Page 105 of Alpha Theo

But wait- how’d Cole know she’s my mate?I swivel my head back around, eyeing him suspiciously.

Rico calls him over before I have a chance to ask. I return to Brooke’s side instead, slumping down into an empty chair at the desk beside her.

“What was that all about?” she asks, her eyes not leaving the computer monitor positioned in front of her. The bright light of the screen reflects off the lenses of her glasses, makes her eyes behind them glow even more blue.

I heave a sigh, raking a hand through my hair and leaning forward. “Cole thinks they dodged a bullet with this one. There’s no sign of a physical attack, at least not yet.”

Brooke nods, chewing on her bottom lip nervously.

I wheel my chair closer, dropping my voice low so it’s barely audible. “I think there’s something screwy going on here,” I say. “Cole knows we’re mates.”

Brooke’s eyes finally leave the computer monitor to meet mine, but she doesn’t appear surprised at my admission.

“Yeah,” she breathes, lifting her hands from the keyboard and swiveling to face me. She leans forward, setting her hands on my knees. “It’s not what you think, though. It’s his sister Astrid, she’s an intuitive.”

“A what?” I ask, furrowing my brow.

Brooke chuckles softly, leaning in closer. “Anintuitive. She knows things, perceives things. Like some sort of physic ability.” She shrugs, as if it’s the most normal thing in the fucking world. “Apparently it’s a family trait, she told me about it earlier. After she asked if we were together.”

“And you believe her?” I ask dubiously.

She nods. “I do. She said she picked up on it last time we were here. Kinda explains why they tried to put us in the same room.”

“Huh.” I try to wrap my mind around the whole thing, but it’s pretty bizarre. I’ve heard rumors about shifters possessing other abilities, but I guess I always assumed they were exactly that- rumors.

“Why didn’t she see this attack coming then?” I grumble, still suspicious.

Brooke shrugs again, blowing out a breath. “Guess it doesn’t always work that way. She said she can’t control it. Although…” she pauses, biting her lip again, “she did pick up on something right when we got here.”

I’m not sure if I buy into the whole ‘psychic abilities’ thing, but Brooke’s the smartest person I know. If she believes it, then who am I to question it?

“How’s it going over here?” comes a sing-songy voice, and I look up to see Astrid striding over, her light brown curls bouncing with her movements.

“Good,” Brooke smiles warmly, spinning her chair toward Astrid. “This one’s all clear. How many left to scrub?”

“You guys have done more than enough,” Astrid says, waving a hand flippantly. “Why don’t you head back to the packhouse, grab something to eat and settle in? We can finish up here.”

“Are you sure?” Brooke asks.

Astrid nods adamantly. “Definitely. Your help today has been invaluable. I’m not sure how we’ll ever thank you.”

I rise to my feet, holding out a hand to Brooke. It doesn’t seem like she wants to leave, but she takes it, rising to stand beside me. Astrid’s eyes track our movements and her lips curl into a knowing smile.

“Just ask security at the packhouse to take you to the kitchen, there’s always a huge spread there for dinner,” she says, urging us on.

I give her a nod, sliding an arm around Brooke’s waist and pulling her into my side. Even though the threat seems to have passed, I have such a strong urge to keep her close, to protect her. “Sounds good,” I grumble. “Thank you.”

After Astrid walks away, Brooke spins back around to the desk, grabbing her things off of it and stuffing them into her backpack. As soon as it’s zipped, I take it from her, tossing it onto my shoulder.

“You ready?” I ask, and she just smiles, stepping into my waiting arm, allowing me to guide her to the door of the hive.

When we step outside, the air’s cool, the night still. Streetlights illuminate the road ahead of us, and the packhouse up on the hill is all lit up, beckoning.

I slide my hand down Brooke’s arm, taking her hand in mine. It’s so small, so soft. It reminds me of how fragile she is- of how she needs someone like me to protect her if the shadow pack comes knocking. Then again, I couldn’t do jack shit to protect her today- she was the one who stepped up, showed her strength. I’m constantly finding myself in awe of her.

I glance down at Brooke, taking in how the glow of the streetlights makes her blonde hair look luminescent. She must feel my eyes on her, because hers fly up to meet them, her lips quirking up into a smile.

“What?” she asks, the hint of a blush forming on her cheeks.

---