Chapter 9

• William's POV
• On the fifth day of my stay in the Blue River Clan territory, my subordinates were already hard at work bringing down the equipment from our ship, preparing to transport it to the shore.
• “Make sure the pieces of equipment are moved by tomorrow,” I'd told them last night.
• “Yes Sir,” they’d agreed, not wanting to disappoint their commander.
• “Jack!” I walked over to the tall, muscular crew member. “Seems like everything's going well. I guess naking you in charge of overseeing everything wasn't a bad idea.” I patted his shoulder.
• He gave a proud grin. “The pleasure's all mine, Captain!”
• I stared at the men work for a while. “They're such great working—quite a fine bunch of men. I didn't think they'd be so committed to the task at hand.”
• Jack replied, “With their combined efforts—and without any issues—they’d be able to get the job done on time.”
• I turned to one of the younger members of the crew who I rembered as Tom. He was a skilled carpenter.
• “Tom,” I pointed to the pile of crates on the deck. “I want you to double-check those crates. Make sure everything is secure. We can not afford any mistakes here."
• Tom nodded curtly and responded, "Aye aye, Captain! I’ll make sure everything is in order before we set sail. I won't let you down."
• I came back later that evening to inspect the work and spotted everything still in order.
• “Wow, Jack. The crew's really worked for five hours straight in the sun,” I remarked.
• Jack nodded and smiled.
• I listened to the continuous knocking of wood, ropes being pulled and the clang of metal against metal.
• “They know how important their mission is and they're determined to see it through,” Jack informed me then looked over at me where I was, standing on the shore and watching the crew with a satisfied expression.
• “I’ve been involved in every step of the planning and preparation for this mission,” I explained without looking at Jack. “And I'm very confident that everything’s going according to plan.”
• Hours went by and the team was still at it, not letting the sun wet their spirits.
• “Isn't the ship a majestic sight to behold?” I asked Thomas who was now approaching the work area.
• He hummed in response. “The crew is equally impressive. Men laboring with determination and focus is always an impressive sight.”
• Their voices rose and fell, chanting commands and responses as they worked swiftly.
• I moved amongst my crew and checked their works, commenting a “no, do it this way” when they needed guidance or a “well done!” when they needed praise.
• “It’s a quite sunny day,” Thomas complained. “I hope the heat won't discourage them from doing their work. We need this job to conclude as soon as possible.”
• I shook my head. “These men have a job to do, and I have a feeling they're going to do it no matter what. I know there's still so much more to do but they have already accomplished so much. I think that's enough to push their resolve.”
• The Blue River Clan members came to watch with interest, some were cubs. They pointed and mumbled to each other as the men went about their work.
• “Wow,” one bellowed, captivated by the sight of the strong and muscular men. “Impressive!”
• Some cubs ran off to the shore to play, their laughter filling the air.
• “Hmm,” I heard the others who were content to sit and watch excitedly hum.
• “The work's done captain!” Jack finally said the satisfying words as soon as the sun began to set. “The pieces of equipment are all loaded onto the ship, ready to be transported! The men have gone to relax.”
• I watched them as they wiped the sweat from their foreheads and drank some rum.
• “Wow, it's such a vast world outside our territory,” I overhead one of the Blue River Clan members tell another as they retired home from the beach.
• Their companion replied, “Right. I hadn't even noticed.”
• I walked up to my men. “How are you all doing?” I asked them as I approached.
• My Clan members stopped what they were doing and looked up at me with respect. Quickly, they stood at attention and saluted me by slightly bowing their heads.
• Nado, one of my subordinates, approached me.
• He then lowered his voice and said with concern, "Sir, I have not seen any female wolves in this area for several days.”
• He looked around as he spoke. “ It seems the female wolves in this area avoid us like a plague. I’m a bit concerned about our reputation here. I'm starting to think it isn't a good one."
• Nado then continued after he noticed I gave his words some thought, "Sir, now that I have your attention, I wish to share a tale of misfortune that has befallen our Clan."
