Chapter 5

Elena woke up to find herself in a soft bed, covered with a white quilt, clean, warm and comfortable. She sat up straightened alertly. This was not her room. She hadn't slept in such a nice bed in a long time. Where was she?

"You're awake!" A beautiful girl with brown hair and green eyes came in with a food tray, looking at her with a surprised smile.

Elena stared at her warily and didn't say anything back.

"Don't be panic, you're safe.” The girl said softly with understanding in her eyes, “My name is Lydia, Archer's Interior Officer. What’s your name?”

Elena stared at her for a moment, deciding that just telling her first name wouldn’t give away her identity.

“...Elena.”

“Nice to meet you, Elena. We’re happy to have you here." Lydia gave her the most friendly smile, “So is Archer.”

“Who is Archer?...Aw.” Elena cleared her throat, realizing her voice was as rough as sandpaper.

"It’s OK. You haven't spoken for too long. Here, drink something to moisten your throat." Lydia put down the tray and poured her a glass of warm milk.

Elena's stomach suddenly growled as the sweet, creamy aroma entered her nose.

“Never mind.” Lydia smiled, “I’ve prepared all the food you like.”

Elena frowned, “How could you know what I like?”

“Archer told me. He’s fed you for the past 3 days.” 

What?!

Elena sat up with a rush, but shock and hunger made her dizzily drop back down to the bed. She held out a hand to stop Lydia who was trying to come to her aid, "Just tell me who the fucking Archer is!"

Lydia was a bit taken aback by her sudden temper, but only frozen for a second, she just explained patiently, “Archer is our Alpha. This is the Silver Mountain and you're in our pack now. You were in a coma for 3 days. Archer saved you and took care of you all the time."

Elena's eyes narrowed, "So it wasn't a dream. I was picked up by a man, and he --"

Some pictures flashed back in her mind: A tallest and fittest man that she’d ever seen, radiating heat, held her in a tub. A drop of water slid across his bronzed thick hand, which was reaching to her softest spot between her legs...

Elena glared at Lydia promptly, "What did he do to me?!"

"Nothing! I--I guess." Lydia made a reassuring gesture, “I mean, Archer is the noblest man I’ve ever known. He wouldn’t hurt you!”

Facing Elena’s distrustful eyes, she added softly, “He is your mate.”

"He said that?" Elena sneered.

Her dismissive question made Lydia feel weird. But Elena didn’t give her time to wonder, “Your Alpha should be the ‘Tyrant’ Hudson. When did that Archer take over?”

"Um...” Lydia thought it over, “Since Hudson tried to make illegal deals with humans.”

“Humans?” Elena raised one of her brows, “Like buying girls?”

Lydia gave her a confused expression, “What? No.” She hesitated, “It’s a long story.”

So many things happened before Archer became their Alpha, and Lydia was involved in some of them. She just knew Elena for less a minute and she didn’t want to reveal her history that much.

“Anyway, Archer rescued the whole pack from Hudson and the humans.”

"Sounds like a savior." said Elena ironically.

“Well, he is.” Lydia stared into Elena’s eyes, defending for her Alpha without any hesitation, “And I don’t think anyone can doubt it, especially his Luna.”

Elena lifted her chin to challenge her judgment, “Why is that?”

“As I said, Archer is the noblest man I’ve ever known. Which also means, he respects women in the most way other men wouldn’t. He is always protecting our she-wolves, so you can imagine how well-protected his Luna will be.”

“Yeah? But I’m not interested in being any Alpha’s Luna.” Elena replied coldly, “The only thing I care about is how he protects your girls.” If what Lydia said about that Archer was true, she might cooperate with him to rescue Bella.

Lydia didn’t know what Elena was planning. She just felt unreasonably hard to make Elena think properly of Archer. She sighed, handing the tray to under Elena’s nose, "You sure you don’t want any food?”

Elena gave a glimpse at the food. It was all her favorite indeed. But thus, she couldn’t have any of them; she couldn’t give anyone any chance to poison her with food again.

“I hardly eat.” answered she simply.

It was weird too, and sounded sad. But wisely knowing Elena wouldn’t put her guard down and confess herself, Lydia didn’t ask anything.

“Then I think we can go our for a walk.”

“What for?”

“For visiting the She-Wolf Academy, and, relax.” Getting used to her defense, Lydia looked at her with tolerance and sympathy, “Archer told us about how he found you. I’m sure our protection system will make you relaxed a bit.”

Her words triggered Elena in a familiar and gentle way: Bella once offered a similar statement, "I'm sure my understanding will make you relaxed a bit." 

A man who sexually harasses a woman while she's asleep should not be trusted. But a young lady as sensitive and tolerant as her best friend might be reliable.

Thinking of that, Elena got out of the bed.

***

The Silver Mountain Pack, as its name implied, located in an isolated mountain. Unlike the gloomy and barren the Dark River Pack, it was a sunny place with lush trees.

While leading the way, Lydia introduced to Elena how they built the Academy.

"It was the Pack House before. But Archer said he didn't need an office, and it was more important for the girls to have a training hall.”

