So, she let him pull away, showing a tear in her eye, that she didn't feel the need to hide. Someone had died, and she had been responsible for the actual death. Whether he deserved it or not, it was still sad. “I didn't want to be right about him, you know? For your sake, I had hoped that he was just a regular jerk,” she told him, feeling the tears beginning to flow freely. He should have been the one crying, not her. She thought she saw a few tears escape his eyes, through the wall of water she was now looking through.
“I had always hoped that too,” he said in a husky tone like he didn't want to show that he was emotional.
“It’s okay to be upset, Isaiah. He was still your flesh and blood, and it was you he hurt the most,” Annalise coaxed. She didn't need two Young brothers holding in all their feelings, just to burst one day.
“I know. It’s just hard not to feel like we should have caught him sooner. He said he killed others, Annalise. What kind of trail has he left for me to find?” Annalise shook her head. She didn't think about that. She hadn’t doubted that Orson meant it when he said he had killed others, but she had yet to imagine that those others were going to come back to haunt them. Who knew, perhaps they would.
“We’ll worry about that when it comes to it, but let’s just hope that it doesn’t.”
Isaiah nodded and turned on his heel to leave, just as the door opened. Roman was on the other side, looking to see what the two were talking about. Annalise let her sights linger on Isaiah before going inside with Roman, an unexpected warm welcome from him, waiting for her.
Isaiah had not needed Roman to see what he was feeling. Roman would need Isaiah to be strong, when it was his turn to break, over all of it. And now he had to go home to Tamara and answer to her about the way he had let her be kicked out of a home that was also hers now. At least, Annalise wouldn't be sleeping on their couch. He could use that as leverage. The closer he got to his house, though, the more he hoped he would be allowed to just go lay down. He was emotionally exhausted, and not just from the death of his brother. He had the feeling as the collaborations with the coven continued, he would soon spend many nights feeling that way.
When he went inside, he found that Hector was the only one waiting for him. “Has Tamara not returned?” Isaiah asked.
Hector nodded towards the bedroom. “Her and Lacy just came back a few moments ago. She went straight to the bedroom. Look, before you go talk to her, there is something I need to tell you.” Hector was not usually the type to meddle or want to talk. He has kept Isaiah’s father’s secrets, the ones he heard anyway
“Please, Hector, I am exhausted. Can it wait until tomorrow?” Isaiah asked, in an exasperated tone. He couldn’t imagine there was anything that urgent.
“I don’t know about that, Sir,” Hector replied, coming closer with his hands tucked in his pockets. It made him look more like his actual age, then.
“Unless someone in the pack or coven is directly in danger, I would appreciate if you could hold off. I have had a very long day, as you can imagine,” Isaiah emphasized, taking his shirt off as he practically stumbled towards his bedroom.
Hector just nodded and left the room. Isaiah couldn't place it, but there was a new nervousness to Hector. What could he possibly have to say after all the things that had already happened? Nothing could be as bad as his brother betraying them all and being killed right next to him.
Isaiah fell down into bed next to Tamara, finding it natural to place his hand in hers for comfort. They had both just lost someone dear. If there was ever a time, she could comfort him in silence and do some good, it was now.
Roman was sweating despite the frigid temperature outside. Winter still had its grip on Olympia, but spring would be ushered in eventually, hopefully bringing new life to more than just the trees and plants.
Roman had left an exhausted and moody Annalise at his house, which it felt full of ghosts, now that it was empty. He had made the trek through the snow to the cabin where he thought he might find his brother; the only one he had left. Somewhere deep inside he knew he was losing it. His mind was on so many different things at once, and his grip on anything real and worth it was slipping. He needed to find a way to get himself back. He had so many unanswered questions rolling around in his head, things he had not expressed that he was just dying to. But the last thing Isaiah and Tamara needed right now was a liability.
Roman jumped from foot to foot on the steps, not sure if he should knock or just burst in. He was beginning to question everything. The problem was it was early morning, and he didn't know if Isaiah was dealing with everything by sleeping in. If he was, he wasn't sleeping alone.
Finally, Roman knocked, a little taken aback when Tamara answered the door in her pajamas, looking like she had been crying and had barely slept. Why hadn’t he thought about how she was handling it all? Orson was her friend, more than that for a time. He should have thought about her in all of this, too. As he came into the door, he didn't have any words of comfort to say to her. He just fell into her arms in an awkward hug, needing support more than he ever had in his life. Never did he think that he would be losing his father and his brother in a short period of time. It was overwhelming.
Tamara pulled him off of her lightly and sat him down on the couch. “Isaiah is asleep, but you can go in there if you want. Though, I wouldn't try to hug him like that,” Tamara tried to joke. Roman was grateful, but it just wasn't working. He didn't dare say what would.
“If he is still asleep, why are you in here?” Roman asked, maybe probing a little more than he should.
“I knew he needed to get some rest, and I just couldn’t. I kept crying and tossing and turning. I decided it was best just to come out here and do some cleaning or something,” she answered, proving her point by picking up a duster and making Roman cough as she brushed it over the top of the couch.