• He started with a solemn voice, "Well, earlier today, I attempted to court a beautiful Blue River Clan she-wolf. However, before I could even introduce myself properly, she turned me down flat. And that was just after I told her I was a member of this clan.” He frowned deeply, recalling the event. “The same had happened to several of our other wolfmen."
• I couldn't help it, his words made me feel bad for him and the other wolfmen who had suffered the same. "I understand you must be frustrated. Rejection can sure deflate a wolf's confidence," I tried to comfort him. “I feel really bad.”
• He frowned, derogation shadowing on his hard features. "Our mission here is not only to trade but also to form an alliance with the local Clans. What kind of alliance is this when we're treated with such low respect?"
• The rest of the Shadow Clan members who heard us nodded in agreement.
• “I will speak with the Blue River Clan Alpha tomorrow and see if they can be more receptive to our presence," I assured them.
• "Until then,” I grinned at my crew. “Let’s just focus on completing our tasks and proving our worth to them. We must show the Blue River Clan that we mean no harm and only demonstrate our strength by showing our ability to protect them.”
• Thomas stepped forward and informed me in a hushed voice, "Sir, I have found out something about Ava.”
• My expression became serious.
• “What is it?” I whispered back to him.
• After ee walked away from the others, he shook his head. “I’m afraid the news is not good. It seems that her father has prohibited her from leaving her home."
• Tension rose within me. “Ava's absence is a big loss to me. How could her father do this?”
• I paused. “I'm not sure why but this is making me more concerned about her safety,” I said, more to myself than to Thomas.
• Snapping out of my thoughts, I nodded to my informant. "Thank you for bringing this information to me."
• Noticing my worry, Thomas said, "He is a cunning old fox, overly cautious. I assume he thinks we plan to abduct Ava.” He shook his head at the insult. “This is a very severe accusation and a grave insult to our Clan's honor."
• Thomas continued, his face twisted into a scowl as he explained his recent encounter with Ava's father. "I spoke to him earlier. Seems he's always finding ways to exert his power on anyone he comes across. He thinks he's the only one who knows what's best for everyone."
• He paused for a moment. When I didn't say anything, he added, "I mean, how can someone be so overly cautious?”
• The disbelief in his voice matched the one in my head but I didn't want us worrying too much about this.
• "Thomas,” I said, my voice now calm. “I understand your anger. But we still need to be cautious. We can’t let frustration get the better of us. I suggest we remain focused on our mission and find a way to make Ava reunite with me."
• Thomas sighed, his anger slowly subsiding. "You’re right.” His voice became softer. "It's just frustrating, you know? How that man treats us. So, what do you suggest we do?"
• I stroked my chin for a while. "I understand. That wolf is very frustrating. But we need to remain calm and level-headed. We can't stoop to his level and let ourselves get clouded by our own thoughts and emotions. We need to find a way that works for us; a plan that can not be sabotaged."
• Thomas agreed, "You’re right,"
• I whispered my plan in his ear. He shook his head in excitement, a smile breaking on his face.
• “Clever,” he praised with a wide smile. “Now let’s see who the real foxes are.”
• Excited, we jumped, pounding our chests on each other's then slapped each other's palms three times after we landed. Shortly after that, we broke into a fit of laughter.
• It was our special handshake. We only used it when we were up to no good or feeling extremely happy.
• "My alpha, I have to go. I still have some chores to attend to in town." He winked at me.
• I gave him a knowing look then we both burst out laughing again.
• After he left, my mind quickly moved to memories of Ava.
• “Ava, my darling,” I said to myself, thinking of my little she-wolf. “I miss you. I miss your soft body and your big bouncy ass. I miss the way that ass rippled as I drove into you from behind. I miss your beautiful long legs and I just can't seem to get my mind off your transformation smell. I'm still haunted by the sweet sounds of your cries and moans.”
• I frowned. “I’m not going to allow anyone, not even your father, get in the way of the pleasures I know you have in stored for me. The little I experienced is already driving me insane. Her withdrawal was killing me. But, I'll get you soon, my love, I promise you.”
• $Chapter