A Chosen Daughter

Chapter 44*E

Matt sends another threatening glare her way.  This has been happening frequently since her return with the six emaciated women from the rogue settlement.  Leah is paying little attention to his mood, but he is starting to scare the injured females and that was trying her patience with him.

Taking subtle deep breaths, Leah battles to keep calm. 'Only a little further' she thinks to herself 'Just keep it together a little longer Leah' she tells herself firmly. "What's wrong?" Chris' voice asks inside her mind.  She is so surprised she nearly stops walking, she had forgotten about their temporary bond and mind link.  After a brief hesitation she continues on.  No one had noticed except for Mark who sent her questioning look silently asking if she is ok.  Leah smiles slightly at him and nods.

"Nothing" she responds and immediately feels a flash of impatience and offence through the bond "Why do you think there's something wrong?"
"I can feel your tension and annoyance .... plus you were instructing yourself to hold it together?!"
"You we're listening to my thoughts?!" Leah snarls indignantly down the link.  She could almost feel Chris' responding flinch.
"I wasn't invading your privacy!  I swear!  I opened the link in order to ask you something!"  Chris defends "I caught the end of your little pep talk, add to that the feelings of annoyance and tension, leads me to asking for a second time ... what's wrong?"
"What did you want to ask me?"
"After you tell me what's wrong!"  Chris' tone was stern but she could sense his amusement, which he was trying to hide from her.  Leah sighs mentally.
"My brother" she could sense him waiting expecting her to elaborate "He's pissed at me and throwing threatening glances my way every couple of seconds"
"All because of your walk and chat with the rogue, with no explanation as to his current whereabouts, or because you continued on to the settlement to deal with it alone?" Chris enquires. 

Leah remains silent.  He was awfully well in the know for someone not present and claims he wasn't abusing the link to spy on her.   "Mark has kindly been keeping me informed" Chris informs her through the link.  Leah narrows her eyes shooting a glare at Mark who notices it with alarm.  She slowly raises her eyebrow silently questioning him.  Watches as he swallows. Glances around nervously before again meeting her eyes.  Smiling sheepishly he shrugs at her in response.  Leah shakes her head rolling her eyes at him.  He chuckles in response.  "Don't be pissed at him!" Chris implores "He figured you were unlikely to keep me informed since you weren't even keeping your brother or Arron informed, and how likely do you really think it is that one of them would keep me in the loop?!"
"Fine ... It's because of all of the above ... and the fact that I bruised his ego when I told him to take his head from his arse and to stop treating Jack so terribly!"
"Jack? That the rogue?" Leah almost bristles in response.  Almost.  Until it quickly registers with her; there is no possessiveness, jealousy or animosity in his tone.  Though she try's hard to hide it, her surprise and confusion travels down the link. "Yes the rogue" she calmly confirms. 
"Thought I'd be ass about it too?" He muses
"Hmm ... maybe"
Chris chuckles "Why would I? There absolutely no reason for me to be one!"  Leah is even more surprised. "He looked at you with eyes full of wonder and hope Leah It's the look that's in most eyes among my ... our pack members.  He wasn't about do anything to harm or displease you!"
Leah is stunned.  Too stunned to correct him even "but .. but .. you did that warning glare nonsense?!"
"Leah,  sweetie, i May have been confident he wouldn't hurt you, but that doesn't mean I wasn't gonna warn him away from any funny business!  Your still my very beautiful and exceptional mate after all!"  Leah's body hums with pleasure at the compliment as she ducks her head to hide her growing blush.

Chris chuckles again. "Besides I didn't peg you as the type to fret over bruising his ego or anyone's ego for that matter babe"
Leah frowns "I'm not! ... his anger filled glances are starting to scare the six females we just rescued!"  Chris growls loudly down the link cutting her short
"They've been through enough without having to fear those rescuing them!"  He snarls angrily.  Leah smiles despite herself or the topic. "Couldn't agree more!  Hence the annoyance, self pep talk and tension" she responds.  Barely have her last words been sent down the link when she feels him close it.  Out of the corner of her eye she sees Arron stiffen and instinctively knew Chris has linked him about this matter.  Arron shoots a look at Matt, then Leah, then back to Matt before sweeping over the females.  Leah barely bites back her growl.  She could tell from Arron's expression he had blew off the females fear and Chris' concerns on the matter.  She glares at Arron who refuses to meet her gaze.

Suddenly Leah felt the link reopen "Your previous future Alpha is a hugmongous dick!  The arsehole just dismissed the matter!"  Chris growls through it.  "Who the fuck seriously dismisses this sort of situation?! 'It's fine they're not that scared'" he states in such a bad impersonation of Arron, Leah's lips twitch "'He's got it under control, don't you worry about Matt!  Worry about your haywire irrational mate!  Fuck knows what's going on with her recently!'"  He says again in a stupid voice.  His anger now positively vibrating through the bond.
"Calm down before you force shift"
"Prick!  Arsehole!  Grrrr"
"Chris!"
"Ok! Ok!  Calming down! .... We're picking up the pace though!  I want to reach you quickly, given their fucked up attitudes!  They don't give a shit at all about those women do they?!"
"Hmm" Leah quietly agrees, her disappointment clearly transmitting down the link to Chris "ok ... I appreciate it.  Oh and Chris? ... one thing before you go"
"Yeah?"
"What did you want to ask?" She can sense his hesitation "Chris?"
"Erm ... Well .." he starts nervously
"Yes?"
"Howdoyoufeelaboutfaylivingwithuslikeadoption" he rushes out
Leah blinks "Huh?!  Sorry what?"
Chris laughs nervously "I said ... err ... I said ... how do you feel about ... um ... Fay living with us? .... like as in adoption?"
"You want to adopt Fay?! .... and your asking if that's ok with me?" Leah asks stunned
"Yeah" Chris confirms "Turns out Fay's an orphan.  She started acting so strangely when we were with her Alpha.  I didn't feel like I could leave her there ... and she didn't want me to either!  Before you say anything i know she didn't cuz she was clinging desperately to me, sobbing, then the poor thing started begging to stay with me.  To live with us instead." Her heart went out to Fay and she wanted to know what the deal was with that Alpha.

Her respect for Chris grew, yet again, for the umpteenth time that day. "Listen I'm probably not the best of candidates but I really would like us to do this, she really wants us to do it, and of course I'm checking if your ok with it!Your my mate! If your against us adopting her then I won't!"
"I have nothing against adopting her at all Chris!" She tells him sincerely.  Truly touched by his concern regarding her feelings and opinion on the matter as well as the best welfare for the adorable little girl. 

Chris breaths a sigh of relief.  Relief she feels strongly from his end.  Suddenly she realises; she didn't shut down the potential of a future for them!  She had answered him honestly, without that being a consideration.  Huh, when did that happen? Leah wonders to herself.
"Ok.  Thank you.  Your truly awesome you know that?!  See you shortly Babe!"