Chapter 193 Chapter 193
Jay’s room was considerably smaller now with another bed in it. Blair stood in the doorway and watched as Shaelan changed the one bandage on Niles’ side. He winced for the man that showed no pain when she poked around it and checked stitches, or whatever she was doing. He took the time to study the man. His eyes seemed dead; no emotion reflected in them at all.
Robbie sat in the chair beside Jay’s bed, leaning on his cane and looking ready to fall over, but he’d insisted he was in the room for the discussion.
Kobie sat on the bed beside her brother. She too wanted to be here.
The way Jay silently observed everyone else here told Blair he knew what was happening.
Calum and Cale stood in the open door to the patio, mirrored stances of arms crossed and legs braced apart. The only difference was Calum tracked every move Shaelan made with his eyes. There was no way she would be near Niles without someone else around. Blair felt sorry for the man in the bed if he did something to upset Shae.
Shaelan taped the fresh dressing and then stepped back. She glanced at Blair and gave him a brief nod.
Blair stepped out of Niles’ blind spot and closer to the bed, so the man could look at him without having to move. “How are you doing?” He was going to try to do this nicely, respectfully as Calum had said. Regardless of what had happened, this man had gone through hell to get back here.
“I’ll be fine.” Niles barely glanced at him. “A few broken bones, they’ll heal.”
Blair gave a slight shrug. He wasn’t a stranger to pain, clearly. “I thought I’d come and introduce myself now that you’re settled.” He waited until he looked at him, which he finally did, but it wasn’t a friendly hello, pleased to meet you kind of look. It was loathsome. “I’m Blair Elden, I…”
“I know who you are.” Niles looked around the room. “All I’ve heard is Blair this and that since I got in this bed.”
“Have you spoken to Nichelle?” There was no way to read any of this man’s expressions, Blair decided. “Did she tell you she had her first shift?”
Niles finally made eye contact with him. “Yeah. Said you saved her.” His look hardened even more. “An unmated male shouldn’t be around my niece.”
Blair nodded. “I agree with that.” He glanced briefly at Kobie, “but you’re wrong, I have a mate.”
Niles looked at him again, or more specifically Blair’s neck. “I don’t see any mate’s mark.”
Blair crossed his arms, “I didn’t say I was mated, I said I have a mate.”
“Where is she? Does she know you’re around all this clan’s women?”
“She does,” Kobie answered.
It took a lot of restraint to not grin at the expression on Niles’s face as he looked at Kobie. He looked back to Blair, “your mate is part of the Alpha family? What do you think that will get you?”
Blair shrugged, “a beautiful mate.”
“He’s from an Alpha family too.” Jay piped up.
If Niles could have shrugged with his broken collarbone, he probably would have, judging by the expression on his face. “Still doesn’t get you anything in this clan.”
“Actually, it does,” Kobie told him, standing up and coming over and weaving her fingers into Blairs. “Jay has passed his place as the next in line as Alpha.”
Blair watched carefully and knew the moment Niles put the pieces together. His dark eyes connected with Blair’s again.
“You’re going to be the new Alpha of the clan?” The older man glared at him.
“I am.”
Niles snorted in disdain. “That’s not how it works. If the Alpha family has no more males, the second family assumes leadership—whereas they’re all dead now, the oldest family in the clan takes their place.” His gaze narrowed. “That would be my family.”
Pieces clicked together for Blair. Why this man was so jaded. At some point in history, his family had probably lost the role of leadership in the clan. “That may be how it works in most cases…”
“In all cases.” Niles corrected.
“Unless the king of the shifters has given his blessing,” Jay told him in a tone that dared him to speak against the King.
Niles looked at Jay for a moment and then at Robbie. “And you’re okay with this?” He jerked his chin toward Blair.
Robbie nodded slowly, “I am.” Robbie stood slowly, not without a painful expression. “I completely support his leadership as Alpha of this clan.”
