Barron's Prey

Slator

Chapter 5

Slator bounced on his feet in front of the training room door, listening to the movements on the other side.  Standing in the hall, he knew he had one of two choices, go in, see Amaya, or stay out here, be a coward and miss out on the argument Ally and Barron were about to get into.  He chuckled, knowing what he would choose.  The door opened in front of him without him having to move a muscle, but as he entered the room, none of them turned towards him.  He stared at the door with a frown on his face, took a step forward, imagined it closing, and when it did, he froze.

"Not you," Adam said with a laugh, making Slator finally look at the people in the room.  "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

Slator narrowed his eyes at his sister, but Sloan simply raised her hands in surrender.  "I told him you were going through all of the basics to see which one you could and couldn't do.  I didn't tell him to mess with you."

He turned his narrowed gaze to Adam, but before he could say a word, a low command cut though the air.  "Quiet."

Every eye in the room turned towards Ally.  She stood there, staring at the person in front of her, and Slator was surprised to see that it wasn't Barron she was facing off with.  No, Barron stood in the corner of the room, studying everything, taking everything in with those cold eyes that Slator couldn't look into for too long.  Instead, in front of her stood the man who had literally popped into their lives only hours earlier, a man none of them knew anything about.

Ally took a step towards him; her hand hovered over his chest, but didn't touch.  "What is this?"

Namir lowered his head slightly, showing respect to their queen.  "A leopard."

"Yes, but who is it?"

"We all know," Barron said as he pushed away from his corner.  Circling Namir much like a large cat would with its prey, Barron sent the man a smile that chilled Slator to the bone.  "The only question is why?"

Ally kept her eyes on Namir as Barron circled them, and it wasn't long before Sebastian stood just out of the ring, staring at them all, making sure that his mate wasn't in any danger.

Namir lifted his head, watched Barron for a moment before looking towards Sebastian.  "You have nothing to fear from me.  You're mate and your children are my only priorities."

"But not Sebastian," Ally finished.

"Do you have a Bond Mate?" When Ally nodded, so did Namir.  "Not Sebastian."

Ally growled low in her throat, causing Namir to take a step away from her.  "I do not wish to start a fight with you, but I also will not lie.  If it came down to your life or his, I'd choose yours.  If it came down to your children's life or his, I'd choose them.  Do you understand, Alexandria Holt?  It is only your line that I care to protect.  Without him, we will live.  Without you, we will die."

Sebastian chuckled, making the shifters in the large room turn to look at him in confusion.  Taking a step back, the Leopard King shook his head.  "I like him."

"Of course you do," Ned said with a snort.  "You and him have common goals.  I just want to know why.  Why now when this thing is taunting us?  Why now when we're so weak?  Why not before all of this began?  If you ask me, it's a little too convenient."

"We agree," Tony said, speaking for both himself and his brother.

Amaya cleared her throat, finally forcing Slator to look towards the one person he was trying to avoid.  "He doesn't feel evil."

"We're not saying that he does," Adam whispered.  "We're saying that we've trusted too many people who've done nothing but betray us.  We don't trust as easily as before."