by Tamara White
He releases me shortly after I sense Tristan approach us. Rather than come close, he’s still keeping his distance. His eyes barely meet mine for a second before they drop to the floor like he’s scared to see whatever he expects in my eyes.
Damn, I really messed him up. I let go of Jesse and go straight to Tristan. His gaze flicks up, wary enough that he takes a step back up. I frown and stop. “Tristan? I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad at me.”
His head snaps up, shock overtaking him. “I’m not mad. I thought you were.” In a split second, he’s swooping me into his arms, a huge sigh of relief escaping him. “Oh, thank God you aren’t mad. I really missed you, Isobel. I couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing you again.”
“Oh, Tris, I’d never leave you. I’ll always come back, I can promise you that.” The lie tastes sour on my tongue, but in my heart it’s true. I will always make the effort to come back to him. Sometimes I may not be able to though. My duties as Supreme Alpha are going to be unpredictable, so there’s no telling how often I’ll see him. And it’s not like I would expect him to follow me wherever I end up.
He sighs sadly. “Will you tell me everything my brother did? I hate that he hurt you so much you reacted in such a way.”
I hesitate, not sure whether I’m ready to hash it all out with him or the others. Drake messed me up really fucking badly, and it’s not exactly what I want to discuss before I leave.
“I’ll tell you one day, but just not today. I can’t relive all of that right this moment. I would prefer to be here with you. With all of you.” I smile around at them.
For the first time since I walked in the house, I notice Quinn’s absence and wonder if he’s teaching a class or something. I know some of the instructors have weekend classes, but I’m not sure which classes are ran exactly.
“I understand, Isobel. I’ll be ready to listen whenever you’re ready to tell me,” Tristan murmurs softly, and presses a kiss to my head.
I fight not to fidget at the attention the others are giving us, but at least there’s no sign of jealousy, which is good I guess. Or it could be because he’s being sweet to me when most of what they’ve witnessed from him has been nothing but a wild and angry man.
“Thank you,” I breathe, happy he’s not going to push me for an explanation.
His family always got defensive over him, saying I had no clue what he’s capable of, but I hope by now they see it was never that simple. Tristan is dealing with depression from the events that led him to this life. And while they say humans suck at acknowledging depression in others, I’d bet my ass the supes are a thousand times worse at helping those with depression or PTSD.
I mean, for goodness’ sake, Tristan saw his mother be executed by his brother. Do they really think that hasn’t messed him up royally?
I know seeing my family die in such a way impacted me and my future, so why wouldn’t Tristan’s past make him prone to violent outbursts?
For the council, or any supe really, to think that throwing us in Midnight Society to test us until we pass a course of their choosing, well, it’s shit and highly unlikely to help. What people who’ve been turned really need is ongoing support and guidance. They need a pack of their kind that are willing to support and guide them into this life. To help them adapt to their new reality.
Sure, some people might be lucky enough to make friends here as I did with Ellen, but I imagine not all would be open to making friends, especially with someone of the same species that turned them in the first place. It would lead to fights and then things would become even tenser here.
“Where’s Quinn?” I ask, trying to keep the disappointment from my voice. I would ideally like to say goodbye to him and offer an apology for the way I reacted. We seemed to be going in a different direction before all the shit went down after I saw Drake’s photo. I would hate to leave on bad terms.
Before anyone can answer my question, though, the man himself comes sauntering into the room. He’s shirtless, wearing only a pair of joggers and cargo pants. His slightly tanned skin is soaked with sweat, and he looks absolutely exhausted. Maybe he went for a run?
When his eyes meet mine, he gives me a blinding smile. His expression is one of pure happiness. “Ah, Isobel! Just the person I wanted to see.”
My eyebrows rise in surprise. Why does he want to see me? Is he planning vengeance for my little whoop ass before I left?
“Really?” I question, wary of what he could possibly want me for.
“Yep, really. I have a surprise for you,” he teases, a mischievous lilt to his voice.
I glance around at everyone, hoping maybe someone has a little insight as to what this surprise is. I’m not a big fan of surprises. I like to be in the know.
Adrian chuckles when my gaze goes to him. “Don’t look at us. None of us have a damn clue what he got you, but he’s been bragging about it since we came home from hunting last night. He’s been boasting that it’s the best present a guy could give a girl, so my guess is it’s some kind of jewelry.”
“Nuh-uh. I bet it’s a bath filled with melted chocolate. Quinn is gonna show it to her and offer to lick her clean after,” Jesse pipes up, a massive grin aimed my way.
“You guys are all idiots. It’s clearly a dead body,” Marcus adds, looking at everyone else like they’re stupid for not thinking of such a thing.
Quinn is still grinning but doesn’t offer any input to their guesses.
Tristan chuckles softly, his chest vibrating against my head. “I think you’re all wrong and it’s something like a book. Quinn likes reading more than he likes being around people. Maybe he’s going to give Iz a book in the hopes it keeps her away from him.”
Quinn finally rolls his eyes with an exaggerated sigh. “You’re all fucking idiots.” He turns to me, holding his hand out. “What do you say, Isobel? Want to see what I got for you?”
