Tatum and Henry
8. Close Encounters

I follow people running and walking towards the large training grounds and notice that it is incredibly crowded. I replace a spot near the back and scan the crowd for my team. I’m not sure how many people are on this base, but I know that it is easily over three hundred. I see Clayton who nods at me, and Jude, who waves and leaves where he is standing to stand next to me.

“What’s going on?” I ask him, although I have an idea.

“General Erstad is here,” he says.

“Great,” I reply. I haven’t been near Henry for almost three years, and the first time I saw him since I left his pack was through the zoom meeting in Waning Moon weeks ago.

“Which one is he?” Jude then asks. I notice that he’s not the only one straining their necks to get a look at Henry.

“He’s not here yet,” I state, smiling when I see his body slump in disappointment.

I note that Major Dickwad, I mean Dickerson, is standing on the stage with some other high-ranking soldiers I’ve seen but haven’t met yet.

A familiar smell of ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg fills my nose and I know he’s here.

“Can you smell my scent,” I ask Jude, worried. I had taken Holly’s blocking vial this morning but still I am worried.

“You smell like every other wolf, so no,” Jude nods. He’s about to ask why when the crowd goes quiet.

I turn to look at the front and see Henry walk up onto the stage, followed by Thea! I want to cry out her name but know I can’t, but I’m grinning from ear to ear.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re reacting like every other she-wolf here,” Jude whispers.

“Huh?” I ask, looking around. I see other she-wolves staring at Henry and making comments about him.

“That’s my best friend, Thea, the wolf next to Henry,” I whisper back.

“Hmm,” he replies.

Henry stands in front of us, his arms folded and feet hip-width apart. It’s a stance I’ve often seen him in when he’s thinking. My god he looks good. I mean, he looks tired, like he’s had the weight of the world on his shoulders, but man, he still looks hot and sexy. I can see that he has put on more muscle, and he looks taller than I remember. He still has his eyebrow piercing and I can see new tattoos on his forearms. I feel heat go to my loins as I watch him. I can’t believe that just being in his presence makes me want him.

“Attention,” Henry orders, looking at the crowd. We stop and look at him, well, I look at Thea, wondering if she can see me from all the way up there.

“At ease,” he then says as he now has most of our attention.

“We have been sending small groups out to infiltrate and bring back information about the small camps Aubert has set up in the southern states,” Henry begins, “The information we were gathering had been good, however recently the teams we have been sending out to get information have all been attacked. Only two teams have come back with all their team members, those teams, were teams made up of mixed races,” Henry says.

“Wait a minute, have you been putting teams in knowing they’re going to be attacked?” Jude yells out. I duck my head and cover my face with my hands, hoping that Henry doesn’t see me.

“Of course not,” Henry growls.

“I have met with the majors, and we have changed your groups and mixed you with humans, witches and fay. Tomorrow morning your captains will meet with you and assign you your new teams, and then we will all be moving out. We will begin attacking each settlement tomorrow. Captains will meet in tent ten with the majors to strategise. Everyone else is dismissed,” Henry states, scanning the crowd.

I whack Jude across the arm.

“What?” he asks.

“I do not want my mates’ attention. If he knows I’m here, what do you think he might do?” I scold.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t think,” Jude says, looking guilty. I roll my eyes.

“That’s why you should shut your mouth. Listen, look but don’t speak,” I scowl.

“Yes Tate,” he replies.

“Go. I want you to get us all extra throwing knives, I don’t know how good the stocks are here, but from what I’ve seen I think their stocks are low. I’ll meet the team at our racks after the meeting and I eat. Got it?” I ask.

“Yes Tate,” Jude says. I nod and watch him leave.

I sigh and walk through the crowds towards tent ten. I’ve been in this tent once before, after my team had put in our paperwork regarding the attack, but there hasn’t been a need for me to come back since.

The tent is crowded, but I keep to the back and watch what is going on. I see Henry speaking with Thea, and then he hugs her before leaving. I let go of the breath I’d been holding in. Although I feel a pull and a strong desire to be next to him, I don’t want to speak to him yet, I’m not ready.

“Quiet!” Thea yells. Everyone stops and looks at her, “Right, we’ve split some teams up and added more of you to the mix. Captains, go to the Major you’ve been working with then come back here,” she states.

People huff at her orders but do what she says. I scan the room for Major Dickerson and walk towards him.

“Sully,” he says, handing me over a piece of paper. I scan the page quickly, happy that I haven’t lost any members of my team but have had two names added on. I go to return back to the table, but Dickerson stops me.

“Sully, General Erstad wants to meet you,” he says.

“But he’s not here anymore,” I reply, giving him a smirk.

“Then talk to Major Pechette,” Dickerson growls.

“Fine,” I reply, turning to go.

“Sully!” he yells at me, “Major Pechette is…” he begins.

“I know who she is,” I reply, rolling my eyes and walking away.

It takes a few minutes for people to move back from speaking with their majors and return to the main table, but once most of us have returned, Thea calls for silence. I stand and watch, listening with my arms folded as Thea talks about the plan starting tomorrow morning.

