My eyes snapped open, and realisation drowned me. Unless Isabella, was in pain and her shield in place was numbing the full blow. That could happen. She was keeping me locked out from her mind, from her thoughts from her feelings. What if she was in serious pain and it was leaking through the shield, which was why it was weak.
I flung up from the chair, I had to find her. Clenching my fists, I attempted to not allow the change. But my anger was consuming me, as I knew that as much as I wanted to find her I couldn't.
I bit my tongue letting the blood fill my mouth and I walked from the room. May didn't need to hear her father tearing the room apart out of complete and utter aggression and agony.
I made it four steps away from her door, before my bones arched and my clothes ripped.
Anger consumed me, I wanted my mate and I wanted her now! It was driving me insane not being able to protect her, not being able to love her. It was killing me silently and I was becoming bitter.
Isabella
I opened the front door, juggling the grocery bags in both hands. A wail ripped through my ears, and I already knew Cooper was upset. I felt it when I was paying for the groceries, it took extreme will power for me not to just leave the groceries behind and run to Cooper's side, when I felt the dull ache in my temples.
Closing the door hard I dumped the groceries on the table, not caring as they spilt to the ground. Hurrying down the small passage, I gripped Cooper's door frame as I came to his room.
"What's wrong?" I walked in and kneeled down in front of Chase as he rocked a wailing Cooper in his arms, on the rocking chair. "He was fine when I left."
"I don't know." Chase's eyes were coated with concern as he stared down at Cooper, "He woke up like this."
I placed my hand on my forehead, covering my nerves and fear from before and inhaled deeply calming my body.
"I wonder why he keeps crying all the time." I lowered my voice, my eyes still shut as I let my calmness soak in to his small body. "This has been going on for weeks now."
"Yeah I know." Chase rocked the chair gently as Cooper's tears back to muffle. "I wish we could ask your parents for advice."
"I know what you mean. It's hard not having anyone to turn too." My eyes opened and I felt myself in a complete state of relaxation, "I'm sorry Chase."
"For what?" He glanced up at my briefly before staring back down at the Cooper.
"For making you do this on your own for all those months."
"I had Nick." Chase's lips twitched up slightly "That sounded so gay."
"Yeah it did." I smiled, it wasn't a fake one nor was it large but it was a smile a true one. "I was thinking." I wiped Cooper's tears away from his cheek. "About maybe us moving?"
"Moving?" Chase brought his eyes from Cooper and locked with mine "For real?"
"This place is sort of a shit hole, don't you think?"
"Yeah, but you didn't care where we stayed." He pointed out before shifting Cooper in his arms, "But this one is close to Serenity and Ryan."
"Serenity and Ryan, are leaving soon." I traced small circles on Cooper's soft forehead, "They have already put it off for nearly four weeks."
"Cooper's staying with us right?"
I glanced up at Chase, and saw his worried face. I nodded my head, "Yeah, he is staying with us."
"Good. I've grown sort of attached to this little bugger."
"You're a great Uncle, Chase." I sighed slowly, "So house hunting?"
"We will start tomorrow. Nick's going to be excited, he hates this place."
I nodded my head because deep down so did I. It was small, dark and it reminded me of my own darkness. "A fresh start"
Chase nodded his head and I brought myself up from my knees and slowly took Cooper from his arms. Walking to his crib, I pulled back the blankets and laid him on his back.
He looked like an angel as he slept. Tucking the blankets tight around him, he was drifting off into a soundless sleep and I wished my dreams were as peacefully as his.
Mine were haunted by his father and I knew another sleepless night was ahead for me as Chase and I walked from the room flicking the lights off and leaving the door ajar.
In our new house, I wanted Cooper in our room and a smile twitched at my lips. My icy heart was finally melting and I would rather deal with the pain of losing Connor than be that icy women again.
Connor's POV.
"Why?" I studied Melissa for a few moments as she moved nervously from foot to foot from across the room.
