Chapter 6
Ali tried to stay up until Cal got back from his important meeting, but with all the excitement going on, she couldn’t stay up that late. She fell asleep on the couch in the front room because she felt strange walking through the man’s house without him. It was clear that it was big, and there were many rooms to stay in like he’d suggested, but she was worried about what that was going to mean for her. She didn’t want to pick the wrong one and wake up to someone in bed with her.
She was half-asleep when he awakened her later. “I told you to find a bed. I guess I will have to pick one for you.”
Ali didn’t even argue. She wanted to be wherever he wanted her to be, but she was still so shy around him. Cal was not just an impressive man that scared her a little bit; he could turn into a fearsome beast as well that scared the crap out of her.
“Put me down; I can walk.”
“I’m sure you can, but I would really like to carry you. You were not that heavy when you were on my back, so I’m sure I can handle it.”
Ali didn’t want the reminder, and she buried her face into his chest. He smelled like the woods and sweat and something else that was downright wild. It was hard for her not to feel something come over her when he held her like that. His arms around her just felt so good, and she was unable to stop the small sigh that escaped between her lips.
“Don’t go back to sleep just yet. I have to show you around because I won’t be here in the morning.”
That alarmed her more than anything else, and she wanted to know why he wasn’t going to be there. How was he supposed to keep her safe if he was always leaving her? The house didn’t look all that secure, and when she thought about it some more, she didn’t want to be left there on her own, surrounded by monsters.
“Can’t I come with you?”
He looked at Ali like she’d lost her mind. No human had ever gone out with the pack, and she wasn’t even part of it as a mate. There was no way that she was going to be welcome and it was dangerous. When he told her that, she just waved him off like he was being dramatic.
“I assure you that I’m not being dramatic, Ali. We must go out and fight things that would have you for dinner. I can’t be here and there at the same time. Here, there are guards that are posted, and they are going to keep you safe. You don’t have to worry about it. No one is going to bother you here. So please stay, so I know that you’re safe. I don’t want to have to track you down again.”
She nodded her head and agreed like she had a choice. It was clear what would happen to her if she didn’t listen and Ali might not have known what kind of danger she was in, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew that this was all happening for a reason and soon she was going to have to find a way out of it. Ali knew that she needed to keep Cal on her side before she could escape.
“This room will do for you to go to sleep. It’s not far from mine, so if you need anything in the night, you can just come in and get me.”
Ali promised that she wasn’t going to be going into his room in the middle of the night. She said that there was no way that she was going to run to him like that, but at the same time, she wasn’t sure if that was the case or not. Ali was in way over her head, and she wasn’t sure where to turn, but the only one there that she trusted even a little was Cal. He had saved her after all, though Ali was pretty sure that it wasn’t just done to be nice. She wasn’t that naïve.
“I will show you around the rest of the house. You can look tomorrow, but I will show you where all of the basics are for now.”
She thanked him and followed him around the house that was far bigger when she looked at it from the inside. From the outside, it didn’t seem that big at all, but then she realized that half of it was all underground. No wonder there was so much more to it, she thought to herself. It was like a maze and Ali was glad that he had taken the time to show her around. She would have surely gotten lost later if not for that. All she could think about was what it was going to be like living there and then the question that weighed heavily on her mind was for how long. How long was she going to be living with a bunch of shifters? The very sound of it out loud made her laugh, or she may have just cried instead. How had she gotten herself into that sort of predicament?
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just a lot to take on, I guess. I want to check on my friends and make sure that they were all out of there. I had one friend that was with me, and I pushed her away, but I don’t even know if she made it out of there or not. I wish I knew. I would be able to sleep better if I knew that she was okay.”
He asked her what each one of them looked like and then told her that all her friends were safe. It was a relief off her shoulders, and she wanted to know how he knew that.
“I’ve kept up with all of the human deaths, and none of them fit those descriptions tonight. It’s not something that we want to do, but it is something that we must do. We can’t let the vampires get any stronger than they already were.”
“But it’s not their fault!” She was horrified to think that all the human deaths were caused by his kind.
“No, it’s not their fault, but they are still going to turn into our enemies one way or another. The intentions of the individual doesn’t matter if they are bitten.”
Ali shivered, remembering how he had made her take her clothes off and then he had checked her for marks. At the time, she hadn’t realized that was what he was talking about, and then a thought occurred to her.
“So, if I would have been bitten and you’d seen a mark in the woods?”
“Then I would have had to take care of it as we all do. It wouldn’t have been anything personal. It’s just what has to be done.”
Ali didn’t see it as any other way but personal. He was talking so easily about ending her that it was making it hard to be near him and not be afraid. She was glad that she hadn’t been bit because apparently that wouldn’t have been the worst of it.
“You’re upset with me now.”
Ali disagreed. “No, I guess I just am getting to understand where my place is. It’s good to know that my life means very little to you and your kind.”
She wasn’t happy with the information, and she told him that she would figure out the rest the next day. There was no way that she could handle any more of a tour. It had been enough of one for the moment as far as she was concerned.
“You’ll see that it’s not that way at all, Ali. I’m glad you’re here, and your friends are safe. Once the vampires in the area are gone, the humans here will be safer than ever before.”
Ali wanted to believe him, but the way he’d spoken of her kind was hard to listen to. It was harder still to think about the fact that there were more than just humans on Earth.
“I’m going to get some sleep. Thank you for all your help, Cal. I don’t know what I would have done without you, but at least I know what would have happened if you hadn’t been there.”
