Her Savior Alpha
Chapter 72

I’d pledged my allegiance to Mount Hunter in one breath, and in another I decided it wasn’t for me. The torrid memories of the place were ones I wanted to move on from. To me, both Archer and I were rogues and if we were to leave the memories of the past behind a fresh slate would be the best way forward. All the little trinkets I’d set up on my white shelves in my room were staring back at me. I touched my mother’s leather bound journal skimming my fingers over it. I couldn’t stay. Grant was the pack leader and she would keep everything as it should.

Seeing Archer’s father slain made a layer of pain release in a strange, twisted way. If his father was gone, mine was gone, my mother was gone and technically Dane was dead to me what would be the point to me staying? I thought preparing the tinctures and herbal ointments and helping with the new wolves might have sated my appetite, but it wasn’t enough.

The bonding with Archer had kicked in and his sorrow moved through me in waves sometimes. I wanted to be with him and to never look back purging Mount Hunter and Beartown from our system. I had no idea where we should go, but Cianwood sprung back to mind. Then the sadness flipped to excitement thinking about the possibilities of where we could set up our lives.

Maybe other towns existed where more humans existed and we could put down our swords, heal together and have a normal life for once. Trauma packed upon trauma like a can of sardines couldn’t have been good for a person. Both of us had been running on an empty tank of adrenaline for the last five years. If I was being honest it was a long time to hold onto pain.

I opened a page in my journal staring at the writing and a small pocket size photograph of my mother. She would always be in my heart. Maybe I could start an apothecary label. My mind was teeming with all kinds of ideas. I’d mentally made the commitment that I would leave with Archer already. He was up and out of the country house and over at the barracks. For him it was exciting, at the end of the day he’d come for specifically to Mount Hunter to collect his prize anyway, and that prize happened to be me.

No point crying about everything Vera, I said to myself, but found the sting of tears in my eyes to be bittersweet. I opened my backpack and began packing things into it slowly. I would travel light I decided so I didn’t weigh myself down, my heart was already heavy enough. I had no-one I really wanted to say goodbye to officially, Clive maybe. He would always be a Mount Hunter - him and his brother. Reily and I had a warped relationship so I had not too much to say to him. I dare say he felt embarrassed half the time especially after all the events, and me being able to tap into his emotions. He wouldn’t have wanted me to feel all of that and know he was vulnerable like that.

I rolled up my clothes militant style smiling and crying all in the same breath. I had a long road of recovery ahead of me to heal, but one step at a time with Archer’s help I would get there.

I got as much as I could into my backpack and dropped into the kitchen to make one of my last coffees ever. As I poured the boiling water I looked around the kitchen I reminsced on the times Dane had thrown me up against the walls and crushed my bones. Terrible. An immense sadness rolled in waves over me the flash cards kept coming. I’d had to sneak food so many times I couldn’t count the ways I’d learned to be stealthy just so I could eat. Sipping on my hot brew I walked through to the living room and past the meeting room that soldiers walked in and out of on a frequent basis. Life was about to change and their would be adjustments to be made.

I traveled back to the attic, where it all began, crunched into the window listening to Grant snore at night. Now a heavy droplet soaked through to the carpet as I looked out the tiny window. Yep. No more. I quickly got out of the tiny quarters feeling claustrophobic and sick from the memories with my half cup of coffee. I ate my granola freely contemplating whether I would visit Dane in his cell.

No. He doesn’t deserve to see your face Vera. You’ve said what you had to say to him on the last visit.

No Lycan? No visit to Dane?

No. None. You owe the man nothing. It’s time to start your new life. I agree with your new start. You will replace over the years you will have a new responsibility and it will bring you great joy.

Oh?

Yes. You may be hearing the pitter-patter of little feet sooner than you think

Coffee spurted from my mouth as I absorbed what my Lycan told me.

Babies? Me?

Possibly. Archer is a good pick for you, although he was not originally destined to you.

Yes. I wonder who he was planned for?

My Lycan was silent so I spoke to it - or I at least tried to. That wasn’t a rhetorical question.

Radio silence on the Lycan line. I giggled a little at the shocking revelation. I would leave that part of my life to remain a mystery I guessed. Having cubs with Archer. Hmm. Not something I’d let cross my brain with everything going on, but now I entertained the idea as I flushed the rest of the coffee down the drain. Might be nice.

