Isabelle's Mate (Shifters of the Bulgarian Bloodline Book 6)

by Daria Wright

  Macy and Ally hung out together whenever John allowed it, smoking 45s on her porch and shooting the shit. She normally hated to smoke, but did so to relieve the stress of unemployment.

  “You should really leave him,” Macy said once. “You could both do a lot better.”

  Ally always ignored Macy when she talked like this. She spoke not only of Ally’s physical status but of John’s as well. She often joked that John needed to get his hands on a real woman, and that if Ally tried hard enough he’d probably stop hurting her so much.

  Always the pacifist, Ally ignored Macy. She figured her friend was only saying those things because she cared, not because she was secretly in love with John. Little did Ally know, she had a whole lot of chaos coming her way.

  Hours passed by before Kazuma got back home. She was still full from breakfast around four in the afternoon, and hadn’t even thought about lunch or dinner until she heard him turning his key in the door. She’d been in the middle of observing a dark green alligator hanging out in his backyard when the front door opened.

  “Honey I’m home,” he joked in his deep voice. Ally laughed and told him to come over to the window.

  “Isn’t he cute?” she asked, pointing to the alligator

  “Ugh, that thing is the bane of my existence. I swear it’s always in my backyard when I least expect it. One of these days I’m going to take a shower and it’ll be right there with me.”

  “It would be kind of cute to have a pet alligator, don’t you think?” Ally asked.

  “Woman are you out of your damn mind?” he asked.

  Ally laughed, tossing her thick hair back. She liked the way Kazuma looked at her, like he wasn’t quite sure if she was real or a figment of his imagination.

  He cleared his throat abruptly and told her he was going to take a shower.

  “Okay,” she called out. “Then we should probably figure out what we’re going to eat for dinner. I’m starving.”

  “We’ll go to the supermarket when I get out. And Ally? Wipe that smug grin off your face, I can feel you laughing form here.”

  “You caught me,” she said, chuckling. “I figured you’d be more of a farmer’s market type of person.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with eating right,” Kazuma said. “At least I don’t look like a doughnut.”

  “What did you just say to me?” she called out, tossing a couch cushion at his back.

  “You do not want to start with me,” he said.

  “Why, are you scared I’ll win?”

  He dropped his clothes to the ground, picked up the cushion, and whipped it at her. Ally ducked, the pillow barely grazing her hair. She grabbed another cushion and hit Kazuma straight in the face.

  “Oh my god,” she said, covering her mouth as she fell prey to a fit of giggles. “You look so angry.”

  “You’re about to rue the day you hit me in the face with my own couch cushion,” he said, hopping over the couch to tickle her.

  “No stop, I’m so ticklish!” she shrieked.

  “Oh yeah?” he responded, digging his hands into her ribs.

  “Okay, okay,” he said, easing up for a minute. He was straddling her, and she found her heart had started to beat outside her chest.

  “Um,” she said quickly but whatever words were left were extinguished when he bent down and kissed her hard on the mouth.

  Chapter 5

  The next thing she knew, Ally’s hands were all over Kazuma’s neck and his face was buried in her chest. She arched her back towards him, loving the way their bodies fit together so perfectly.

  “We should move,” he whispered, tickling her ear.

  “Where?” she asked, breathless.

  He chuckled, arching his back to pick her up and carry her to the bedroom. Ally placed her hands around his neck and looked up at Kazuma. His hair was getting long, and it fell in front of his eyes every so often. She thought it was adorable the way he had to shake his hair aside in order to see.

  When they got to his room, Kazuma tossed Ally on the bed and climbed on top of her.

  They continued kissing passionately, steaming up the windows with every bite and suck. Outside, it was down pouring again. Ally was used to this, as she’d been living in Florida her whole life. She’d come to love the wind and the rain, even the thunderstorms.

  Kazuma’s hands were large and veiny, and a little bit calloused. Ally took his left hand and sucked on his pointer finger, eliciting a groan of pleasure rom Kazuma. He tasted surprisingly sweet, like his fingers were dipped in icing.

  He lifted his shirt over his head and tugged off Ally’s shirt. They were chest-to-chest, the pounding of one another’s hearts rocking their bodies like a tornado. He placed her breast in his mouth, biting her nipple until she dragged her nails down his back.

  “Harder,” he whispered, her breast still in his mouth.

  On his command, she dug his nails into his back again, this time drawing patterns in the soft mesh of his shoulder blades. He switched positions and grabbed onto her neck with his jaw, sucking until he created ruby bite marks across her neck. Neither of them paid attention to the fact that they didn’t have a condom. In the heat of the moment, it didn’t matter. Ally hadn’t felt this physically pleased in a long time. Whenever John came home, he was always strung out from his “business,” failing to please her when she begged him to just look at her body like it wasn’t a piece of furniture.

  Kazuma was attentive to her needs, reading her body like it was a scroll. He knew just when to touch, to bite, or to let up so she could catch her breath. When he finally entered her, she gasped and grabbed the bed sheets. He moved in and out, slowly at first so as not to rile her up too much. When he leaned into her, she felt like they were morphing together, creating a new kind of beast with the power to achieve anything.

  Outside, the storm picked up speed, flooding the gutters and soaking Kazuma’s house. The sound of the water beating against the window was just as strong as the sound of their bodies smacking against one another. In the dim rainstorm light, Ally looked up into Kazuma’s eyes. He leaned towards her forehead, his breath hot on her nose, and kissed her.

