Page 44 of Blood Pearl
“It must be bad if you’re giving me that look. It is a good idea, and I’d be happy to have someone else's perspective. Let’s have some lunch and we can discuss it while we eat.”
Grinning like a man possessed, I follow Roul to the serving area where we fill our plates with a main meal, some snacks and a couple of bottles of water each.
Once our main meal has been devoured, there’s no other description for it, I pull a notebook from my back pocket and see the grimace on Roul’s face.
“I should have known you would have notes to refer back to!” Roul shakes his head and sits back in his chair, waiting for me to begin.
Going through each of the pack members one by one, we agree on the majority of our observations. Several pack members stand out, leading to some interesting difference of opinions.
Discussing some of the female’s progress has us at loggerheads for several minutes. Roul is convinced that we should just lock them away with the pups if things get serious, but this gives me an idea for motivating their training.
“Give them something to fight for! Instead of expecting them to follow the training like sheep, give them a goal. When they next have their training, take them outside the nursery and train them there. Have them defend the nursery from your male pack members or even a couple of female warriors. I will bet you a week's fresh meat that they will surprise you with the results.” Sitting back and looking smug because I believe I just nailed it for motivation for these females, Roul looks closely at me.
“No bets, I’m not that good a hunter. I do, however, think that’s utter genius. I wouldn’t have thought so far outside the box as that, but you have definitely made this discussion worthwhile. I’ll give that a go one morning and let you know how it goes.” Roul gives me a head nod and we call it a day on the discussions.
Leaving the dining area, Raina calls to me from the Alpha’s office door.
“Gerry! Can you step in the office for a moment, please?”
Walking by two guards at the door has me a little perplexed, but when I see two more guards inside, and a male bound and gagged in front of Alpha Aurora’s desk, I’m speechless. That’s not something I can easily admit too. Few things leave me with no words.
“Council Warrior Gerry. I was wondering if you could help me with a problem. I need this traitor transported to Councilman Flint at the first available opportunity. It also needs to be done with extreme secrecy. He has been given a dose of wolfsbane, something his rogue friends are willing to use quite freely, to prevent his wolf from helping him. He also has a sturdy silver bracelet to prevent him mind linking with anyone as to his current position or whereabouts.”
“Alpha Aurora, I am at your service. I presume Councilman Flint is awaiting ‘his guest’ and has all the relevant details?”
“He is aware that this traitor, a trusted pack member, was caught trying to contact a rogue at the border after having sneaked away from the packhouse. Unfortunately, the rogue was able to slip away. I need this one to discreetly disappear, with no witnesses, so that the shifter council can obtain as much knowledge from him as possible. On conclusion of that, I would like him returned just as discreetly. When he has returned to the pack, he will meet me in the training area, in full view of the pack, to answer for his crimes.” Alpha Aurora has a feral look to her that I have never seen before. It is plain to see how difficult it is for her to rein in her anger and disgust.
“I will make the necessary arrangements immediately, Alpha. To expedite his disappearance, may I have the use of one of the pack’s trucks? A pack truck leaving the area will generate far less interest than having a council vehicle arrive to collect him.”
“You may have the use of anything belonging to the pack at your disposal if it will get him away from me all the sooner. Thank you, Council Warrior Gerry. Your assistance in this matter will not go unappreciated.” Looking around the room, her eyes fall on everyone present. “I should not have to say this, but I will. Nothing that has been said in this room leaves this room. If so much as a whisper reaches me that anything has been mentioned outside these walls, you will pray for your death before I have finished with you.”
Leaving the Alpha’s office, I make my way to my room, where I contact Flint and make all the necessary arrangements. It will take twenty-four hours to be able to get this done, with no one being any the wiser.
Hearing my stomach grumble, I once again head for the dining area. A bowl of soup, a crusty bread bun and a couple of sandwiches later, my stomach quietens. Just as I empty my tray, all hell breaks loose.
Aurora and Raina rush past the dining area, and I hear Aurora shout, “Gerry! With Us!”
As I rush out and catch up, Raina spits out, “The border has been breached. Early reports suggest around twenty rogues. Two of our patrols have merged and are fighting a rearguard action. We have lost no one so far, but don’t know how long that will last.” With the warriors with us and the merged patrols, this should be an even match in term of numbers. The skill level, however, should weigh heavily in our favor.
Shifting to our wolves, we cover ground much faster and we soon hear the sounds of fighting ahead. Shifting back, we see that the rogues have penetrated deep into the pack territory. When we reach the patrol members, they look weary, but no one appears seriously injured.
Seeing their Alpha, one of the patrol members rushes over. “Alpha Aurora. I don’t understand what they are trying to achieve, other than penetrating the territory. They won’t stand and fight! They just keep pushing on. They will not come to battle. We have been outnumbered, but they haven’t used their numbers to their advantage. They are not trying to take prisoners. They don’t even appear to want to kill us! It makes no sense.”
“Thank you for your insight. Now let’s see what they do when the numbers are equal, shall we?” Gathering all the warriors together, Aurora leads a charge against the rogues. After a brief skirmish with no serious fighting, the rogues start to fall back.
I don’t like this, not one bit. This has all the signs of a baited trap. “Aurora! Raina! This is wrong! WAIT!” Rushing to where Raina is covering her Alpha’s back, I try to stop them from pushing further forward.
Hearing my calls, Raina grabs her Alpha and as she pulls her back, the rogues seem to disperse into the forest. A lone archer stands and, with his bow fully extended and aimed at Aurora, releases his arrow.
As Raina pulls at Aurora, she half turns and begins to fall. The arrow, meant for her heart, enters her shoulder. Taking all this in as I shift to Asher, I rush at the archer. Being no match, he tries to run when he sees he’s alone.
Leaping onto his back has him tumbling across the ground. Forcing Asher back into my mind, I spin the archer to his back and begin to punch him. Not knowing how many times I hit him, I struggle as someone tries to pull me off.
“GERRY! STOP!” Hearing the voice, more than the words, has me looking up. Two warriors are holding my arms, but the voice is Aurora from where she lays while Raina examines her wound.
Standing, I lift the archer to his feet and push him against the nearest tree trunk. “This whole thing was a set-up just to get Alpha Aurora in your sights. Why is Alpha Arric so desperate to kill her?” Shaking him by the throat does not illicit the response I expect. The archer looks at me and laughs.
“Arric? That fool? We don’t work for that idiot. The man who would be a ‘king’? He couldn’t afford the services of me and my men.” Wiping his hand across his face, he removes some of the blood from his lips and nose. “Allow me and my men to go free, and I’ll tell you who wants your precious Alpha dead. I’ll also give you my word that we won’t accept another contract on her or any of the Blood Pearl pack.”