Chapter 69: Chapter 68

“Vera, I can only try, but if I send one last message to Sigmund it might do some good. I’m not hopeful, but if I can buy us a little more time...”

Archer was in my bed and I was waking up to his delicious body heat like I wanted all this time. His arm was draped over my body and I felt snuggled in with him. Sorting out our lover’s tiff cleared the air in a lot of ways, but a doomful feeling was circling me and I didn’t know why.

Archer roused stretching out his long arms with a contented yawn. “Good morning, how’s my favorite wolf?” He wrapped his arms around me with tendrils of his dark hair hanging over his eye. He was looking more and more regal every day. His nose was in perfect alignment with the sun peeking through my window which I’d left open to get some fresh breeze in.

“Your wolf is so-so. I’m feeling something, and it’s not good.” I flipped over to look at Archer in the eyes. Archer lazily placed his hand on my hip with a morning smile. He didn’t even have morning breath. I could only smell his hot breath.

“Let me in on it, and we’ll solve it together.”

“I have a feeling about Sigmund. Do you know where he’s going to hit from?”

“My father can be unpredictable at times, but I have told him about the number of guards at the different checkpoints. Events have changed here so he doesn’t know everything. I’ve stopped telling him things about the pack, but it’s probably not the best thing because he’s getting suspicious.”

“What a mess we’re in. It’s getting crazy now isn’t it?” The bonding between Archer and I was increasing and now the same thought patterns I had with Reily were starting to seep in from Archer. We were bonded together, except this time this was a bonding I wanted.

“No, this is my fault. I feel so bad about it. I wish I could take it all back in one way, but in another it worked out because otherwise I would have never met you.” Archer ran his big toe up the side of my calf kissing me lightly on the lips. “I could wake up with you like this for the rest of my life. I’m in this fight with you together.”

“Too late for that now, do you think we should tell Grant or do you think we should prepare secretly? Grant already has so much on her plate with her new duties. I don’t want her to be overwhelmed.”

Archer reached up and put his hands behind his head sighing out loud. “I don’t know. I really don’t. I wish I had an answer. Can I talk one last time to Sigmund?” Archer glanced sideways at me. “Would I be able to do that?”

“Yes, don’t let me down Archer.” The statement came out in a gentle way, but from me it was a warning. I was done with deception from other people.

“I won’t. Promise. I’m going to take a shower and call him because I can feel he’s cooking up an attack as well and he won’t take long to move. That’s a common tactic of the Beartowners to play offense when their enemy is resting. I feel invested in the Mount Hunter pack. I never expected to be. You’ve all grown on me, and you’re like family now.”

I nestled into Archer like a cat would. “Thank you for going rogue, you’re the best one there is.”

Archer kissed my temple and slipped from under my arm. “I have to get up from this bed, it’s a trap. If I keep laying here with you I will never get up.”

“Yep, I’m feeling lazy too and I need to see Grant about the training course I’ve set up for the newer wolves.” Reluctantly, I got up along with Archer and we showered together ready to face the days battles. I kissed him lightly on the lips deciding to jog over to the barracks and keep my fitness up. A thousand emotions were running wild through me and letting my pulse raise a little bit helped dissolve some of them. By the time I arrived at the barracks I’d worked up a sweat with a light puff.

“Good morning rosy cheeks. You’re getting your miles in.” Thelma winked at me and I smiled back. If there was anyone I wanted to see it was her in the morning. Her eyes were shiny and bright ready for training.

“Yep, sure am. I don’t want to get lazy. Do you have training this morning?”

“Yes, can you tell? It’s an all lycra affair here.”

“Ha! You look every bit the ninja wolf as normal. Have you seen Grant? I want to tell her about the course I’ve mapped out.”

“Yep, she’s over on the east side directing Reily and his crew with fixing the fence.”

“What? Reily is working on the fence?”

“Yes - well, he’s not working on the fence, he’s in charge of his crew, Grant delegated him a bunch of tasks so he can feel useful I guess.” Thelma shrugged her shoulders and I nodded in appreciation of Grant’s efforts. I was proud of her, and even Dane hadn’t fixed the back fence after everyone told him it was a problem. In fact it was the same hole I’d slipped in and out of.

“That’s good. Let me go find her and see what the boss alpharess wants me to do.” I offered a jesty wink to Thelma as she gave my wrist a light squeeze.

Putting one foot in front of the other I bounced down to the east quarter to find Grant with her feet hip width apart with her hands on her hips in an opposing stance.

“Are you sure that wire’s going to hold Reily?” Gina gunned Grant down with her lengthy death stare, but Grant remained unbothered as one of her eyebrows perched high.

“Yes Grant, I’ve told you so many times I’ve got a handle on things here you don’t have to watch over me. I’m not that much of a dummy.” Reilly’s sullen and sunken eyes blazed back at Grant who considered him for a minute. There was two ways the conversation could go. One was either she would bring back a sarcastic remark or the other would be she would let him off. Sneaking up slowly beside her I hoped it was the latter as I was keen to discuss the trail idea I had with her.

“Alright, you got me. I am being a little bossy. Sorry, you’ve done a good job so far.” I looked at the roll out of the thick wire, Zion was at the other end of the fence putting wooden stumps into place and another few paces away was Mathew who was maneuvering the wire around the wooden post. Surprisingly they were working well together. Disregarding Gina’s barbs I kept my focus on Grant.

“Morning Grant.”

“Good, you’ve learned to call me by my first name again. I assume you’ve come to tell me about your course layout.”

