Chapter 54: Chapter 53

Archer

The Mount Hunter pack was in absolute chaos. I couldn’t believe how frazzled and disorganized everything was compared to before we left. Anarchy had descended upon the town, leaving guards running all over the place. Pack members were shouting on the streets, wondering what the hell their alpha was doing. It seemed while we had been gone, the pack’s people had gathered and decided that Vera’s Lycan was an evil entity that they needed to get rid of. The thought made me scoff; if only they knew.

After a few days of looking for Vera, though, the pack’s soldiers had grown sick and tired of playing fetch. It seemed that Dane had locked himself up in the house since taking Reily and Thelma, letting no one in or out. Even Grant was left outside, as she recounted weakly while bleeding out on the town’s courtyard.

“I couldn’t control them, the soldiers returning were tired and needed rest, but the people were demanding retribution against the Lycan,” Grant whispered, her voice a pale version of her usual bold snark. Vera listened while putting a makeshift tourniquet on Grant’s arm out of ripped scraps from her shirt. “I tried to be a good leader. Dane refused to give me anything, no counsel, no orders. The pack wondered where their Alpha had gone during such a time. And that’s when it started...” Suddenly, Grant let out a moan.

“Sorry,” Vera said, patted her arm. “Alright, story-time later, right now we have to get you and Clive to the medical hall.” She turned to me, her hazel eyes feirce and focused. “Archer, I’ll help get Clive on your back, and I’ll carry Grant.”

I nodded, moving to the other prone figure lying beside Grant. Clive was out cold, a harsh jagged wound running down his temple. The rest of him looked even worse than Grant, his blonde hair was tussed up around his forehead. He was bleeding from several open wounds, and as Vera mentioned when she had felt around his abdomen, multiple broken ribs.

Vera slid an arm under Clive’s broad shoulders, lifting him up slightly. She threw one of his arms around my neck, and I grabbed it, crouching in wait with my back to her. I felt her pushed Clive’s front against my back, and I took the reigns, hoisting him up piggy-back style. A soft groan escaped Clive’s lips, right by my ear, but he was still unconscious.

As I stood watching Vera gingerly pick Grant up bridal style, she motioned to me to lead the way with her chin. I hurried my pace, trying not to shake Clive around too much and aggravate his injuries further. The medical hall was thankfully close, because even I had to admit Clive was a heavy guy.

There, we carefully laid the two injured on the nearest cots that were empty; which was more difficult than usual considering the room was filled with many people with various injuries.

Now settled, Grant continued her stood while Vera prepared to do some quick first-aid. Although we had to go save Reily and Thelma, there was no way Vera would leave Grant and Clive lying half-dead in the middle of town.

“The pack members were sick of the lack of direction,” Grant hissed as Vera cleaned up her abdomen wound with alcohol. “They took matters into their own hands, a few of their influential ones barking orders to begin preparing defenses against the Lycan. Of course, with the out-of-control situation, many decided to just start ransacking everything, looting and tearing things down. I got beat up trying to stop them; no one listening.” Her voice fell into a sob.

“Shhh,” Vera soothed, bandaged her up. “It’s okay now. This is just a passing thing, something that Dane caused.”

“Vera, you have to stay low,” Grant said with a sudden urgency, her voice quickly waning. “Don’t let the pack know that you’re here...” Then her eyes closed shut and she fell unconscious.

Sighing, Vera’s muttered, “I can’t believe what going on here.”

A few healers came into the room, carrying with them a man on a stretcher. Vera was luckily wearing a hoodie and threw it over her head. Hopefully other packmembers wouldn’t recognize her to much.

“What happened?” Vera’s voice rang out, authoirtative.

A healer looked our way, and if he wondered who we wee, he didn’t ask. He msut have recognized Grant being tended to by Vera. In reply, he explained, “This was a shopkeeper who got hurt in a looting in town. Things are still wild out there.”

A generic ringtone suddenly blared out in the echoing space, making Vera jump a bit.

“Ugh, scared the hell out of me,” she muttered, getting back to work.

Taking my phone out, I read the name, a sinking feeling coming over me. Sometimes I nearl forgot I was still tethered to Beartown like a leash around my neck; the farther I tried to go, the tighter it became. Like a chokehold.

Sigmund’s name flashed on the screen.

“Excuse me, Vera, I have to take this,” I casually let her know, turning to leave the room upon seeing her nod.

Outside the the white-lit hall, I ignored the scent of anesthesia as I answered.

“Hello,” I muttered, making sure my voice came out sure and polite, a hard edge sneaking into it naturally. Normally I would call him Father or Alpha, but I wasn’t feeling too dutiful at the moment.

“Archer,” his cruelly-sharp voice like the hiss of a snake. A gleeful tint to his words made me pause. “I heard good news?”

“Oh? And what news might that be?”

“I heard that Mount Hunter is in ruins. Many of my scouts have returned with word of countless of Mount Hunters out looking for the Lycan girl, leading to disorganization within the pack lines. This is perfect.”

“Hmm,” I murmured vaguely to show him I was listening, but I wanted him to go on to see what he would say.

“After the blip with you, this is a great opportunity. I have to admit, Archer, your last update was disappointing. Luckily, we have another chance. Our people here are rejoicing. While Mount Hunter is weakened on the inside, we could overtake them easily.”

