13. Kezia

I may have been exaggerating,but it felt like every head in the room turned to look at me. I was, unfortunately, used to being the center of attention for the wrong reason, and I suddenly felt a very familiar sense of unease settle on my shoulders.

Royce was oblivious to my discomfort, and not to make the shifters in the hall stare at me even more, I quickly followed the beta of the pack.

The mess hall, as they called it here, was slightly different to our canteen at the Anterrio Pack. Here, the serving area was in a large semi-circle, and all the seated areas sat within it. It was as if the food area were enclosing the pack in a hug. I frowned at myself at the weird analogy. Maybe I'd lost brain cells after my last orgasm from Cannon…

Looking at the benches and tables, I noticed there was no other option than to sit with someone, or at least have the opportunity to have someone sit with you.

Royce handed me a tray absently as he started making his way around the serving dishes. I almost lost my grip as he started piling things on my plate and his, and soon I was no longer focused on the pack staring at me—I was too busy wondering where he thought I was going to put all this food.

"Um, Royce?" I whispered urgently. "I don't need more food."

The shifter turned to look at me, his mouth open in shock, his eyes wide. "Are you saying you can't eat it all?"

I felt my face warming at his teasing. "You've given me a week's worth of food!" I hissed at him, conscious that some of the pack were still watching.

"You'll need it, your training starts tomorrow."

Training?

"What?" I hurried after him as he continued to the end of the line. "What training?"

"You want water, coffee, or soda?" He looked at me expectantly.

"Water's fine, thanks. What training?"

"Hey, Kezia."

Turning halfway around, I saw Nikan, and by his slightly awkward wave, I knew we were both thinking about what I'd been doing with his brother earlier. "Hey," I greeted weakly.

Nikan eyed my tray. "Dear Goddess, are you feeding the pack?"

"No, Royce is feeding me for some kind of marathon," I told him testily as I saw a large glass of water placed on my tray.

"Training," Royce corrected. He looked around the benches, and much to my horror, he pointed towards the fullest one smack in the middle. "There."

I never thought I would miss the solitude of the cell so much as he led me amongst the curious to sit at the almost crowded table.

Royce sat down beside me, tearing a roll in half, using one half to point at me. "Everyone, this is Kezia of the Anterrio Pack. She's here for a while to learn our fighting techniques. You know how backward the thinking is over there. Thankfully, her brother had the sense to seek better for her."

I gaped at him, but the murmurings and welcomes from those around me meant I had to look away from the shifter casually eating a mountain of food.

"Kezia is a nice name," an older female said to me. She had light brown hair, a warmth in her hazel eyes, and a friendly smile. "Is it a family name?"

The truth was I didn't know. So I did what I do best in all uncomfortable situations, I went with it. "Yes, but I prefer Zia."

I didn't miss the slight stiffening of surprise from Royce, but he flung me into the deep end of this social pool. It was his own fault if he forgot to ask if I could swim.

"Zia's nice too," the woman told me. "I'm Willy."

"Willy?" I knew I blurted it out, and I got a few laughs for it too. "Sorry."

She wasn't in the least bit offended. "My mom, and her mom before her, and her mom before her, they're all called Willomenia. I have seven brothers; there was no way I was being called Willomenia just because I was a girl. Oldest brother called me Willy before I learned to speak to tell him not to, and by that time, it was too late!"

"Seven brothers?" I knew my eyes were wide. "All to—" I stopped, catching myself in time, but Willy knew where I was going with my question, and thankfully, she and several others were all laughing.

"All to the same momma? Yup, there's eight of us." She leaned forward. "And we're one of the smaller families in the pack."

My eyes were as round as saucers as I listened to several of the pack boast about their family sizes. Midway, Royce handed me my fork, and I ate and listened, and laughed, to the stories of the pack and their families.

"Do you have much training?" a male further up the table asked me.

"I can fight," I told him carefully as I ate my third chicken leg.

"Every shifter can fight," another male spoke, "but do you have any training?"