Some teams were being sent to take out the camps behind us, including the campsite my team had been watching, while other teams, including mine, were being sent in different directions towards the main fight.

“Intel tells us Andre is here,” Thea points to a place on the map, “some teams will be leaving straight after this meeting, some later. I want our sharpshooters set up moving forward slowly here, here, and here,” she states, pointing to places on the map.

“Which teams?” Max, one of the other captains of the sharpshooters asks. Thea looks up at him and then names each sharpshooting team and where she wants them. Although she can’t see me, I nod in acknowledgement.

“Sharpshooters, I want you all to move in after us. We leave at six, so any time after that. Shoot down anyone uninjured and anyone not one of us,” she says seriously. She then talks about other things that don’t concern me before she stops and scans the room, which goes quiet again.

“Any questions?” she asks. No one responds.

“Dismissed. See you all in the morning,” she states, a hard look on her face.

People mill around and don’t leave straight away, chatting away about tomorrow and what they have to do. I listen to a few words here and there as I weave myself towards Thea.

“Major Pechette,” a familiar she-wolf says, approaching Thea before me.

“Yeah?” Thea replies, sounding uninterested.

“What happened to General Erstad?” she asks, making the girls around her giggle. I remember her now. I had taught her and her friends, training them in martial arts and knife-throwing during the weeks. She was average, not bad, but average.

“Nothing happened,” Thea replies, concentrating on the map in front of her, lost in thought.

“Well, where is he?” another familiar she-wolf asks. I stand and watch, interested in seeing what happens.

“We are in a war, he is fighting in the war,” Thea drones, emphasising the word ‘war’ as if the girls are stupid.

“Oh,” the first one pouts, “where is his rack? I want to see if he needs a bed warmer,” she pouts.

“What am I? His pimp? General Erstad has a mate, who he loves. He wouldn’t be interested,” Thea replies, looking angry.

“He has a mate?” one she-wolf says, surprised, “I thought he was single.”

“Where is she? Not here,” the first she-wolf scoffs.

“I heard she’s ugly,” another she-wolf claims. They all laugh.

“That’s okay girls, I’ll take her on. He needs a strong mate that can keep him going, if you know what I mean…” the first one then begins, making her friends smile at her.

Thea growls at them and they go quiet.

“Like I said, he’s not here, he has a mate, now fuck off,” she yells.

“Aren’t you lot part of Captain Carlton’s team? Why are you here?” I ask, interrupting the conversation. The five she-wolves, including Thea, turn and look at me.

“Um,” the first girl says

“We just wanted to see what was happening is all,” her friend begins. I let out a breath I’d been holding and roll my eyes.

“Major Pechette, I think we need more hands to help pack up after breakfast tomorrow,” I say, narrowing my eyes at them.

“Who do you…” she-wolf one states.

“Tatum!” Thea cries, interrupting the girl. She jumps on me, wrapping her arms around me in a hug.

“Thea,” I smile back.

“Where have you been? You’re looking good. How long have you been here? How is Jed and Rhiannon? We have so much to catch up on…” Thea begins, talking a mile a minute like I remember her doing when she’s happy.

“Major, these girls are from Captain Carlton’s squad?” I state again, smiling at Thea’s happiness.

“Oh yes, Captain Carlton,” Thea calls out. I watch as Captain Carlton walks through the crowd towards us, his blonde locks falling into his face. His face drops when he sees his team standing nearby.

“What are you lot doing here?” he scolds, his face looking angry.

“Captain, your team disrespected General Erstad and his mate. She has decided that your team will stay behind and clean up camp. You will not be fighting with us until after,” Thea states.

“She?” he asks Thea, looking at me. I’ve sat down at Mess with Carlton a few times. We’ve talked and I’ve found him to be incredibly arrogant.

“Yes, and keep a tighter rein on your team Carlton, this is not on,” Thea orders. I look at his team and smile.

“Yes ma’am, my apologies Beta Sully,” he says, bowing at me.

“Don’t call me that,” I reply. He nods before he turns and glares at the she-wolves who follow him out of the tent.

“You’re Sully?” Thea then asks, looking at me. I turn to her and nod.

“Yeah. Major Dick said Henry wanted to meet me? I’m not ready though yet, so don’t tell him I’m here,” I say, knowing she’s probably mentioned something already.

“Uh, I didn’t directly… but you’re Sully?” she asks again.

“Yeah, the Major in charge of me at Waning Moon liked to shorten out names. Sullivan- Sully. Why?”

“We were told a she-wolf took down ten wolves in one go and we wanted to meet her. Henry wants to nominate you for a medal,” Thea says.

“Well, I’m not a wolf, and it was seven wolves? And I don’t want anything from that cheating bastard,” I go to leave, but Thea grabs my arm.

“Tate, we need to talk, he was under the influence of a spell…” she says. I shake my head and look at her.

“He’s been so worried, looking for you and Rhiannon. We all were…” Thea tries to say.

“It still hurts. I need to speak with my team, sorry Thea,” I say. I turn to leave and thankfully she doesn’t follow me.