Realizing he’d been had, Bracken . . . smiled at her. Smiled? Weird. But then, dominant male wolves often were.
“Come on,” Shaya chuckled, nudging Ally gently with her elbow. She didn’t mind the touch. Shaya was a soothing, calming person to be around. But Ally sensed that the Alpha could be dangerous if the situation called for it.
Resisting the urge to take one last look at Derren, Ally turned and followed Shaya. “Tour done?”
“Yes, and I have to get back to Willow. It’s almost time for lunch anyway. You coming?”
Ally gave her a wan smile. “I’ll be honest with you, Shaya, it’s unlikely I’ll spend much time at your lodge.”
The Alpha female practically pouted. “Why? Is it because the pack was so shitty toward you this morning? I would have interfered, but I didn’t think you’d appreciate it—that would have made you look weak.”
“It would have, and I’m glad you let me deal with it myself. But it’s not about their behavior. This is their pack, their home, and they have every right to feel how they feel.” Even if it did offend and frustrate her. “Part of being a Seer is being highly empathetic. Having all those negative emotions streaming at me physically hurt—not to mention pissed off my wolf.”
Shaya’s shoulders sagged. “I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. You’ve been great, and I’m really thankful that you’ve been so welcoming. But I can’t spend much time around the pack without hurting. And it’s not fair to them either. They shouldn’t have to feel so uncomfortable in their own home.”
“They’ll come around.”
Doubtful. “Until then, I’ll be mostly at my lodge, which is no hardship at all. I really do love it.”
“Okay. But I’ll come by every day. I’ll need to bring fresh stock for your fridge anyway.”
Ally smiled. “Be sure to bring Willow.”
“I will.”
“Now go see your beautiful baby girl.”
As they parted ways, Ally headed back to her lodge. Well, it wasn’t her lodge, it was just her designated guest lodge but, hey, it was a conversation she was having with herself, so she could be as possessive of the place as she wanted.
Finally there, she did what she often did when she had lots of crap on her mind: she cooked. It relaxed her, was a creative outlet that soothed all her senses and took her away from her worries.
It was Cain’s youngest uncle, Sam, who had taught Ally how to cook. And how to hotwire a car and escape zip ties. Cain’s uncles, all four still unmated . . . well, they hadn’t really known what to do with a little girl. Their version of raising her had been to teach her “important life skills.”
By the time she was eleven, she knew how to drive, how to skin animals, how to pick a lock, and how to brew beer. She could also reel off the military alphabet and speak Russian, Spanish, Italian, German, and Mandarin. Surprisingly enough, most of it had come in handy at some point.
Once her beef stir-fry was done, Ally took her meal outside and settled on the porch step that overlooked the lake. At total contrast to her morning meal, the atmosphere was calm and peaceful, with only the sounds of the forest to break up the silence.
After a few minutes, there was rustling in the grass. She couldn’t help frowning at the sight of a large gray wolf cautiously approaching, nostrils flaring. Taking in his scent, she realized it was Bracken. Stopping a few feet away, his eyes glued to her plate, he licked his lips.
She rolled her eyes. “Typical male.” She flung him a chunk of beef. “Now go.” He did, but only moments later another gray wolf appeared, this one broader. Jesse, her senses told her. She grumbled, “You’re all the same.” She threw him a chunk of meat, and he snapped his jaws around it before running off. That was when a third wolf appeared; he was a mix of brown and gray. Zander. “Do you guys have no shame?” With a growl, she threw him a piece of beef too. “No more. Go.”
Done with her lunch, she went inside to fetch the plate of cookies she’d baked. It was as she resettled on the step that the three wolves reappeared, side by side. “Oh, for God’s sake.”
When Derren arrived at the main lodge for lunch, he was surprised to find no sign of Ally. He’d figured she’d accompany Shaya there after the tour. When he was halfway through his lunch and she still hadn’t appeared, he was about to call her cell. But then Shaya suddenly spoke.
“Ally’s not coming.”
Confused, Derren echoed, “She’s not coming?”
“She said she probably won’t spend much time over here.”
Bracken stopped with his glass halfway to his mouth. “Why?”
“Because you’re all so cold and mean that it physically hurts to be around you.” Shaya shot them all disappointed looks.
Swallowing hard, Bracken looked kind of guilty. “It hurts her?”
“Negative emotions cause Seers pain,” explained Shaya.