Allies

Chapter 18 #2

“Knock, knock!” a male called through the closed door.

“It’s Frenzy,” Rance said, walking over to open the door. He pulled the door open and smiled at the grinning goofball on the other side of it. “Morning, Frenzy.”

“Good morning, my buuuudy! How goes it?” Frenzy asked.

“Well. Gwen’s getting stronger, boys are happy, and I’m learning about taking care of injured females. Males I got, females, not so much.”

“Isn’t it freaky how just a little thing like gender can change your whole response from, ‘shake it off and get your ass back to the car’ to ‘tell me what I can do make you more comfortable, baby’,” Frenzy said.

Rance laughed. “You have never been more right.”

“Here’s your coffee,” Frenzy said. “Bonnie sent me up with it when I told her I was coming up to see you.”

“Thanks,” Rance said, taking the cup from him. “Want to come in?”

“Thought you’d never ask. I gotta check Ms. Gwen’s injury.” Frenzy looked over to Gwen. “If that’s okay with you.”

“Please do,” she said, reaching out her hand to put her smoothie on the bedside table.

Rance hurried to take it from her and set it on the table for her.

“Alright,” Frenzy said, taking hold of the covers, but pausing to look at her before pulling them back, “you dressed under here, right? Because the last thing any of us need is Rance starting all that growly shi….. stuff again.” Frenzy threw a glance at the boys over his shoulder.

“I’m dressed, I think,” she said.

“She’s dressed,” Rance confirmed.

“Let’s get this dressing off and take a look,” Frenzy said, as he moved the covers off of her body.

He folded her shirt up under her breasts, then very carefully unwound the dressing from around her body while Rance supported her.

Once they got her wound exposed Frenzy and Rance rolled her toward Rance so Frenzy could get a good look at the wound.

“I tell you what… you people heal like I’ve never seen before.

I thought we healed quickly. Nothing like y’all.

It’s clean, there’s no blood, there’s fresh, new skin growing in. I think it’s going to be just fine.”

“Thank you so much for all you and your people did,” Gwen said, her voice muffled because she was lying on her side with her face half pressed into a pillow.

“You are very welcome,” Frenzy said. “Now, let’s get you cleaned up again, fresh bandages, and you’ll be good until tomorrow. I’ll leave some meds and instructions for Bonnie and she’ll do you up just fine, I’m sure.”

“You leaving?” Rance asked.

“Yep! We’re heading out. Going to Missouri to see if we can find any evidence to lead us to anyone or at the very least prove who was responsible.

We know who it was, you’ve told us, some of the females have told us, some of the males that got the females here safely have told us, but if I can find evidence, I can get permission to attack their Pride.

Organized invasion, multiple SOT Teams, make sure there’s no one there against their will.

Find out where they got the Variant but not quite Variant males who attacked the Gamieyon Pride with them, and take out the leader or leaders of their Prides. All kinds of problems solved at once.”

“If not?”

“Oh, I still plan to attack, I’m just going to have to do it on my own.

Ask for back up on a volunteer basis. But the fact that they had Variant males, or not quite, with them, makes me think I won’t have to go that route.

I just need some evidence,” Frenzy said.

“We’re planning to bury the dead, too. They deserve a dignified burial. ”

“When are you leaving?” Rance asked.

“Forty-five minutes. I know you said you wanted to be a part of it, but I know you got a reason not to now, as well.”

Rance looked over at Gwen, then back at Frenzy. He really wanted to be there, but he didn’t want to leave Gwen on her own, not fully recovered, and with two babies to take care of. “Any way you can wait a day or two?”

Frenzy didn’t even get a chance to answer before Gwen was interrupting. “Rance?”

He looked back at her.

“Did you plan to go?”

“I did.”

“Then go.”

“But you…”

“Go. There are plenty of people here that can help me until I can do it on my own. Go.”

“Gwen, if I go, it could be a week or two. I don’t want to leave you and the boys unprotected.”

“Do you really think we’re unprotected?”

Rance sighed. “No. You’re safe here.”

“If you want to be a part of this, then go. We’ll be fine.”

“You’re sure?”

“Completely.”

Rance looked at Frenzy. “I’m coming.”

Frenzy grinned. “I knew you would! Get your shi… stuff together and be out front in forty-five minutes.”

“Got it,” Rance said.

“Ma’am. Hope you feel better real soon, and I promise to try not to say the s word in front of your little boys again.”

“Thank you. I am so grateful you and your people were here,” Gwen said.

Frenzy winked at her, then turned to look at Rance. “I’ll see you out front. I’m going on mission with my buddy!” he whispered excitedly then hurried out of the door.

“I’ll bring you a phone before I go — we’ve got burners. I’ll check in when I can, and feel free to call me with anything,” Rance said.

“Okay. But Rance, I need you to do something for me.”

He paused, his mind busy making a list of everything he needed to do in forty-five minutes. He looked at her, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. “You don’t even need to say it. I’ll find him, and I’ll bury him. I’ll take care of it.”

“Is it too much?” she asked, fully aware that she was asking her fated mate to bury her chosen mate with the dignity and reverence she would if she could.

“It’s not enough. It’s the very least I can do and it will be done.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll be back with your phone.”

“Thank you.”

