“You have concerns with remaining?” Nafarius asked. They’d been speaking with the Council members for well over an hour, going over the plan and outlining all the possibilities. Jonas and Lillian had asked intelligent questions but neither seemed inclined to agree. They hadn’t said no either and Nafarius decided to take that as a good sign. “What more can I say?”
Another look passed between Lillian and Jonas, this one longer. “There is nothing more to say,” Jonas finally said. “We will stay and help you with your rouse.”
Nafarius breathed a sigh of relief.
“On one condition,” Jonas said.
Nafarius stiffened.
“At some point in the future you will grant Lillian and myself unlimited access to Samantha.” Jonas held up a hand, effectively stopping Nafarius’ protest. “You’ve been generous in allowing us to remain until she proved able to shift. However, you made it quite clear that was all we were permitted. We require a opportunity to explore Sam’s abilities in greater detail as well as record them for historical purposes.”
Nafarius gritted his teeth. He didn’t like being forced into such a position. However, their current plan was the best one yet and depended on the Council member’s cooperation. “What will you do with the information?”
“Record it, save it for future reference,” Jonas said. “Sam is the first shifter to come along in a very long time. However, she may not be the last. I don’t mean the twins,” Jonas said. “She could mark things to come and we need to be prepared.”
“Prepared for what?” Nafarius asked. With their bloody history it wouldn’t surprise him if the lycan Council members were looking for a way to neutralize a shifter’s abilities.
“To find a way to co-exist,” Lillian said. “We have no desire to repeat history – any of it.” Shifters and had enslaved lycans until they eventually revolted and hunted shifters into exstinction. “We need to be able to protect everyone but that requires understanding and education. If there are others like Sam we want to know about them and help them to understand their abilities. There is much that could be learned from each other.”
Nafarius nodded, understanding. With great abilities came great responsibility. Sam felt it and it drove her to use those abilities to protect her pack. “I’ll agree to time with Sam once she and the twins are safe. We can work out the details later.”
“Agreed,” Jonas said. “So, what do you need us to do?”
The next few days passed quickly with most of the pack members sticking to their usual routine. Runners were sent to neighboring packs with requests to shelter the oldest and youngest pack members for the coming conflict. Nafarius was touched when not a single request was denied.
Dresden, Roland, Alex and Nafarius made regular sweeps of the surrounding area looking for signs of a scout. The last one had been sent back over three weeks ago. It wouldn’t take long for Storm to send a replacement.
Already plans were in place to allow the latest scout to get further into the pack’s territory. To the scout (and Storm) it would appear that the pack had gotten lax in their patrols with the preparations to move Sam and the Council members.
Sam and the Council members were doing their part. Each one was slowly packing up personal belongings, making it appear that the Council members were returning home and taking Sam with them.
Younger pack members were sent into the city as if to prepare for the move. Each one had been instructed to make a noticeable passing through the area, stopping in town for supplies before continuing on. Storm and his men may not be in town yet but they were sure to get word of the pack’s movements upon their arrival.
Three days after the last runner was sent the first scout was sighted.
Roland came trotting back into the clearing, “Where’s Nafarius?” he asked Alex.
Alex pointed to indicate a small group of pack members running through a series of training exercises. Dresden had cautioned that not all of Storm’s troops were lycan and that the pack members needed to be prepared to fight in all forms. Nafarius and Roland had set up a training schedule that alternated through weapons as well as hand to hand combat and combat in wolf form.
“Nafarius!” Roland called.
Nafarius turned at the sound of his name, with a word to one of the young men he handed off the training and went to join his second in command. “What is it?”
“I came across a scout,” Roland said. “Storm should be ashamed of himself. The man has no idea how inept his troops are.”
“Tell me,” Nafarius said. Spotting Dresden he motioned for the man to join them.
Roland explained that the scout was still at the edge of the pack’s territory, moving closer slowly and leaving an embarrassingly obvious trail. His disgust at the man’s lack of abilities was obvious. “If that’s the best Storm has then I don’t know why we’re worried.”
“Don’t get cocky,” Dresden warned. “Storm knows better then to send his best into enemy territory alone, especially on a scouting mission.”
“Storm is sending cannon fodder,” Nafarius said.
“More like snacks,” Roland said with a smile.
Dresden nodded, “He wouldn’t risk sending anyone of value, not after the way the first few were sent back.” The smile he gave them was chilling.
“How long do we have?” Nafarius asked.
“A day and a half, two at most and he’ll be within site of the clearing,” Roland said. Shifting from foot to foot, he strained against the need to hunt down the intruder. “I don’t like letting him get that close.”
“Understood,” Nafarius said. “None of us are thrilled with the idea but we agreed that this was the best course of action.”
“There’s no turning back,” Dresden said. “Everything is in place, all we need to do now is wait.”
“And the pack?” Roland asked.
“We’ll start moving those that are leaving out tonight, one and two at a time,” Nafarius said. Sam had put together a schedule and knew where everyone would be going and when. She had made a point of putting families together while still managing to spread everyone out across the neighboring packs. Thankfully, there weren’t too many that needed to be moved.
The three males stood silent, each one thinking of the battle that was yet to come. Spying the scout was only the first step. Everyone knew that the success of their plan depended on each part going right – one misstep could unravel everything and leave them dangerously exposed.
“Well,” Dresden said, “if you don’t mind I think I’ll go find Jude.”
Nafarius and Roland both nodded, each one heading off to find his mate. It was understandable that they would seek to spend the last of a peaceful evening drawing comfort from and reassuring themselves of the safety of their mates.
Jude sensed Dresden the moment he stepped inside. In the three months they’d been together she’d come to recognize he presence. It went beyond the sound of his tread or the scent of his skin – both of which she recognized and could pick out even among a crowd. It was something more, a base element that was unique to him and seemed to proceed him as he moved through time and space.
Having felt him drawing near she wasn’t surprised to feel his hands slipping around her waist and pulling her back to his chest.