"It's like I said Connor, I want May in here. With us."
"I don't sleep in here. It's your room."
"No it's our room." She crossed her arms "I'm your wife Connor, you can't keep treating me like this."
"Like what?"
"Like I'm invisible!" She flung her hands in the arm, "You ignore me!"
"What would you prefer me to do Melissa, ignore you or spill my hatred towards you?"
"That was uncalled for Connor!"
Rolling my eyes I slammed the wardrobe door. Another night and another fight! I only came to get a change of clothes, but she jumped me. Seeking into the bedroom after me, making me talk to her; yet again.
Every conversation we shared turned into this. Her yelling about me mistreating her, me saying how much I hated her and then she would hurl something at me and I would silently pray that I wouldn't see her again. But that never came true.
I had more important things to worry about than her pathetic worries. The weak pain in my temples came and went, but it didn't stay as long as it use too. This only made me worry more. Was Isabella being tortured, was she extremely unwell. The scenes I could picture and the reasons I came up with of what sort of situation Isabella could be, were endless and as time went on, they were getting worse.
"So you are going to leave again." Her voice was a low hiss, "Back to your study to hide?"
"I don't hide."
"Yes you DO!"
"Who is it I hide from Melissa?" I spun around to face her, one hand on the door knob; ready to make my getaway.
"Your pain," her eyes were narrow, "your daughter, your duties as KING! Pick one Connor, the list is longer than your betrayal to your mate!"
I had her pinned against the wall, in a blink of an eye. My eyes consumed with disgust and anger. Her eyes were wide with fright, this was the first time I had touched her since holding her hand at the wedding.
For the first time our bodies were in contact; and I saw the terror in her eyes.
"Take it back." I hissed at her, my aggression too high to roar; my voice was low and deadly, "Take it back."
"No." She gulped and I knew she was scared, "I'm telling you the truth and I will not lie to cover it."
"I could break your neck in one movement, do not temp me."
"But you won't" She pulled a hand out from my grasp and I let her because the softness in her eyes, shocked me. "You may pretend to be this hard man, but I know you Connor." She placed a hand on my cheek.
I let go of her instantly as if her contact to me burnt my skin. I swiped her hand away from my cheek, and took a few steps away from her.
"Don't touch me."
"I'm your wife." She crossed her arms, "It is my duty and your duty as a husband to meet my needs."
"The day I get in the bed with you is the day I curl over and die." My jaw clenched "Understand that Melissa?"
"May deserves a sibling and you have a duty as my husband to fulfil it. Or you drive me to the arms of another?"
"Sleep with someone else. See if I care!" my eyes stayed locked with hers if she slept with someone else that meant she would no longer be my problem. "When you do let me know, so I can strip you of that crown you like to wear."
"You're a selfish man." She spat and I turned my back to her.
"If you are only just realising that, you really never did know me." I spat over my shoulder and flung the door open and slammed it behind me.
I was angry she had attempted to make a move on me. I was ins
ulted that she had referred to my betrayal to Isabella. But I was really annoyed that I had unsuccessfully majored to get a new change of clothes.
But I would rather swallow a glass of shattered glass, than go back in to that room.
Chapter Six
Isabella
One Month Later
"This is more complicated than I expected."
Chase scratched the back of his neck as he sat cross legged in our new bedroom. Pieces of wood shattered around him. He placed the manual instructions on the pile of screws and looked up at me.
"Cooper doesn't really need a cot anyway, right Is?"
Mine and Chase's new room was a lot larger, in fact the whole house was larger. It was a beautiful four bedroom house. The smell of fresh carpet and fresh paint still lingered within the rooms.
"Chase, I'm sure you will work it out." I smiled at his confused grin as he picked up the instruction piece of paper and twisted it around. "Maybe Ryan might be able to lend a hand."
