Stronger by Ang Chris

Chapter 58

Goddess be

I could no longer stand the scent of pork. I had feigned working late every night it was served and if a whiff of it came my way I immediately threw up.

Thankfully the hunting season was well underway. My craving for venison was never ending. It was so bad Grayson was having to send out extra hunters. All he stated was that he wanted extra food for the winter but in reality I had eaten the doe he’d had roasted in one sitting.

I had to focus though this was the trade week. We were sending out all four packs at the same time it had taken a lot of preparation, and a lot of manpower.

The trade trucks had been armored, there had been new weapons ordered, multiple new trade routes had been chosen, and there were several decoys at play. The best way to weaken us was to destroy our imports for the year, and our

sources of income.

We wouldn’t last the winter and we would be forced to leave the safety of our pack to hunt and scavenge for food and

resources.

“They’ll leave at dawn,” Grayson told me.

Our tucks full of pelts, fabric, and food will ship out to our allies. The Crescent Mountain pack will send metal and armor in return; they have been working tirelessly since they’d been attacked to mine for more metal to build

weapons.

The Waxing Pride pack will send us large amounts of beef and pork and hides, broths, cheese, milk, eggs. The River Phase pack will send fish and lumber, Steven owes Grayson some men still and they’d be arriving as well.

“What do they know about our trade?” Grayson leaned back in his chair.

“They know your routes, they know who trades what, and they know you all rely heavily on this trade,” The prisoner freely gave the information, itching at the silver cuffs keeping him bound to the cell floor.

“What else,” Grayson pushed him.

This prisoner once blindly faithful now knew theordela Grayson asked for information and if he got it the prisoner ate, if he didnt the captured wolf would starve, or go thirsty, or be kept awake, or freeze.

“They’ll go for your trucks first, they know you have most of the food,” The wolf continued.

“How do they know all this?” Grayson stood and headed towards the wolf towering over his captive.

“I don’t know,” he looked down.

Grayson hadn’t laid a hand on the man and broken his will beyond repair.

My mate walked out of the cell and grabbed my hand as we left. A small portion of me felt sorry for our prisoner and

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every time that happened I felt Grayson tense. They would do far worse to me if they had managed to capture me.

“I want you to start taking over archery defense, this way it appears like you’re still training,” He told me as we walked up from the Keeps dungeon.

idea,” I agreed

whispering to your absence in the ring,” he whispered

would,”

moved. They had left one hour ago, our tucks would enter and open area in a couple of minutes one of the risk areas.

to wait and see,”

had our harvest that went to humans picked up by humans. If this

open area one. Then two, but the second they entered a valley towards

stop all trucks after checkpoint 17!,” We heard

for the men and women in the trucks.

Move fast!” Grayson ordered them, jumping to his feet.

the screen. They glitched and closed my eyes, unable to think of what I would say to their

4 is down!,”

the radio phone, the humans

update,”

easy going,”

off,” He called

4…Route 5…Route 6…” They all came back cleared.

see the top of that peak,” Grayson turned

can you hear us,” I got onto the radio

Na response.

4,” I went

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Static.

rescue found them if they were alive or not.

blocked,” The copied

and then head west,” Grayson called

the Waxing Pride pack heading west would throw off any trap they’d have set.

copy?” Grayson called again.

“Copy”

*Copy.”

“Copy,”

1,2,3 how are you doing?” Grayson called out.

any wolves,”

bait,” I

suppose,” He sat

of the trade did well up until we entered the

fired! Shots fired!” They called out

are you from

He

the mouse. His eyes had that upper hand

on route 5 stop,” He ordered.

drop the package, and book

trucks to explode, their people had swarmed the truck happy to take our food

“Package delivered,”