Page 9 of The Alpha’s Seer (The Shifters of Stormhollow #1)

Chapter Nine

CALIX

Ican hear her, and she can hear me.

mind-linking, it's called, and I've done it for years with my pack. But with a human? I'm pretty sure that's never happened before.

I'm tense as fuck, and the coffee Blair's aunt gave me does nothing to relax me. But I smile and sip it, barely listening to the idle chat between aunt and nephew.

Instead, I listen to Blair and fight the urge to climb the stairs and take her out of here—to safety—but I know I can't.

I need to tell her what I am and what it means for her, but I can't just drop it on her. She's in shock from her attack—her reaction when I touched her said everything I needed to know.

She's terrified, and I can't blame her. I saw the state they left her in on that rainy night, her clothes torn from her body...

“Have you known Leon long?”

I blink and focus on Ray’s voice, meeting her bright blue eyes before I clear my throat.

“Kind of.”

I'm the Alpha of a pack, a large pack at that, yet this slip of a woman is making me nervous. She's watching me like she's trying to work me out, and I don't like it.

“What about Blair? You two seemed to know one another,” she pries, her brow furrowing as she scans my body.

“Not exactly.”

She raises a brow. “You don't have much to say, do you?”

I shrug.

“Where did you say you're from?” Ray asks, pinning me to the spot with her sharp stare.

I glare back at her. “The mountains.”

Her eyes widen, and she stares past me for a moment, lost in thought.

“The mountains, you say? I met a man from the mountains once. He was like you, big and muscly. Incredibly fast too.”

I still and glance at Leon, who's nodded off on the table, completely fucking useless to Blair.

“Leon.” I shake his arm, but it's no use—he's dead to the world.

I can't leave Blair unprotected, and what better way to protect her than being in the same house?

“Is there any way I can stay over? I want to make sure Blair feels safe after the attack today.”

Ray watches me and crosses her arms. “You're welcome to sleep in the lounge. There are two sofas. I'm trusting you, and I don't even know you.”

“Thank you,” I reply to her, bowing my head. “I don't talk to town folk much, so my social skills probably need some work. I just want to help.”

Ray nods and relaxes her face. “Well, these poor kids need whatever help they can get. You know they lost their parents at a young age?”

“I do. It was most unfortunate.”

Ray looks like she's going to say something else but changes her mind, nodding at Leon. “I don't suppose you'll have any trouble lifting him to the sofa?”

I smile, and she laughs, her cheeks flushing pink.

“Of course not. I'm going to lock up and go to bed. I'm sure Blair will say goodnight. She worries about her brother.” Her eyes focus on Leon, and her shoulders slump. “We all do.”

I feel for her, though. Her sister was taken from her, and she had to pick up the pieces, including raising two kids. It couldn't have been easy.

“Goodnight,” I say, hauling Leon over my shoulder as Ray gawps at me.

“You must lift mountains,” she mutters, shaking her head as she heads upstairs.

I grin.

Leon slumps on the couch, and I turn him on his side in case he vomits, not wanting him to die on my watch. This fucking man, for fuck’s sake. He's a shell of a human, and I know I should feel pity for him, but he pisses me off more than anything else.

He's supposed to protect Blair, and instead he leaves her alone most nights and gets so drunk he can barely see, let alone drive home. I understand he's got issues with his past, and, fuck, maybe his present, but Blair could've died tonight.

I study him, and when I'm content that he's breathing normally, I go outside.

The air is crisp, and I drop to my ass on the porch, staring into the woods.

We're here, Alpha.

The wolves in the woods watching the house mind-link me, and I nod, relieved there's no current threat.

Anything? I ask, stroking my chin as I stare around me.

This place is in the asshole of nowhere. It's perfect for murdering three innocents in their sleep.

Nothing. Get some rest—we've got this covered. That was Cox, and it makes some of the tension leave my body just knowing he is nearby.

I nod, then freeze when I hear Blair's footsteps on the stairs inside the house. The door creaks when it swings open, alerting all and sundry to her presence.

This woman.

“Why are you still here?” Blair asks, her voice soft and floaty. “You had your coffee, I take it. Leon is asleep. You can go.”

I grit my teeth and try not to look at her. I can't trust myself not to snatch her into my arms and take her home with me.

