Her Savior Alpha
Chapter 44

“She can’t ever come back. She will be slaughtered, and I do mean slaughtered by Dane. She can never, ever return. Her life as a Mount Hunter wolf is finished.” Pity Archer didn’t realize putting me on speakerphone was a recipe for disaster. Every word stung like an angry bee whose hive had been raided.

“Slaughtered? That’s dramatic, but given the way her lycan likes to take care of business can’t say that’s a shock.” Archer replied dryly. He had his back to me and was up at the crack of dawn. I watched as he ruffled a hand through his hair. He had no shirt on and I struggled to put a lid on my raging desire to dig my nails down his back. I wasn’t a sadist, my nails were short, more like the pads of my fingers. His back had these waves of muscular ripples which enticed me, and I wanted to feel them under my fingers. I dropped my head forward leaning forward a little to hear more. One of my bare feet was planted over the top of the other and I was biting my lip with expectancy.

“Yes, it’s more than that. Say if you were to come back and defend her, you would be a goner too.” Clive was holding back nothing and I didn’t want him to. I wanted full disclosure, and to cement my reason never to return. A thick cord of distress clogged my throat, my conscious mind wanted that, but a deep well of sadness resided inside of me. What did I make of a family now? Clive and Thelma were out of reach, and there were doubts planted from my own wolf about Archer.

I stepped back from the door a little so as not to be seen. Archer was a smart wolf, if he saw me I risked not being able to hear the rest of the conversation, so I settled for hearing the muffled version. “I would defend her. Vera is to be protected, you’ve seen her wolf, it’s- it’s breathtaking. I have a hard time thinking about it now.” How could I doubt Archer when he spoke with such passion for me? Did my lycan have it wrong? It’s almost as if my questioning brought the lycan out of hiding.

No, I’m not wrong. Heed my warning. All is not as it seems. Pay attention Vera.

Confused and not wanting to rock the boat I pressed my body against the cream wall to hear more. “Yes, I saw firsthand what Vera’s lycan can do. I say she is the best keeper of it. She deserves to have her wolf. All those years of suffering and she’s received more than a fair reward. I would lay low as Dane won’t rest. He’s relentless once he becomes obsessed with something. He’s speaking externally. There was even a meeting in the mess hall about a reward for Vera’s head.” Shocked, I gasped out loud, I clapped a hand over my mouth hoping Archer wouldn’t check where the sound was coming from.

“Hang on a minute Clive. I thought I heard something. Give me a sec.” Hurrying back to my bed I dragged the covers over my head and fake snored. I’d gotten plenty of tips from my sister Grant. Archer’s presence at the door was palpable, but I stilled my breathing praying for him to go back to the conversation and leave. He hung in the door frame for a few moments longer. Once satisfied, he moved away from the door and continued talking.

“Everything okay Archer?”

“Yes, all’s good. I wanted to check Vera wasn’t up, I didn’t want her to hear what we were saying.”

“Vera is stronger than you realize, even without her wolf.” The respect in Clive’s tone made a gigantic smile sweep over my lips. I nodded in silent agreement.

“I know she is, I just worry about her. I don’t want her to take on any more trauma than necessary.”

How? How could Archer be the enemy, there was no way.

“I get it. How is she holding up there? I wish I had enough mobility to visit you both, but I’m in the middle of a crossfire. I can’t just up and leave.” Clive sounded pained, and whilst I carried immense empathy for him, I also was bonafide proud of my lycan. I would do it again if I had to fight for my honor and my life.

This time I’d sat down beside the wall waiting with bated breath for the next sentence.

“She’s doing the best she can, some days are better than others. The good news is she’s job hunting and that’s keeping her occupied. I’m doing what I can to support. Has your leg healed up?” Archer pressed changing the subject.

“Yes, it’s almost 100. My brother still has some healing to do, he’s having trouble twisting, so he can’t lift his sword otherwise it tears his stitches.”

“Like I told you the last time. I don’t give a goddamn about Reily and his cowardly crew. They should be all buried alive. I hope he takes weeks to recover.”

I tee heed to myself thanking Archer for coming to my aid. “He’s my brother, and they’re giving me a hard time. Zion and Mathew tried to take me out at training, saying I shouldn’t have helped Vera. I’m going nuts over it. I want the whole thing to be over, but it won’t be until Dane gets to Vera. The man needs to be taken away somewhere. He’s not focused on the right things for the pack. We’re losing valuable allies in business as he’s put deals on hold.”

“Sucks to be the Mount Hunter pack,” Archer replied with a knee deep serving of sarcasm.

“Right. Thelma sends her love to Vera too. Can you tell her she’s asking after her? Maybe next time you can bring Vera to the phone. I don’t want to put her at risk, speaking of I have to go, there’s another meeting going on. There’s been a lot of them lately.”

All this attention and focus on me. All for the wrong reasons. I wanted attention, but not of this kind. Kindness and compassion were not reserved for an orphan like me. Being safe for now didn’t stop me from caring about them wanting to kill me. Overhearing the conversation left me numb and wanting to sleep more. If could just close my eyes and someone wake me up when it was all over I would be happy. I slid back into bed, turning on my side. Archer’s footsteps padding over the carpeted floor made me pull the covers up more. My grip on the covers wasn’t tight enough so he was able to take them off and unveil me in protest.

“Hey! What are you doing? I’m sleeping. No fair.”

“Were you really sleeping Vera because I could have sworn I saw a mop of black hair peaking out from the side of the door. Would I be right?”

Miffed that he’d been able to replace my eavesdropping out I put in a protest. “I heard my name so sure my ears perked up a little.” No point trying to hide now, I sat up hugging my knees.

