Chapter 812 Chapter 812
Rory got out of the truck and looked around. This house was bigger than Beth’s. Kelsey went over and started talking to a red-headed man.
“Hi.”
Rory turned and looked down at a little girl. She had big blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair in a messy braid.
“I’m Daisie.” She smiled.
“Hello, Daisie, I’m Rory.”
Daisie looked her up and down. “Are you coming to live here? I heard Blair—he’s my alpha. My dad is his second, so I’m a princess now.” She nodded. “Blair told my dad you had to leave home.” She looked at the house. “We had to leave too. Bad men were killing us, and Kobie saved us, and then Blair rescued us.” She frowned. “Did he rescue you too?”
Rory smiled despite trying to process how much information the girl had given her in a few sentences. “I rescued myself.”
Daisie’s eyes rounded. “Really? I want to be brave like that.” She turned and watched a man come out of the house. “I don’t think my dad will let me.” Turning back, she studied her. “Did you come here to go for a run? It’s safe here. We have cameras and a fence.” She nodded. “If you don’t want to be found by the cameras, you have to climb tall trees. What color is your tiger? Kobie’s is black. She’s pretty. Do you think mine will be black?”
Rory looked at her light hair. “I suspect yours will be lighter and so very pretty.”
Daisie smiled. “Really? And fierce.” She nodded. “My mom says Blair’s cat is fierce.”
“Very fierce.” Rory looked around. “There’s a lot of buildings here.”
“The house is full. Blair said we were tripping over each other.” She sighed. “I didn’t trip at all.” She pointed to a new building. “That’s our house. I get my own room. But I still can’t have a dog. I asked Leah if Thera could stay here—she’s a real wild leopard, and she said maybe in the summer.” Daisie kicked at the mud. “I hope summer gets here fast.”
“Daisie.”
Daisie turned and looked at the woman standing at the door. She sighed. “I have to go. Time for school. It’s Nolyn today. I like her. She’s from the water clan.” She looked at Rory. “I think that means she’s a mermaid.” She whispered. “But we don’t call them that.” Turning, she ran toward the house.
“I see you met our Daisie.” Kobie was standing beside her. Rory didn’t see where she’d come from.
“Yes.” She smiled. “It might take me a few minutes to process everything she said.”
Kobie laughed. “Yes, she’s full of information.”
Rory didn’t know if she should mention it but wanted to know how much of it was true. “She said your clan had to leave your home.”
Kobie’s expression sobered. “We did. Some of our clan were taken, so my father and some of the men went after them. When they didn’t come back, we knew it wasn’t safe to stay there.”
“They were taken?” It felt like she had a weight in her stomach, and she wasn’t sure why.
Kobie looked at her for a moment. “You don’t know.” She whispered it.
“Know what?”
“You didn’t keep in touch with your clan while you lived in the city?”
Rory shook her head. “Not really. My mother some, but living with a clan wasn’t for me. What don’t I know?”
“Does the name Aiden Tomas mean anything to you?”
Rory shook her head again.
“Sorry to leave you standing here. I wanted to talk to Cale about setting up a race for the kids.” Kelsey came over and looked from Rory to Kobie. “What did I miss?”
Kobie turned to her. “Rory doesn’t know about Aiden Tomas or what’s been happening with clans.”
Kelsey frowned. “Cooper didn’t give you updates?”
Rory wrapped her arms around her waist. “We didn’t talk often.”
Kelsey blew out a breath and looked around. “Class has already started, so the kitchen will be filled with kids and laptops.” She looked behind her. “Want to go for a walk?” She motioned toward some trees. “You’re going to want fresh air while we catch you up.”
Rory looked at Kobie. Sadness clouded her features. “Okay.” Her gut was telling her she wasn’t going to like what they told her.