Calix sighs and looks at me. “Bad.”
And the tightness reappears in my chest.
Chapter Nineteen
CALIX
After parking the truck, I slip a hand around Blair’s shoulders and pull her close, and for once, she doesn't resist. Maybe it's the men standing guard outside with their arms crossed, their gazes narrowed at us. I can imagine they're pretty intimidating to a human.
The closest one nods at me. “Alpha Calix. Who's this?”
Blair stiffens in my arms, but I hold her closer and say, “My mate.”
The wolf continues to stare at us, sniffing the air.
“Human.”
It's my turn to narrow my eyes. “Can you move aside?”
He does so, but not without watching Blair intently. I stare at him as we pass, muttering under my breath about how disrespectful some wolves are, especially the pups.
“Who was he?” Blair whispers, leaning in to me. Her familiar scent catches on the air, and it soothes the tension in my shoulders in seconds.
Funny how my mate has that effect on me.
“A guard,” I tell her as I pull open the door to the packhouse where we're meeting.
The aroma of scorched lamb fills the air, and I grin. It can only mean one thing: Luna Marie is here. “Expect lots of food,” I add as we step from the hallway into a large kitchen diner filled with people.
Blair swallows, and her eyes widen at the spread on the table: creamy mashed potatoes, jugs of gravy, racks of lamb, endless vegetables, and plenty of cheesecake for after.
Alpha Drox lifts his bushy brows at my arrival, nodding at me. “Hello, old friend.”
“Alpha Drox,” I say, nodding back.
“Now that Alpha Calix has arrived, we can dig in!” Alpha Drox announces, reaching for a spoon.
Everyone lunges at the food, but his wife, Luna Marie, stops mid-step and stares at Blair, her face flushing.
“You brought her!”
The wolves stop clambering over one another for food to look at my mate, and I hold her closer, my hackles rising. Everyone stares at Blair, but like me, they're confused.
“Her?” I ask, still staring around us warily.
Luna Marie blinks out of her trance-like state and moves over to us, her hands cupping Blair's cheeks as she sighs happily.
“Your mate. She's special.”
I nod and look down appreciatively at Blair, who looks stunned. “She is.”
“How can I...” Blair begins as Luna Marie chuckles, stealing Blair from my arms.
I growl, but Luna Marie waves me off, sending the same message to her husband, who has risen to his feet at my warning.
“Girl talk. Eat, Calix. I need to talk to your mate.”
I don't like this, but I trust Luna Marie with my life. She was a close friend of my mother's, and she's a Seer. Not many packs have them anymore, but they're highly respected for their abilityto see into the future. They know things that can change the trajectory of our time, so they're highly sought and cared for.