Archer flattened his palm on the mattress smoothing his fingers over the grey sheet. “Vera, we’re not going back to Mount Hunter, but we do have to take precautions. If you are looking for a job you will have to be discreet about it. I trust your lycan and my wolf. Both of us together are an unstoppable team.” Archer lifted his chiseled arm up snaking it through his hair. It seemed silkier than usual and his eyes fixating on me started to make me swoon a little.

“I think I trust my wolf too.” Chewing on bottom lip, reluctantly I dropped my feet to floor sad I was unable to hide.

“You think Vera? Are you still afraid that you can’t call it, is that it?”

“No, not exactly.” My eyes fluttered to the ground not wanting Archer to ask any more questions.

“You’re not telling me everything,” Archer added lightly. “I understand it’s hard to trust. I get it, but you don’t trust me by now?” Archer’s eyes grazed my soul and the feeling was entirely different to what I’d experienced with Reily.

Rolling my shoulders I switched on a brave smile. I couldn’t tell him about the deep whispers from my wolf. He would deny it, and now I was confused about him.

“I need time Archer, just time. If I didn’t trust you I wouldn’t have let you in here to stay with me.” I put forward a logical argument, but from the skeptical look Archer sent my way I knew he didn’t believe me.

“Ah Vera, you think I’m cute at times, so are you when you lie.” He removed himself from the bed and tapped the door frame with the flat of his palm moving into the front of the room. Flustered, and not knowing what to do I punched my hand into the mattress briefly and got up. Maybe a shower would help wash free the doubts.

No such luck, my wolf wouldn’t let up. Careful Vera. Remember what I’ve told you, all is not as it seems.

Okay, okay, I get it, but can you at least give me a clue?

No. You have to hone your skills of discernment, it’s part of your path. I am your lycan and the stronger your human is the more my superpowers reveal themselves. Try Vera.

I give up. Thanks. I shampooed my hair taking a hard look at the woman in the mirror. She’d grown into herself with her long, midnight hair and now full lips. She had muscles, grit, determination, fire, but still a sweetness to her. I liked what I was becoming. Now it was time to get a job. At least I could slowly assimilate into the town and enjoy my life.

After I blowdried my hair I emerged to see Archer on the couch, as soon as he saw me he spluttered with a cough. “Vera,” he said with the croak still in his throat much to my amusement.

“Yes?” I said with my hands on my hips and a smug smile.

“You’re umm, you’re wearing lipstick. I didn’t know you had that.”

He was trying to keep his cool, but I was having an effect on him and I liked that. “Thelma gave it to me on my birthday. I didn’t see the point of wearing it in Mount Hunter, Grant, Reily and everyone else would have given me a hard time.”

“You look amazing - I mean you look great with or without make up, but your ummm lips. So beautiful. Did you do something else?” His voice peaked as his brow furrowed with a lack of ease. He was rubbing his fists together as he scanned me from head to toe.

“No, nothing else. I wanted to feel different. I’m not the same anymore since my wolf came, I want to shed my old skin and be a new person.”

“You definitely have that down pat,” he breathed faintly.

“Thanks, I feel better now. Let’s go into town.”

“Into town, not much of a town, but we can go there. I was trying to replace other places where you might be able to work, but I’m coming up short. Do you think this is the right place Vera?”

Don’t trust Vera. Keep your thoughts to yourself. Careful.

“I do. We’re going into town.” I put my foot down and swept past Archer collecting my coat from the back of the chair. Turning the knob of the door I didn’t give him time to make up an argument.

“I guess we’re going into town now,” Archer murmured as he followed behind me.

I spoke to my wolf as we left. Happy now? I’ve kept your wish.

Very good for now. There’s trouble brewing. You need to run. You have to be prepared.

I don’t know why, but my wolf telling me that sent a shudder down my spine. I had to run? Why would it say that to me. Archer walked quietly in step as we took the walking route into town enjoying the peace and tranquility of nature.

“I think you were right about me needing to go for a run. I do think I need to do that.”

Archer grinned as he locked his fingers into mine. “See, I am rubbing off on you. Let’s do it. We can keep fit together.”

We walked past the cottagey looking shops peeping in the windows pretending to be normal citizens knowing full well we were anything but. A few people waved at us with curiosity as we walked by. To them I guess they thought we were tourist just walking through the cozy town.

Cianwood didn’t seem like a town you would put a pin on a map for and decide you would live in it.

After walking several blocks for a while we circled back home. “Where can we run that’s safe? It’s a pretty flat place and I can’t see any forest to hide in.”

Archer grinned. “That’s the beauty. We run in plain sight. It’s good training and being a seasoned rogue it will help us both in case we have to leave suddenly. Today Vera, I teach you the power of stealth. We can move through the tall grasses, the same ones we came in through.”

“Oh yeah, I never thought of that. That’s a great idea.”

So that’s exactly the route we took. I let my lycan free and boy did it feel good to run. I loved the wind flowing through my fur as Archer ran beside me keeping speed. We stopped at various points as the whip of the tall grasses moved through me. I learned to listen, to anticipate every sound, the subtle shift of Archer approaching as the grass parted from miles away. I learned to replace rodents buried towards the roots of the grass. One field mouse almost elapsed my grip but my paw managed to land on the meat of its tail in time as I held it in front of my face.

I didn’t have any desire to harm it so I let it scamper free into the belly of the grass. I caught several others by listening to the inflections of sound. My lycan did well and by the time I switched back to human form I felt better for the experience.

“Good job Vera. We both have to keep sharp. You did good out there. Seems to be everytime we go into the field you get better, more perceptive. I was surprised you picked up that last mouse I didn’t hear a thing and I’m the king of stealth.” Archer fell forward as his hair brushed the side of my cheek. He didn’t kiss my mouth, but his lips touched the corner sending a rush of heat to my core. I didn’t know how much longer I could hold him off, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to.