Isaiah

by Catherine Lievens

  He opened his mouth to tell her he’d do it when someone tugged his phone away from his hand.

  “I’m sorry ma’am, but I don’t think Isaiah is in the right mindset to make this type of decision at the moment.”

  Isaiah gaped at John. What the fuck did the man think he was doing? Isaiah got up and tried to take his phone back, but even though John was human, he was damn fast. He moved away, his feet almost dancing on the carpet as Isaiah’s mother answered him.

  “I’m sorry, but who are you?”

  “My name is John, ma’am. I know your son, and I don’t think he should decide anything at the moment, not with... everything else going on.”

  “Give me my phone back!” Isaiah hissed. John arched a brow and turned the other way, clearly dismissing him.

  “Are you my son’s friend?”

  “You could say that, yes.”

  “Then you know Isaiah loves his family and will do what’s right.”

  “I know he loves his family, but is taking his father’s place really what’s right for him?”

  Isaiah groaned. No one contradicted his mother. No one. Especially not a human who knew next to nothing about shifters’ traditions.

  “Of course it’s right.”

  “It might be for you, but it’s not for him. Do you really want your son to be unhappy? To live a life he doesn’t want just because you told him to?”

  “I want to talk to Isa. Now.”

  Isaiah reached up again, but John pressed a hand on his chest and pushed him away. “He’s otherwise occupied right now.”

  “Excuse me?” Isaiah’s mother’s voice was rising, and he knew it wasn’t good. She was about to explode, and no one wanted that. There wouldn’t be any survivors.

  “You heard me. He doesn’t want to become the alpha, but he’ll do it because he’s scared you’ll disinherit him or some crap like that if he doesn’t. He’s happy here. He doesn’t want to be in charge. And I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to breed kids for you.”

  “John!” Isaiah hissed again, not that it changed anything. His mate wasn’t paying him any more attention than before.

  Isaiah’s mother spluttered on the other side of the phone. “Who are you to tell me what my son wants?” she asked indignantly.

  John opened his mouth and Isaiah just knew what his mate was about to do. “No! Don’t tell her.”

  John looked his way, but he didn’t listen. Of course he didn’t. “I’m your son’s mate, ma’am.”

  * * * *

  John didn’t know what had pushed him to admit he was Isaiah’s mate, especially to Isaiah’s mother. It probably was the utter desperation that had been obvious on the man’s face when he’d been about to accept becoming alpha. He hadn’t even noticed John coming close enough to have no problem stealing his phone.

  “You’re what?”

  “Isaiah’s mate, ma’am.”

  “You’re a man.”

  “Yes.”

  The woman on the other side of the phone sighed. “Are you two already mated?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s... complicated. We haven’t known each other for long, and Isaiah has been keeping me at arm’s length because you asked him to move back home.”

  “Did he tell you why?”

  “Just that his family needed him.”

  John risked a peek in Isaiah’s direction. To his surprise, the man didn’t look angry. He looked resigned, maybe sad, but not angry. John would’ve preferred angry, though. He wanted to see the fire he’d seen in the man who’d told him they could have no-strings-attached sex, who’d mocked something that was sacred to his kind.

  “You realize this doesn’t change anything? We need Isa, and you’re not mated. That means he won’t have problems finding someone else.”

  “And you realize I’m not about to let him do that?” Okay, so maybe John hadn’t exactly planned on claiming Isaiah or even on having something more than sex with him, but he also wasn’t about to let the man ruin his own life if he could stop him. Yeah, they weren’t even friends, but Isaiah obviously didn’t want to go home, and John didn’t think going home was the only way to solve whatever was happening.

  “You’re not the one who has to decide. Isa is, and I’m sure he’ll do the right thing.”

  “Oh, I’m sure of that too, ma’am. I just don’t think the right thing is what you want him to do.”

  “I want to talk to my son.”

  “Of course. Goodbye, ma’am. It was a pleasure talking to you.”

  John smiled at Isaiah as he passed him the phone and got a tiny smile in return. Isaiah’s hand wrapped around the phone, but John didn’t let it go, not right away. He slid one arm around Isaiah’s waist instead and pulled him closer, then pressed their lips together.

  This time, Isaiah didn’t even try to control the kiss. He let John explore his mouth thoroughly and noisily enough that John was pretty sure Isaiah’s mother heard it through the phone. By the time John pulled away, Isaiah looked a lot more relaxed than he had when John had taken the phone from him.

  They looked at each other, and their gazes didn’t leave each other when Isaiah brought the phone to his ear again. “Mom?”

  John leaned forward and kissed Isaiah’s cheek. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you want to talk,” he whispered before stepping away. Isaiah nodded and smiled, and John left him to his phone call.

  The kitchen wasn’t empty. John hesitated, wondering if Isaiah really would want to talk to him later or if he could just go somewhere else, but the alpha saw him before he could decide.

  “John. How are you doing?”

  John sighed and went to sit in front of the lion shifter. “I’m fine.”

  “Anyone give you any problems?”

  “Ah, no. Everyone’s fine. They’re not exactly eager to become BFF’s with me, but they’re not trying to bully me either, so it’s fine.”

