admitted gruffly not knowing what to do with myself.

“Dane will be a problem,” Archer reminded me curtly as a nurse scampered along with short steps. “Umm, will you be visiting your brother today Clive? He’s asking along for you now.” My legs were only coming back to life after feeling like wobbling pogo sticks in the last hour.

“I will, later. Thanks,” I snapped as I kept my eyes focused on the sparrow sitting at the window sill. Anything but to deal with what was really going on. If a little bird is what did the trick then so be it.

“Ah, excellent. Thank you for your time.” The kindly nurse was so sweet and doing an amazing job with our pack. I felt the guilt rise up in me as I rose my head to look at her.

“Wait!”

“Yes Clive?” she replied in earnest with not a whine about my behavior. She had mousey brown hair and had tended to my wounds many times after my recon missions.

“Sorry to snap. It’s a tough time.”

“You don’t have to explain. It sure is. Whatever did this to the pack is an evil, gruesome beast. I’ve had to revive them from the near dead. Some of them are lucky to be alive.”

A grimness dropped over the hall as she pointed out the obvious. “You’re right. I’ll be along to see my brother shortly, thanks again to you and all the nurses.”

“You’re welcome. Wait ’til Dane arrives,” she said in passing as a knot formed in my belly. I was normally an extremely confident wolf, but this was going to be all out war.

Archer and I shared a telepathic look that said it all. “Ahhh, what kind of pack have I walked into? All I know is I have to protect Vera, and I will do whatever it takes.” Archer stilled as he stared down at his knuckles. His actions and sentiments were those of a man in love. One who would do anything for their beloved. They were not mates however, Reily and Vera were officially, however she could reject him. Seemed crazy to even think about, but she’d done that already anyway.

A scurry of steps put both of us on guard as Thelma rushed in with her blonde hair about her face.

“What- what the hell is going on? Where’s Vera, I can’t find her. What happened to the pack? My god. What?” Thelma was in hysterics with her eyes bugged out of her head.

“Calm down. It’s going to be okay Thelma.” Archer soothed as best he could but Thelma was off on her tangent already pointing out the door.

“Calm down? Are you losing it? Did you see them in there? Zion, Mathew, Trevor... all of them. Tell me what happened out there?”

Letting my chest rise and fall I stared at her for a few minutes as she licked her lips.

“Thelma... you saw her change. You saw Vera change and you didn’t tell anyone. You knew what she was.”

Gravely she responded as she stuck her head out of the door to see if anyone else was coming.

“Yes, I did. There was no way I could tell you... If word got out and Dane saw she was a lycan, he would be after her for his power,” her words were rushed and came out like tumbleweed. “Too late now,” she said with shrugged shoulders. “Dane is going to do some very, very, very bad things. I can feel it. I bet he already knows. There’s no way he doesn’t know. I have to find Vera. I have to warn her. Aren’t you worried about where she is?” Thelma’s hair was frizzy mess. Normally, she was well put together and not a hair out of place.

I wanted to break up the tension of the situation, so I made an inappropriate joke. I had to find some light in the situation. “Did you stick your hand in a socket Thelma?”

Archer sniggered and she pushed her small hand into his chest. I was next, I put my hands up in front of my chest in mock defense. “Shut up both of you! I’ve gotta find my best friend and you’re in here joking about my freakin’ hair!”

“I think I should come with you. I care about Vera too, trust me.” I let reality sink back in as I regarded Thelma and he made our way out of the mess hall. Other wolves were making their way in as lunch was due to be served. The whole barracks was talking and they way they looked at Vera when she returned was with the respect her wolf so rightly deserved.

“Then act like it Clive. We have to find her before Dane gets to her.” A frown furrowed her brow together as we walked as a trio to the sunlight in search of Vera. The sun might have been shining, but it was a false reality due to come crashing to an end.

“Don’t you think I know that? I’m not stupid Thelma. I have to see my brother also.”

Archer remained silent as his gaze traveled to the country house in the far off distance. The very place that held the fate of the pack. Cupping a hand on his shoulder as the winds on moon goddess ground shifted I stared at him.

“He will have us to contend with,” I reminded him softly as Archer’s grey eyes seemed to look right through me.

“Yes, he will, or we could avoid that whole scenario and get Vera out of here. The whole pack will likely turn on her. She might be able to fight off seven, but can she take on a whole pack? That’s not possible Clive and you know it.” Archer spoke the harsh, undeniable truth I didn’t want to hear.

Pack whispers filled my ears as the veteran and newly trained wolves passed by us into the barracks. The Mount Hunter pack was quietly talking about the lycan and there was no way I could stop it.

“You’ve only spoken truth.” A wave of powerlessness swept over and that was unlike me. I was a fearless, brave warrior and had snared many a wolf in rocky, unyielding terrain, but never this.

“Why do you have to see your brother? Where is he? I hope Vera got him too,” she mumbled as both Archer and I looked at one another. She thumped me on the shoulder. “What? Don’t leave me out. Tell me, you buffoon!”

“Ah, Vera’s lycan made mincemeat out of my brother. I have to go see about him in intensive care. He’s not in a good way, and I can’t say I feel a damn bit sorry for him. Vera’s lycan would have killed him if I didn’t get to her in time. He was hanging to life by a loose thread - he still is.”

“Wow. I can’t believe it. Vera’s wolf did that? She must be proud. I’m sorry Clive, I know it’s your brother, but he tried to ruin Vera’s life at every turn and she slayed all of Reily’s bitches. I’m so proud of her. Now if only I could find her. It’s making my heart ache. Dane is going to come for her ass and he’s got longevity. Vera doesn’t. She’s so awe inspiring Clive. I felt like bowing to her wolf when I saw it. I felt not worthy or something...”

“I can understand... now I understand more. We’ve ran with Vera, but this was different. Her wolf was more powerful, developed this time and three times more resourceful than and brutal than other times. I don’t think she let her lycan come all the way through her.”

“Maybe she couldn’t handle it then. I started to read about the lycan, it has regenerative powers which are second to none. Might explain why Vera has been healing, all her old scars are gone. All of that happened when she turned on her birthday. She’s faster now, quicker with chores. Her eyesight is unmatched. She can see animals from here to the forest door and that’s miles away. Do you know what I mean? She’s incredible. Parts of her are still human in lycan form. She can shift back and forth into humanoid form. I don’t know if she knows all that yet. I want to tell her.”

“I’m aware, I don’t she bothered because of mindlink. She can telepathically connect with the pack so why shift back and forth. She doesn’t really need to.” As we discussed Vera’s powers, Archer, I noticed had slipped away from us. Probably to find Vera.