Chapter 6 : Don't Count Your Chickens

Alaric POV

The knock on the door breaks me out of the haze of lust that always seems to surround me when Raven is near. I step away from her regretfully and open the door to see Sam standing there wearing a concerned expression.

"Yes?" I ask, a little more curtly than I intended. He looks at me, then at Raven, and back at me with a questioning gaze.

"Alpha, there's been an...incident. Over at Paul's farm," he tells me. I nod at him and start to follow, then turn back to Raven.

"Remember what I said," I say firmly.

"Can I come with you? I might be able to help," she says softly. Her demeanor has mellowed significantly in the last few minutes and I can't help but be skeptical.

"This is pack business," I reply and walk out the door after Sam. He goes out to the porch and I am right behind him when I feel a hand on my arm. Her touch sends electricity through my veins and I jolt from the feeling.

"What? I told you this doesn't concern you," I say harshly. My reaction to her is visceral and I'm normally not so short tempered, but she brings it out in me.

"I really can help. I have a special power. When I touch things or people, sometimes I can get a sense of what has happened. Sometimes even images," she whispers. Well that's some new information, I think. I make a mental note to have a talk with her about the scope of her abilities. I want to make sure I know what she's capable of.

"Ok, but you are to stay silent and stick close to me," I inform her. She nods and we all head towards the farm.

As we approach Paul, I see a disturbed look on his face. He's scratching the back of his head and staring at the chicken coop. I look down and stop myself from gasping. All of his chickens are lying on the ground.

Dead.

"What the hell happened here, Paul?" I ask him incredulously.

"That's what I keep asking myself, Alpha," he replies.

"All of their necks are broken," Sam interjects and I process this information for a moment. I turn to Raven and gesture for her to do her thing.

"What's the witch doing here?" Paul asks me.

"She's here to help figure out what happened," I reply in a tone that leaves no room for further questions.

She walks gingerly towards the coop and kneels down next to the dead chickens. She closes her eyes and places her hands on the ground. She seems to shimmer in the sunlight and I blink to adjust my eyes. She moans and I step forward involuntarily. I don't want to disturb her process but her face is screwed up like she's in pain.

She moans again and her head rolls back. I see that her eyes are stark white. Her body starts shaking and I feel a spike of fear in my heart. I reach her in seconds, just in time for her to pass out in my arms. I grab her face and shake it a little.

"Raven...wake up," I say gently. She whimpers and then slowly opens her eyes.

"Alaric? What happened?" she asks in a disoriented way.

"You passed out," I reply. I look her over and she seems to be fine, but I lift her up into my arms anyway.

"You don't need to carry me, I'm perfectly fine to walk on my own," she protests. I shush her and walk back in the direction of my house. Paul and Sam are giving me strange looks but I ignore them.

"Let's get you home to lie down. Then you can tell me what happened just now," I tell her and then I turn back to the men.

"We will get to the bottom of this, Paul. She needs to rest and then I will find out if we have any leads on who could have done this," I say.

"Of course, Alpha. Thank you for your help," he replies respectfully, but he is still giving me a weird look.

"Sam, make some discreet inquiries in the pack. See if anyone saw or heard anything that might be useful," I tell him. He nods and heads off in the other direction.

"I really can walk," Raven says quietly. She seems so delicate and fragile and I feel a surge of protectiveness run through me.

"I don't need you passing out again and injuring yourself. You are my employee, and therefore my responsibility," I say firmly. She looks a little disappointed at my reference to her status and I feel a little guilty.

We make it to the house and I carry her up to her room. I set her down on the bed and push her back gently to lay down. I leave to grab her a bottle of water and when I come back she is standing by the window.

"You need to be resting," I say with authority.

"I told you I'm fine," she replies in a faraway voice. I walk towards her and put my hand on her shoulder.

"Raven, what happened? What did you see?" I ask. She suddenly turns around with an angry look on her face.

"Why are you being nice to me?" she asks me.

"What?" I reply.

"Why are you being nice to me now? You have been switching between cold and aggressive, but now you are acting as though you care. Why?" she demands. I don't really have a good explanation for her, not one that wouldn't freak her out.

"I'm responsible for you. I'm just doing the right thing, making sure you don't come to any harm," I tell her. It's not the whole truth and she knows it.

"Does the right thing include touching me and nearly kissing me?" she inquires with a raised eyebrow. I sigh in frustration at her brutal honesty and my lack of control.

"It won't happen again. We will maintain a cordial working relationship until your debt is paid. Then you will be free to do as you wish," I say.

"I guess that's as close as I'm going to get to an apology?" she asks.

"I'm an Alpha. I don't apologize," I reply coldly.

"Don't or won't? Because the way I see it, you're just as confused as I am by this feeling between us. I don't know what it is and I don't like it. But I can't ignore it. I would rather get it out in the open so we both know where we stand," she says. I say nothing, because I can't tell her what she wants to hear.

That I feel it too.

She comes closer to me and I get a whiff of her scent. It's like the woods after a hard rain, earthy and fresh, with a hint of violets. Her waist length, silky dark hair falls around her like a halo, gently caressing the caramel colored skin of her graceful arms. I grab a curl between my fingers, lightly rubbing the soft strand.

"What's it going to be, Alaric?" she whispers in a sexy voice. I am falling into the depths of her deep brown eyes and I know I need to pull myself out before it's too late.

I can't make the same mistake as my father.

That thought snaps me out of me reverie and I jump back as though I've been burned. She has a hurt look on her face and I look away.

"I think you are mistaken. I feel obligated to my agreement with Lavinia and you feel beholden to me for rescuing you from a gruesome fate," I tell her. Her eyes flash with anger and I know what I've said has pissed her off.

"Beholden to you? I've never heard anything so preposterous. I'm a pawn in the power struggle between you and Lavinia. But don't worry, you don't need to feel obligated to me. If my presence is a burden, say the word and I'll go," she replies vehemently. I feel a sense of panic at the thought of her leaving but I can't show it.

"That won't be necessary. I believe you will be useful to the pack. And when I make an agreement, I always honor it," I inform her. She gives me a hard, searching look. She must not find what she's looking for so she nods abruptly.

"Will that be all, Alpha?" she asks me with fake politeness.

"What did you see when we were at the farm?" I ask her.

"Nothing of much consequence. I felt the fear of the chickens, heard their necks snapping. I saw a blurry figure that I couldn't make out. I'm sorry I can't be more useful to you," she replies, with emphasis on the word useful. I cringe a little when she says it, knowing I've hurt her feelings.

Maybe it's better this way, for her to hate me or think I'm a jerk. It would make things a lot easier.

"Ok," I say lamely, for lack of a better response.

"If that's it?" she asks.

"Yes, I'll leave you to rest. I have some things to take care of so I'll check on you later," I tell her.

She doesn't respond, just turns back to the window and stares again. I walk towards the door and hesitate for a moment, wanting to explain to her what the feeling is between us. I think better of it and continue, shutting the door behind me.

I curse myself for being incapable of leaving her alone. I should have never made that deal with Lavinia, but at the time my feelings overwhelmed me and I couldn't stop myself.

I recognized the moment I met her that I had found my mate.