As if Nick hadn’t spoken, Shaya informed Jesse, Zander, and Bracken of the Ally Marshall situation. Derren and Nick had first met the three enforcers in Arizona, where Nick had tracked down Shaya to claim her as his mate. The enforcers had separated from their old pack and, basically, followed Nick around until he agreed to form a pack and accept them as part of it.
Derren liked the three wolves. Jesse was the most practical of the trio, very circumspect and composed. He was also so serious that he made Derren seem fun. Bracken was a joker and not what anyone would call “deep.” Emotionally, he could be as equally affected by a hurtful insult as he could be by the discovery of a stain on his clothes. Zander wasn’t the most sensitive or empathetic of people. But he was sharp-witted and so intrepid that Derren would be surprised if the guy’s heart rate ever went up, no matter the situation.
When Shaya finished telling Ally’s story, Bracken puffed out a breath. “I’ve heard of that kind of thing happening before. A guy meeting his mate while in a relationship, I mean. His ex-girlfriend couldn’t handle it and killed herself.”
Shaya’s face crumpled. “Ally is probably in similar pain.”
“You should be more worried about the safety of the Beta female than her,” said Kathy with a huff. “Trust me, you never want to upset a Seer. No. They can hold a grudge.”
Shaya’s gaze sharpened on Kathy. “Why do I have a feeling you’ve had a run-in with a Seer?”
The woman evaded the question. “Have you ever met one?”
Frowning thoughtfully, Shaya replied, “I don’t think so.”
“Then that means you haven’t. Seers aren’t people you forget.” Kathy sneered as she elaborated, “They’re all the same: kooky, whimsical, gaga, think everything’s a spiritual quest, and believe they’re attuned to nature.” Her expression said pathetic. “And they think they’re much more important than they are. In their view, the pack wouldn’t be so safe without their visions, so they’re owed obedience and reverence.”
“You talk about them like they’re separate creatures.” Shaya sighed. “They’re just shifters who happen to have visions.”
“It’s more than that. They can feel people’s emotions. And they can heal.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Kent frowned.
Ignoring that, Kathy went on. “The point is, it’s not natural. They’re not just shifters. Their ‘gift’ didn’t appear in wolf shifter lines until a wolf imprinted on a voodoo priestess centuries ago.”
Eli’s brow furrowed. “I thought he imprinted on a white witch.”
“I thought it was a dark witch,” said Bracken.
Caleb shrugged. “I thought a female wolf imprinted on a shaman.”
Shaya exhaled a heavy breath, impatient. “So . . . if no one really knows, it’s safe to say it could be none of those things.”
“Believe what you want.” Kathy shook her head. “But this isn’t the place for her.”
Shaya danced her disappointed gaze around the room. “You’re going to refuse to help Ally just because of a gift she has?”
“Seer thing aside, we should probably consider something else.” Jesse rubbed a hand over his military haircut. “Just because the Beta female’s jealous of Ally doesn’t mean she’s not telling the truth.”
Eli turned to Derren, his analytical brown-eyed gaze narrowed. “Are you sure Ally was falsely accused?”
Everyone’s eyes honed in on Derren. “I believe that Cain thinks she’s innocent.”
“The guy’s a cool liar,” Nick reminded him as he placed a wiggling Willow on the floor, who then crawled over to her mother.
Shaya looked as though she were seriously contemplating hitting her mate. “That doesn’t mean he was lying. And Derren said Cain told him that if he sent people to destroy the Collingwood Pack, she’d never forgive him. That says a lot about her character.”
“But so does the fact that she’s the true mate of an insane wolf.” Kathy crossed one leg over the other. “She could be just like him.”
“Mates are often opposites, they balance each other out,” Shaya pointed out. “Look at me and Nick. And Roni and Marcus.”
Zander began tapping his fingers on the arm of the sofa. “Wouldn’t the Beta male of the pack know through his mating link if his mate was lying?”
Marcus nuzzled Roni’s neck. “Not if the bond’s not fully developed.”
“If the Beta female really does have it out for Ally, she’ll keep on going,” stated Shaya, picking up Willow. “We need to help her. We need to get her away before the Beta female finally succeeds in getting her cast out or worse.”
Nick met his mate’s glare. “I don’t want a Seer in my home.”
She sighed, exasperated. “You’re being ridiculous.”
“I’m looking out for my pack, that’s what I’m doing.”
Shaya sniffed haughtily, planting a kiss on Willow’s cheek. “Fine. If you won’t do it for Ally, you could consider doing it for Derren. Cain isn’t going to like it if Derren doesn’t live up to his word.”
“Yeah,” agreed Zander. “I’ve heard plenty about Cain Holt. Apart from the fact that he joined The Movement, none of it was good.”
“That’s because he’s mentally disturbed,” spat Nick.