Chapter 156 Chapter 156
“So the charming Blair Elden is having trouble with the woman that is his mate.” He could hear something running in the background, then fading as Gage must have walked outside. “What am I missing?”
Blair closed his eyes and tried to figure out how to say it. “She hasn’t decided yet.”
“Decided what?”
“Fuck if I know.” He cringed at his tone, which was close to whining.
“Is this the one that led the women to safety?”
Blair nodded, then remembered he was on the phone. “Yeah.”
“Is she Alpha?”
Another nod, “yeah.
“I heard her father is likely gone and her brother may not pull through.”
Blair sat down and stared across the field, “we haven’t heard anything about the rest of the men that went with them.”
“Sounds like she has a lot going on right now.”
He was hoping for wisdom. If anyone knew how to cope with a mate that wasn’t yours yet, it was Gage. “Yes, it’s a huge emotional bizarre around here.” He cleared his throat, “two of the women’s husbands that stayed behind to watch over the clan—the women found them dead. Daisie is nine and her father went with the Alpha. Annamarie and Nichelle are close to their first cycle and their mothers are missing, fathers probably dead…”
“You sound pretty attached, Blair.”
Blair opened his mouth and then closed it. “I am. I think I was the second Daisie came out of the trees looking like the bravest kid I’d ever seen.” He paused, searching if he felt any remorse. When he found none, he continued, “I killed those two that tried to take Daisie, Gage—didn’t even pause after.”
“Are they all going back to Devin’s camp?”
Blair blinked; he’d never asked. “I don’t know.”
“I won’t lie, I need you here. Your part of this team and family, but—” he heard a door close and recognized the sound of the air compressor on the other side of the office door in the shop, “I was thinking about it last night and I have a thought, maybe I’ll run it by Dev and see what he thinks.”
Blair got up, “like what?”
“You know that abandoned place ten miles from here, the one set way back off the road?”
Nodding, Blair started walking toward the house, his cat was nagging him that they needed to check on Kobie. “Yeah, the property needs some work, but the house is huge and in good…” he stopped, “it’s big enough to house all of them and a few more.”
“Right. Dad was looking at acquiring it—it’s a good chunk of land to roam. It would be a fast sale, I’m pretty sure the owners jumped ship.”
Blair nodded and picked up the pace. “The team could help watch it when we’re not working.”
“We have the equipment to fence the whole fucking thing if we wanted to.”
“I have a lot saved…”
“I’m sure the Alliance can help, save your money for now.”
Blair stopped and put his hand on his hip and stared at the house. “I’d feel better with them close. Gage, I gotta be honest here, I’m a fucking mess right now…”
“I get it. You stay put, keep them all safe.”
Blair jolted, he couldn’t believe he’d forgotten, “how’s Coop?”
“Miserable and bitching to get out of the bed, but Shaelan said the longer we keep him off that leg the faster it would heal.”
Blair huffed out a quick breath, “good luck there.”
“Exactly. Three more weeks of it. We may have to use the chains by next week to keep him down.”
He grinned. “I’m not sure when I’ll be back…”
“Just take care of them, Blair.”
“I plan on it.” He was going to say bye, then remembered, “Gage, did you know I have a brother?”
There was a long silence, “yeah, I asked Dad about that other clan a few years back.”
“Calum told me—everything.”
“It fits.”
“What does?”
“I always thought your cat was pure Alpha warrior, then Dad confirmed it.”
Blair was blown away that Gage had known and never told him. “I need to help the Alliance put a stop to Tomas’, Gage—my own fucking family is responsible…”
“We’re your family, Blair—those nine you rescued are your family now too, not that clan you came from.”
He used the hard tone, the one that told Blair’s cat to listen up. “I’m a fucking mess, boss.”
Gage laughed, “you should have seen Calum acting like a lovesick puppy, that was a fucking mess.”
As if he’d heard him, Calum came out of the house and started walking in his direction. “I want details some time.”
“I look forward to sharing that story every year for the rest of his life.” He heard voices in the background. “I have to go before Noah knocks down the shop trying to get that rig out of here.”
“Shit. Go.” The line went quiet. Jamming the phone in his pocket he started walking, then stopped. He had a place for the girls to go. Jake and Gary would help, he was sure Noah would too. Hell, he’d probably be better at it than the rest of them, considering what he’d lived through. He started walking again when his cat prompted him to go check on Kobie. Five feet later, he stopped. How did he tell Kobie about the property? His cat not so gently prodded him again. Slow your roll for a second. Fuck.
“Your head is going to explode if you keep thinking that hard.”
Blair jolted and looked up to see Calum standing a few feet from him. “I was just talking to Gage.”
Concern filled Calum’s face. “Everything all right?”
“Uh, yeah,” Blair blew out a breath, he felt better about some things, yet more tense with others, “he had an idea for,” he waved his hand toward the house, “the girls.”
“Oh? Don’t tell me he’s going to train them all in the shop.” He smirked.
“Ha, no, well maybe some later, but for a place for them to live.” He blew out a breath, “going home is off the table for them, and from what Rayne was telling Jesse the camp is getting pretty crowded.”
“What’s his plan.”
Blair realized he’d been rambling and that was not something you did with Calum. “You remember that big place down the road from Ed’s?”
Calum raised one eyebrow, “the one where I ran circles around you?”
Blair scowled, “Yeah, that one.”
Calum was quiet for a moment, “it’s a defensible location, with some work. Close to another clan of the same type.”
Blair nodded, “I think so too, the house is huge too with those three little buildings…”
“Is he going to run it by Dev?”
“Yeah, he said he would.” Blair crossed his arms over his chest, trying to ignore his cat once again.
“So why do you not look happy about that?”
Was it that obvious? “I don’t know how to tell them.”
Calum grinned, “tell the homeless women that they have a home to call their own? I don’t know, Blair that’s a tough ask.”
He must have shown the shock on his face because Calum started laughing and then turned and walked away. “Wait until the Alliance approves it before you start sharing.”
Get a handle on this, idiot, get your brain back in the game. As if on cue, his cat all but gouged his insides, reminding him once more that they needed to check on their unclaimed mate.