“That's very domestic of you,” he said between coughs. “I really do want to talk with him, but I want to know how you are doing first.”
He expected her to pause and sit next to him, having a heart to heart like always. Something was going on with her, though, and she just kept dusting, moving farther away. “I’ll be fine. I mean, I can’t say it isn’t bothering me, it obviously is. But he wasn’t my brother. You should worry more about yourself.”
Not knowing what else he could say, Roman stood up and went to Isaiah’s bedroom. Tamara evidently did not want to talk. He closed the door behind him and saw that it was dark, other than the little bit of light breaking through the binds from outside. Isaiah was on his side, snoring. He hated to wake him up, but he just had to. If he didn't talk to someone else who might understand how he felt, he might go completely insane.
Roman stood in front of him, trying to shake him awake. He didn't want to piss Isaiah off by giving him too rude of an awakening, but if the guy didn't wake up soon, then Roman might have to go with more violent measures. Luckily, though, Isaiah began to stir.
He sat up, the comforter falling off of his chest, and looked around until he realized why he was being woken up. “Roman. It’s good to see you.”
“I am sorry for waking you up, but I really wanted to talk, and Annalise didn't seem to be in the mood. Neither did Tamara, come to think of it. So, I thought I would see my brother.” He didn't add the last part, the addendum that kept going off in his head about only having the one brother now. If Isaiah was broken up about it, Roman wasn't about to make it worse.
“No, it’s alright. We needed to talk at some point. I am glad that you aren’t alone at the house. You can stay here if you need to,” Isaiah offered, reaching for a shirt and pulling it on, making the bed and sitting on the edge of it. Roman sat down next to him, feeling a little strange. Even though Isaiah was the oldest, Roman had not come to him about things. Roman had been the one holding the family together since their mother died, and it was usually him that people came to with problems.
“No, that's okay. I need to get used to being there as is. I figure
it’s like ripping off a band-aid. Besides, Annalise is pretty good at making her presence known. I just wanted to talk for a little while and give her some space.” Roman hated sounding weak, and he knew he was doing a bad job of covering up his actual need to be there.
“I know what you mean about Annalise,” Isaiah scoffed. “But I can’t imagine it's so easy being there without us. I know I am the alpha now and that it’s like Tamara and I have formed our own unit. I don’t want it to feel that way to you. You have always been family to the both of us, and you always will be.”
Isaiah was getting a little too sentimental, and Roman felt like it was time to change the subject. He just couldn't do it. “Thanks for that. Hey, did you hear the talk about how the rest of the pack members feel about the choices the hybrids are about to make?”
“I don't know if I want to know. I don't want any more chaos around here for a long while,” Isaiah replied with an annoyed grunt.
“Actually, most of the discussion is good. The men are hoping it means more women to mate with, so we can really start growing the pack again. I think that takes a little pressure off your shoulders, right?” Roman said, slapping his brother playfully on the back. He wanted to keep the conversation light now and hope that would take his mind off of it all.
“I am not sure that's the case. I mean, they may forget for a time. It’s still important we have an heir, especially while we are healthy and young.” It was a very mechanical statement, and it made Roman wonder exactly what was going on with those two.
“I didn't mean to offend. How are the two of you doing, anyway? I know you had some struggles at first.” Roman was being nosy, and he hoped his brother didn't notice.
“I am not sure where we stand right now. I think we might have found a solution for our troubles, temporarily. It seems we were both trying too hard to make something happen that neither of us were ready for. We were always great friends, and we need to get back to that kind of compassion. It’s still in the early phases, but it feels less tense around here,” Isaiah admitted, with a shrug. “I am hoping this moves along more naturally.”
“Well, I will try to keep Annalise occupied, so that you can make it work, to give it a real shot,” Roman offered.
Isaiah raised his eyebrow. “Do you have something going on with her, brother?” Isaiah asked. Roman couldn't help but notice that hopeful look in his eyes. If his brother was involved with Annalise, then surely, he would be off the hook about her. But there was to be no such luck. Roman liked her and all, but there was nothing romantic.
“No, Isaiah. You would be the first to know. Who knows what can happen when hearts are involved?”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Annalise heard a commotion that sounded out of place. She put down the popcorn she was eating, while watching Netflix, sitting on Roman’s couch. She ran outside in the cold to see what was going on. Roman’s house was not far from where all the trailers had been set up for the hybrids. That was where the sound was coming from. She could hear growling and shouting, which wasn't good.
Despite the fact that she was in shorts, a tee shirt, and a sad excuse for a robe, she ran in the direction of the shouting as fast as she could. She could use magic to warm herself if needed. Whatever this was, it needed to be settled quickly. Roman wasn't around. He had been MIA for a few hours.
Just as she had feared, she found pack members and hybrids in a pile on the ground. There was punching, biting, kicking, and growling; some were half changed at this point. Tensions were high. She could feel it. In fact, she could feel something else too. It was the moodiness that came when the time of the full moon was nearing. It was less than a week and a half away. Something was going on, and as soon as she got them to stop ripping each other apart, she would have to figure that out.