I really want to say no based solely on the fact he looks way too proud of himself. I wonder what on earth he would get me as a present. And why would he get me one? Is it his way of mending the bridges between us? If it is, I’d probably be a fool to say no.
Steeling myself for whatever it is Quinn could have, I let go of Tristan and take his outstretched hand nervously.
With a quick wink, he starts pulling me through the house with him. He’s gentle the whole time, and rather than lead me upstairs like I assumed he would, he takes me back through the kitchen and toward the steps that lead down to Tristan’s room.
Everyone else is following us, no doubt just as curious about what this so-called surprise present is.
Once we’re in the family room part of the basement, I look around, wondering what the hell is going on. Is the present here? Or is it in Tristan’s room?
Rather than lead me to Tristan’s room or to a seat in their family media room, he guides me to the back where the door to the bathroom is.
I swear to all things holy, if he opens the door and there’s a big shit in the toilet, I will kill him.
Jarrod used to take delight in playing those pranks on me and my opinion of them has not changed. “Uh, I’m not going into a bathroom with you, Quinn.”
He turns to me with a quizzical expression, trying to determine if I’m being serious or not. When he realizes I’m being honest as fuck, he chuckles. “Trust me, Isobel, I’m not gonna bring you down here just to bring you into a bathroom with me. I have much better bathrooms upstairs. Besides, the only bathroom down here is in Tristan’s room.”
He reaches into a pocket and pulls out a brass key, then he slides it into the lock and turns it. “This is a special room we like to use when one of us is out of control. Your present is just inside this door and you can do whatever the hell you want with it. Beat it, play with it, or kill it, the choice is entirely up to you.”
“Uh, yeah, no offense, Quinn, but I really don’t think I want whatever is behind that door. Especially when you’re making it seem like it’s a wild animal that’s going to lunge out at me t
he moment you open the door. Besides, I don’t believe in locking an animal up for sport.”
“Oh, baby, don’t you worry about him lunging. I tied him to a chair because I didn’t want him to escape and spoil the surprise.” Quinn’s voice is downright evil, his blue eyes twinkling in absolute delight.
Wait, did he say “he’s tied to a chair?” Like it’s an actual person? Has he caught a supe and wants to offer him to me to feed on? I don’t understand what the fuck is going on, but my gut tells me to see this through.
Quinn casts a weary glance to Tristan before he settles his resolve and turns the door handle. He pushes the door open, the scent assaulting me first.
I sway, sure I must be imagining it when I view the chair in the middle of the room, and tied to that chair is Drake.
Chapter Forty-Four
Drake
When I rouse, my head is pounding painfully. It feels like I’ve been beaten by a fucking wall, but I can’t quite recall what happened.
I think back and try to remember exactly what transpired to leave me feeling like I’ve been hit by a truck. I remember arriving at the doorstep that was once my home, but instead of barging in like I wanted to, I respected that it was no longer my place to just waltz in. Instead, I knocked on the door and waited. When no one came, I got more insistent until finally, someone came downstairs to open the door.
Of course, it wasn’t exactly the welcome I expected. He punched me in the jaw the first time. I think it was the second hit that knocked me out cold. If I was better nourished, I would have still been standing, but after almost a week in the council dungeons with barely anything to eat, then it’s understandable that I got my ass handed to me.
As I look around the room, I know exactly where I am. The safe room we built for Tristan. Well, not just for him. It wasn’t just him who had the extreme moments of rage after the death of my mother, it was me too. I had to live with the decision that I took her life. It brought about some issues with my animal and me.
Though, I guess I should be glad it was Quinn who answered the door and not Tristan. If my brother had seen me standing there, he probably would have done a hell of a lot worse than Quinn.
I don’t understand why he’s locked me up down here however. And tied me to a chair? Does he really think I would attempt to escape when I came here voluntarily?
I stretch my hands in the bindings behind my back, trying to see how much give I have, but Quinn was thorough in restraining me. Not that I should expect anything less. If he doesn’t want me to escape, then he won’t give me the chance.
At least he’s done a better job than the council did.
Suddenly, I’m drawn out of my thoughts by the handle of the door jiggling slightly. I sit up straight, ready to plead my case to Quinn. He needs to help me find Isobel so I can apologize to her. He must hear me out, because shit is so much worse than he could possibly imagine. And Isobel is the key to fixing it all.
The door swings wide open to reveal Quinn, who’s wearing a very happy smile. Somehow, I don’t think he’s happy to see me exactly though. Especially when I notice the company he’s brought. Not only the rest of the people I consider my family, but Isobel too.
I’m not sure how the hell she’s here, but I’m not going to complain. It means I can finally speak to her, to beg her for help and to apologize for all that I did by believing the lies I was fed.
Quinn steps inside and everyone follows after him, each of them wearing varying expressions of anger and outrage.
They all fan out around me, not one person saying a word as I’m leveled with glares fierce enough to kill a man where he stands.
After an agonizing few minutes of silence, I clear my throat. “Uh, hey, guys, fancy seeing you all here.”
No one responds, like they’ve been shocked into silence by my mere presence. “Well, this is awkward,” I mutter, as I shift in my bindings. Of course I should have kept my stupid mouth shut.
