Barron's Prey

Barron

Chapter 6

Laughter floated through the training room, ending the tension.  Barron leaned back onto the wall, watching as the others chuckled at Ned's words.  He let a small smile turn up the corner of his lips, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to laugh, not now.  Not when that thing was still out there, taunting them with its power, making them all look over their shoulders, waiting for it to pounce.  He didn't speak his thoughts, because he knew that laughter was needed.  Laughter was what kept them sane.

His smile slipped off his face completely when he felt eyes on him.  Turning his head, he stared at Namir with a blank expression on his face while the other man frowned in concentration.  Barron would give anything to have Zeke's power at that moment, to know what thoughts flew through Namir's mind, to know what secrets the man kept, because Barron had a strong feeling that those secrets would come back to haunt them all.

He may be Ally's guardian.  He may be the one who would protect her and her children in years to come, but there were things he wasn't telling them.  Why hadn't he been there for her from the beginning?  Why had he showed up after Marcus was gone?  Why was he here now?  They were all questions Barron needed answered, but without Zeke, there was no way to delve into the man's mind.

His hand curled into a fist.  That feeling of uselessness, of knowing that there was nothing he could do, gripped him once more.  He couldn't call Zeke, couldn't ask the man to return, not when Zeke's mind was on the safety of his mate.  If there was one thing that Barron had learned in his life it was that someone with a pregnant mate was useless.  It wasn't their fault.  It was their instincts; that force that drove them to do anything in their power to keep their family safe, no matter what the outcome.

Slowly, the laughter in the room died down as some began to walk from the room, going back to their everyday business.  Adam and Sloan were the first to leave, and another round of chuckles flew through the room with their departure.  Quickly, Amaya and Ned followed along, looking as if they were trying to avoid something soon to come.

"I'm going to go order some pizza," Tony said with a yawn.

Ally frowned at him.  "This early?"

"Hey," he said with a mock glare.  "Not everyone gets Barron as a personal chef.  A couple of us have to fend for ourselves.  Plus, afternoon isn't early."

A small laugh fell from Ally's lips when Barron growled.  Her eyes stayed on him, but by the way they clouded, he knew that she wasn't thinking of him.  She glanced towards Sebastian, who narrowed his eyes at her, rolled them, and then stood to his feet with Noah in his hands.  Without any words, Tony swooped down, grabbing a laughing Jesse, and Drew carefully cradled Zoë.  As they walked from the room, Sebastian turned his eyes on Barron.

"I still don't trust him." Sebastian's voice whispered through his mind.  "If he looks like he's even thinking of hurting her, skin him alive."

A surprised chuckle left Barron's lips as they disappeared, leaving only him, Ally, Namir and Slator in the room.  Slator glanced around, looking uncomfortable.  "I'm just going to follow them all."

"Stay," Ally said.  When Slator looked ready to bolt anyway, she smiled at him.  "Please?"

Slator froze with a frown on his face.  "I don't think I've ever heard you say please for anything."

She laughed, but the sound was devoid of usual happiness.  "You didn't know me as a kid."  She shook her head, dismissing the conversation before it could even start.  Turning towards Barron, she motioned towards Slator.  "Have you found out what he can do?"