Chapter 164 Chapter 164
She’d done it. Avoided Blair for the rest of the day. Her mood sucked for it, her cat was pissed right off with her, but she’d managed it. Kobie just needed time to think, she needed to figure out how she felt without the mating draw involved. She couldn’t think when she was around him, or saw him, or scented him. Opening the door quietly, she peeked inside.
“I’m awake,” Jay said with a hoarse voice.
“I wasn’t sure.” She went in and closed the door.
“When we get to that new place, can I get a room with a view?” He gave her a bored look.
Kobie looked at the ceiling, “that’s not entertaining enough?”
He snorted, then groaned because it hurt. “I’d just like to see outside.”
Kobie sat down. She understood. Honestly, she didn’t know if she could cope with not being able to be outside for long. “We’ll get you a bed with wheels and I can roll you outside.”
“That works.” He turned his head and looked at her. “How are you doing?”
She opened her mouth and then closed it. “I don’t even know.”
“Have you talked to Blair today?”
Shaking her head, she got up and went over to the window and looked out it. “I needed some space.”
“You needed to analyze and try to figure out a way to work around him. He’s your mate, Kobie, I’m injured, not fucking blind.” Her brother stated in a flat tone. “I’ve never seen you watch someone the way you do him. And he only sees you.”
Kobie shrugged, “it’s just a lot, Jay.”
“You are probably the only shifter in history that doesn’t want a mate.” He chastised. “Fate decides this shit, Kobe, not you.”
“I know.”
“So, is he ugly to you?”
She felt her cat brush against her at that question. “No.”
“Is he white with black or black with white?”
Kobie inhaled slowly, “white with black.”
“Your opposite.” He stated.
“I suppose.” She shrugged, but still didn’t turn around and look at him.
“Is he forcing the issue with you? The mating?”
She hugged her waist, “no, he’s been very respectful of giving me time.”
“He doesn’t strike me as dense.”
Finally, she turned around and gaped at her brother, “why would you even think that?”
Jay smirked, “I’m just trying to figure out what the problem is.” He tried to shift positions and then winced in pain.
Kobie went over and helped him move and stuffed a pillow under his shoulders, so his head wasn’t at an uncomfortable angle. She sat on the bed in case he needed more help.
He took a moment to catch his breath and then nodded, “everyone else comes in here going on and on about him and you’re treating him like he’s the plague of the earth.”
Kobie snorted. “Exaggerate much?”
“What’s going on in that head of yours, Kobe, really?” He rested a shaking hand on her leg.
“He told me about his real clan.” She picked at the blanket beside him.
“He wasn’t raised with them.”
She shook her head. “No, his mother sent him away when he was two when his father was killed.” She looked at him. “His father was the Alpha.” His eyes widened. “He told me about his brother.”
“He did?” He licked his lips, and then motioned to the water beside the bed. “I told him not to.”
Taking the glass, she held it out to him. “Why would you do that?”
He rolled his eyes, “because I know you and didn’t want him to give you ammunition to use against him.”
She stuck out her tongue at him, then sobered. “I can’t hold that against him. He doesn’t even remember any of them.”
“Okay, so what are you holding against him?”
“He was in love with someone else’s mate.” She blurted out.
Jay was quiet for a moment, “well, he’s alive, so I’m guessing nothing happened there.”
She knew that. Blair was too honorable to move on someone’s mate. “He goes and helps girls when they’re in their cycle.”
Jay smirked, “and how is that bad? You’ve said it yourself, it’s the worst fucking uncontrollable thing you’ve ever experienced.” He blinked a few times, “so he’s evil because he won’t let someone suffer that?” He opened his eyes wide, “unless you tell me it’s like all the women in his clan,” he smirked, “then he’s just my fucking hero.”
“Uh, you are so gross.” She snarled at him, “and I can’t even smack you right now.”
“Look, as your older brother, I need you to hear me out…”
“You’re like six minutes older than me, you dork.” She sighed, purposely being dramatic.
“Just listen,” he gave her a serious look, “you’re trying to find reasons because you think you need to be alone to be the best you. I think he’ll let you be who you need to be.”
Kobie sat there, some of that was true, but she wasn’t going to admit it out loud.
“Give him a chance, Kobie.” He cleared his throat, “we’re going to be on his turf tomorrow. If there’s something truly wrong with the guy, it will come out where he’s most comfortable.”
She drew in a breath slowly and weighed his words. “Okay.” Leaning over, she kissed his forehead, “now get some sleep. You look awful.”
“Yeah? I feel pretty fucking awful too.”
Getting up, she smiled down at him. “I’m glad I got you back. You, dork.”
He smiled and closed his eyes.
Going outside, she turned to look around, she wasn’t sure what to do. She wanted to go for a run but didn’t like asking permission to do things.
“Hey.”
She turned to see Rayne and Shaelan walking toward her.
Rayne motioned to the guardhouse. “We just got the thumbs up from the powers that be that we could go for a run.”
“You should come along.” Shaelan smiled at her.
Kobie nodded, “I was just working up the courage to go beg for that.”
Rayne laughed. “I don’t ask. I get to tell.” She nodded slowly.
Turning, Kobie saw Calum and Devin standing beside the small building.
Rayne motioned between the three of them, “girls run only, guys, sorry.” She blew a kiss to her mate.
Blair came out of the building. He stopped and looked Kobie up and down. “What’s going on?” He glanced at Calum.
“The girls are going for a run,” Devin told him in a tense voice.
Blair looked at him for a moment, then to Kobie. “You know the boundaries, make sure they stay in them.”
Kobie smiled, “you know it.” She saluted them and started walking toward the back of the property.
Shaelan and Rayne caught up to her.
“What magic was that, and how do you do it?” Rayne asked. “I have to use pouty lips and bat my eyes at Devin to get a few minutes alone.”
“Cal doesn’t argue, but I can see the words going through his head when I ask,” Shaelan said.
Kobie shrugged, “I’m a hunter and tracker, so I guess the time we spent in the mountain he understands I’m good at it.”
“Show us some of this hunter stuff.” Shaelan grinned, “going for a run without him trailing me, is a never before happened thing.”
“My only run without Devin involved escaping our captors and tearing through a forest with Kelsey after she climbed the trees as a tiger to see which way to go.”
“You were taken? By those people of that Tomas guy?” Kobie undid her shirt as they walked.
Rayne nodded as she shrugged out of her jacket. “We had to climb a cliff and hide there until the men found us.” She smiled at Kobie, “if it wasn’t for Blair, I don’t think they would have found us.”
“I still can’t believe she climbed the tree in tiger form.” Shaelan asked, “that’s got to be hard. She’s really big when she shifts.”
Rayne nodded, “I don’t know the first thing about a tree, in any form, so it was that or wandering in circles forever.”
Turning, Kobie checked they were far enough they could strip down.
Rayne touched her arm. “Blair is one of the good ones, in case you need any testimonies.” She smiled and then stepped over to the tree and took off her top.
Shaelan pulled the tie out of her hair. “I don’t really know Blair, but I know Calum thinks highly of him and that says a lot.” She nodded, “I’ve never met a man with rock steady morals like Cal’s.”
Kobie nodded, not having any words to say to any of that. “I think I just need time.” She pulled her shirt over her head. “So much has happened, I can’t even process.”
“Of course you do.” Rayne slid her slacks off and folded them neatly, adding them to her shirt on the ground. “No one expects you to decide right now.”
Shaelan smirked, “as someone who has been through the weirdest life, ever, I agree, take all the time you need. Do what you need to do.”