But what can I tell her?

I'm here because I'm your mate, and you're mine. I won't leave you ever again, and I'll kill anyone who tries to hurt you. Oh, and I'm the wolf who comforted you earlier. Surprise! Werewolves are real!

Yeah. No.

“I thought you'd feel out of sorts after the attack, so I thought I'd stay.”

The only sound we hear is the leaves rustling beneath the wind, but I don't miss the sharp inhale from my mate. Nor do I miss the scent of jasmine and vanilla wafting from her body to mine, and it kills me. I need to touch her, to inhale her scent, to mark her...

“I'm fine. You can go.” Blair attempts to dismiss me, but it has the opposite effect—it makes me want to be here even more.

“No, I can't, actually,” I snap, running a hand through my hair. I'm on edge—my wolf is too—and I won’t rest until I'm back home with Blair or I know why Billy Marshall attacked her. Oh, and how the fuck did he become a wolf? Because he wasn't fucking born that way.

I'd know.

I can feel the vibrations of Blair's heartbeat and smell her fear and fury. A deadly combination on a woman, especially one who's ready to attack after her ordeal. I need to be less of an asshole, but I'm battling too many things at once.

Tell her. Cox says through the mind-link.

“Fuck off. Stop eavesdropping,” I snarl into the wind, forgetting to use the mind-link.

“What?” Blair stammers, moving backward. “I thought you were talking to me; how am I eavesdropping on a conversation I'm part of?”

For fuck’s sake.

“Blair, I wasn't talking to you.” I glance at her to see her staring at me with confusion. Her eyes are wide, and she clutches her thin robe to her body, shivering in the chilly air.

“Um, there's no one else here, Calix.”

Ha.

“Right.” I shrug and tap the side of my head. “Maybe I'm losing it.”

She's tense and glancing around us like she's expecting someone to jump out.

“You can go,” she says, more firmly this time. “You can't stay over.”

Rising to my feet, I tower over her as she steps back.

I try not to intimidate her; it's certainly not my aim anyway, but she looks intimidated.

I want to cup her chin and tell her everything will be alright if she comes with me, but I can't. She already thinks I'm crazy, talking to myself—telling myself to fuck off for eavesdropping, for fuck’s sake—no wonder she doesn't want me here.

My gaze moves from her eyes to her mouth, but I force myself to look away when my dick stiffens.

Now is not the fucking time.

“I can, actually. Your aunt said it was okay.”

Blair gapes at me. “You asked my aunt? Why?”

I can't help lifting my hand slightly, my fingers brushing hers before she leaps back, her face pale.

Jeez, there's no need for that kind of reaction; I’m not that hideous. Or so I thought.

“Blair, I have to stay. We have to...”

“We?” Blair butts in, her eyes flashing.

“You and me,” I say, moving my index finger between our chests—hers heaving, mine aching. “We have to stay close.”

Blair laughs, but not in amusement. It's disbelief.

“You really do have something wrong with you,” she says with a groan, covering her eyes with one hand. “I don't even know you, and you're insisting we need to stay close? Why?”

I clench my jaw and remember Cox's words, knowing he's watching me from the woods. I bet he's laughing at me, the prick.

“To keep you safe,” I reply simply and walk backward. “But if it makes you feel better, I'll sleep on the porch.”

Blair stares at me before rubbing her arms to ward off the chill. She's too human to be out in these temperatures. “Or you could go home.”

“We've already established that's not an option.” I glare at her, and she glares right back, but finally, she breaks the standoff and yanks the door open.

“If you want to stay outside and freeze, that's up to you. But I'll be perfectly safe once I've locked this door. My aunt and brother are here—”

“Your aunt is old, and your brother is drunk,” I snap, holding my hands out with exasperation. “Locked doors won't keep what's hunting you away, Blair, so go to fucking bed and stop questioning me while I try to keep you alive because no one else will.”

Her lower lip quivers, and I swear she's going to cry.

Fuck.

I’ve yelled at her and reminded her she doesn’t have anyone else.

My wolf whines, and I turn away from her, not wanting to see those tear-filled eyes spilling onto her sore cheek.

I'm doing the best I can, and if she doesn't like it, she can fuck off, but I'm here in case that bastard Billy tries to hurt what's mine.

I dare him.