“Yes,” I swallowed, my throat feeling dry. Shit, this was happening too fast. Right after a victory on my end, my father wanted to ruin things as usual - ruin things for me, as for the mission, this was excellent. “It is true that things are messy over here. But...”

His voice became dangerous. “But?”

I cleared my vocal cords. “But it seems that Dane is not all in his right mind and he could do something that could put both his own pack and Beartown in danger. I don’t think it’s the right time.”

My father was silent for a long moment that felt like years, each second making my heart drop further. Then, he said, “Archer, is something going on? We’re very late on our timeline.”

“I know, but I just think we should take our time to do this right. Right now Mount Hunter is chaotic, but it might work against us. Dane is a loose cannon.”

“Are you saying our pack and my power cannot take the likes of Mount Hunter, which we slaughtered easily years ago?”

“No, not at all!” I winced. “Please father, just give me some more time to update you again on the state of things here. Then we can proceed if, no, when the moment is right.”

A moment passed as he turned my idea over in his mind. “Hmm. I am impatient Archer. Be quick.”

He then hung up unceremoniously, as he always did. Pressing my back against the wall, I wilted in relief. However, I knew I wasn’t done here yet. I still had to hold Sigmund off for as long as I could before I took her - convinced her to go with me to Beartown. No matter how I thought about it, my father leading his troops over her only meant bloodshed and slaughter, and I could use les of that in my life. Despite my grievances against Mount Hunter, firstly since they’ve been our rivals since I was born and secondly because of my personal issues regarding what they did to Vera, I didn’t want unnecessary deaths. Especially not for the innocent.

Frankly, most of the relief was from that fact that Sigmund didn’t ask me about Vera. He was not a stupid man, and he could recognize misplaced loyalties even over the phone. If he ever suspected that Vera had something to do with the delay, that my emotions for her were overtaking my purpose, I wouldn’t have known how to act. I had to plan for the day he asked suspicious questions, to be ready to protect her.

I regretted even signing up for this mission. And for what? Personal pride? Glory? My father’s acceptance? It was all so pointless now. I didn’t want any of those things now - or rather I still did, but I realized I could get them on my own terms, not by weaseling them out of my reluctant, harsh father.

Okay, I lied. Obviously, I still hoped for something from my father, or else I would have stopped this a long time ago. Fear wasn’t the only thing, but it was a powerful driver. If I didn’t follow through with what I promised Sigmund, he would do much more than countless, dizzying lashes to the back. Now that other people’s lives were on the line, I had much more to lose than my own dignity. At least back at Beartown, I had no one, a solitary warrior who kept to himself. The less bonds, the less painful.

Fuck. I was stuck between my father and Vera’s life. And the funny thing was, Vera would be in trouble anyway. The was kind of the whole point of this mission. Although there was more of a chance that she would at lest stay alive to be of use to my father if I completed my duty. Otherwise, turning my back on Beartown would result in disaster for both of us.

More than anything, I regretted knowing Vera. Now that I did, it changed everything. If only it hadn’t been her with the Lycan, and someone else, an old lady or someone not as pleasant. Although I didn’t think it would change things, regardless of my feelings for Vera. After sparing that one man’s life long ago, I had thought I had changed, honed myself to never be weak again. But here I was, weak as ever.

I returned back to the medical hall, finding a few healers surrounding Vera. She had brought several containers of what I recognized them to be her homemade salves and tinctures. Knowing her way around the supply room, she must have kept some in there since she frequented this place a lot. Being injured again and again sure had its perks.

“But Dane told us to do only the high priority soldiers coming in from missions,” one of the healers

“No, you need to take of all the packmembers equally. Do triage to figure out the most critically injured and treat them first, soldier or not,” Vera snapped, her voice authoritative even without showing her face. “Orders from Grant, the next alpha.”

Looking at her being unapologetically bossy - no, assertive - sent a thrill through my veins, and my heart sped up.

“Vera,” I started not yet sure what I was going to say.

“Mmhmm?” she said distracted by the bandage she was winding around Clive’s upper arm.

I want to be with you. Vera, I want to be your one half, the one who completes you. I want to promise you more than you think you deserve. You are more than what I deserve but...I want you.

All of those were options, but I couldn’t imagine them actually leaving my mouth.

“Is something wrong, Archer?” Her beautiful glass green eyes, gold twinkling in them; they reminded me of pendants of emerald and golden topaz, hypnotizing me with a single look.

I couldn’t help but look away, clearing my throat.

“I know this isn’t the right time....” I began. It wasn’t. I wasn’t the right time at all to suddenly declare my love and ask for hers back. Swallowing, I tried again, “I just wanted to tell you that...”

Vera cracked a smile even through her tense features. “Wow, a flustered Archer? What could you possibly have to tell me.

I didn’t blush normally, but I felt my face warm.

“That your hair is peeking out of your hood,” I change tracks fast, the words I really wanted to say lodged in my throat. Gruffly, I smoothed her hair behind her ears and back behind her neck, ignoring her surprised expression.

“Uh...thanks,” she said, returning to her work. “Anyway, as soon as we get Clive and Grant settled, we’re going straight to Dane’s to find Reily...and Thelma. Time is ticking...”

I nodded, cursing myself out inside my head for even considering asking Vera to mate with her during such a bad moment. Time was ticking, but I had to put a pause on the romantic notions inside my head for the time being.