Chapter 188 Chapter 188
“They were on the land when I was out there?” Mika grasped her head between her hands and stood there like that, looking at Blair.
“We’re pretty sure they were.” He answered honestly.
“Holy shit,” Mika whispered and paced away a few feet before stopping and looking down at the ground.
“The Alliance is sending a security team here to help.” Calum offered.
Cale looked at Blair, “what do you need me to do, chief?”
Blair gave him an amused look at the nickname, “work with Calum to set up a schedule for patrols.” He glanced to Ed for as he spoke, “no one goes for a run alone.” Turning, he watched to see that Mika had heard. She was nodding.
“I have more phones at the house, I think everyone should have one,” Beth said, looking from Blair to Kobie.
“That’s a good idea,” Kobie answered.
“I get a phone?” Daisie asked.
Blair sought Kobie’s gaze before he answered, she gave a quick nod. Looking down at the excited-looking child, he held up his hand, “for emergency calls only.”
Daisie nodded. “I see a lot from the trees.” She nodded again.
Ed gave his mate a serious look. “You take one of the men on any more shopping outings.”
Beth bobbed her head, making no comment.
“How long is this going to go on?” Torrey said in a quiet tone. She held up her hand, “I’m not whining, don’t misunderstand, but why are they still trying to get to us?”
Blair connected with Calum’s look before he looked down at Kobie.
“They probably aren’t happy I lived,” Jay said loudly from the doorway, where he sat in his wheelchair.
“You think they’re after you?” Cortney hugged Daisie against her front.
“They left one of the Alpha family males alive,” Jay told her but was looking at Kobie, then to Blair as he spoke.
“Then we should send them an announcement,” Nichelle said in a snarky tone. She motioned to Blair, “tell them we have a new Alpha, and it sucks to be them.”
Blair couldn’t help chuckling quietly. He loved her attitude. “I’m sure that would do it.” He grinned at her.
“It’s not a bad idea.” Cooper mused in a hushed tone. Everyone turned to look at him. He smirked, “not an announcement, but let the word get out.”
Gage glanced at Ed, “have the Alliance announce it?”
“You think they have eyes and ears on the inside?” Ed frowned.
“We’ve suspected they have some way of knowing things.” Calum crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at the ground. “Maybe not a spy on the inside, but they’re tapped in somehow.”
“I’ll talk to Shep about it.” Ed turned and looked at Blair, a questioning look on his face. “An official ceremony usually means like shifter clans Alpha’s or seconds come to welcome the new clan Alpha.”
Blair resisted glaring at Ed, he knew he was asking when that was going to be. They’d come a long way last night, but he knew Kobie wasn’t ready to go there yet. “Make it a coming soon announcement.” He said in a low voice.
Ed smirked, “I’ll talk it out with Shep.”
Chancing a glance at Kobie, he knew she understood what Ed had been driving at. She gave him a steady look, neither upset nor happy and he honestly didn’t know what exactly that meant.
“I’ll go get those phones.” She looked at Ed and didn’t move until he nodded.
“I’ll come with you.” Noah stepped around Annamarie.
Beth looked surprised but said nothing.
Kasia came over and hugged Blair’s waist tight. She looked up at him. “I know you’ll keep us safe, Blair.”
Blair touched the top of her curly head and winked at her. “You know it.” He looked at Kobie to see her giving him a soft smile.
Kasia turned and held out her hand to Daisie. “We stick together, okay?”
Daisie took her hand and nodded.
“Gage, Kelsey, and I will try to get the repairs in the shop done today,” Ed said.
Blair rubbed his hand over his hair, his gaze connecting with Kelsey as he did. She smiled at him and gave him an abrupt nod to say ‘you’ve got this’. He returned the smile and watched her walk away with Gage. When he looked down at Kobie, she was watching him. He went over what had just transpired and hoped it didn’t look like anything other than a friend backing up a friend. She smiled slowly and stretched up and kissed his mouth, lingering for a moment. “I’m going to work on our room.” She dropped back down on her heels and gave him a questioning look, “I’m thinking a nice little sitting area for two in front of the window.”
Blair ran his hand down over her hair. “That sounds perfect.” He smiled, “somewhere quiet to start the day.”
She laughed softly, “like that will ever happen.” She started walking to the house, Cortney falling into step with her.
He stood there, with hands-on hips, and watched as most of the others wandered in different directions. Blowing out a breath, he tried to take stock and figure out what next. Then he noticed both Cale and Calum standing there, smiling at him. He frowned.
“Run?” Cale asked.
Blair grinned, “yes. Please.”
“We need to sweep the whole property,” Calum said and turned to Jake and Gary. “You two stay here and keep watch around the house.”
Gary nodded.
“What time is backup arriving?” Jake asked, looking around the yard.
“This afternoon,” Calum told him. “Devin messaged when we got back, they can only round up five.”
“Five helps,” Jake said. “We have two vast properties to patrol.”
Blair rubbed his hand over his head and looked over at Ed, where he spoke to Jay and Cooper. “Have you called Bruce?”
Ed nodded, “last night, told him to stay vigilant.”
“Okay.” Blair blew out a breath.
“All clans have stepped up security,” Ed told him.
“I know, I just worry,” Blair said quietly and then bent down and picked up his run pack. “You staying here until we get back?”
Ed smiled, “yes. I’m waiting on a call back from Shep, so I should have news when you get back.”
Blair gave him a half-smile and then caught up to Calum and Cale. “Where’s Shaelan?”
Calum snorted, “sleeping. I insisted. She was up all night on video calls with doctors and chemists.” He gave Blair an unamused look, “she’s unhappy she doesn’t haven’t her library with her.”
Blair smirked. “You might have to invest in a van.”
Calum scowled at him, “never say that where she can hear you, or I’ll be hauling a library and equipment with me everywhere.”
Blair shrugged, “I’ll take your car off your hands.”
Calum stopped a hard look on his face. “I don’t think your clan of women will all fit in it.” He pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the ground.
Blair knelt down and undid his boots, all while pondering the truth in that. His days of roaming around were over. He looked down at the ground and he stood up. Pulling the shirt over his head, he stuffed it into his pack.
“Jeeze, what happened there?”
Blair blinked and looked to see Cale looking at his shoulder. He’d forgotten about Kobie’s bite. He grinned. “Love bite.” He said and glanced at Calum. From the look on his face, he got it. Cale however, looked terrified.
“Pass,” Cale muttered.
Calum chuckled as he stuffed his jeans into the pack, then his phone. “You say that now…”
Blair looked at the angry-looking bite and wished it wouldn’t heal when he shifted. Huffing out a breath, he decided he’d have to ask Kobie for a replacement later when he could grab a minute with her.