In the kitchen, Shaya, Eli, and two males were seated at the long table, while Kathy was at the stove. Shaya beamed. “Morning! Come sit!” She patted the seat beside hers. “Guys, this is Ally.”
Instantly, Ally sensed that the two submissive males were mates. “Nice to meet you,” she said as she sat, wincing internally at her gruff tone. “I’ll seem friendlier when I’ve had coffee.” Reaching for the coffeepot on the table, she then poured some into the mug that had been left on a coaster in front of her.
The dark wolf tipped his chin, a slight curve to his mouth. “I’m Caleb. This is Kent.” Neither exuded any unwelcoming vibes. Instead, they appeared to be neutral on the subject of her presence.
The spiky-haired male’s words were unexpected. “I love all that long, silky hair.”
“Um, thanks.” Feeling something rub against her legs, she peeked under the table. Bruce. He’d settled at her feet, chewing on a slice of bacon.
“Like me, Kent used to be a hairstylist. Seeing such healthy, gorgeous hair is like a stroke to his senses.” Shaya took a sip of her own coffee. “How do you like your lodge?”
Ally smiled, knowing her delight was evident. “I love it.” After unpacking the night before, she had shifted forms and done a quick scout of the area to assure and calm her wolf, who had been going crazy at all the new scents and had wanted to explore. After that, both Ally and her wolf had felt calmer, lighter. And Ally knew that for as long as she stayed here—unwelcome or not—the lodge would be her haven.
Shaya’s next words were low. “Has Derren been okay with you?”
Apart from the fact that he made her want to do wicked things to his body? “Yeah, why?”
“He doesn’t always make the best first impression.”
Recalling his pushy, tenacious behavior, she said, “You’re right, he doesn’t.”
Shaya chuckled. “He’s a good guy. One of the most decent guys I’ve ever met, even if he is hard in many ways. Nick would never have chosen him as Willow’s godfather if that wasn’t the case. Derren adores her, just as she adores him. And he looks out for his pack, dutifully fills a role he doesn’t even want. But . . . he has a thing about Seers. It’s a blind spot for him. What I’m trying to say is: don’t take his sullenness personally.”
But how could Ally not take it personally? The Seer side of her nature wasn’t separate. If he had something against what she was, then it was most certainly personal. Instead of voicing that thought, she said, “Thanks for letting me stay here.”
Kathy plonked an empty plate in front of Ally, snatching her attention. “So . . . you’re a Seer.” Kathy had said “Seer” in the same tone one might use for “serial killer.” Again, the woman’s antipathy was like the slash of a razor.
And so it begins. “I am.”
A haughty sniff from Kathy. “You don’t get a lot of dominant Seers. They’re mostly submissive.”
“Are dominant Seers more powerful than submissive ones?” Eli spooned some cereal into his mouth. His dubiousness and distrust hadn’t left him, making her scalp prickle again.
“Not that I know of.” Ally piled some food onto her plate. “I think it just depends on the individual.” She hadn’t spent enough time around other Seers to really know for sure. It was difficult for two Seers to exist in one pack unless one of those Seers was a child. Adult Seers tended to clash and battle for the position, much like two alpha males would fight for the position of pack Alpha.
“You don’t look or act at all like a Seer.” Caleb nudged his mate with his elbow. “Does she?”
Kent shook his head. “I would never have guessed.”
Three males entered, laughing among themselves. Shaya gave them a smile as she said, “Ally, this is Bracken, Jesse, and Zander. They’re three of our enforcers.”
They were also totally hot, but since all three were oozing so much wariness that her skin itched, Ally wasn’t enamored. Her “Hi” was met with stiff nods.
“We also have two other enforcers, Roni and Marcus,” added Shaya, “but they’re not here this morning. You’ll meet them in a few days.”
Apparently not done, Kathy planted one hand on her hip as she glared down at Ally. “I’m a straight shooter, so I’ll tell you right now that I’m not convinced you didn’t try to kill your Beta female.”
Ally shrugged. “That’s all right. I’m not convinced I care.” She had to show these people she had claws, that no bullshit would be tolerated.
“At least you have spine. But that won’t earn you any respect here. Not when you are what you are.”