Chapter 256: At First Sight
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KALLE – Human World
The new Anima was huge.
They all were. She'd forgotten.
She'd had so little time with the wolves the year before—and those minutes had been distinctly uncomfortable. She'd stood in a room with them, the hair on her neck standing up, and muscles tensed to flee. They'd done nothing to give her the feelings of fear. But she found her intuition rising the way it did sometimes. It was one of the reasons she'd didn't party a lot. One too many experiences of being a room or stuck in a corner with a man that made her feel… off. Where she distinctly didn't want to be touched, or left alone with them. And she'd learned to listen to that instinct.
At the time, with the wolves, she'd reminded herself that these weren't people. They were Anima. So, of course her body would sense something different in them. A threat. Especially with them being predators. She told herself it was natural to feel a sense of unease around people you knew had probably killed other people. But no matter what she did, she hadn't been able to shake the sense of menace. But as she'd been trained, she swallowed her fear and had given them what they needed from the histories as professionally as she could.
Her grandmother had commended her after the wolves had left and they'd both sighed with relief. "I didn't like those ones," she'd said at the time, though she'd appeared far less fearful than Kalle had felt. "They're not all like that. I hope you get to meet the King one day." Her grandmother's lips had pursed and she'd looked towards the door the wolves had used to exit. "Never forget, honey, just because they're special, doesn't mean they're good. Someteims Shaw can… overlook their flaws. Listen to your instincts. And never apologize for them. Better to defend yourself against an empty threat, than to invite danger into your life."
That wisdom had stuck with Kalle. So, when she'd heard they had visitors again, she'd been both excited and fearful, wondering if these Anima would be equally as disquieting. Was it wolves again? Or other tribes? Had the king come? She hoped so. She'd longed to meet him for years.
But Shaw never gave details over text or phone. He'd merely told her they had visitor again—which was the code word that she had to drop everything and get over to the Big House.
For the first time ever, she'd faked being sick at her job at the university library, and come to the house immediately. It turned out the fascination of the researcher in her was far stronger than the fear.
So, when she'd walked in, breathless from rushing and her skin prickling with anticipation, waiting for her first sight of them, but seen only Shaw, she'd been disappointed. Had they already gone to bed?
Then as she stepped in the door, there was an alarming clatter of the good silverware falling onto the nice china and everyone jumped. Including the male now standing on the other side of the table—so tall his head would have hit the chandelier over the table if he'd stood beneath it.
He stared at her with wide, light eyes, his body poised as if for flight.
Her breath caught.
He was stunning.
Like, in the flesh stunning.
He was rugged and strong, his shoulders broad under the light linen shirt they all wore, the sleeves of which pulled against his muscles whenever he moved. His jaw was shadowed because he hadn't shaved, but it only made his eyes seem brighter. He stared out at her from sandy-brown hair flopped over his eyes in a way that seemed natural, rather than the falsely scattered and gelled bouffant the guys at the university always tried for.
Every inch of him screamed strength, poised for flight. Or Fight. She wasn't sure.
She was only sure—utterly certain—that this man, this Anima, would not hurt her. So certain, she felt protective of him, since he seemed quite desperately alarmed by her.
She scanned his massive frame, half-crouched in front of her and almost laughed.
He must have been able to smell how quickly she could draw her cellphone and dial emergency, she thought dryly.
She wasn't sure what she'd done to make him look so on-the-edge. She knew their senses were far stronger than her own—surely he'd heard her coming?
With a quick, nervous glance at Shaw—she didn't want her uncle to decide she wasn't the right Guardian for this, she tried to smile at him, but kept her voice low. "I'm sorry, sir. Did I frighten you?"
The Anima muttered something under his breath that she didn't catch, then he blinked and straightened, still holding himself tense, his chin low.
He really was massive. But, she realized, it was his presence, more than his height, that seemed to fill the room. There was a quality in him that drew the eye. All of the Anima had it to a degree, as if life-itself glittered within them with more strength than it did from humans. But his… he glowed with it.
"I apologize," he said suddenly, and his voice was deep and syrupy. "I'm not at my best, I'm afraid. You did nothing wrong… Kalle."
Kalle swallowed. He put a strange, halting emphasis on her name. She wanted to ask him to say it again, just so she could hear it.
Oh dear.
He reached down to pick up the chair—the solid oak dining chairs that were ancient antiques, older than the house. They had solid backs and arms and were so wide—sized for Anima—and heavy, Kalle always groaned when they were forced to use the formal setting because she could barely scoot them in once she'd sat down.
He lifted that chair back into place with one arm like it was made of plastic. It barely registered for him—his arm flexing against the sleeve of his shirt without straining. In fact, he moved carefully—as if he were forcing himself to be gentle.
He didn't take his eyes off her as he lifted it into place. And she felt that gaze like a touch.
Holy shit.
"Don't worry about it at all, Gahree," Shaw said, shooting her a questioning look. "Happens all the time."
Kalle almost swallowed her tongue and shot her uncle a look. She'd seen cleaners use two people at a time to move those chairs from the table.
"Kalle is here to help you," Shaw continued, his attention all on the Anima man. Gah-ree, he'd called him? Was that his name, or some language tradition she didn't know about? "She's our researcher and rising historian. Her grandmother holds the histories at the library and will assist you as well."
Assist him? Him? Kalle was going to work with him?
Please, Lord, let him be here more than a few hours.
"I'll help with anything I can," she blurted. Gahree still hadn't stopped looking at her.
He nodded and his throat bobbed. "Thank you," he said, his voice husky and soft like velvet. She wanted to sigh.
"Can I ask what is you'll be working on?"
Gahree opened his mouth, but Shaw was the one who answered. "The Queen is here," he whispered excitedly, like a child. Kalle had to stop herself rolling her eyes. If the Royals were visiting, Shaw wasn't going to sleep tonight. "And she's human. Remember the woman I told you about?"
Kalle's mouth dropped open. She turned to Gahree for confirmation, and he nodded, his eyes still fierce and locked on her.
"She's human… and she came back?" she squeaked.
"She was forced to by… events," Gahree broke in before Shaw could answer. "I will explain everything when we have time. I would prefer to wait… so I don't have to repeat myself."
Their eyes locked again. There was something in his gaze that pressed on her, a caution of some kind. He didn't want to speak about it in front of Shaw.
Interesting.
She didn't understand why—her uncle was odd, but harmless. But, she supposed, that oddness could seem off-putting at first. She gave the male a slow nod so he'd know that she understood.
"Oh, no need to wait!" Shaw said, clapping his hands. "You can start now if you want. That's why Kalle's here. We have a great deal available here at the house, but there's even more in town if it's needed. Kalle will show you. And I'm sure she'll be able to help you find what you need."
She nodded at him again and tried to smile.
He didn't smile back, but something in his eyes warmed.
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