The Scarlet Hunter

Chapter 24-1

"I'd feel like a child." Isla protested as she scooped salad onto her plate then handed the greens over to Jax. "Besides, wouldn't that slow down the patrol?"

"A little," Damon finished with the pasta and passed to Isla. "But if we increased the number of wolves in that patrol, we'd still cover the same amount of ground. Besides, you don't weigh that much."

And there's the limit on your flirting if you would like to stay alive and employed. This is a family dinner for three, not a picnic for two. Jax, a prosecutor's perfect witness, can pick up on the smallest of tells. Giving even an inkling that you would be compromised in protecting her would result in being kicked out of the inner circle. Not to mention the wrath of Alec.

"Why do you feel embarrassed for riding a warrior in wolf form?" Jax asked, twirling a fork-full of angel hair in red meat sauce.

Isla grabbed a piece of buttery garlic bread and tore it apart. After a couple of seconds of chewing she had her answer.

"I just want to be able to move myself."

"If you had a dirt bike or a quad, would you be OK using one of those? How about a horse?" Jax timed his break with a mouthful himself.

Isla, using a beverage for her delay this time, took a sip of wine from the bottle she was splitting with Damon tonight. Not sure if Jax drank ever, he definitely wouldn't drink before going on duty. "Yeah, I guess I would be alright with that."

"So, it's being on a wolf that you have a problem with?" Jax pressed, watching Isla hold the glass close to her face. Her eyes zoned out to the distance as she fought with them, not against them, to pinpoint her resistance.

"Truth is, it's riding Galan, or Peter, or Alex. It's not just riding any wolf, but wolves that I know." Isla revealed in a calm, monotone voice. As if she were listening more than speaking when she shared that.

"What about me?" Damon offered. He knew he wasn't in the same category as the others, so maybe he could use that to gain her trust by sharing his opinion of the situation. When Isla snapped out of her staring contest with the wall and looked at him, he continued. "You are supposed to be with one of us at all times, and this is one way to make sure we could do that and have you continue with patrols. Therefore, you're naturally going to be paired up with Jax or me. Beta Kelvin doesn't patrol, and when Alpha Alec goes out, he doesn't stay with one group." Damon took a sip from his glass to match Isla's body position and activity. "I would love the challenge of working with you." Too much, too much. "My whole team would." Good save. "We'd be slower but much more effective. We wouldn't have to drive wolves to you, which isn't a problem, but this is quicker. Also, it's counterintuitive to herd wolves towards the central part of the territory when you are trying to keep them away from the central part of the territory." Jax nodded at this.

"We are ready for something different, something more effective. Right now, you are the only archer we have, but others are starting to ask about it." Damon took another sip, knowing he was speaking at a level higher than the position he held in the pack, but he was in front of Jax, who would correct him if he was wrong. "For there to be a future of archers in our territory, we need a way to incorporate them into patrols. You'd be helping us do this." Now it was his turn to use a mouthful of food as a pause in the conversation.

After he swallowed, "Isla, it would be an honor, and fun, and challenging to work with you. I'm not embarrassed at all to be carrying the most effective warrior we have in the pack with me. My team would love to incorporate you."

She nodded and looked over at Jax, "So who would be the patrol lead if I were to partner with Damon?"

"Damon is responsible for the patrol, but you will have the lead on any conflict. You have the analysis and comprehension of how to defend against an attack and are the right one to call the shots. Because that's when we need the clear lines of the chain of command, you will be the Patrol Lead but should yield the management of the patrol outside of a conflict to Damon."