Chosen

Chapter 6 - Watcher's POV

She slept through the entire ride home, and didn't move a muscle as I carried her into the house. Dad and I would take care of storing her things in the big shed out back tomorrow.

"Keep her quiet, son. Your mama and I need some sleep." He patted my back firmly and climbed the old wooden steps that led to our bedrooms.

I followed behind him tenderly, being careful not to wake her if I could help it. She jostled slightly with each step, but otherwise was sleeping like a baby. I breathed in her familiar scent. We reached our room and I nudged the door open with my boot, and took care to lay her down softly. It seemed as though she would be sleeping for a while. I draped the comforter over her, and locked the door.

I crawled into bed beside her and stared up at my ceiling fan. I couldn't help the excitement coursing through my body. She was finally here. I could not wait for her to wake up. Sweet little Blair. Her lips were puckered and her eyebrows had furrowed a tiny bit, and I desperately wanted to kiss her. I craved her kiss. I wanted to know if her lips tasted of the same honey lipgloss her mother used to wear.

I would have to wait to find out. I wanted her to be awake for our first kiss. I sighed contently and closed my eyes, deciding it was finally time to get some rest. I felt sleep overcome my body, and also felt incredibly thankful for it. I was going to need a lot of energy for tomorrow. It would not be easy to get Blair accustomed to our lifestyle, but I knew things would work out.

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The light shining through my window woke me up rather suddenly. I groaned and rolled towards Blair to wrap my arm around her and realized she wasn't in the bed with me. I snapped up instantly and noticed her kneeling by the door trying to pick the lock with a hair pin. She gasped when she saw me looking at her and fell backwards.

"Where do you think you're going?" I chuckled. She was smart, but not smarter than me. She would not be able to leave that easily.

Blair swallowed heavily and looked away from my pressing gaze. "I...um...."

I slammed my fist into the nightstand by my bed. "Don't mumble! And if I ever catch you being disrespectful and saying 'um' or 'uh', you can bet your rump I will beat you within an inch of your life."

Tears welled up in her eyes and she slowly nodded her head. "I-I'm sorry."

I sighed and motioned for her to join me on the bed. Much to my surprise, she obliged. As she sat down, I noticed she was nervously picking at the skin around her fingers. I grabbed her hand gently with mine and patted it.

"Blair, I'm sorry. Listen, those aren't my rules. They are my parents rules. They aren't that hard to follow. They keep you out of trouble. I don't want you to get in trouble. Dad has a knack for punishment. Understand?"

Blair nodded her sweet little head, and her mouth relaxed a little.

"Come on, let's get dressed, and I will show you what all you will be responsible for." I threw some sweatpants and a T-shirt at her, and started filling her in on our home as we got ready for our day.

"Dad and I take care of all of the yard work, house repairs, and hunting. Mom spends the day taking care of the animals, fattening them up, cleaning them, keeping them quiet, that sort of thing." I unlocked the door and grabbed her hand and took her down the stairs. We went into the kitchen where a plate of biscuits and gravy sat on the dining room table, along with some freshly made lemonade.

I motioned for her to sit down and grabbed two glasses and filled them with ice. I poured us both lemonade and handed a glass to Blair. "You'll need to eat some of that. No exceptions. It's just plain biscuits with cream gravy. You aren't allergic to anything are you?"

"N-no. I can eat it." She grabbed a biscuit with a shaky hand and nibbled at it slowly. I put another biscuit and some gravy on a plate and put it in front of her, then loaded up a plate of my own.

"Until you have learned your place here and we can all trust you, you will be in charge of cleaning the house. That little closet there by the door has all you will need. The entire house is to stay clean. Ma will cook breakfast in the mornings, you will cook lunch for us all everyday, and then Ma will come in and help you cook dinner. No dishes are to be left dirty after every meal. Once we can trust you, you will learn how to tend to the animals."

Blair swallowed the last bite of her first biscuit and looked directly into my eyes. "I can take care of the animals now. I know how to take care of cows and chickens and pigs..."

I cut her off. "And goats. Yes, I know. These animals require special care and attention, and like I said, you won't see them until we can trust you. Understood?"

Blair's mouth gaped open, and I chuckled. "H-how do you know that about me?"

"I know quite a bit about you Blair-bear. You will learn soon enough. I suggest you take heed to my warnings, and do as your told. If you don't, you will regret it. Make sure to keep lunch light, nothing heavy. Have it ready by noon. We will all be back by then."

I stood up and drank down the last bit of my lemonade and left Blair at the table, stunned. She would soon be used to things, and we would make a perfect family. I just knew it.

"Get to work, or there will be consequences." I gave her one last glance and closed the front door behind me, making sure to lock it on the outside. She was finally home. She was finally getting settled.

I made my way past the barn where Ma was feeding the animals, and grabbed my tools and set to work in the field alongside Pa.

Our life was finally coming together.