To Cheat Death

Chapter Eleven

Alecc's POV

Alecc knocked firmly on the door.
At the answering voice he entered in like a storm.

A young man, only a few years older than Alecc, opened his mouth to speak only to interrupted by Alecc furiously saying,
"Jackson, you are the leader of the watch, there was a watch last night I assume?"
At the man's abashed nod he continued.
"Then how in earth did someone get in this camp with an explosive!?"

The man's face darkened with anger.
"We cant force everyone to shift and strip search them! We're watching for wers, shifters come in and out all the time!"

Alecc raised an eyebrow.
"Your saying it was one of our own?"

"What I'm saying is that no one saw or smelled hide nor hair of a werewolf, yesterday." He ran his hand through his sandy blonde hair, looking more concerned than angry.

"Well it can't happen again." Alecc demanded.
"Double the watch. I don't want anyone going in or coming out without both forms being searched for that smell at the explosion. And I want every person who was near the site at the time questioned."

Jackson looked at him doubtfully.
"The chief took most of the fighters, I barely have enough people for a scant perimeter guard, let alone double it! As for interviewing people do you have any idea how many people could have dropped that bomb? Every shifter in this camp had access to that area!"

Alecc sighed.
"Eliminate as many people as you can. I want a list of the people without a strong alibi."

"I'll do what I can. But Alecc, a lot of people will have been in the woods, hunting or messing around. The werewolves aren't supposed to be attacking, the moon is waning for goodness sake!"
He pulled a chair out and sat down heavily.
"I'm worried Alecc. I wish your father was here. The wers...I don't know but they've never attacked this far from the full moon."
He put his head in his hands.
"Two more were found dead in their beds last night...I just don't have the man power to guard everyone."

"What? Who?"

"Both female. Were alone, in their fourdys. One by the name of Martha Lane. One of ours."

"Wait I knew her. Didn't her husband go in the raid?"

He looked up, grief glimmered in his eyes.
"Yes, as for the other-"
He grabbed a paper off a desk and scanned.
"Her name was Jeama Smoke of the Blackshadow pack. Both were on the edges of camp, alone, but well within the perimeter watch."
He shook his head.
"I don't understand. Either one of ours is a traitor and murder or the wers have gained teleportation powers, in that case we're sunk."

Alecc fought off the rising depression, and spoke,
"Start posting guards throughout the camp. I want every of age wolf without one to have a watch hour, including me. I'll ask for people to start following a curfew. And have people do everything in pairs. No more lone wolves. Not for hunting or anything."

"Even if I get the few more shifters that didn't have a watch, that still won't be enough."

"What it I temporarily lower the age requirements?"

Jackson thought for a moment.
"How low?"

"13, 14? But only with their guardians permission."

"What if both their parents are gone?"

"I'll leave that to your discretion."
He turned to leave, then stopped.
"And one more thing. Make sure a guard is posted at Siren's house."

"Why?"

"Sky's staying there. Someone already tried to kill her."

"Alecc. Can we trust her? This newcomer? This Sky? How do you know she's on our side?"

"I don't. But if the werewolves want her dead, it must be in our best interest to keep her alive."
And with that he left.

"My question is, how did she know the tent would explode?" He thought and resolved to ask her.
His suspicion, while lessened by her saving his life, was still bright and burning. His people came before an unknown girl, however well-meaning.

No answered his knock on his aunt's door but then, from behind the house he heard,
"No no no," Siren scolded.
"Put your hand up and move your left foot there. Your other left."

He smiled and pityed whoever was on the receiving end of Siren's scoldings.

Coming around to the back of the house he saw Siren looking disapprovingly at Sky. Sky's hands were in the air, one was holding a dishtowel and she was standing in a awkward position, looking bewildered.
A feeling of attraction entered Alecc's mind. Surprised, he pushed it away, telling himself sternly he had no time for such things.

"Hey Si, Sky I need to ask you a few-"

"Oh perfect! Just the person we need. I'm teaching Sky to ribbon dance. Here take a ribbon."
She shoved a dishtowel into his hands.
He stared at it.

"Just pretend it's a ribbon ok? Sky stop standing like a weirdo."

Sky's hands fell in a gesture that said, I tried I really did.

Siren grabbed Sky's arm pulling her over.
"I think it's more appropriate to dance with a guy on this one. Besides Alecc knows all the dances. Show her the dragonfly dance. Common take each other's ribbons."
Huffing she grabbed Sky's dishtowel and transfered it to the other hand.
Sky's face became even more confused.

"He grabs the end if yours and you grab the end of his."

Sky hesitantly reached with her free hand and took the end of his dishtowel, eager to escape the scathing disapproval of his cousin.

"Si, I really have stuff to do and-"

"Pipe down and take a break for once in your life."

"Fine."

He grabbed her ribbon and took a step forward. Sky stumbled back.

"Sky it's a dance, try to look graceful."
Siren said.

He pulled her along through the steps. It was supposed to be an intimate dance between couples but between Alecc's annoyance at being forced into dancing and Sky's total inexperience it was an awkward mess of stepping on feet and touching of hands and arms. Where the dance was supposed to be a graceful set of steps without body's touching at all despite being close together.
Siren would occasionally interrupt with a comment or suggestion about how they could do it better.

"Wow Alecc I'd never thought you would fall so low as to actually obey your cousin. And dancing the dragonfly with a lady too." Zacc tisked. He stood, unnoticed, in the shadows. Casually leaning against a house and smirking.

Alecc started and dropped both dishtowels, moaning,
"I'm never gonna live this down."

Sky froze, looking lost.

"You can't stop in the middle!" Siren shrieked.
She ran out and grabbed the dangling ends of the ribbons.
"I'm a better teacher anyway."

"Common man."
Zacc motioned with his head, still smirking.

"This stays between us, no gossiping like a mother hen."

"How could I let this go unbeknownst to the rest of the boys?" Zacc said with an innocent expression.

"I'm sure I can think of something to convince you otherwise."

"Blackmail is what that is. And I'm not falling for it."

Siren continued the dance ignoring Sky's mortified expression.

All Sky knew was that she never wanted to dance with a male creature again.