He frowned as he studied the piece of paper intently, again. Chase and I didn't really need to share a room now, the new house had plenty. But both of us wanted to be near Cooper and personally I liked sharing a bed with someone. It made me feel less lonely.
"So Ryan and I are going to pick up the fridge, we will back." Serenity popped her head in the room and grinned when she saw Chase still on the floor surrounded by what should be Cooper's Cot.
"Okay. I'm going to the mall anyway, Cooper needs new clothes, again." I smiled at her. I still couldn't believe her and Ryan wanted to move in with us. When I told her we were getting a new house, she jumped at the idea of moving in with us.
"Well Nick's gone to pick up the flat packs for the bedside tables." Serenity smiled at me and we both looked across as Chase as he let out a low groan.
"Not more flat packs!" he looked up at us with fear in his eyes,"I'm not helping with them."
Serenity and I rolled our eyes together before she took off down the hallway. First day moving in and everything was going fine. Though it was on days like this, I was glad the boys and well Serenity and I were so strong. But mainly I was thankful the boys were, it made moving things a lot easier.
"I'm going to the mall Chase. I'm taking Cooper too."
"WAIT!" Chase quickly got up from the floor and slipped on a piece of board as he hurried towards me, catching himself before he fell to the ground. "I'm coming."
I arched an eyebrow at him, but didn't question him. I was beginning to remember when it came to Chase, it was better not to ask. I grinned behind him as I followed him down the hall.
"I will get the pram." Chase sung over his shoulder as he broke off into lounge room and I went in the direction of the dining room and scooped up the car keys and purse from the plastic sealed table.
I still hadn't mastered driving, so I was glad Chase was coming because unlike assembling things, Chase was actually a really good driver.
Cooper was crawling around in his playpen as I walked into the lounge room and Chase was grabbing the pram.
"Cooper."
He looked up to me as I leant my hands over the playpen. Slowly he crawled towards me, giggling like always. What he found funny all the time I didn't know, but his smile always put a smile on my face as well.
Lifting him up in the air, above my head he giggled and squirmed. In moments like this I felt happy, in moments like these; my past wasn't hammering through the back of my mind.
In moments like these, I was looking through the front windscreen instead of staring through the rear vision mirror.
Chase was handsome, extremely good looking and his charming smile only added to this. So to say he had every retail assistant in this baby clothing story wrapped around his finger, was an understatement.
"I don't know, he doesn't really wear orange." Chase frowned at the latest piece of clothing that was being shown to him, "But that green one, is coming home for sure."
The small human retail assistant quickly added the green one to the pile, with pride. I rolled my eyes and kept lightly rocking Cooper's pram as I looked around the store. Sighing I moved around the pram and unclipped Cooper from it. His little hands reaching out for me as soon as he realized he was being set free.
Pushing the pram to the side, I placed Cooper on my hip and we walked around the store. His little fingers running and clinging to locks of my black hair; whenever he was in reaching distance of my hair he would play with it.
"Isabella?"
I turned around as Chase held up two different outfits, one in each hand.
"Which one?"
I glanced between the two, both would be lucky to last Cooper a few weeks before he grew out of it. He was developing fast, every day he changed and did something new.
"Both." I smiled at him and he quickly spun back around and grinned freely at the two retail assistants.
"Your Uncle Chase is a player." I whispered down to Cooper and he cooed. My hands ran over a few different items of clothing, and my hand stopped when it came to a deep royal blue jumpsuit. It was the same color, as our throne.
I picked it up and my eyes ran over it. That color, always brought back memories.
"Okay, Is, you ready to go?" Chase placed a hand on my lower back and ran a hand over Cooper's head, which influenced Cooper into a wave giggles.
I turned up to look at Chase's happy grin, "Yeah, let's get out of here."
The retail assistant was ringing up the total and Chase was pulling out his wallet. I collected the pram and placed Cooper back in it, prying my hair from his grip.
