The Alpha's Companion

Chapter 43 - Insinuation

The next morning, Lacey woke early, wanting to get to the practice ring. Raye wanted to meet with her early, so she thought it was best to find out what he wanted.

Lacey thought about her conversation with Julien and was glad that he had agreed to train the Pack Warriors. He was the best one for the job and had more experience than everyone else in the pack. And with experience came knowledge and years of strategy. Also, coordinating the warriors to work together as a team would be their best shot at defeating another Wildclaw attack, which was inevitable.

The Wildclaws were rogue warriors without a pack. Each of them had been thrown out of their own packs or assimilated from other packs after theirs was decimated, so they formed their own pack. But it was known that they were nomadic and needed property of their own. So, instead of earning the money and building a base legitimately, it was easier to overtake an established one. Over the past several months, they had launched one unsuccessful attack after another on many local packs in an effort to obtain a home base. But so far, they hadn't been successful.

And Lacey was going to make sure that they wouldn't get the Harvest Moon Pack's castle, either. Since it was one of the most well-established shifter home bases in the west, making them a prime target.

Now on the way out to the practice ring, Lacey was looking forward to coordinating the young warriors. As their trainer, she would be giving the orders in the event of an attack like the other day, so she wanted to be the one to train them. And if she and Julien worked together to train the pack properly, The Harvest Moon Pack could become the strongest pack around.

Lacey set down her bag, donned her MMA gloves, and pulled her hair up into a ponytail, ready to work out. She started warming up as she waited for Raye.

Julien headed out of the castle, looking forward to sparing with her. But when he skipped down the stairs, Raye walked out into the ring. Julien hated to listen in, but the expression on Lacey's face was intense, alerting his wolf. Julien had trusted Raye until this point, but Lacey was a beautiful, young woman, sure to create a temptation for any young shifter, whether she wanted to or not. Unable to resist, Julien ducked behind a small, stone outbuilding near the practice field that they used for storage and settled in to listen and watch.

Lacey was shadow boxing in the ring when Raye walked up. "Hey, if you're going to step into the ring, then you'll have to work out with me.” Lacey smirked. “There aren't any free rides."

Raye smiled, nodding. "Okay," Raye replied, clearly amused, "So be it." Raye went over to his things and donned his practice gear. A moment later, Raye jumped into the ring.

Lacey threw a jab and then another, but Raye easily ducked, jumping out of the way. "So, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Lacey asked.

"Well, I was thinking that, you have superior skills and I have superior skills...." He threw a spin kick at her head, but Lacey went low, clearing the kick, and swept his feet, knocking him to the ground. Lacey landed an elbow to his chest and pinned his shoulders, but Raye jumped out of it with ease. "That said, what do you think about working together?"

Without hesitation, Lacey jumped up, wrapped her legs around Raye's neck, and flipped him over onto his shoulders. "That, my friend, is a pin."

"Lucky shot," Raye said, still in Lacey's leglock. He tapped her leg. "Okay. Let me up."

"Nope!" Lacey twisted around, sitting up, and looked directly into his eyes upside down. He was still pinned, unable to move. "To make it clear, the only ‘working together’ that I want to do with you is our jobs.” She tightened her grip on his neck with her legs, and then wrapped her hands under his chin, pulling his head back. "Why did you ask? What did you have in mind?”

"Nothing! Nothing at all!" He tapped out on her leg. "I just thought we could work together is all.”

She tightened her grip on... everything. "You aren’t insinuating anything else, are you?”

"No, no! Never!" Raye tapped her leg repeatedly. "I give! I give!"

"I didn’t think so," Lacey said. "How were you wanting us to work together?”

"It was just an idea, since we both have superior skills!" Raye begged. "Let me go!"

Lacey released him and pointed a finger in his face when he got to his feet. "Don’t ever let me hear you insinuate anything like I think you were ever again."

Raye held his hands up in surrender. “Okay! Okay! I’m sorry!”

"I'm not," Lacey replied, pulling a hand towel from her bag. “But you’ve been warned. Got it?”

"Loud and clear." Raye laughed without humor.

Koi came up just then. "Everything okay, Alpha Queen?" He stood at the edge of the practice ring, looking between her and Raye, a crease forming between his eyes.

Lacey relaxed once she saw the young warrior. "I'm fine, Koi. Thanks." Then she looked over at Raye. “Get ready to work.”

Koi snapped a salute, smiling, thinking she was talking to him. “Aye, aye, my Alpha Queen! Whatever you say, Your Alphaness!”

Lacey rolled her eyes and laughed. “Go get ready.” Then she looked over at Raye. “You, too.”

Raye nodded once, and then started getting ready to work out.

Julien ducked around a corner to make sure Raye didn't see him, and then double backed toward the side of the castle without being seen, having heard it all.

Lacey looked up and Julien was walking down the castle steps. A thrill ran through her, and her wolf nearly jumped out of her chest when she saw him. Lacey hoped that Raye wasn’t insinuating that they work together to take over the pack. To even think such a thing would be treason… and she wasn’t about to double cross Julien like that. He was not only her husband, but her mate.. And she wanted to keep it that way.