  “I heard something interesting.”

  John groaned. “I bet you heard it from Keenan.”

  Dominic chuckled. “Well, if you need gossip, Keenan usually knows everything that goes on around the house. Sometimes he knows even more than the people he’s gossiping about.”

  “Yeah, he was the one to tell me about Isaiah.”

  “Do you think he’s right, then? Are you Isaiah’s mate?”

  John snorted. “I sure hope so, because I just told his mother I was.”

  Dominic arched a brow. “Really?”

  “Yeah, but then he told me I’m his mate some time ago, even if he didn’t look too enthusiastic about it.”

  “What about you? Are you enthusiastic about it?”

  John looked at his hands on the kitchen counter. “Honestly? I don’t know. I know shifters can be good or bad, just like humans, and that everyone here is definitely in the good guy camp, but you’re still... different. You guys still turn into animals, and it freaks me out when I think about it.”

  “Why did you tell Isa’s mother about it, then?”

  “Because even if you guys give me the creeps, I actually like most of you, and Isaiah is one of the ones I like. I don’t think it’s fair for him to go back home and live a life he doesn’t want to live just because his mother expects him to. I gave him what I hope will be an out, or at least a way to delay any decision making.”

  “Wait, what decision does Isaiah have to make?”

  “You don’t know? His mother wants him to go back home. From what I heard, and yes, I was spying, she wants him to become the alpha and have kids with some woman.”

  “And he was about to accept?”

  “I think he was, anyway. He didn’t look happy about it, at all, but I think he’d have said yes. He’d already told me he was leaving soon, so I guess that’s why.”

  “Damn it. Why the fuck is everyone in the pride so thick-headed?”

  John shrugged. “I wouldn’t know for sure, bu
t I guess it’s because you actually give them the option. You don’t expect anything from them, not like other alphas might.”

  Dominic tilted his head to the side. “How much do you actually know about how packs and pride usually work?”

  John leaned back into his chair and locked his fingers together. “Quite a bit, actually. You know that Jamie was my first and only kidnapping, right?” Dominic nodded. “That’s because it shouldn’t have been me. My job was to gather info on different groups of shifters. Who the alpha was, how the group was structured, things like that. I know enough to know this pride is very different from most other shifter groups, and not only because the majority of you guys are gay.”

  John didn’t know how to read the alpha’s expression. He just hoped it didn’t mean he was about to see the inside of a cell again.

  “Why did you kidnap Jamie if it wasn’t your job?”

  “Because the guy who should’ve done it disappeared.”

  “Huh.”

  “It happened more often than you’d think. Guys who realized they weren’t fit for a mercenary’s life, guys who wanted out from the company. Guys who just disappeared while dealing with shifters.”

  “I’m going to move you from the enforcers for now and use your knowledge of shifter groups instead. If it’s all right with you, of course.”

  John couldn’t believe the alpha was actually asking him what he wanted to do. “Sure.”

  “We can use someone who knows about certain groups who aren’t responding all that well to the creation of the council.”

  “Yeah, okay. Do you know what happened to my stuff? Everything was on my computer.”

  “It’s here.”

  “Huh?”

  “No one told you? God, sometimes I think I should do everything on my own. Isaiah took care of having your apartment emptied and paid what you owed the landlord. All your things are here in the mansion.”

  “That’s, well, it’s great. I just wish I’d known earlier.”

  “You should have. I’ll ask Keenan or Isaiah to show you were everything is and to help you move it into your room.”

  “Who am I going to work with on this’”

  Dominic smirked. “Keenan and Isaiah.”

  “Oh, great. Just what I needed.”

  “You’ll be fine. Probably, anyway. You’re going to have to learn how to deal with Keenan if you’re staying.”

  “I honestly don’t know about that. I mean, I know I have to stay for a year, but after that...”

  “It’ll depend on Isaiah?”

  John shrugged. “He doesn’t seem overly happy that I’m his mate, and there’s the situation with his mother.”

  “I’ll take care of that.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  And John had to start thinking about what he wanted, because he still had no clue.

  * * * *

  “Isa? Why didn’t you tell me you found your mate?”

  “Does it really matter? I don’t have a choice anyway.” Isaiah could hear the bitterness in his voice, but he made no effort to hide it. If he had to do this, he wanted his mother to know just how unhappy he was.

  “I wish you had one, sweetheart.”

  Isaiah knew it was no use to protest. He did have a choice, but his mother wouldn’t give it to him. He knew he’d never see her and his sisters again if he didn’t agree, and if he had to choose between his happiness and his family... his family would win.

  It was the opposite of what his father had done. When he’d found out Isaiah was gay he’d kicked him out, and Dominic had taken him in. Isaiah had had contact with his mother only after his father had died. But before that, he hadn’t heard from her in six years. Those had been six years in hell. He’d been free, but he’d been basically alone.

  Of course the pride members were his family, but it wasn’t the same, not exactly. He hadn’t grown up with them, and they couldn’t replace his mother and his sisters.

  “It’ll probably be another week or two before I can come.”

  Isaiah’s mother tsked. “Why so long? You’ve already decided to come home, no?”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “Yes, Isa. You have to start behaving like the alpha you’re about to become.”

