Amber jumped up and rushed to the front door, heart racing. She yanked it open. All the men were gathered in the clearing, and all eight sets of eyes swung toward her. “It’s Khloe,” she called out.
Chapter Thirteen
Isaac ran toward his Little girl. He let Felix rush past her before Isaac scooped Amber up into his arms and followed Felix into the house.
Felix was at Khloe’s side in seconds as the rest of the girls moved out of the way to give him space. By the time he got to her, Khloe was pushing to sitting. The vision was over.
Khloe looked around, dazed for a moment, as if reminding herself where she was before she wrapped her arms around Felix’s neck and buried her face in his shoulder as he lifted her.
Isaac hadn’t been present for one of her episodes before. It freaked him out. It was hard watching Amber look off in the distance and see things no one else could see, but his heart would stop every time if she went into a trance or sort of fainted. He felt for Felix.
All the rest of the Alphas filed into the house, grabbed their mates, and spread out to give Felix space and time.
Isaac couldn’t stop rubbing Amber’s back, rocking her, holding her too tight. He kept pressing his nose against her neck and inhaling her scent. He nuzzled the purple mark he’d made with his teeth, feeling her pulse beating, reminding himself she was safe and in his arms. He wanted to be done with this visit,get her back home where he could bury himself in her wet heat, and reaffirm their connection and life force. But that would have to wait. He couldn’t walk out the door now. They needed to know what Khloe would predict.
Khloe finally blinked several times and looked around. She paused when she spotted Leah. “I think maybe my vision might match your second dream.”
Leah stiffened in Elias’s arms. “The one with all the men gathered around arguing?”
“Yes. You said there were six of them, and you didn’t recognize them.”
Leah nodded.
“I think that’s happening right now. They’re bears. The elders I suspect.”
Isaac gripped Amber even tighter. “Do you think you might be able to see them?”
Gavin moved toward the door with Molly. “Maybe you can hear them.”
Rylee grumbled, “I’ll tell you what they ate for breakfast.”
Isaac knew it bothered Rylee that her gift often seemed unimportant, but that was rarely the case. She could also tell everyone if the men smelled like they were out for blood.
Everyone moved outside to the clearing. When Khloe had a vision, it was always current.
Felix spoke, “Are the six planning something? I’ve never known you to have a vision that didn’t have intent behind it.”
Khloe narrowed her eyes as if thinking. “They all have different intentions. They can’t agree.”
Isaac stood Amber in the clearing and squatted next to her. “Do you want to shift, Baby girl?”
She nodded and took a step forward, letting her wolf come to the surface. As she dropped down onto her paws, she glanced around.
Isaac noted several other Littles had also shifted. The Alphas were all standing protectively around their mates, and he wondered if they felt as impotent as he suddenly did.
For centuries, the Alpha Protectors had guarded the valley from the surrounding mountains. They had never encountered the threats they’d been faced with recently. Nor had any of their mates developed super-shifter abilities.
They were living in changing times, uncharted territory. All they could do was take things one day at a time. One thing was for sure, they could never leave their Little girls out of the plans, nor could they leave them at home while the males patrolled the area. They’d be missing out on opportunities.
The Alpha Protectors were undeniably stronger and bigger than not just their mates but all the other members of the shifter community in the valley. They would always be needed for their strength and agility. But ignoring the abilities of their mates was not an option.
He and the other men stood quietly, glancing at each other. There was a tension in the air. A sizzle. An energy he couldn’t quite put his finger on. This was no longer a simple situation where the women would shift back and tell the others what they saw, heard, or smelled. They might have vital information that affected decisions that needed to be made.
While Rylee, Molly, and Amber stood rooted to their spots, all three of them staring at the same illusive location in the distance, Khloe and Olivia shifted and began to pace closer to the edge of the clearing. Felix and Damon moved with them in human form. Leah, Suzette, and Jezebel remained human, their Daddies holding on to them.
Finally everyone shifted back. Several voices started speaking at once as the Little girls rejoined their Daddies and were lifted into protective arms.
Arion held up a hand. In a way, he was the most senior member of this group. Age wasn’t what put him in charge. It was simply unspoken since he’d been the first to bond with a mate in their generation.