Royce kept on eating, and I was unsure how to answer. "My brother trained me," I told them honestly. "He's the pack leader's head of security." I saw several sneers and immediately defended Kris. "He doesn't agree with Pack Leader Bale's position on keeping the females from fighting." I hoped I didn't get Kris in trouble for this, but I wanted these shifters to know my brother was decent. "Kris let me train with him. He taught me everything he knows, and I also trained sometimes with Pack Leader Bale's son, Landon."

Some of the shifters nodded, and others exchanged knowing looks. I wasn't entirely too comfortable about what they thought they knew.

Another male turned to me slightly from where he sat on another bench. He had told me his name, but I'd forgotten it already as there were too many to remember at once. "Our training is a little more rigorous than what they teach over at Anterrio." His eyes flicked to Royce's, who sat silently beside me, drinking his water, his meal finished. "A lot of us are military trained," he continued.

Looking around, I saw several of the conversations had stopped, and many of them were just watching me. "Okay? Um…that's…nice?"

The male grinned widely. "You have no clue what's in store for you tomorrow," he said with a laugh, which caused others to laugh. But I got the feeling they weren't laughing at me, and somehow, that made me relax more.

"Should I be laughing?" I whispered to Royce under my breath. I saw his wide smile, and I guessed that was a no.

"So, Zia," a female asked. "Are you staying with Hannah, Royce, and the girls?"

"Zia's staying in the alpha's house," Nikan spoke for the first time since sitting down, and I felt my cheeks burn as friendly stares turned into more speculative looks.

"With Cannon?" a voice asked from further down the bench.

"Well—"

"Yes," Nikan spoke over Royce. "That's where the alpha lives too." His laugh sounded forced, or maybe I was paranoid, but I was once more very conscious of the fact I was the center of everyone's attention.

Clearing my throat, I tried not to look at Royce for help. "Well, the alpha was kind enough to offer me a room, but he won't?—"

"And why wouldn't he?" Royce said, leaning back, looking completely at ease with everything. "Our alpha is generous and welcoming."

Was that rhetorical or was he telling them? Looking at the shifters gathered, I wasn't sure. An older shifter was watching me, deep in thought.

"Was at your pack a few weeks ago," he said thoughtfully. "Some murmurings about that Bale's son having a mate that ran away…"

I felt Royce straighten beside me as the shifter continued.

"Think they said something about her being in seclusion…" He spoke slowly but his gaze was sharp, and I couldn't stop my hands tightening into fists under the table. "That you, Zia? Did you run?"

My eyes met Royce's and I wasn't sure I was concealing the panic I was feeling.

"Is that why you're here?" Willy asked sympathetically. "Are you having some time before the mating ceremony?"

My mouth opened but no words came out.

"Curious bunch tonight, aren't you?" Cannon said good-naturedly as he strolled into the mess hall. "A visitor to the pack, and you all become interrogators." He looked around with a smile. "Taught you well," he added with a wink, causing most of the pack to laugh and the weird tension to leave the room.

Cannon dropped onto the bench opposite us, and I didn't miss the tight look in his eyes as he looked towards Nikan, but it was gone quickly.

"Is that leftovers on your plate?" he asked me teasingly, and Royce chuckled beside me. Cannon shared a conspirator's look with several pack members. "This girl can eat. I don't know where she puts it. That's why I'm here, to tell Cook and the others they'll need more food while she's here."

"I'm not that bad!" I protested loudly, which caused more laughter.

"You are," Royce confirmed.

The shifter who had asked if I was Landon's mate hadn't laughed with everyone else. He was still watching me. "Nikan says the girl's living with you, Alpha? That right?" he asked, his head cocking to the side.

Cannon shared a look with Royce before turning to address the older shifter. "She is. You have a problem with that, Tev?"

Tev looked at his alpha, and the blatant dislike he had for him was plain to see. "I've many problems with you, Alpha."

I flinched at the open hatred in Tev's voice, but Cannon snorted loudly in the sudden deadly silence of the mess hall. "And I you. I've also told you that you can leave anytime you want, old timer."

"This is my home," Tev sneered.