Niles looked back to Jay, “your father and I…”
“Anything that was agreed to by Damar is no longer valid.” Robbie leaned harder on his cane, “Blair is going to take the clan in a new direction and I…”
Niles flicked his hand toward Robbie, “I don’t care for a new direction, my niece and I will be leaving…”
“Nichelle isn’t going anywhere,” Blair stated. “In fact, her care is no longer your responsibility.” He released Kobie’s hand and went over and leaned on the bed, so he was sure that Niles had to look at him and nowhere else. “What you have to decide is if you want to be a contributing member of the clan—if that’s not something you can do, then absolutely, we’ll arrange for you to recover elsewhere.”
“You can’t just come across the clan and decide you’re in charge, you little punk,” he spat, “that’s not for anyone outside the clan to decide…”
“The clan decided.” Kobie stepped back into Niles’ view, “all surviving members, except you, chose Blair as our new Alpha.”
Shaelan came over and put a needle into the IV line and then adjusted it. Stepping back, she stood beside Calum.
“I’ll give you a few days to think about it,” Blair stated with a small nod. “We’ll talk about it when you have.”
“Do the right thing, Niles, don’t leave Nichelle with no blood family,” Robbie said quietly.
“I don’t…” Niles blinked; his eyes looked heavy. “I…” he closed his eyes.
“He’ll nap for a few hours,” Shaelan said and then dropped the empty needle into the wastebasket. “I’m hungry. Who’s for dinner?” She smiled at Calum.
Blair rubbed his jaw and looked down at the man in the bed. Shaelan had put him to sleep to end the conversation.
“Hopefully he thinks about it.”
Blair glanced at Cale. “I’ll stay out of his way for a few days and see if he does.” He looked at Shaelan, “letting him be awake some of the time would help that.”
She shrugged, “he’s toxic, and I heard enough.”
Grinning, Blair shook his head at the enamored expression on Calum’s face as he looked at his mate. “I guess it’s dinner time then.”
“I’m starving. The drama around here builds up an appetite.” Cale strode across the room and out the door.
Nichelle was standing in the living room when they went out. Her eyes were huge. “Do we get to stay?” She looked from Kobie to Blair.
Blair sighed and went over to her. “Regardless of what your uncle decides, you are part of this clan.” He bent his knees, so he was looking at her face to face. “Do you understand?”
She nodded her head, her eyes tearing up. “Thank you.” She wiped at her face when a tear rolled down it. “I’m glad he’s alive, but…”
Kobie hugged her. “We know.” She leaned back and looked at her. “This will always be home, this clan, okay?”
Nichelle heaved a loud sigh. “Okay.” She looked up at Blair. “I’m so glad you’re here.” She looked at him for a moment more and then turned to go out to the kitchen.
Blair wrapped his arm around Kobie and pulled her against his chest. “So, what did I do? Taking her out of his care?” He rested his cheek on the top of her head.
“It’s okay, she’s been looking after herself for years. We just nudged her in the right direction most of the time.” She squeezed his waist.
“She’s a great kid.”
Kobie looked up at him. “She is, I was thinking of training to track and hunt.”
Blair kissed her on the forehead. “I think you should.” He grinned and turned to walk them both to the kitchen. “We could train all the women to kick ass in the tracking at Alliance gatherings.”
Kobie laughed, “you’d like that, wouldn’t you? Blair, the Alpha of the clan of female hunters.”
Blair pretended to think about that for a second. “I think I would like that.”
“Sign me up,” Mika said with a smirk as they stood in the door talking about it.
“Me too,” Shae said.
Calum gave her an odd look.
“What?” She shrugged, “I know I’m not a tiger, but I didn’t even know I was shifter until I met you so,” she motioned to the women in the room, “I think they could catch me up faster.”
Calum made a low growling sound. “I do not need to be outdone by my mate.” He tugged on her hand so she’d come to him, “Especially if Kobie trains you.” He shook his head. “I’d go from unbeatable to the laughing…”
Blair held up his hand. “Almost unbeatable,” he motioned to Kobie, then grinned at Cal, “almost.”
Calum sighed, “so when do we eat?”