I’m suddenly toppled onto the concrete floor, my head slamming against it hard. Someone is above me, rapidly delivering blow after blow. The only thing I can do is take it and try not to drown in my own blood as whoever it is tries to kill me.
Just as fast as the pummeling began, it stops, and I blink through the blood to see Tristan being hauled off me. My ears are ringing, but I can hear Tristan screaming out with absolute rage. Quinn and Jesse have a firm hold of him, but Tristan still struggles in their arms like he’s dying to get back at me and finish the job.
He’s vibrating as he stares at me, his eyes no longer brown but blood-red. I drop my head back and stare up at the ceiling, dazed. I knew he’d be upset, but I didn’t know he’d be that pissed.
A new face appears in my vision, blocking the view of the ceiling. Isobel is staring down at me with a myriad of emotions in her eyes, but the strongest one is hate.
I hurriedly speak before she can, hoping to make her understand everything that’s happened and apologize for my part in it. “The council tricked us,” I rush out, hoping she won’t beat on me worse than Tristan. She needs to hear this, and she needs to know what happened to Jordan. Only she can dispute his imprisonment.
Her eyes furrow in confusion and she hesitates a little. Like she wants to step back but she doesn’t. Instead, she crouches down closer. “What do you mean they tricked us? Explain,” she demands. Her tone leaves no room for argument, so I spill everything.
“Izzy, they fucked with us. The council used magic to make us both see shit that never happened. If you don’t believe me, then you can use your magic to see the truth. I know Caterina showed you how to access the mind when we trained with her. I give you my consent to dig around and find the truth.”
“What the hell is he talking about?” Adrian mutters, close to Iz like he has every right to be that close to the woman who’s my mate, not his. I fight back the instinct to growl, telling my wolf to calm its ass back down. If he fucks this up for us, then she’ll never listen to us again. As it is, I have no clue just what kind of relationship they have formed in such a short time.
“There are some things you don’t know about me,” Isobel admits sadly. I can tell she doesn’t want to confess this to them, but they obviously don’t know about her magical abilities, which tells me she hasn’t grown too close with my family.
“You’ve all wondered how I can be a shifter and a vampire, but the truth is I’m more than all that. I have the ability to shift into many different shifter forms and have all the normal abilities a witch does too. Ever since I was turned, I’ve been some kind of freak of nature, I just try to keep it under wraps. I don’t want people befriending me for some power kick. Which is what Drake did to me,” she accuses, her eyes glaring daggers at me.
“I never lied to you, Isobel. I love you, I always have, damn it! Why do you think I was so pissed by what I thought was your betrayal?”
She scoffs.
I growl in frustration, wishing I was free from these bindings. “Look at my arm, Iz. The council binding is gone. The moment Jordan helped me rip the skin from my arm, it was like a wave of clarity came over me. Instead of being so angry that you cheated on me, I was confused. Wondering why you would do it. Why would you cheat on me when you loved me as much as I loved you? Jordan pointed out that it had to have been a council manipulation.”
The war of emotions in her eyes is extremely clear as she stares down at me. Like she doesn’t want to believe me. Like she can’t handle the thought that the council could have played us in such a way. “Jordan told me everything, Iz. He told me what happened after you left.” I fight back tears as I stare at the woman I love. She went through so much that it pains me to see her so lost. To know all that she went through without me. Regardless of whose baby she was carrying. It doesn’t matter to me whether it was mine by blood or not, but it was her child, her flesh and blood. My mother lost a child in her third trimester, and I saw just how much pain it caused her. She suffered daily with that loss. I can’t even begin to imagin
e what Isobel has been going through since.
“You have no idea how sorry I am, Isobel. I’m gonna spend the rest of my life apologizing and making it up to you. I will do whatever I can to show you how truly sorry I am.”
The tears that have been building flow over, and I don’t even try to hide them. It kills me that she went through the past six months alone. I know now that Jordan was pretty much on her tail the whole time, always seeing her when he was in the same town but never interfering unless he had to. I’m glad she had him when I wasn’t there, but she deserved better. She deserved me at her side too, protecting her and helping her become the strong woman she needs to be as our Alpha. Not hunting others for the council. So much of these past few months hasn’t made sense, but finally being free of the council has opened my eyes. And even if she doesn’t ever accept me back, I’ll spend the rest of my life as her slave if it means making the council pay. I’ll be her weapon whenever she needs me, or whatever she needs me for. I will do whatever I can so long as it keeps her safe and makes her happy. I will never let someone hurt her the way I did.
“You know about the baby,” she states, her own eyes watering as she bends down beside me.
I nod, my breath catching, unable to voice the words I want to say, but she seems to understand my own pain.
“Sorry if this hurts,” she whispers, her hands glowing a deep blue. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her willingly use magic. She was great when I took her to the witches to learn the basics, but I could tell she still feared what blood magic was. She feared that killing to survive the way she did meant she was using blood magic, but no matter the lives she’s taken, her magic still hasn’t changed from the deep blue. If she had given in to the darkness, the color would change. It would be subtle at first, but you would still see the difference.