Stronger by Ang Chris
Chapter 60

“I want our best trackers out there with a team of warriors,” I ordered Aarron, who nodded to me and went to prepare the people he had in mind.

“Matt and Elizabeth, you work those River Phase pack warriors until they can handle a punch,” I instructed them. “Steven is far too lenient with them for them to be considered warriors,” I muttered.

My wife chuckled beside me as we went over our available warriors and trackers, checking on everyone’s status and schedule. She had almost become a den mother to the warriors, heeding their requests for where they wished to fight, ensuring that families were coping with the idea they’d be leaving, and instructing them on how to improve.

“Wouldn’t it be better for the safety of your warriors to send a drone?” Charlie asked me.

“As if he cares,” I heard James mutter in the corner. He’d been allowed to sit in, and I had ordered him to serve lunch to my council.

His face twitched. She stood, grabbing her tablet, and kissed me on the cheek, leaving with the blankest expression on her face.

“They’ll shoot it down in an instant, and then they’ll know we are coming for them and run for it. I want the quietness of trackers and the skill of warriors,” I explained to Charlie.

I had to admire his father’s wisdom in sending him here to learn strategy for warfare in case Charles himself ever had to be in this position.

I walked up to the younger brother and stared him down, but the teen had very poor risk assessment skills and didn’t cower. “You would think you’d do better to keep your mouth shut in front of my advisors. I believe you’ll be spending the day assisting the elders. They’ve been fermenting healing salves for the past couple of months; they should be good and ripe for you.”

“Like I care.” He shot back at me, but I could see the agitation.

I sighed and turned to my pack members. “Give me a moment with my young brother-in-law,” I told them.

They all gave pitying looks to the angered wolf as they walked out of my office.

“If you don’t care, then go to Annette and ask her if she needs anything,” I said, keeping my tone steady.

His defiant stance softened slightly, but his anger was still evident. I turned on him and shoved his chest.

“You are risking lives with that attitude. You want to keep insulting her and make her more stressed? You want to be the reason why your sister loses her baby and maybe her own life? Think about the bigger picture and get your act together,” I growled at him.

“I have apologized to Annette and come to terms with the mistakes I’ve made. She is my wife, my Luna, and she’ll stay here until we are buried,” I leaned against my desk as the little boy huffed and puffed.

“She has a whole pack trying to kill her because you killed the wrong wolf and made a show of it,” he growled. “And on top of that, you have refused me to speak to her again, cutting off a means of support for her in her condition,” he finished with a whispered insult.

“I defended my pack, and if you are so worried about your sister needing support, perhaps you shouldn’t insult her for staying with her soulmate?” I knew I had struck a nerve because his face flinched. “And for your information, Annette can speak to you whenever she wishes. She’s been choosing not to because she’s stressed out enough.”

He went blank. With all the loyalty she has in here and how much she cares for those she loves, I understand why he was surprised to hear it was Annette staying away.

Since she’d found out she was pregnant, the only thing she wanted was to protect our pup. She had decided not to stress herself out with James and focus on relaxing her mind for the baby.

“Annette wouldn’t,” he denied.

“You know she has because you know the reason, the one reason she has to remain calm, and you know if she loses this, she’ll never be the same. So I suggest you go to the elders and help them prepare their salves and check on the smelly ones. And for her sake, stop thinking only about yourself.”

His eyes flashed for a second before he ripped my office door off its hinges and stomped off.

“Goddess, he’s a mess.”

“Get back here and fix this, James!” Charles called.

“Elizabeth, please take Ella and guard Annette for the rest of the day,” I called. She nodded to me and left.

We would attack them and take as many prisoners at their camp as possible. This would be the first time we took blood with our hands.

The trackers were sent out that night with the warriors closely behind them. They’d replace the camp and they’d take them. We had some scent masks, so they were doused in it before they left. Handling everything with this war, James and his idiotic temper, and Annette being exhausted lately—it was all piling up.

The image of the wavy lines on the screen and the sound of our baby’s heartbeats were all that kept me going.

I came to our bed late after sending the tracking group out. She was waiting for me as she read some book about pregnancy. Though the time of a wolf’s pregnancy is the same, Annette would have a far bloodier birth than a human, and she would get larger faster and stay that way longer. She already had that bit of swell to her lower belly.

“You seem like you’re being crushed,” she looked up at me with her small smile.

“It’s been a long day,” I nodded, my eyes closing with exhaustion.

She came over and placed a kiss on my lips before curling into me. “Talk to me about it.”

“I just have to protect everyone, but I know that some lives will have to be lost. I worry about you with how tired you’ve been. I’m sure people have noticed, but they say nothing. I can only hope if there is a mole, they haven’t caught on. On top of it, your brother continues to test my patience.”

She let out a slow and long breath. “James should be none of your concern. The more he knows he’s getting to you, the more he’ll keep it up,” she crawled on top of me and opened my eyes. “You are not in charge of who lives and dies. You have helped train them, and when they go out there, their lives are in their own hands.”

I pursed my lips.

“Are you the one who weaves fate?” She appraised me.

An old tale for wolves that the goddess weaves our fate into our fur so we cannot escape it.

“No.”

“You are not the one in charge of who lives and dies. Don’t drive yourself into an early grave thinking that,” she laid herself against my chest. “I don’t know if you’re aware, but you have a little thing to live for soon.”

She started kissing me again, and I found myself eased again by her lips and her hands. I found peace in her before I went to sleep that night.

It was only three days with the tracking party out before we had the location of the camp. Now it was time for blood.