  Isaiah clamped his teeth on his lower lip and bit hard. “I know, mom. Sorry. I need to finish training my replacement and tell the alpha I’m leaving. I can’t just leave everything like this, not after Dominic gave me a home seven years ago.”

  Isaiah knew his mother, and he knew she was annoyed, but he wasn’t budging on that. He owed it to Dominic.

  “If you really have to.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “I’ll expect you in two weeks then. Not one day over two weeks.”

  “All right, mom.”

  “Goodbye, sweetheart.”

  “Bye, mom.”

  Isaiah hung up and leaned his forehead against the wall. He knew he should go back to work, but John was probably waiting for him in the kitchen, and he felt he owed the man an explanation. Especially after John had told Isaiah’s mother he was his mate even if Isaiah knew it was the last thing he wanted. He’d exposed himself for Isaiah’s sake, and Isaiah was about to tell him it’d been for nothing. He couldn’t imagine it would go well.

  He made his way to the kitchen and paused outside the door when he heard John talking with someone.

  “—me the creeps, I actually like most of you, and Isaiah is one of the ones I like. I don’t think it’s fair for him to go back home and live a life he doesn’t want to live just because his mother expects him to. I gave him what I hope will be an out, or at least a way to delay any decision making.”

  “Wait, what decision does Isaiah have to make?”

  Isaiah thought about running away, but he knew Dominic would find him even if he did. Damn, the alpha had told him he’d find a way for Isaiah to stay with the pride and Isaiah had said yes, only to go back on his word.

  “—overly happy of the fact that I’m his mate, and there’s the situation with his mother.”

  “I’ll take care of that.”

  Great. Dominic was on the war path. He’d probably call Isaiah’s mother and tear her a new one just because she wasn’t giving Isaiah a real choice. That wouldn’t go well, and Isaiah didn’t want to have to face his mother after she fought with Dom, so he stepped into the kitchen.

  John and Dominic immediately turned to face him and Isaiah felt himself blush. “Uh, hi?”

  “Isaiah. John just told me something interesting.”

  “Yeah, I know. I’ll take him to the room I put his stuff into and help him lug it to his room.” Isaiah played dumb, even if he knew it wouldn’t last long.

  “You know that’s not what I’m talking about, but I’m still counting on you to do just that. You’re going home?”

  How could Isaiah explain that he wasn’t going home, not really? That his home was right there, in the mansion, with all the other pride members—but that he had to choose between two families, and he knew that while the pride would always be there for him even if he left, his mother wouldn’t do the same?

  “Yeah. I know I should have told you before, but I really just decided, so...”

  “You don’t want to go.” It wasn’t a question, because Dominic knew. He knew, but he wouldn’t stop Isaiah, because he wasn’t that kind of alpha.

  “Not really, but I don’t have a choice. I’ll finish training Brad and I’ll ask Shad to help, too. He knows his way around a computer, and I know you can trust him with what you can’t have Brad work on.”

  “Are you sure about this?”

  Isaiah looked at his feet, then up at his alpha. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m sure. Not happy, but sure.”

  Dominic rose from his chair and came closer. “You know we’ll be right here if you need anything, right?”

  Isaiah felt a weight lift from his chest when he realized Dominic wasn’t going to protes
t or to try to stop him. Part of him wished the alpha would, though, but he quickly pushed it down. “Yeah, thanks. I might need help with those wolves my mother talked about. I’m not sure the change in alpha will make a difference, to be honest.”

  “I’m already looking into it. I’ll give you a report before you leave, so you know what you’re going to find when you get there.”

  Dominic looked like he wanted to say more, but he just shook his head and left the kitchen instead. That left Isaiah alone with John. Isaiah avoided looking at his mate when he said, “Thanks for trying to help me.”

  John huffed. “It didn’t do much good.”

  “I’m sorry. I just... I don’t really have a choice, not if I want to keep what little family I still have. My mother’s not a bad person, but she’s pretty traditional and very stubborn. She’d kick me out of the family if I didn’t agree.”

  “What about the family you have here?”

  “They’re different. They’ll still be there even after I leave.”

  “That’s what a real family should be like.”

  “I know, but I can’t choose who my family is, and I can’t lose my sisters.”

  They both stayed silent for a while. It was a bit uncomfortable, but not enough to send Isaiah running. He’d lied when he’d told John he wanted only sex—that mates didn’t mean anything for him. He wanted nothing more than to be with John, and not only because the man was his mate.

  Isaiah had spent the best part of a year observing John and getting to know him through his life. What he’d seen and found out had made him fall for the man. He really should’ve realized John was his mate earlier, because it’d been so obvious.

  But John didn’t know Isaiah like Isaiah knew him, and he never would. Isaiah wouldn’t hurt his mate, and that would happen if they got close. So he’d keep some distance between them for the following two weeks and make sure John didn’t fall for him, even with the pull of the mate bond. It was the least he could do.

  * * * *

  John didn’t like it, but it wasn’t like he had any right to tell Isaiah what to do. He seemed to have made his decision, and even if John knew it was the wrong one, he wouldn’t stop him.