“How could an Alpha not need a pack house?” It was beyond Elena’s imagination, “Your previous Alpha had three, including a skyscraper for work and a palace where he lived with his mistresses. That’s an Alpha privilege, isn’t it?”

“How do you know our past so well?” Lydia asked in surprise.

“Because our Alpha -- ” Elena blurt out and shut up right away, “Because Alpha Hudson was a role model for some bastard Alphas.”

“Sure he was.” Lydia replied, guessing which pack Elena was from, “That’s why Archer is like a gift from Moon Goddess.”

That Alpha really knows how to buy wolve's hearts. Elena thought with a little astonishment but said nothing.

She followed Lydia into a large and bright three-stories building. The first floor was the training court. Elena saw many werewolves practicing there, and most of them were she-wolves. They were all fit and energetic, totally different from the girls she used to know.

Lydia was also looking at them with proud eyes, “Archer insists that girls need to learn combat skills as men do.” She turned to Elena, “I believe your pack suffered a lot from the war too?”

Elena replied, “Who didn’t?” Still not telling anything about her pack.

So Lydia just went on, “We suffered from the war. It took so many males away, and the survived females had to take on more affairs, like being warriors.”

She pointed a little girl with cute freckles doing fierce actions, “Kitty. She’ll be our newest enforcer tomorrow.”

“She looks like a kid.” Elena murmured.

“She is actually. She’s only 14, maybe as old as you?”

After a pause, “I’m 18.” Elena tried not to show her embarrassment.

“Oh!” Lydia giggled, “Sorry, but that would be nice!”

“...How is that?” Elena tried not to be curious too, but failed.

“I’m happy for Archer.” said Lydia sincerely, “He doesn’t have to wait for four more years.”

It took a while for Elena to catch on her point. A she-wolf cannot mate with anyone until she is 18, that’s the rule.

She blushed, and replied in shame, “Yeah, what else does a man expect from a young girl?”

Lydia tilted her head, staring at Elena seriously till the latter got shy and annoyed.

“What are you looking at?” asked Elena, masking her bashfulness with anger.

Lydia sighed and answered softly, “Archer expects your love. He doesn't deserve your humiliation.”

Her tender blame whittled Elena’s sharpness. She lowered her arrogant little head, “Sorry. I didn't mean it.”

“I know.” Lydia had realized that her hostility was not toward Archer but toward all the males, “But Archer is different, honey.” 

She held Elena’s hands and gave a quote of her Alpha, “‘Females are just as powerful as males, maybe even more powerful, or powerful in different ways.’ This is Archer’s notion. He can see what we really are, do you understand?”

Elena was frozen by her action and shocked for her words, “What?...How could he?” 

“He’s seen many powerful females? I guess.” Lydia said uncertainly. She didn’t really knew much about Archer's past, and she didn’t think it mattered in light of his performance.

But her uncertainty made Elena more suspicious, so Lydia tried to explain more specifically, “Um... He dated with many indeed. As far as I know.”

Elena frowned with confusion, “Do you want me to be jealous for him?”

“Of course no!” Lydia exclaimed and chuckled, but Elena kept her poker face. So Lydia look closely at her, “...Are you?”

Oh, she didn’t know and she wouldn’t tell!

Elena rolled her eyes with a grunt in more shame, deciding to change a subject, "You got trained here too?"

"Sure! I was trained by Issac, my mate." It was Lydia’s turn to blush, "Archer's Beta. They are having a meeting on the second floor." She pointed up, “The building is also used as an auditorium for conferences.”

That strange Alpha who bathed her was just upstairs. Elena looked up, not knowing what she was feeling now. Seemed not like angry.

Lydia kept on her introduction, "Archer always makes training plans with Issac there. My older sister Lilian and I were their first trainees. Lilian was trained by Archer himself, so she was the best enforcer we’ve ever had."

Elena's heart suddenly prickled for some reason she didn’t even know, “Huh. she’s one of those who he dated?”

Lydia was paused by her sharp question, and Elena took it as a admission. 

“Is she here now?" She looked around.

"No.” Lydia’s voice got low and sad, “She's missing. Archer was supposed to go looking for Lilian the day he found you."

Elena gave a snicker in the heart. Sure. Why for her? She thought.

"We suspect that some forces have been kidnapping young she-wolves for wicked purposes, and the Dark River Pack might be involved. The place where you fainted happened to be the border of that pack.” Lydia stared at her solemnly, “How did you end up there? Do you know something?"

Elena turned slowly to Lydia.

No wonder he had this lady

take care of her.

She thought, back to her coldness.

THIS is the real reason why that Alpha took her back. She could be a hint to save his favorite girlfriend.

It finally fitted her notion about men:

They would do everything for their own good, never for love or mate bond!

But...

She took a deep breath to sooth her sourness out of nowhere.

If the Silver Mountain Pack intended to investigate the disappearance case, then they shared the same goal with her.

And as she planned, she could use his protection system to save Bella.

Elena looked up into Lydia's concerned eyes, "I am from the Dark River Pack. I know what they’ve done."