The Alpha's Companion

Chapter 40 - A Traitor In Our Midst

Lacey pushed herself harder through the mountains, needing to run. Then she caught the scent of a herd of elk and slowed. Lacey crouched low, eyeing her prey, but then caught the scent of something else. Something big.

"Grrrowwwaaallll!" She knew that sound well... and it was right behind her.

Lacey’s head snapped up as a low, guttural growl erupted from deep inside her chest. For behind her was a huge, black bear. "Why not?" Lacey thought, knowing she needed to work off some steam.

The black bear rose on its hind legs and growled loudly again, staking its claim on the territory. However, when Lacey rose to her feet, revealing her massive size, the bear turned and started to run... but Lacey was faster.

In two bounds, Lacey tackled the bear to the ground and sank her teeth into its neck, snapping it at the same time, not wanting to cause the bear any more pain than necessary. She angrily tore off slabs of steaming, hot meat until she had eaten her fill, and then left the rest for the other predators of the forest to finish off.

Lacy looked up and the moon was full and high in the sky. She sighed, hating to go back to the castle, but it was inevitable. However, she needed a minute to think. so, she headed up to the top of the mountain and looked out over the land in the moonlight, enjoying being free.

"So, you come here often?"

Lacey snapped her head up and it was Raye. She looked back out at the view. "What do you want?"

"Okay...." Raye started to walk away. "I see that now isn't a good time."

Lacey shook her head. “No, it's okay. I have a lot on my mind." Then she smiled mentally. "I was just going back. Want to race?"

"Sure, but I want to talk about something first." Raye took a step closer, making Lacey feel a bit uneasy.

"You can direct all your questions concerning the pack to the Alpha." She started back.

"Wait!" Raye yelled, bringing her to a stop.

Lacey turned around. "Raye, I really need to get back—"

"This will only take a minute, but I need you to phase into your human form first."

"Not a chance." Before now, she had trusted Raye, but not enough to be naked in her human form this far away from the castle. She started back again.

"Okay...." he said, bringing her to a stop. "But we'll need to talk low."

"Why?" Lacey whispered. He was acting weird and she didn’t like it.

Raye sighed. "Okay... will you meet me before practice tomorrow before everyone else gets there, in your human form?"

Lacey sighed, thinking. "Why? You can say anything you’d like to me now." She had a feeling there was a reason why he wanted to talk alone, without anyone else listening.

"Please," Raye replied. "it's important."

Finally, she relented. "Okay. But I have to get back now. See you back at the castle… but I’m going to get there first!" Then she took off running, not waiting, in case he tried to stop her again. She poured on the speed, headed toward the castle, enjoying being free. But her wolf missed Julien and so did she. Lacey wished he had come along with her to enjoy it instead of Raye.

***

Lacey slowed when she neared the castle. "Go ahead. I'll see you later... but I won."

"Yeah, I let you," Raye replied, pouring on the speed, making one more last-ditch effort to win.

But Lacey was faster, pouring on more speed until she skidded to a stop in the practice ring where she had left her equipment, along with an extra change of clothes in the bag. She had started carrying extra clothes with her just in case. "But I still won." Lacey smiled mentally. It was nice having a friend to clown around with. "Admit it."

"Okay, I concede," Raye said. "I admit that you... cheated." Then he ran toward the castle, phasing into his human form just before he got there, walking into the castle naked. But Lacey knew there would be a maid waiting at the door to hand him a silk pack robe, standard practice with most large packs.

Lacey had been about to tell him that she had not cheated, but she knew he was only joking anyway. At the practice ring, no one was there so she phased and quickly dug out her extra change of workout clothes, not having any desire to walk into the castle naked unless it was necessary. Julien was jealous enough without having to add fuel to the fire.

When she finished, she zipped up her practice bag, slid it onto her shoulder, and then headed toward the castle.

Inside, Julien was waiting for her. "Feel better?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lacey nodded. "My wolf needed to run... and so did I." She took his arm and let him lead her up the stairs, headed toward their bedroom.

"Want to eat in tonight?" Julien asked, giving her a sly smile.

Lacey shrugged. "I ate while I was out, so whatever you'd like to do is fine with me."

Julien chuckled. "So, what did you eat?"

"Bear."

He laughed. "Wow!”

Lacey shrugged. "What can I say? He attacked first." She laughed at the memory. "But when he saw my size, he took off running, but I caught him easily." Then she looked up at Julien and smiled. "He would have had a heart attack if he had seen you." Julien's wolf was bigger than any other wolf she had ever seen. Big enough to give just about any animal—and human—a heart attack if they encountered him in the woods alone."

"Lacey, I thought about what you said, and I like the idea of you training the young warriors and me training the Pack Warriors and you." Julien sighed. "Have you given any thought to guarding the interior of the castle with your young warriors, should the need arise?"

Lacey shrugged. "Although I don't like the idea of being kept out of the "real fight"...."

"Lacey, I'm sorry—"

She held up a finger, stopping him. "If it will make you feel better, I will. But if it comes down to a real fight, I won’t back down and I won’t run and hide.”

“Lacey, I don’t want you fighting. The young warriors will need you for guidance in a real fight.”

Lacey sighed. “I will protect the young warriors and will fight by their side, but I will not stay out of a real fight should it come down to it,” Lacey replied. “It’s not in my nature.”

Julien raised an eyebrow. “Will you at least agree to follow my orders?”

Lacey nodded. “As my Alpha, yes. Without question.”

“Then I order you to stay out of the fight.”

“Well, we’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it.”

Julien sighed. “Lacey, do you realize that I was so worried about you that I couldn’t do my duty and protect the pack? I have to trust that you will follow my orders without question, as you said.”

“Can we talk about this later?” One corner of her lips curled into a smile. “I’m tired and I don’t want to fight.”

Julien looked at her for a moment and then nodded once. Then he pulled her to a stop. "Lacey, I know how hard this is for you. But if the next attack is anything like the other, you and your young warriors may see more action than the rest of us."

Lacey nodded, but she hoped not. If the Wildclaws got into the castle, that meant that the exterior was breached. "Julien, I just had an idea."

He lifted an eyebrow, suddenly serious. "What's that?"

Lacey noticed that now he was listened to her, showing her respect. "In order for the Wildclaws to have breached the castle, that means there was an exterior breach, too."

His eyebrows pulled together in concern, nodding. "Which means, they had an inside man," Julien finished.

Lacey nodded. "As much as I hate to think it may be true—"

"We may have a traitor in our midst."