I began to slip the shopping bags onto the handles of the pram. I watched Chase hand a few large notes over. I didn't ask where he got the money from, or how he provided for us. But I had a feeling Nick was his partner in crime.
"Oh, and just one other thing." Chase smirked at the retail assistant and leant over the counter slightly, "Do you guys sell cots? Assembled ones?"
I couldn't stop the laughter from rolling out. I quickly clamped a hand over my mouth muffling it. Chase shot be a playful expression over his shoulder, before turning his attention back to the assistant.
And for the first time, since my birthday, I laughed and I had forgotten the wave of happiness that courses through your body when you do.
"Why the hell did you buy on assembled?" Nick grunted as he and Chase attempted to fit the large cot through the door frame.
Serenity and I sat on the bed, with assumed expressions as we watched them. Cooper was bouncing on Serenity's knee sending coos every so often at Chase and Nick.
"This is useless. It isn't going to fit." Nick groaned and the him and Chase brought it back down to the floor and leant on it thinking.
Cooper let out a squeal and then giggled at both of them. Chase smiled at him, "I wouldn't laugh to hard buddy, or you will be sleeping in the hallway."
Cooper just giggled and reached out for Chase. But Chase was on the other side of the cot.
"Maybe you should take the legs off?" I suggested.
"Are you going to put them back on?" Chase arched an eye brow "Because I sure won't be."
Nick rolled his eyes at me "Man you are useless." Nick moved through the room and picked up a screw driver and then went to work talking the legs off, while Chase made happy faces at Cooper.
"So where's Ryan?" I asked Serenity and got up from the bed. Swooping up one of the many shopping bags, which needed to be folded and put away.
I had brought new clothes for myself too, in fact close to everything in the house was new.
"At Annie's getting the rest of our stuff." Serenity leant back on to the bed and held Cooper above her. "We were thinking, we might leave next week or something. I am dying to go to Paris. Though I will miss you little one." She smiled up at Cooper.
I turned a bag over on the bed and began ripping tags off and folding them. "I haven't been there, is it nice?"
"Yes, especially of a night." Serenity sighed slowly, "It's a beautiful city."
&n
bsp; "How long are you guys planning on going?" I started shacking the clothes in neat piles, and glanced up at Chase and Nick as they snapped at each other, playfully.
"Not sure, you know," Serenity sat up and twisted on the bed to face me, Cooper now in her lap "you guys should come?"
"With Cooper and the children, I don't think Ryan would cope." I arched an eye brow at her "Plus we just moved in."
"The house isn't going anyway." Serenity pointed out excited "PLUS Ryan would love it. He loves Cooper."
"Come on, I want to show my nephew the sites of the world." Serenity began to bounce with excitement, which caused Cooper to let out an excited squeal, which ripped through all our ears.
"I don't know."
"What don't you know? And what are you guys doing?" Ryan stood out in the hall, glancing at the boys and then looking over them to us.
Cooper threw his hand in the air when he noticed Ryan.
"Babe your back!" Serenity spun around to face him, "I was just telling Is, that they should all come away with us. Like a family holiday."
Ryan nodded his head but he was frowning down at the boys as, his attention wasn't really on Serenity. "Why are you guys taking the legs off?" Ryan questioned them.
"Because we can't make it fit through the door." Chase looked at him, while gesturing his hand to the half stuck cot in the door.
"Royal grown wolfs." Ryan muttered under his breath before leaning up and unclicking something and then the door frame opened up larger.
Oh right, we had double doors.
Chase's and Nick's mouths dropped as they stared at the other open door. Ryan had a smug expression. "You two are the worst males." He said while crossing his arms, still with a smug smile.
Chase cursed under his breath and then groaned. "I just got the damn leg off too!"
There was silence for a moment and then we all laughed. It was fresh and it rolled through the room like a well-played piece of music. Cooper's little squeals only made it sweeter, well for me it did.
Royal Blood and One Forever : Book Three Page 5