Chapter 50: Chapter 49

After finding out about Reily’s paw getting chopped off, my hand throbbed all day. If this was how bad it hurt second-hand, I wondered how horrible the pain must have been for Reily. Was he not getting treated? Did anyone bother to give him anesthesia? While I wasn’t too invested in his comfort, the ongoing pain I felt was worrisome, not to mention distracting during training this morning.

Archer and I left after dawn, to practice combat skills and keep up my strength. After having ample time to heal from my wounds from the mating ceremony, as well as mentally from the betrayal (although the psychological scars might be more long-term, especially the mating bond that had fizzled out in side me.) Other then occasional inputs that were so vague and mysterious, my wolf remained silent. It felt lke something had died inside me, which made sense. It was hard to recover from a rejection as a werewolf. A soul bond was much more grave to break than marriage.

While sparring, I couldn’t help but be distracted by not only my aching hand but also my running thoughts. What was going on back there? Was Clive okay? Why did Dane’s cut Reily’s hand off - well, actually that one was obvious. He clearly wanted to get a message across to me, to lure me their into his own trap.

I barely managed to dodge a jab from Archer, dropped down and swiping my leg around to catch him. He avoided it, and I had to quickly jump up to prevent his next hit from landing. I thought about Reily; I didn’t know how I felt about the horrible fate of his lost paw. Objectively, of course, it was something only a deranged person would do - chop off an arm was not the act of a rational, honor-bound alpha, that’s for sure.

At the same time, karma was karma. Reily had plenty of times to change his ways and learn from his consequences, and yet he chose repeatedly not to. Eventually, one had to get what was coming to him. Dane’s random act of baseless violence was not in Reily’s hands, but for someone who tried to slay his mate, it was difficult to feel bad for him. If anything, I pitied him, for this was a permanent injury. Healing abilities or not, werewolves couldn’t suddenly regenerate a limb.

I shot out with a right hook to block Archer’s punch. At the impact of my knuckles with his forearm, a throbbing pain inflamed my wrist, and I nearly hissed out in pain. Instead, I bit my lip until I tasted salty blood and kept going with the spar.

After the training, Archer and I changed into wolf form and run through the woods for a nice post-workout run. I was sweating through my wolf fur, partly from the exertion, but also from the heightened bond. I was feeling the agony of Reily’s paw as if it were me own, and by the end, I was nearly limping.

When we transformed back and put our clothes back on, I was hit by another spark and this time, I couldn’t stop myself from nursing my hand to my chest, rubbing it as if it would help.

“Ouch,” I groaned, the throbbing making my skin crawl.

“Vera, what is it?” Archer asked, concerned. He came closer, trying to take a look at my hand. It fit into his palm perfectly, small and dainty against his large, veined ones.

“I think it’s the mate bond. I’m feeling all of Reily’s pain.” I grimaced at the constant reminder of lost hopes and failed attempt at love.

“Shit,” he cursed. “If only he was the only one feeling it.” He rubbed my hand gently, his touch soothing away the sharp edges of the pain.

“Archer, even I wouldn’t wish amputation on my worst enemy.”

“Well, you kind of nearly did it yourself.” He cocked an eyebrow.

I groaned. “You know I wasn’t under my own control.”

Exasperatedly, he squeezed my hand. “Listen, Vera. The asshole deserved it. Even after you beating him up after he tried to kill you during the ceremony, he still wanted to take you on again. Clive told me himself.”

“He said what?” I perked up at his words, unable to believe that Reily really learned nothing from the ordeal.

“He said he overheard Reily planning on revenge. If hadn’t been bedridden he would have been the first to hunt you down.”

I stayed silent, disappointed but not surprised. I didn’t know what I expected.

“Well, I’m glad he’s so...consistent. You can always count on Reily for that,” I said sarcastically. I was really over the pity-party phase when it came to Reily rejecting me as his mate (at the very least) and practically chasing me down to slaughter (at the very most).

“Are you sure you’re okay? I’ve never heard of a mate bond causing one to take on the person’s injury, but with your luck, you could be the first.”