Annalise was scrambling for a spell, something that would break them apart without injuring anyone further, but her brain wasn't working. The whole Orson thing was affecting her more than she expected, though for different reasons than simply the loss. The guilt at keeping the secret from the brothers, at least those remaining, was eating away at her. She had no idea how to tell them.
Roman was not in a state of mind to hear something like that, even as much as he was trying to look like he was holding it together. Isaiah would either be frightened or furious. Annalise was the one that couldn’t take that. Not now, since they had finally been able to get a tiny bit of space, some separation, from each other. Anger could easily fuel a fire; one that none of them could afford to find a way to put out right now.
Levitation! If she made them levitate, they couldn't touch each other. Annalise sent a few of them floating into the air, stunning them, before backup showed up. It was someone she didn't expect. There was Isaiah, showing up at both the right and wrong time, like always.
Annalise watched in awe as he changed quickly into the grey wolf, she had only seen a couple of times now. It was just as amazing and fascinating as the first time. He was beautiful and powerful. He started grabbing hybrids by the neck and ankles, pulling them out of the tussle to safety. Others backed away on their own, realizing the alpha had caught them in action. They knew they were in deep trouble, now that Isaiah was there. Annalise was happy to see that they were beginning to fear and respect him, the way they should. She hoped it would be the same for the coven when she finally made her way back over there, whenever that would be.
After a moment of shock, Annalise decided she should change too. She began shifting into the small, furry, grey wolf that was always calling and begging for her to let it out. It felt nice to use it again. Annalise helped round the pack members up. She could see they were trying to escape Isaiah’s wrath, as he surveyed the wounded. They were not going to get away so easily. Isaiah would need to get to the bottom of why it broke out.
Eventually, as all were calm and sitting or standing in the snow, little drops of blood coloring the white, both Annalise and Isaiah were able to turn back into their human form. It left Annalise feeling a bit discombobulated, with a craving for more freedom and power as a wolf. She was going to have to make some time for that, even with everything going on. It was part of her now.
It was so easy to forget when she had to have everything under so much control. She looked around at the injured hybrids and hoped they would be able to achieve something peaceful, within their warring selves, one day soon.
Isaiah began to address the pack members and the hybrids, trying to figure out why a fight had broken out. What were the pack members even doing there? It was supposed to be neutral territory, especially since the hybrids had not yet chosen where they belonged. Even after, it would have to stay neutral until those that wanted to rejoin the coven were under control enough to do so.
Annalise caught some of what they were discussing. The pack members had come over to harass and to bait them by pretending to welcome them to the pack. It hadn’t turned out well, especially after a pack member came on too strong with one of the hybrid women. The hybrids just lost it, and the fight broke out. Annalise didn't catch too many details because she was distracted by the woman who was standing on the fringes, watching from afar, but doing nothing. Tamara had come. She was just staring. What was her problem?
Annalise was pulled away from looking at Tamara, with anger in her eyes, as Isaiah and one of the hybrids began to get in a fight themselves. Annalise ran over and yanked the man off Isaiah, sheer frustration giving her the strength she needed, rather than using magic.
“What the hell is wrong with all of you?” she screamed, lashing out at all of them. She met each of their eyes and many dropped their heads to the ground, shivering in stoic silence. “As far as the pack members, you should be ashamed at how you have treated your alpha, and not just today. He was named alpha and has done everything he can. You should be putting your full support behind him instead of creating more problems. And as for the hybrids, I get that tensions are high. Your bodies are going crazy. That will stop, but not if you do not at le
ast try to control your reactions. You are half witch. No matter which way you look at it, Hyacinthe and Isaiah both, have done everything they can to protect you and keep you comfortable. You have no right to disrespect that kindness.”
Annalise knew she sounded like a mother lecturing her children, but in a way, it was beginning to feel that way. She was sick of the disrespect Isaiah got after using both his heart and brain to rule as fairly as possible.
“I want to be clear. All of you will give your decision on the third day at sundown, no exceptions. Once you are under control with the change, all those who are part of the pack will act and be treated as such. Is that clear?” Isaiah's voice boomed, reverberating through the woods. Annalise swore the witches would be able to hear it, he was so loud. If they didn't get the message then, nothing was going to save them from a bloody war that Annalise would gladly break up by using more drastic measures next time.
Isaiah looked to her with a sigh and a shrug before walking over to her. Annalise could feel Tamara’s presence looming, but she tried to ignore it. She had every right to be there and would act as such. “Thanks for getting here first. I don't know what I would have found, had you not,” Isaiah answered, just as Annalise was starting to truly feel the cold. She could have used a warm bath right then.
“It’s fine. I panicked when I heard it, and Roman wasn’t around. I was afraid you wouldn't even know about it.”
“Are you crazy?” Tamara interrupted with her arms crossed over her chest. Now who was being motherly? It was almost comical. Tamara was shorter than her and yet made her so angry. Annalise felt steam would surely come out of my ears any moment. That would be a fun trick if it wouldn't gain ire from Isaiah. Besides, it wouldn't be becoming of someone who was now taking over as leader of the powerful Olympia coven.
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