“You don’t look or act at all like a Seer.” Caleb nudged his mate with his elbow. “Does she?”
Kent shook his head. “I would never have guessed.”
Three males entered, laughing among themselves. Shaya gave them a smile as she said, “Ally, this is Bracken, Jesse, and Zander. They’re three of our enforcers.”
They were also totally hot, but since all three were oozing so much wariness that her skin itched, Ally wasn’t enamored. Her “Hi” was met with stiff nods.
“We also have two other enforcers, Roni and Marcus,” added Shaya, “but they’re not here this morning. You’ll meet them in a few days.”
Apparently not done, Kathy planted one hand on her hip as she glared down at Ally. “I’m a straight shooter, so I’ll tell you right now that I’m not convinced you didn’t try to kill your Beta female.”
Ally shrugged. “That’s all right. I’m not convinced I care.” She had to show these people she had claws, that no bullshit would be tolerated.
“At least you have spine. But that won’t earn you any respect here. Not when you are what you are.”
“You mean bored?” Ally’s wolf bared her teeth at the older female, but her anger was quickly replaced by anticipation as the scent of Brazilian coffee beans, oak bark, and hot sex tickled her senses. A moment later, Derren was striding into the kitchen. He walked with a sense of purpose that had her wolf growling with arousal. It flustered Ally a little too, if she were being honest.
Flashes of his usual negative emotions slammed into her, chilling her body. Again, though, the chill was alleviated by the need she felt pulsing through him—acting as a stroke to her inner thighs. It took everything she had not to squirm in her seat. Settling into the chair next to her, he exchanged greetings with everyone before looking at her. Eyes of dark velvet drank her in.
He said quietly, “I went to your lodge to walk you here.”
It was an admonishment . . . as if she should have been waiting for him like a good little girl. “Huh. Not sure why you think I need you to hold my hand.”
The comment should have irritated Derren, but he found himself wanting to smile at her prickly manner. Noticing that Kathy was snarling at her, he arched a brow. “Problem?”
Kathy shrugged. “I was just about to tell Ally here that if she has any visions while she’s with us, we don’t want to hear about them.”
“Just to clarify”—Ally sat back in her seat, arms folded—“if I was to have a vision warning me that one of you was in danger, you wouldn’t want to know? You’d prefer I kept that information to myself?” She wasn’t surprised when Kathy hesitated to answer or when the other wolves shifted restlessly. They might not like what she was, but they’d have no problem using her if it really came down to it. Nice to know.
Finally, Kathy replied, “We’re a strong pack. We don’t need help from outsiders.”
Shaya sighed tiredly. “Kathy, I know you mean well. And I know you’re just looking out for us. But it seems you’re forgetting who is Alpha female around here.” The reprimand was gently delivered, but it still rang with Shaya’s strength.
Straightening to her full height, Kathy flicked her short brown hair away from her face. “I haven’t forgotten.” Her gaze returned to Ally. “But I also haven’t forgotten that my daughter almost lost her mate because of a Seer. The bitch lied to him, told him that his true mate was a whole other female—gave him a false description of everything. She did it so she could have Marcus for herself. Luckily for Roni, it didn’t work. Are you even listening to me?”
Ally double-blinked. “I was. A little. But then I got distracted by the hairs on your chin.” Hearing choking noises, she noticed that Kent was patting a coughing Eli’s back pretty hard.
Kathy pointed at her. “Don’t think it’s okay for you to insult me just because you’re under Derren’s protection. My Roni won’t stand for it, and she could easily take you any day of the week.”
Derren wasn’t too sure of that. Roni was lethal, but he’d seen how fast Ally moved. She had seriously good reflexes. If nothing else, she would be able to hold off Roni. He’d thought Ally would bristle at Kathy’s words—it was not only an insult but an oblique threat. Instead, she seemed mildly amused yet also on the verge of boredom. He was quickly learning that he should never “expect” anything when it came to Ally. She wasn’t easy to read or predict. “Enough, Kathy,” he told her firmly.
The woman ignored his warning. “I’m just making my point that I don’t trust Seers.”
Ally smiled gently. “Admitting your problem is the first step to recovery.”
For a moment, Kathy said nothing—apparently words had failed her. Derren could attest to the fact that that didn’t happen often. Then, muttering under her breath, Kathy took her seat. Derren turned to Ally. “You won that round.”
Ally simply shrugged, hiding her frustration. She should be used to the prejudice by now, but it never ceased to grate on her nerves. In between bites of breakfast, the Mercury wolves talked between themselves. Everyone but Shaya purposely excluded Ally from the conversation. Their collective rejection was causing her head to pound.
She had just finished eating when Nick walked in with Willow in his arms. His stride faltered at the sight of Ally, but he gave a slight nod—it was one of acknowledgment as opposed to one of greeting. Still, Ally returned it. To offend Nick would be to offend Shaya, and Ally liked the Alpha female.