Chapter 159 Chapter 159
Blair looked around the yard, she wasn’t there. Giving his head a shake, he turned and went around into the house. He had to meet Calum at the guards’ house and here he was seeking out Kobie—again, all because he hadn’t laid eyes on her in an hour. Standing in the kitchen, he listened to see if he could hear anyone in the house. He heard the water running, maybe she was in the shower. Closing his eyes, he dropped his head forward, picturing her in the shower was not going to get him to the guardhouse any faster.
“Blair.”
He spun around to see the door to the room Jay was in was open. He went in quickly. “Do you need something?” He looked at the broken man laying in the bed.
“No.” His voice was so rough like it hurt to talk. “Close the door.”
Blair gave him a curious look, but closed the door, then continued to stand in front of it.
“I wanted to talk,” he licked his lips, “to you alone.”
Every word he said looked like it hurt to say, so Blair moved closer to the bed so he wouldn’t feel like he needed to speak louder.
“When we were,” Jay closed his eyes for a second, then looked back at him, “ambushed,” he paused again and took a few breaths.
Blair was hurting just watching him. “Hey, if it’s not important, it can wait until later when you’re feeling better.”
The battered man moved his head from side to side slowly, “it can’t wait.”
Blair nodded and squatted down beside the bed. “Okay, take your time.”
“One of the others, a white cat,” his words were broken, but he watched for Blair to nod to let him know he understood, “when he shifted back,” Jay closed his eyes again and took some slow breaths. “He thought I was gone and didn’t see him.”
Blair looked at the door wondering if he should go get Devin or Calum or anyone other than him.
“He was older, but,” he stopped until Blair looked back at him, “he looked a lot like you.”
Fuck. Blair squeezed his eyes shut for a second. Opening them, he hoped he conveyed anything other than the anger coursing through him. “That was probably the brother I’ve never met.” He stood up, unable to stay still. “I just found out I have one not even a week ago.”
“You don’t know your brother?” Jay watched him, a painful look on his face.
Blair shook his head, “I was sent to live with another clan when I was two.” Putting his hands on his hips, he took a deep breath and tried to breathe away the emotion flooding him. “You have my word. I will find him.”
The silence was heavy as they continued to look at each other.
“Don’t tell Kobie.” Jay finally said.
Blair shook his head, not that he was agreeing with him, but more because secrets were going to be the end of him someday. “I have to go meet Devin and Calum. Do you need anything before I go?”
Jay closed his eyes. “No. Kobe is in the shower. She’ll be back soon.”
“All right,” Blair watched him for a second, “get some rest.” He wasn’t sure if he’d fallen asleep or just didn’t want to see his face a moment longer, so he opened the door and silently walked out of the room.
Stepping out of the house, he took a deep breath. His brother was there when Kobie’s father was killed. Fuck. Shit just keeps getting worse. Clenching and unclenching his jaw for a moment, he tried to get his head under control. Inhaling deeply, he lifted his head and looked at the clear sky. Meeting, then long run. Nodding, he blew out his breath and lowered his head. He looked back up, Daisie sitting in the large tree in the center of the yard. That’s just what he needed, her to fall and get hurt. He started toward her when she gave him a wide-eyed look and pointed.
Turning, he looked where she pointed and didn’t see anything. Walking faster, he went around the corner of the house and then he saw what she was so anxious about. Across the yard on the other side of the fence was Annamarie and one of the guards. Blair didn’t know his name, he was a wolf shifter, so he hadn’t really given him a second look as wolves weren’t a problem for the girls. Or shouldn’t have been a problem. Apparently, he was wrong.
He started moving faster. From what he could tell, the wolf had Annamarie cornered and she was not wanting whatever he was offering. His cat wanted blood as they watched him grab her wrist and pull her back. Blair growled low and hopped the fence.
“Annamarie.” He kept moving, noting the scared look on her face.
The guard turned and kept her behind him. He looked Blair up and down. “We’re fine.” He told Blair and shifted to the side when Annamarie tried to walk around him.
“It doesn’t look fine from here.” Blair didn’t look away from him.
“We were just going to have some fun.” The guy shrugged.
“Annamarie, go,” Blair said, his tone low.
He watched her dart in the other direction and go over the fence before turning back to the wolf in front of him. “What are you doing?” He lifted his hands and was honestly going to try and give the man a chance to explain. One chance, despite his angry cat ripping his insides apart.
