Bear Naked 4: The Sons of Garm

Chapter 11

After the morning meeting with the elders, Connor and pack returned to Marshall for training. He pushed them hard and by the time Connor slumped onto the porch of their cabin, his hair wet from the shower, he was exhausted.

When Jonathan and Connor had returned to the meeting, Connor kept his anger in check better, but he still wasn't sure about Arthur and he avoided giving any solid commitment to accepting him as their official advisor. Not that he was likely to be given the choice.

He looked up to see Robbie approaching their cabin. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. Amanda appeared at the door, watching the man approach.

"I came to talk about the meeting this morning," Robbie said, halting on the porch. "And to talk to..."

"Jonathan?" Amanda said.

"I'd like to say hi, honestly. But no. I've a mission. Jameson thinks one of you should be involved. I'd like to ask Tanner."

"Tanner?"

"Yeah."

Connor and Amanda exchanged a look. "Say your peace. And if Tanner agrees," Amanda replied.

The others were behind her and she stepped outside to let them pass.

"What I got to say to you is this," Robbie directed at Connor. "You don't like Arthur, don't trust him. I get that."

"Not sure I trust you either," Connor said.

Robbie looked hurt but covered it well. "I do what I have to, for my pack, for my alpha, for my tribe. Arthur? He does, too. You might not understand fully yet, but you should. You beat him last summer."

"And now he's a changed man?" Connor asked, an eyebrow raised.

"No. He's exactly who he was last year. But he's your wolf now. He'll follow your lead. You can trust that."

It was Tricia, leaning up against the post at the edge of their porch that spoke next. "I don't know what he expects you to trust Arthur to do but he's right. Robbie and Arthur, they got the same flaw. They follow the chain of command, no matter how fucked up that chain gets."

"So if we take him as our advisor, he won't swing some deal and try to get back in Fenrir's good graces?" Amanda asked.

"No,"Robbie said. "He wanted peace. I know how it looked to you, but that's the truth, he wanted peace. He was willing to sacrifice Amanda, and that was bad. But now? He knows that won't bring peace. He knows there is only one way to get there."

"And that is?" Connor asked.

"To build a strong enough coalition of our own that Fenrir has no choice but to back down. He can come at the bear clan, or even at the Leidulf tribe. But if the Skollsen's stand with us, its harder. Each tribe that says they don't want to bow, that's one more they got to put down. If we get enough willing to side with us, even Fenrir will have to see he's not getting named Wolf King, or whatever title he's trying to claim."

"It seems like whether I agree or not, the elders will tell me to take Arthur," Connor commented. "I'll do that. Trust him, after last summer? That's gonna take some doing."

"Fine, I get that. My point is, trust him to be Arthur. A loyal soldier and a cunning warrior. If you trust him beyond that, if you ever see us as friends, that's up to you," Robbie said.

"Okay."

Jonathan came forward. "Hey."

"Hey, Johnnie boy," Robbie said, cupping Jonathan's neck and bumping foreheads. "It'll be good to catch up this summer, you know." He gave a nervous glance toward Connor and the others, who were still regarding him suspiciously. "Regardless of... everything else."

"Yeah, Unk," Jonathan replied.

Robbie let Jonathan go. He turned to Tanner. "Arthur wants to meet up with Ritters, before the council. I've got a contact. Got a couple bikes. Want a road trip down with me?"

"Bikes?" Tanner's face lit up.

Robbie chuckled. "Yamaha cruisers. Nothing fancy."

"You don't want to take Jonathan?" Amanda asked. Connor saw Jonathan was trying to hide his disappointment.

"Ain't like that."

"Too dangerous?"

"I can ride," Erica said. "Uncle Vince taught me. And I ain't afraid."

Robbie snorted at her. "It ain't dangerous. No more dangerous than anywhere in neutral lands. It's just," he looked around, "Tanner be a better fit. You'll all get a chance to ride and you'll all get a chance to run errands. Okay?"

"Okay," Erica said, sighing.