Chapter 423 Chapter 423
Noah pulled his jeans on and hurried toward the house. He motioned to Cale to come down from the roof. He’d rushed back ahead of the others so he could check on Emersyn, she’d looked so pale when she’d shifted back. Pulling the shirt over his head as he went, when he jerked it clear of his face, there she was sitting on the step looking at him. Her coloring looked better. “Are you okay?” He asked closing the distance between them quickly.
“A little shaky, but much better, thank you.” She was holding a mug in her hands. “Did you find out who the bags belong to?”
Shaelan stepped outside. “Is everyone all right?”
He nodded and turned to look toward the tree line. “They’ll be back shortly, they’re on foot.”
Cale jumped down from the ladder that led to the lower roof over the new backroom. “Did you find them?”
Noah nodded, and looked back at Emersyn, had she eaten? She needed to eat. “Uh, yeah.”
“More spies for Tomas?” Cale swung the rifle over his shoulder.
“Uh,” Noah rubbed his hand over his neck, not sure how to explain who they’d found, “not a spy. Definitely not working for Tomas.”
Nichelle opened the door, “safe to come out?” She held a plate in her hand.
He nodded.
She came out and sat beside Emersyn, then held out the plate. “Eat.” She smiled, “it helps a lot.”
Shaelan looked at the trees again, making Noah turn. Calum was walking out, wearing his jeans and carrying the two bags they’d found. The expression on his face was serious, but he also looked like he wanted to smile. He walked over and dropped the bags on the ground and looked at Cale.
“We really need to go over this property.” He looked Shaelan over as he spoke, no doubt checking that she was fine.
“How did they get on this time?” Cale sounded annoyed, “we’ve added cameras, and removed branches,” Cale shook his head, “how the hell are they getting around it?”
Calum looked over his shoulder, “I guess we’ll have to ask her and see.”
“Her?” Cale turned to look where he was watching.
Kobie and Blair were coming out of the trees. He wore his jeans; she wore his t-shirt. Between them, a very dirty, angry teen walked with her arms crossed over her chest.
“She’s a child.” Cale hissed under his breath.
“It’s more interesting than that.” Calum mused quietly.
Shaelan didn’t ask any questions, just rushed in their direction. Noah had no medical training, but it was clear she hadn’t eaten a proper meal in a while, and her health, was questionable with how dirty she was. He thought maybe her hair was blonde, but with the dirt and other pieces of nature matted in it, he couldn’t be sure.
When they reached them, she stopped and jammed her hands in her pockets, and glared at every adult that stood there. “I am not going back.”
“We’ll get to that part shortly,” Calum said as he gave his mate a warning look to stay back, “what’s your name?”
Her blue eyes flicked to Calum like he was a bug, if it weren’t a serious moment, Noah would have laughed at that. She had guts, he had to give her that.
“Akira.” She spat and then turned her focused gaze to Blair.
Blair stood there; arms crossed just looking at her.
“I wasn’t hurting anything staying in your forest.” She said, a slight whine to her voice now.
“How old are you?” Emersyn asked in a soft tone that Noah suspected was only one a mother would know how to use.
Akira glanced at her for a second, giving her a quick assessment, and then looked back to Blair. “Fifteen.”
Blair flicked his gaze to Kobie and then back to her. He held her defiant look with ease.
Noah hadn’t gotten close enough to her to know if she was a one-form or one of theirs. Angry defiant teen girls were something he had nightmares about and there was nothing on this earth that would make him move closer to find out.
Nichelle watched her for a moment and then looked at Blair, “is she...”
“She is.” He answered quickly.
Nichelle relaxed and then looked at the girl, “I’m Nichelle. Would you like some juice or a sandwich?”
Noah blinked, it wasn’t the first thing he would have done, but some of the anger seemed to drain away as she looked at Nichelle and then nodded without a word.
“I’ll go get it.”
A few of the adults exchanged a look, and Noah felt better in knowing they were just as surprised as he was.
“Akira,” Emersyn moved over on the step, “why don’t you sit down, you look exhausted.” She looked at him for a second, “no one is going to make you do anything you don’t want to do.”
Noah frowned as he realized she expected him to make it so.
With a cautious look, the girl moved over and sat on the very edge of the step. “How did you find my stuff? I rolled it in that stinky plant.”
Everyone looked right at Emersyn.
With her eyes wide, she looked from Kobie to Calum, “there’s something metal, I think, in your bags and I could smell it.”
Akira blew out a defeated breath. “I didn’t think of that.” She shook her head, “stupid.”
“You did well, covering your scent.” Calum’s tone was more pleasant now.
“Gee thanks.” She sent him a hostile look, “and here I thought rolling around in mud and yuck would be a great fashion statement.”
Calum’s mouth twitched like he wanted to smile but didn’t.
Emersyn held out half the sandwich she hadn’t touched yet, “you said you’re not going back,” Akira took it and the first bite vanished half of it, “back where?”
She looked at Emersyn as she chewed it and forced her throat to swallow.
Blair moved closer and crouched down, Noah only had to glance at him to know that he was over his shock of finding her and he was about to turn on that Blair power where he crooned and smoothed everything over to be peachy again.
Noah crossed his arms over his chest and watched the girl.
“Why don’t you want to go back?” Blair said in that magic tone he used, “let’s start with that.”
Lowering the sandwich away from her mouth, she looked at him and Noah could feel the hostility return that fast. “I don’t know uncle, you tell me.”
Blair’s expression switched to shock as fast as his color drained.
“You look just like him,” she snarled at him, “except with fewer wrinkles, so I know you’re related.”
“He does.” Emersyn agreed softly.
Akira jolted and looked at her. “You know my father?”
Emersyn just nodded, a haunted look appearing in her eyes.
“Hold on,” Blair seemed to shake the stunned look off his face, “you made it here all the way from the Elden clan?”
Akira shrugged one shoulder, “I hitched a ride with those idiots he sent here.” She looked at the sandwich, “they had no idea I was in the back. I figured you and he didn’t get along, or else why was he going after you?” She took a bite and chewed it like she hadn’t eaten in weeks.
“What were you planning on doing once you found Blair?”
Her shoulders dropped, and she heaved a sigh. “I don’t know. I just,” she looked at Kobie, “I just couldn’t stay there and wait to be one of his breeders.”
Emersyn made a sound of distress and put her arm around her shoulder. “You hated him.”
Akira nodded, her head dropping into the crook of Emersyn’s neck. “He’s an awful man. He didn’t even look at me until I started to grow boobs.”