“Sure have. It’s pretty good too, it’s working on the next level up that Clive designed. I want to extend it through the forest. I think we have to be prepared like an army would be and consider the enemy won’t just fight us here in the middle of the oval. Mount Hunter wolves need to be able to navigate all surrounding terrain.” I unfolded the rolled up sketch I’d drawn out as she took a look at it.

“Oh wow, you’re going to make them hike up and over the boulders in that region? It will really test their mettle. This is impressive Vera. I knew you had it in you. You were the right person for the job.”

“Ditto.” Pleased that I had no opposition I rolled my paper back up again and Grant stared at me.

“Something else?”

“Nothing really. You do look good. Archer is wearing well on you.” Her facial expression stayed deadpan. No chink in Grant’s armor, I hoped for her to loosen up, but I would probably have better luck getting a laugh out of a porcupine.

“Thanks, he’s a good wolf.” Eavesdropping Reily flashed a rueful eye at me, not impressed, and it confused me. He hadn’t wanted me truly and neither did I want him so he could be with Gina, who suited him way more anyway.

“Hmmm, he’s proven to be useful to us so far. Although I do wonder what his origins are. We have to start vetting wolves more heavily. I have been speaking to Grandfather and while he’s still incredibly bitter, he’s given me warning that he has a feeling Beartown will be making an appearance soon.”

“I feel strange as well. It’s odd he said that.” Drifting away I thought of Archer and hoped the conversation he had with Sigmund would pacify or divert him from attack.

“Hmm, I trust your counsel, tell me if you have doubts and I will amp up the border patrols. How are the nets coming along?”

“Great. I have three wolves working on testing them, should be done by tomorrow then the traps can be set in the forest.”

“Perfect.”

“Okay, I’m headed to the trail to set up. See you later on.”

“Done.” Grant crossed her arms tilted her head in acknowledgement at me. I walked away satisfied I could set up a fun and testing trail for the wolves. I let my excitement bubble over as I walked inside to the equipment closet and picked out the items the cones, the red flags as markers and feathers to give the wolves hints on the trail. Once I had all my goodies Archer popped up.

“Boo!”

Normally I would flinch, but I stayed still and laughed with him. “Can’t do that anymore, I know it’s you Archer. I’m going to set up these flags for the trail run, so I might not be back for a while. I want to set them all out before nightfall so they’re ready for training tomorrow.”

“Dammit! I’ve been hoping I can scare you a little longer. I’m not letting you go alone. I’m coming with.” Archer’s jaw set with a don’t-try-to-convince-me-otherwise look as my lips formed an o to protest about my ability to keep myself safe.

“Umm, okay, are you ready to go now? I’m heading there now.”

“Yep, I’m ready to go when you are.”

“Good, you can tell me how the conversation went with Sigmund.”

Archer blew out a solid breath lifting his hair out of his face. “Yeah, that. He didn’t want to hear anything I had to say. He said I was stalling. I don’t know Vera, I don’t think we should stay. Maybe I could book Cianwood again. We might have to leave.” Archer appeared to be shaken and his face was pale, as we both walked at a quick pace to the forest. I timed and stretched out my paces as an eerie feeling of despair covered me.

“Fuck! We have to leave again. Right when we’ve got everything under control. What did he say he would do?” Exasperation filled my voice as I examined Archer’s behavior. Would he lie to me again? Would he sweeten the blow so as not to keep me scared? I wanted the truth from him.

“He said nothing. All he said was I was stalling, and he yelled at me a couple of times. It’s the end of the line Vera. We need to go, camp out or something. You know these woods really well, maybe we could stay at your childhood home until it passes. I have the worst feeling and I’ve had a headache all morning about it.”

Archer was serious, it was written in his voice. “I don’t think we should run anymore. Even if I run your father is going to keep coming after me until I stop. I have to face him at some point. It will be full circle from my time as a kid.” Cold blooded shivers ran down my back as I handed Archer a flag to mark the first part of the agility trail I’d set. It was same spot of the first wrestling match I’d had with an equally predatory wolf in Dane.

“You don’t want to run?” Archer expressed surprise at my announcement.

“No, we are not running. I’ve found out a lot about the Beartowners and how Sigmund hypnotizes coyotes. That’s not their natural state of being. Coyotes are more scavenger types and are not going to fight with other wolves. There are things I understand from the books I’ve read about Lycans.” I gave him a knowing smile, I’d been reading cover to cover and there was no way I was about to let the Beartowners take over.

“Wow, I didn’t know you had time to read up.”

“Yup, I sure do. This is our turf Archer. We are stronger together. Trust me.”

“You’re the boss. I will be by your side. If I have to fight against my father so be it. I don’t want to, but I care too much about you and the Mount Hunter pack are much more like family to me than my own blood.”

“Settled! We fight together. Here, let’s climb for a little bit so we can put out the rest of the flags and feathers.”

“Are you sure you’re not turning into Grant. My legs hurt,” Archer joked as I climbed in front and he playfully tapped my butt.

“I’m worse than Grant, newsflash, you’ve seen my fangs,” I quipped.

“No, those fangs are a thing of beauty. I love them.”

“Archer...”

“Yes, my snow white wolf queen?”

“You light up my life, but I can tell you want to get out of climbing by buttering me up. Come on.”

Archer chuckled as the mood became lighter. Archer’s personality kept me uplifted, but the darkness loomed large like a storm cloud rolling in over the sea. Wind rustled through the trees as a new battle knocked on our door.