Taking my hand from his, I began leading us out of the woods. “Ha ha,” I said dryly. “I’ll let you know if my hand starts falling off.”

Behind me, his musical laughter joined the soft rustle of trees and early morning birds twittering.

***

With every reminder my wrist gave me of Reily’s state, my anxiety rose to a fever-pitch. I’d been sitting on the couch, entertaining myself with my book, while Archer was in the kitchen doing something. Thoughts of what was going on back home kept entering my mind, making me reread every sentence several times. Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore and had to stand up and expel my nervous energy.

I paced back and forth across the worn out carpet, threatening to bore holes into it with my boots. I felt my body slick with sweat, yet chills crawled down my back from the potential risk Dane posed to Mount Hunter. The ongoing pain of my wrist from Reily’s end didn’t help.

At that moment, Archer came back from the kitchen, a cup of tea in his hands. He noticed my fervent pacing and anxious demeaner. I was a hairsbreadth away from biting through my nails and fingers.

“Vera, you need to calm down,” he said soothingly, giving me an exasperated look. He pushed the cup of tea into my hands. The cup was chipped but the heat warmed my hands in a comforting way. I took a small sip, the searing liquid slipping down my throat, leaving a satisfying warmth in its warmth. I had to admit, it was grounding.

“Chamomile?” I asked, taking another sip. It was good.

Looking a little shy for some reason, he chuckled. “Yeah, no honey or sugar though. I hope that’s alright.”

I hummed. “It’s delicious. Thank you.” The thoughts rolling around in my mind since finding out about Reily came back to the forefront. I placed the cup down on the coffee table. “Archer, I need to tell you something.”

Warily, he nodded. “Go on.”

“I...have to go back.”

“Back? To Mount Hunter you mean?” An incredulous expression appeared on his face. “You can’t be serious.”

I took a deep breath, running a hand through my already disheveled hair. “I am so serious. I have return to help them. Reilly is dying, I can feel it in my own hand. He’s losing a lot of blood. And while I’m not that sympathetic to him right now, I can’t help but imagine what Dane might do next. His screws are loose. If he dares to do something so gruesome to a pack member, who knows what he could do to the pack. Clive was worried about this exact thing, remember?”

He placed his hands on my shoulders, steadying his gaze. “Look, Vera. I know you want to go back and see what you can do. But it’s insane over there - they want to find you adn do who knows what with you.”

I squeezed my eyes shut at the truth. “I know. I know the town hates me and wants me dead. I know Dane is after me. But I can’t just…stay here and do nothing.”

He shook me, albeit gently.

“You’re not doing nothing, you’re staying safe.”

“But what about Reily?”

“Going there is exactly what Dane wants!” He exploded. “You’re walking righting into his hands. And who’s to say he won’t kill Reily even if you get there.”

“No, Archer. Think about Clive. That’s his brother. I’m worried what he would do to the pack, to him, to Thelma. He won’t stop at Reily and you know it. We…I have to face him eventually.”

He flinched slightly at my change, excluding him from my words. Yet it was true; Archer might help me, and be by my side, but just like he wasn’t there for me these past five years, just like he couldn’t help me when I was punished by Dane in the basement or with chores or injuries, he couldn’t be with all the time. Facing Dane was my own battle, one that I had to conquer or lose on my own.

“Even if you go and save Reily,” Archer’s voice lowered to a hush, seeming broken. “Even if you try to stop the pack’s downfall, they won’t accept you. Not while you’re Lycan.”

“Thanks for the reminder, Archer,” I gave him a wry smile. “But at the end of the day, it’s my pack. And it was my parents’ home. I have to do this.”

“You’d sacrifice your freedom for a wimp? Vera, we could go to Beartown and end all of this. Dane wouldn’t dare try to get you from Beartown.”

“I think you’re forgetting that freedom has always been a far-off dream to me, one that I was ready to lose even when I ran away from the pack. And just because Reily would slit my throat in a heartbeat doesn’t mean I’m like him. I don’t want this cycle to keep going. That’s why I have to go. I’m done letting Dane get the best of me.”

