Chapter 48
Stepping out of the woods with the two leopards by my side, I knew that it would be unnerving for them. With the large animals standing next to me, one black and the other white, it was surprising that their eyes remained on me. Did they not realize that I wasn’t the scary one? Both the animals next to me were more frightening, but still, their eyes studied me with a sense of unease.
“I hate when they stare,” I mumbled to those around me.
Zeke swerved his head around to those who stared too long and they automatically looked away. I don’t blame them; if I didn’t know Zeke as I do, I wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye for long without being frightened. Running my hand through his fur in thanks, I knew that he couldn’t always stand up for me. “You didn’t have to do that,” I whispered to him. “I’m going to have to get used to it sometime soon.”
Seb bumped my side, making me look towards him. His head tilted towards me. “You need a hug?”
Smiling down on him, I attempted to keep the laughter at bay. He was trying to get my mind off the situation at hand, and it was working. “Well, if you were a human, it would be easier.” As soon as the last word left my mouth, arms were wrapped around me. Seb pulled me into a tight hug, making me want to cuddle into his side and forget everything that was happening around me. I couldn’t though.
Letting out a sigh, I looked over my shoulder at Blake and grinned. “Blake, do you want to introduce me? I really want to get to know this Amaya.”
Red tinted his cheeks causing my grin to widen. Maybe, the thought of the two of them wasn’t as outlandish as I had thought. “It can’t happen,” he replied while shaking his head in denial.
“If your mates, it will happen,” I promised him. I wanted those closest to me happy, no matter the cost. “I don’t care what kind of war it starts; it will happen.”
“Ally-”
“It’s non-negotiable. I want my people happy no matter what the cost.”
I felt Zeke’s head shift under my hand. Looking down at him, white teeth flashed in a scary manner. Tightening my grip in his fur, I mumbled, “Zeke, leave him alone.”
Seb’s grip on me tightened in warning. “Alex, remember our talk.”
“Fine, I’ll stop babying him,” I replied with reluctance.
“Why are you here?”
My head turned in Blake’s direction. The tone of his voice let me know that he was angry. Why he was angry? I didn’t have a clue, but I had never heard him snap at anyone in such a way. Glancing around at the people around me, I contemplated the best way to tell him why we came. To be honest, I couldn’t do it there. There were too many people I didn’t know. “We’ll talk about it when your lion friend isn’t around.”
“Hey!” Isaac called out, a large smile on his face. “I can keep a secret.”
“So can I,” I shot back before turning my back on them all. I needed to get this going. There were no plans for us to stay here long. We had places we needed to be, but there was one thing that I wanted to do before I left. “I like her Blake.”
“You’re not my mom, Ally,” he growled. “I don’t care if you like her.”
I froze, and had to fight the smile that was attempting to form on my lips. Was the timid Blake I once knew finally standing up for himself? Growling echoed from beside me. Shaking my head, I glanced over to Seb before looking at Zeke. “He’s right. He’s not my kid; he can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. I need to be reminded that sometimes.”
Keeping my eyes forward, I scanned the group for the one I was looking for. Not all was right with those around me, but it could work itself out. If Blake felt bad for snapping at me, it was his own problem. The need to meddle was strong, but some things were better left untouched.
Finally, my eyes stopped. Was that her? A large smile masked the glare she once has as she yelled, “Alexandria!”
Taking a step forward, I let out a laugh at the excitement in her voice. “Amaya,” I said warmly. “It’s been a while since I’ve spoken to you.”
“A couple of days at most,” she replied with a half-smile.
Done with the talk, I took a couple steps forward and pulled her into a hug. Knowing that the woman was being careful of me, I let out a sigh. “You know, even though we’ve only talked on the phone, I feel like you’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”
Arms wrapped around me from behind and pulled the two of us apart. “She’s your only friend that is a girl,” Seb said with a laugh.
Cuddling into his side, I contemplated his words. It was true. For some reason, she was the only female that I felt was genuinely my friend. Shrugging, I replied, “She’s still my friend.”
The female lion shifter who had been standing next to Amaya since I arrived decided to speak up. “Wait,” Sydney said with a confused expression on her face, “you’ve never actually met one another, but you’re this close?”
“Yep,” Amaya replied with a large smile and a nod. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think the Queen has something she needs to say to me in private.”
I let out a groan. What was wrong with the people in my life and their insistency for calling me Queen? “I wish you would quit calling me that,” I mumbled, “but you’re right. Come on, Zeke will make sure nobody disturbs us.”
Amaya glanced next to me, her eyes landing directly on Seb. Even though I knew she could not see him, the effect was slightly creepy. “What about Sebastian?”
Knowing she asked the question but knew the answer, I kept my mouth shut as Seb straightened by my side. “I come with the two of you. If you honestly think I would let Alex go anywhere without me, then you aren’t as smart as I thought you were.”
I pulled away from him while rolling my eyes. Walking towards the large building ahead, I glanced over my shoulder. “Quit being cranky. She’s not trying to separate us, she was asking a question.”
Walking quietly had always been my specialty, but I didn’t know how Amaya got around. Was it by listening to others walk? Did she count how many steps it took to get to certain places? I didn’t know, but making my moves louder than normal seemed like the only way to do things. If that wasn’t how she worked, Amaya would just think that I was careless, that I needed a lesson in stealth, much like Seb did.
Entering the building, I scanned the place as the door shut. As soon as it clicked close, Amaya began speaking. “I haven’t heard word of Evelyn. I thought you said she wouldn’t be coming this way.”
“I didn’t think she would. It’s why I sent Blake this way,” I admitted. “I thought that you would have time to train him before a war broke out.”
“Why not get Zeke to do it?” she asked with genuine curiosity.
Still, it didn’t keep the disbelieving look off my face. “Blake fears him. He would never learn to get over that fear and respect him. To a lot of people, Zeke is this untouchable force.”
A smile crossed Amaya’s face as if she found something I said amusing. “I know what you are saying. Now, tell me why you came here.”
Laughter escaped my lips. “See, that’s what I like about you. No beating around the bush. You’re like me; you like to get straight to the point.” I paused a minute, wondering how much I should explain to her. “I need to leave Korbin here; I trust Zeke’s men, but not enough to leave him at the cabin,” I admitted. The ones with me, I trust with my life. The others back at the cabin, I still did not know well enough. “Marcus is gone; I have no idea where he is. Zeke, Seb, and I have to find Evelyn in a couple of weeks, and I still have everything else on my plate. I can’t bring a kid around all the fighting that will be happening in the next few days.”
Amaya reached out and placed her hand on my stomach. “What about these kids?’
“We’ll be fine,” I said, wondering if I was trying to assure her or myself. “I’ll have the threat dead in a week. After that, I’ll barricade myself in the cabin and stay there until I have these kids.”
“How long are you staying?” Amaya asked while moving her hand away from my belly.
I smiled at the change in topic. “A couple hours, at the most. Time is not something that I have a lot of.”
“I noticed,” she mumbled, but her words were lost on me.
I could feel it in the air; I could sense it in my mind. “Looks like Zeke is getting into some trouble,” I mumbled while trying to see into his mind. It was useless though, the man had the best shields I’ve ever encountered. “I have to go.”
I ran towards the door, but before I left, I sent a smile over my shoulder. “It will be nice to have a sister-in-law.”
With those words, I stepped out of the nice, quiet, comfort of the large building, and into the chaos that was my life.