He paused at the door and looked back at her. “I’ll make sure you have whatever you need while I’m gone. Not only Bonnie, but some of your ladies as well. And my brother. I’ll have him look in on you as well.”

“Which is your brother?” she asked.

“Oh, you’ll know. We’re twins.”

Gwen smiled. “Take care, Rance. Please. It could be dangerous. Especially if they’re waiting to see who comes to view the damage.”

“We’ll be fine. I’ll be in touch while I’m gone, too.”

“Be careful, Rance.”

~~~

Alison stood at her front door, her hand resting on the edge of the opened door as she saw Feral off.

“I hate leaving things like this. There is still so much left unsaid, so many things left to address; but I have no choice. I have to see the mission through and then there are some loose ends I need to tie up back home.”

“I understand. There’s no problem,” she said.

“I’ve seen you steadily pull away this morning after letting down your walls last night. I know you think I’m not coming back, but you couldn’t be more wrong,” Feral said.

Alison smiled doubtfully as she looked up at him. “We barely know each other, Feral. I don’t expect anything, but I’m grateful for the moments we did have.”

Niko quietly appeared behind Alison. “Sorry, I’m gonna just slide by here,” he said, turning his body sideways and pressing his back up against the door as he squeezed through.

“Got a call from Jack, I gotta go. I think your people are ready. You should go, too,” he said, as he headed toward the path.

Feral’s phone began to buzz on his belt, and he glanced down at it irritatedly as he rejected the call.

“It’s fine. We’re good. Nothing I didn’t expect. Go ahead, your people are waiting for you,” Alison said, waving him off like a friend she’d see later at dinner.

“What does that mean? Nothing I didn’t expect…” he said.

“There’s nothing to end. We just met. We’re good. I’m sure I’ll see you next time you guys come through here.”

“Alison…”

His phone immediately started vibrating again.

“Go! They’re waiting on you. I’ll see you soon,” she said.

She took one step toward him, kissed his cheek and hurriedly backed out of reach and into her doorway before he could really get a hold of her.

“Take care of you,” she said, smiling at him as she closed the door.

Alison leaned her back against the door, her eyes closed, her head falling forward enough to cause her hair to hide her face.

“Alison! I’m coming back!” Feral yelled from the other side of the door. “Alison?!”

She didn’t answer.

“Damn it!” he said frustratedly.

Alison remained where she was, not moving, barely breathing, praying for him to go away. When she finally heard his footsteps as he went across her porch and down her steps, she let out the breath she’d been holding.

“You alright?” Maeve asked.

Alison looked up at her, surprised to find her there. “Sorry, I didn’t think anyone would see that.”

“For what it’s worth, I trust yours more than I trust mine.”

Alison huffed a frustrated laugh. “It’s ridiculous. I just met him yesterday. I shouldn’t be this upset that he’s going to finish the mission that brought him here to begin with.”

“When you find someone who truly sees you, especially if they’re your mate, it’s hard to even consider that they won’t be there for even a minute,” Maeve said.

“I don’t know if he even really sees me, or decided I’d be easy to convince that he sees me,” Alison said.

Maeve walked over to Alison and put an arm around her, leading her gently away from the door.

“Don’t go doubting yourself, Alison. You’re pretty, and sweet, and caring, and any fool would see that.

Don’t doubt him until he deserves to be doubted.

Come on, let’s finish our breakfast and then you and I and Griffin can go explore today. ”

Alison allowed Maeve to get her settled at the table again, then warm up some quiche and put a plate back in front of her. “I don’t think he’s coming back,” Alison admitted.

“If he doesn’t, then it’s his loss, and it’s the fates making sure you’re not tied up with the wrong male because the right one is headed this way.”

“You truly believe that?” Alison asked her.

“I do. It’s about all we have.”

“What is all we have?” Alison asked.

“Faith. Just faith that tomorrow will be better and that steps we take today will get us to the best places for us tomorrow.”

“What about your faith in the fates?” Alison asked.

“Oh, my fates are drunk,” Maeve said.

Alison laughed.

“Seriously. Drunk. They actually think I’m going to have faith in a pretty boy, bar manager who has professed his whole life that there will be no mate for him and sleeps with a different female each night. How am I supposed to believe they’re anything other than drunk?”

Alison smiled at her. “Niko is a bit fancy and he’s definitely pretty, but he’s also a good male. There are reasons he’s like he is. He deserves faith, too.”

“Tell you what, you keep faith in yours, and I’ll keep faith in the fact that I do believe Niko isn’t all bad, and we’ll both see what happens from there.”

“Sounds like I have to keep more faith than you do,” Alison said, scowling at her.

Maeve laughed. “Because yours is more stable.”

“Mom?!” Griffin yelled from the downstairs half-bath.

“I’m coming,” Maeve answered, getting to her feet to go answer her son’s summon.

“I just want to know when I’m gonna get some different clothes. I’m tired of wearing these,” he complained as they heard the sound of him washing his hands.

“Maybe in a day or two we can make arrangements to go into town. We’ll take care of it then,” Maeve said. Then she looked at Alison. “Is there a thrift store in town? I didn’t have much cash to bring with us, but I do have a little.”

“Yeah, and we’ll find something. In fact, let’s take care of that today.”

“Really? That’d be great,” Maeve said. “I could use a change or two of clothes, myself.”