I walked over to the kitchen counter, pouring a glass of water from the sink. “I’m done running away,” I finished my spiel with a swig of water.

Helplessly, Archer gestures with his hands, picking his shoulders up into a shrug. “What do you even plan to do f you go.”

Slamming the glass down with a thunk, I answered, “Get Reily out of there. You take him, Clive, Thelma, and anyone who needs help to safety. I face Dane…after coordinating with my wolf to balance her powers with my consciousness. I want to be present for this fight.

“You’re actually going to go up against him,” Archer asked with disbelief and a shot of anger rushed through me. I strode over to him, raising a hand to point a finger at his chest.

“You think I can’t?” I hissed.

Surprised, and evidently regretful, he said, “No, not at all. I just meant…”

“After everything I’ve been through, I refuse to think lowly of myself or my abilities ever again. I’ve come a long way. I’m not the weak girl who took punches. I have a lot saved up that I need to give back, and it’s all going to Dane.”

Archer wrapped his hand around mine, finger still pointing at him. “I’m just worried Vera. I don’t want you to get hurt…again.”

I stared into his silver eyes, smiling sadly. “I appreciate it, I really do. But this is what I feel is right. I’ll regret not going.”

Sighing, he seemed to succumb to my words reluctantly; it showed in how he slumped his shoulders and relaxed his face from the tense lines he’d donned while arguing. Despite that, he still said, “I don’t know Vera. I’m not with you on this one, but who am I to stop you.” He separated himself from me, letting go of my hand and turning. All I could see was his back. “I have to...go on a run.”

With that, he picked up his bag an left through the door. It was the first time he went on a run in the afternoon.

Archer [213/300]

Instead of heading to the woodlands, I decided to take a jog around the emptier parts of town, finding a nice path around the outskirts. Very few people passed by me, except for the occasional fellow runner. Sweat already drenched my shirt, and every breeze cooled my skin. Moving my arms smoothly, I felt my abs tense were every step, feeling refreshing for my muscles, but not so much for my mind.

It bothered me that Vera was putting the brakes on my plan. Sigmund wouldn’t be happy to hear the news, of course. He would definitely have some curses to send my way. At the same time, I wasn’t too bothered. After letting my mind cool off after a late afternoon run, I realized I personally was not against returning.

Deep inside me, a voice yearned to have more time with Vera, before she found out who I was and what Beartown had planned for her. And at that moment, my secret desires were much stronger than my father’s potential wrath.

I honestly couldn’t lie to myself; I didn’t want our somewhat domestic days at the apartment to end. If I had to choose how they would end though, I would choose going back to Mount Hunter rather than going to Beartown. At least this way, Vera would still hold a good opinion of me, rather than figure out that I was her actual enemy and had planned to deliver her to the one who killed her parents... to use her as he wished.

I was selfish. I knew Vera would be risking her life by going back. Clive wouldn’t forgive me if he knew I let her return...but frankly, from how he’d sounded the last time we spoke, he didn’t seem to be in a focused state of mind. He certainly had other things to contend with, considering his brother was severely injured.

When I got back to the apartment, going up the dusty steps was more difficult than usual. didn’t know what to tell Vera... if anything at all. I wished I could pretend nothing happened, that she didn’t suggest to stride right to her death. All I could do was stand-by and stop my father’s future tool for power from getting destroyed. He’d kill me for that too.

Trying to sneak in quietly was impossible with the unbearably loud hinges of the door. The sight that welcomed me was unexpectedly a sight for sore eyes.

Vera lay spread across the sagging couch, open book on her stomach as her chest fell and rose steadily. She wore only a tank top and leggings, and a strap had fallen down her shoulder. Stepping closer, I knelt down, let her vanilla scent wash over me.

I stared at her like she was a mirage that would leave me at any seconds. Brushing a stray hair away from her closed eyes, I murmured, barely a whisper, “I love you...Vera.” It was a raw admission. “Please be safe.”

I hoped she didn’t hear it.