I had a stop to make, and it was to my best friend who had seen me at my worst and my best. She had stood by me the whole way through. Thelma. I waved to the guards at the front of the house as I let the crisp morning wind hit me. It made me want to run, so I did. I let loose with my hair wild and free as I sprinted over the grass to the barracks. By the time I arrived my favorite wolf Clive was standing at the door looking at me with great interest.

“Flustered already? Archer wearing you out?” he cajoled.

“Shut up!” I laughed. “No Archer was up early this morning. I don’t know where he went to be honest. I guess training or whatever.”

Clive’s face turned serious. “No, he’s been talking to all the wolves here. He was saying goodbye and he told me you and him are going.”

Shocked that Archer would want to tell any of the pack members he was leaving I stumbled over my words. “Why is he telling everyone about it?”

Clive cupped my shoulder as his warm brown eyes soothed the fire behind mine. “Take it easy, he’s only talking to those whom he mentored. He felt an obligation to them. I actually figured he would want to leave after everything with his father. Your bond is strong with him even though he’s not your mate. You belong to together. Vera, I will miss you, but if you have to leave I understand it.” Clive kept his hand on my shoulder as we walked steadily to the medical hall where I spent the majority of my time.

“Thank you Clive. You defended my honor when you didn’t have to.”

“I did have to. Trust me. I wish you well on your new path. Do you know where you’ll go? Keep in touch with us. Will you do that?”

“Of course we will! I don’t know where we will go. That’s going to be the fun part, seeing where we land.”

“For sure. I’m a tiny bit jealous, I have no need to go on recon missions anymore since we found out Sigmund was responsible. I’m hoping Grant can give me something else to do.”

I rolled my eyes hard at him. “If there’s anything I know about my sister, she will replace something for you to do. She’s been doing some outreach work with other pack communities maybe you could be the ambassador for that.”

“Maybe I could be. I never thought of that, Mount Hunter ambassador, that would be pretty cool. We need one after all we’ve been through. The wider wolf community probably thinks all we do is fight.”

Chuckling at his truthful obligation, the woman of the hour I wanted to see popped up with her cute pixie face, fresh pinkish cheeks and giant smile. “Who’s doing the fighting? I’m sick of it. Please!”

Thelma threw her two cents in and we all broke into silly laughter. Funny how we could do that after all we’d endured. We’d all developed this strange sense of humor to get through the travesty of the Mount Hunter wars that had dragged out over the years. “I was just saying to Clive he should be the spokesperson for Mount Hunter with his dashing good looks. Tongue in cheek, as I recalled I used to like Clive in a romantic way, now I could only see him as a brother.

“He would be good at that.” Thelma agreed as she draped an easy arm around my shoulder and I held onto the end of her fingers.

“You two. I gotta go. See you both later.” We waved him goodbye as Thelma smiled at me.

“I always know when you have something on your mind. Spit it out.”

“I’m leaving. Archer and I, I want you to come with us. You’re my best friend in the whole wide world and it would be so cool for you to start a new life with us. I don’t want you to feel like a third wheel or anything, but I want to offer - I love you friend.” I babbled like the brooks I so often bathed in as a kid as she shook her head with a forlorn expression resting on her face.

“I can’t Vera. I have to stay here. It’s what’s best. I love you two and I will be there to visit wherever you go, but Mount Hunter is where I belong.”

Feeling the pain of my decision I asked her one more time. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, regrettably so. I’m sure. I mean who else is going to keep Grant in line?” She laughed off her sadness as I linked arms with her.

“Ah, life.”

***

Thelma

I’d felt the bond, the rising in my chest and the searing heat through my veins and I knew it was him. He knew too as his eyes darted away from me after the battle. He paid more attention to Vera after it. I could feel the love he had for her. He told me so.

I can’t be with you, I’m with Vera and will always be. I am loyal to her. Our mindlink connection kicked in and I’d instantaneously agreed.

I know. I want you to be with her. Keep her safe for me, won’t you?

I will do everything in my power.

What a twisted blade of fate that Archer would be my mate. The moon goddess obviously had to be playing tricks when they were whipping up mates. I would never get in the way of his and Vera’s love connection. If anything my best friend deserved love and happiness in her life. That much I knew. I would miss her like I would miss a limb, but at least I knew that with Archer she was in the best of care.