"And it's my pack," Cannon reminded him sharply. "You're the last one, Tev." Cannon's voice was quieter, a warning in his tone. "I let you live out of respect for your kin, but don't push me." He stood slowly, an alpha male uncoiling with deadly calm. Cannon turned his head slightly to look at me, Royce, and Nikan. "We need to discuss Kezia's schedule." He looked over his shoulder to the shifter who had mentioned the military training. "Leo, you free soon?" When he nodded, Cannon gestured to the three of us. "Join us at the house in about fifteen minutes, and we'll discuss this one's training?" When Leo confirmed he would, Cannon turned to leave.

Royce and Nikan were on their feet, and as I hastily clambered to mine, I was showered with farewells and see-you-soons. The brief tension with Tev was smothered in the blanket of kindness that was extended to me as I left the hall.

Outside, I didn't miss the tension in Cannon's shoulders as he led us back to his house. Royce and Nikan followed silently, and I decided the best thing to do was follow their lead, although I was burning with questions.

We filed past the alpha into the study, and as the doors slid shut, I turned in time to see Cannon punch Nikan right in the jaw.

"Do you think this is a game?" Cannon snarled at his brother. "I'm sorry your crush is my mate, but what did mouthing off in front of everyone gain?" he demanded angrily. I felt Royce pull at my arm softly, and I took a few steps back from the two pissed-off siblings. "Did you even think, or were you so consumed with pointless jealousy you didn't think about Kezia at all? Or how your careless words would affect her?"

Me?I went to speak, but Royce not so subtly dug his elbow in my ribs.

Nikan was rubbing his jaw, but I caught the look of regret he sent my way. "I didn't think," he admitted sourly.

"We were going to stay apart," Cannon told him bitterly. "I was going to stay at Royce's place, but you fucked that up."

"How?" I asked. "You can't stay there anymore?" My blood raced with excitement, while my stomach dipped with dread. It was a weird combination that made me feel slightly nauseous.

"No," Royce said with a sigh. "It was never foolproof," he offered to Cannon with a sympathetic look towards Nikan.

"I didn't know that," Nikan said grudgingly. "Is it bad?" He looked between the two of us, and I had no clue what he meant.

"Is what bad?"

"It's worse than bad," Royce answered him. "They can't be left alone."

Oh."Right, that." I avoided looking at all three of them but caught sight of Nikan's face as it paled.

"I heard, um, earlier."

"I could move?" I blurted, because I did not want that conversation right now. "Out, I mean. I could move out?"

"You can't." Cannon was still furious. "Tev putting you and that imbecile together from Anterrio, and the pack thinking you're here on seclusion from your mate, there's no other place you would go except to the alpha's house. It's the safest place to be for a female soon to be mated," he added scornfully, once more glaring at his brother. "A female not mated to me, that is."

Nikan mumbled an apology and Royce let out a loud sigh.

Rocking back on my heels, I looked around the room. "So? Locks on the door?"

Cannon grunted but a smile hovered over his mouth at my attempt to ease the tension, and Royce let out a low chuckle.

"I could stay here," Nikan offered. "You know, act like a…buffer?"

"It might work."

I turned to see what the alpha thought, but Cannon's eyes narrowed to slits as he regarded his brother. "Was that your plan?" he asked him. "To be where she is?"

Nikan's cheeks reddened and I wasn't sure if it was with outrage or embarrassment at being caught. "No! I was just thinking out loud!" he protested, but I noticed that Royce was also watching him closely.

"She's mine."

I wasn't prepared for the rush of satisfaction and pleasure that coursed through me in response to his low, possessive growl. My hand pressed against my lower belly, a movement so slight, but it wasn't missed by the alpha across from me.

Royce shoved to his feet, stepping purposefully in front of me. "And this is why they needed to be separated," he muttered grouchily. "She's not even in heat, and they're like two sex-crazed bunnies."

"I think bunny is deceptive," I murmured as I stared at his back.

A slight knock on the door made all four of us look as it slid open, and Leo stepped inside. He faltered once, looking at all of us warily. "Was I not supposed to come in?"

I couldn't help it, I giggled at his wide-eyed expression, and Royce let out a low rumble of laughter.

Cannon shook his head as the tension in the room lifted. "You're right on time," he told Leo. "Take a seat, there's lots to discuss."