Page 20 of The Alpha’s Seer (The Shifters of Stormhollow #1)

Chapter Twenty

BLAIR

My mind whirls, and I feel nauseous, but Calix is trying to calm the wild Alpha Asher down, and I'm worried for him. Even though he's bigger and broader than Alpha Asher, I can't help but fear for Calix.

“Stand down,” Calix commands in a voice that makes me almost back away.

Almost.

Alpha Asher growls lowly but moves back, glaring at everyone in the room, me included. “Someone here is responsible!”

Suddenly, I go dizzy. I hear whispers and laughter, but it's not from this room. No, it's from somewhere else.

But where?

“Turn them on each other...”

“Yes!”

“Breed their bitches!”

“Kill their men!”

“Blair!”

My head snaps up as Calix yells my name, even though he's only inches from my face.

“Luna Marie!” Calix barks as he searches my eyes. “Something is wrong!”

Soft fingers stroke my forehead, and the smell of butterscotch and sugar fills my nostrils. “Nothing is wrong, Calix.”

Luna Marie.

Her words from earlier hit me like a freight train, and I try to still my spinning head by placing my hands on the floor for balance.

“I'm okay,” I say, even though my lips feel numb. I remove my glasses and pinch the bridge of my nose. “I had felt a little strange, that's all.”

“Is she pregnant?” Someone asks, and Calix shakes his head.

“No.”

“You haven't marked her, have you?”

Calix lifts me to my feet and studies me, his expression filled with concern. “Would you shut up?” he roars, and silence fills the room. “Luna Marie!”

“Take her through here,” Luna Marie says, smiling politely at the people around the table. “Give us a minute, would you?”

“We don't have time for this!” Someone else snaps, possibly Alpha Asher, and I wave my hand at Calix.

“I'll be fine; you go.”

“No,” Calix replies curtly, following us into another room.

It's the one I was in earlier. It's rustic and homely, and I wonder who lives here. Luna Marie doesn't, even though I assumed she did because she cooked. She'd laughed when I’d assumed that and explained that they treat each other as family and share everything when visiting.

I ease myself into a chair filled with cushions and drop my head in my hands while Luna Marie makes me a drink. She's rushing around, clinking bottles and reading labels, tossing the odd ingredient into a mug before topping it with hot water. She turns to me, her big brown eyes wide.

“Drink this; it will help.”

The stench from the mug makes me retch, but Luna Marie smiles warmly. “Trust me.”

I glance at Calix, who nods despite the heavy frown on his face.

It's bittersweet but drinkable, and as I gulp it, my head starts to clear, and my nausea subsides almost instantly.

Wow.

“Your mate isn't an ordinary human,” Luna Marie tells Calix as his head snaps in her direction.

“What? Is she a wolf?”

The excitement in his voice makes me sad because I already know what Luna Marie thinks I am, and it's not a wolf.

“She's a Seer.”

Silence falls as Calix returns his stare to me, his mouth open in disbelief.

Yeah, tell me about it.

Luna Marie paces, entwining her fingers as she speaks.

“She's always had dreams, nightmares, heard voices—you name it. She thought she was weird—” She stops to shoot me a kind smile. “Thinks she is weird.”

I stare at Calix, my heart pounding so hard it hurts. What is this madness? I'm nothing special; I have PTSD from the accident, and then my brother is struggling, so that affects me.

“You're not weird, Blair,” Calix finally breathes out, falling to his knees before me as Luna Marie smiles. “You're not fucking weird. You're special—you always have been. But this is a gift.”

I stare at him before looking back at Luna Marie. “Calix, she could be wrong.”

Luna Marie laughs. “No, child, I'm not wrong. Magic sees magic.”

“Magic sees magic?” I repeat, wondering if they've all gone crazy. “I have bad dreams, I hallucinate...”

“What happened back there?” Calix asks roughly, turning me to him. “You went strange, like you were in a trance.”

I swallow and look at Luna Marie, who nods gently.

“I heard voices, but I'm probably going crazy!” I give a shrill laugh, and Calix strokes my arm, shaking his head.

“You're not crazy. I'm a werewolf, remember?” He cracks a half smile, and I nod slowly.

Two days ago, I didn't know they existed, but they do. I would've said anyone was crazy who said that, but look at me now.

I exhale heavily. “Okay, but I've never heard voices before.”

Luna Marie tilts her head and grins. “You're with your mate. You're around magic. It will only grow stronger.”

I stare down at my fingers like I'm expecting sparks to appear. I'm not magic; I can't be. If I were magic, I'd have saved my parents. Tears fill my eyes, but I swipe them away, lifting my head.

“What did you hear?” Calix asks, reaching for my hand.

I pull back, and his eyes fill with hurt, but I need to be sure I'm not losing my mind. I need to know whatever I'm hearing is real before I let him think anything is happening between us.

“They said things about turning them against one another,” I respond, frowning as I try to remember. It was only minutes ago, but it's like swimming through sludge, trying to find a ring you've lost. Virtually impossible. “And breeding their bitches.”

Calix pales, sitting up straight as I continue.

“And, um, something about killing their men.”

I stare at my hands, afraid to look up in case Calix and Luna Marie are considering locking me up.

God knows they should.

“She heard them, didn't she?” Calix blurts, his face turning grey. “My mate can hear them, can't she?”

Luna Marie nods sadly and reaches out to stroke my hair.

“Is she in danger? Do they know she can hear them?” Calix demands hoarsely, grabbing my hand before I can pull it away. “Is she safe?”

Alpha Drox enters the room and looks between us with raised brows.

“Is who safe?”

Luna Marie and Calix turn to me, and Alpha Drox peers at me, too.

“Oh. Your little human. She's causing quite the entertainment tonight, isn't she?” He chuckles, but Luna Marie sighs, and he's by her side in an instant. “What's wrong?”

“Blair is a Seer,” she whispers, keeping her voice low. “She heard the attackers talking.”

“I did?” I sit up, gripping Calix's hand tight.

Luna Marie tells Alpha Drox what I heard, and his eyes darken with fury.

“We will keep her safe, Calix,” he assures him, running his hand through his salt and pepper hair. “You know that.”

Calix stares at the ground wordlessly, still gripping my hand.

“This is an asset, you know this.” Alpha Drox sighs and looks behind him to where the others are waiting. “A valuable one. We don't need to tell anyone. We'll say the information came from Marie.”

I shoot a pleading look at Luna Marie, who nods eagerly. “Of course.”

“But Calix, you must mark your mate as soon as possible. She needs to have your physical strength and power. Help her.”

Wait, what?

Mark me how?

Fear races through my veins as Calix growls.

“And if I don't?” Calix snaps, lifting his head.

Alpha Drox and Luna Marie exchange a look before dropping their gazes.

“The mate bond will expire, you know this.”

Calix closes his eyes. “I thought that only applied to wolves.”

Luna Marie shakes her head. “No, it's all mates. It's safer for her to be claimed by you. Other than the rogue pack, no one will try to kidnap a Seer who is the mate of an Alpha.”

My head drops into my hands, and I let the tears fall, wondering what the hell is happening to me.