Bear Naked 4: The Sons of Garm

Chapter 49

Amanda had been worrying about Erica for days. She had taken Myrna's defection back into a life of slavery hard. At an intellectual level Amanda struggled with it, too. How could she see that life as preferable to freedom?

But she understood what Valerie and the others were saying, too. It was all Myrna knew. Besides she had been "broken." Amanda had only a vague notion of what that meant and she didn't want to know more. Myrna had faced a level of physical and sexual abuse that would raise Amanda's hackles. The effect of such abuse were emotionally crippling and a couple of weeks of being free and in a normal relationship wasn't going to change that.

Not that many of the older wolves saw Erica and Myrna as normal, anyway. They might say they were accepting when she announced she was a lesbian, but when confronted with it in person they still struggled. And the age difference, Erica was just eighteen and Myrna in her mid thirties. They saw Erica as a kid, involved with an older woman.

What Amanda saw when she thought of the two of them was one woman in love with someone that wasn't emotionally or mentally capable of returning that love normally, because of her abuse history. It tore at Erica that she couldn't protect Myrna. And it tore at Amanda that she couldn't protect Erica.

Yesterday Erica had offered to go into Branson with Valerie and Robbie and resupply. This council had ran almost three weeks longer than expected. That was a good thing. Each day that Fenrir did not get the pledges of loyalty he wanted was a small victory for their side and a chance he'd realize he couldn't unite the other tribes against them. But they'd had to make several supply runs. For Connor and their pack, they had nothing waiting at home, except adult decisions about college and jobs. But for Aaron and Arthur's pack, the time off work and away from home were telling.

The Fleischers, on the other hand, were trafficking both drugs and women in Branson, sources confirmed. It was proving so lucrative that they were considering keeping the camp as a semi-permanent establishment. The Jaeger's were more than a little nervous about the Fleischers extending their territory so close to the Jaeger's own.

The Negelmans were encouraging the move. "Cowardice," Arthur called it. It put the Fleischer between them and the northern tribes if there was war.

"Strategy," Jonathan countered. "Let the Fleischer and Grimweir bleed trying to bring us to heel. The Negelmans will end up that much more powerful, no matter who wins."

Amanda had hoped that Erica's taking a break from moping about Myrna, watching her in the distance, meant she was finally getting over her and moving on. But today, through out the council meeting Erica had been keyed up, tense and nervous. Amanda wasn't sure what was going on in her head, and judging from the looks that Connor shared with Amanda, he didn't either.

Amanda made a mental note to try to track her down after lunch, see if she could find out what was wrong. She stood as Lukas announced another break from yet another council. "God, Marshall pushed us to be in peak shape, now we sit around and get fat," Amanda groused. "What was the point?"

Jonathan chuckled.

Amanda looked back just in time to see Erica heading across the open space towards the Fleischer side. "What the hell?"

"Erica..." Connor started to call and the word died on his lips. It was too late.

She marched up to Oliver and poked him in the chest. "I challenge you!" she said. "For Myrna." She stared at him defiant.

He just stared at her, as though he couldn't believe she was serious. Then he laughed. "Go away, girl."

"I challenge you," she roared, shoving him hard enough to send him sprawling.