“How is it any of your business?” The guy spat back at him and rolled his shoulders.
Fucking idiot. Blair didn’t know if that was his thought or his cats, but the movement was aggressive, and they both knew that. “Do you know what this clan has been through?” It really wasn’t a question. Blair took one step and the guy lunged for him. Lifting his arm, Blair smashed his forearm into his face. Grabbing the back of his hair, Blair held his head up and leaned down. “She has no family left. She’s not even old enough to have had her first change.” He growled and shook his arm, so the guy’s head was jerked around.
Blair’s cat was disappointed the man didn’t fight back but just stood there holding his face and dripping blood all over the ground. Dragging him along with him, he started for the fence and then spotted Calum and Devin standing there with one of the other guards.
Blair gave him a shove when he was almost to the fence. He looked at Devin. “This is one of yours.” He gave Calum a quick look, “Which way did she go?”
Calum pointed toward the back of the property. Then he scowled at the man on the ground.
Blair nodded his thanks and hopped over the fence. As he ran, he spotted her red shirt on the other side of a big tree.
Reaching it, he looked around it to see her sitting on the ground crying. Kneeling, he pulled her into his arms. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
“I’m okay,” she sobbed. “I’m sorry.”
He held her and waited until she settled before speaking again. Leaning back, he lifted her chin and wiped the tears from her cheek. “I need you to listen to me, okay?” He wasn’t sure what to say, but he somehow needed to get through to her.
She nodded.
“You’re a very pretty girl and you don’t need to flirt with guys to get them to notice, okay?”
She nodded again.
“How old are you?”
“Almost twenty.”
Blair nodded, even though he was feeling like he was ancient compared to her when he really wasn’t that much older than her. “Soon, you are going to go through so many changes—and you’re going to love how you are after them,” he offered her an earnest smile, “I know it’s hard to be around all the rest of the clan that can shift and feel like it’s taking forever for you to.” It was true, he’s been the most impatient out of all the guys. “Just be patient and enjoy who you are, okay?”
Annamarie sniffed and wiped her face. “I miss them so much.”
He didn’t ask who, he knew none of her family were left. “I know, honey. You have so many around you that want to help you, just let them.” He gave her a questioning look.
“I’ll try.”
Smiling, he stood up and held out his hand to her, “if you could cut back on the drama a bit too, I’d appreciate it.” He winked at her. “All of this is new to me.” He looked down at her, “I’m used to being around a bunch of guys. You need to break me in gently here.”
She giggled, “I’ll try.”
“Okay.” Blair put his arm around her and turned to walk back to the house. He stopped, Kobie was standing ten feet away from them, her hair was dripping wet. He didn’t need to know how she knew what was happening, Daisie stood beside her.
Annamarie wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight for a second and then ran to Kobie.
Kobie hugged her. Over her head, she gave him a small nod and then turned and started walking back toward the house. Blair pointed to Daisie and then to the spot in front of him.
With a scared look, she came over and stood there.
“First, thank you.” He smiled down at her.
Daisie nodded.
“And please be careful climbing the trees,” Blair bent down and motioned to his back. She climbed up onto his back, “I don’t think I could handle a broken Daisie.”
She laughed, “I’m very careful. Mom says I’m part monkey. Can that happen? Can a cat be part monkey?” She leaned forward and rested her face on his shoulder. “I think you can do anything, Blair.”
“Let’s not try.” He stopped at the back of the house and bent his knees so she could get down. “Now, do me a favor and run and see if there’s any coffee left.”
“You drink a lot of coffee.” She gave him a hard look. “Mom says too much will stunt your growth.” She looked him up and down. “Are you done growing?”
Blair smirked, “as far as I know.”
She gave him a careful look, “okay, I’ll go check.”
He watched her run around the corner. Putting his hands on his hips, he blew out a breath. He really needed to go for a run.
“How’s your day going?”
Blair’s heart jumped in his chest. He turned to see Calum standing. “Just fucking peachy so far.”
Calum smirked. “Seems to be an adventure a minute.”
Blair took a deep breath, trying to settle his pulse back down. “Oh, it’s even better than you know.” He glanced around and saw a few of the women were within hearing distance. “I’ll tell you in a bit.” He said to Calum’s curious look.