  He continued to move inside her, not noticing there was a knock on the door. The knocking turned into pounding that felt like it shook the whole house. Right when Kazuma climaxed, he realized someone was trying to enter the house. He groaned, grabbing hold of Ally as the house shook around them.

  “That was incredible,” she whispered. The pounding came again. “Who do you think is at the door?”

  “I don’t know,” Kazuma said, slipping on a pair of pants. “I guess I better go find out. You better stay in here, in case it’s you know who.”

  “Okay,” Ally said, her heart suddenly in her throat. She was terrified that it was John on a rampage. But how had he found her? How did he know she was here?

  A few minutes later when Kazuma opened the door, she heard not shouting or fist fighting but laughter. She dressed quickly, curious as to who was at the door and why Kazuma sounded so happy. When she stepped into the living room, she saw three men surrounded him around his age.

  “Kazuma, who’s the girl?” asked the blonde one. They turned to her and Kazuma blushed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

  “Um this is Ally. She’s staying with me for a while.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” said the short one. “I’m Ronnie.” The blonde introduced himself as Alex and the brunette was Roger. They were three men that went to the gym with Kazuma as well as fought with him on the same team. They all worked under a man who called himself Greyhound.

  “I had no idea the underground fighting world was so intense,” Ally said. “John always talks about it like it’s an exclusive club.”

  A silence fell over the room.

  “You said your name was Ally? Like John’s Ally?” asked Ronnie.

  “You know my boyfriend?”

  The men exchanged grave looks. “We used to fight alongside him but he
dropped out a few weeks ago. I don’t know if you know this, but he’s been dealing for the past few weeks. You should be careful around him he’s dangerous. I heard he wouldn’t hesitate to slit a man’s throat if they don’t pay him the proper amount.”

  Ally swallowed hard, her face turning red. She felt embarrassed at her black eye, unsure of how to explain the situation. Kazuma walked over to her and placed a warm arm around her shoulder. “We shouldn’t talk about John right now. It’s a sore subject for everyone involved.”

  The other men nodded in agreement.

  “So,” Ronnie asked. “Who wants to drink? I brought wine and beer so I hope you’re all thirsty.”

  Ally smiled, happy at the change in subject. She settled into the couch with a foamy beer and watched as the other men engaged in conversations about the upcoming fight and their aversion to the opponent. Kazuma sat next to Ally, making her feel protected. She’d never been around people that seemed this healthy or happy before.

  “You okay?” he whispered to her.

  “I’m perfect,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

  Chapter 6

  A few days later Ally told Kazuma she needed to stop back at the house to get some of her things. She knew John would be at work at that time, as he was always out during the day negotiating deals and doing whatever else to make money.

  “I still don’t think it’s a good idea,” Kazuma said. He was in the kitchen frying up a bagel on the stove for Ally. They’d decided to live together for longer, as the pair had started to care about one another deeply.

  “Kazuma, I can’t keep hanging out in your sweatpants and old t-shirts. It’s comfortable and all but I need my own things. And some of my photo albums and jewelry box are at the house, too. Some of those things are irreplaceable.”

  “I understand that. I’m just worried is all. Are you sure he’s not going to be at the house?”

  “I’m positive. And if he is I’ll just leave. Does that sound like a good deal?”

  Kazuma groaned and flipped the bagel.

  “I don’t really have a choice, do I?” he asked.

  “Nope,” she said with a grin.

  “Fine. But if you’re not back here in two hours I’m going to call the police.”

  “I’d be worried if you didn’t.”

  He lifted the bagel onto her plate and served it with a swab of cream cheese. They ate in silence, each thinking about what might or might not happen at John’s house. Ally had been dodging his calls for days, and it was obvious she didn’t want to be with him anymore. That didn’t stop John from calling her every chance he got, leaving menacing voicemails that when he found her he would make her pay for all his suffering.

  She found these voicemails highly ironic, as John had caused her more pain than anyone in her life. That even included her parents and extended family, who ignored her. When she told them she had a new boyfriend, Kazuma, they asked her if he was another low life with an alcohol problem. She hung up on her mother and father, not understanding why they failed to support her emotionally. It was fine, as she was almost thirty-four and she didn’t need their help. She could take care of herself.

  She’d even gotten a job at the liquor store one town over, and worked days to help Kazuma with the bills. It was easy to be with Kazuma. He was sweet and supportive and never made her feel scared or dirty the way John did.

  When they finished breakfast, Kazuma drew Ally in for a hug. He rested his face on her hair and told her that she needed to be careful with John, as he was unpredictable.

  “I’ll be back before you know it,” she said, tilting her head up to kiss him on the lips.

  The drive to John’s was nerve-wracking. She couldn’t help thinking that he would be waiting for her with a few of his thugs and that she’d be killed without a trace. Kazuma would show up at the house hours later only to get ambushed. She shuddered at the thought. To her dismay, she saw John’s car in the driveway as she pulled up. However, he wasn’t alone. There was another dark blue car next to his—and it was Macy’s.

  Ally wrinkled her brow and parked the car. What the hell was Macy doing at the house? She didn’t get along with John. This couldn’t have been a coincidence, but it made no sense as to why she was there. Ally knew she needed to get to the bottom of this, and fast.

  She parked the car on the side of the road in case she needed a speedy getaway and proceeded to walk towards the house. Unsurprisingly, the front door was unlocked. She could hear faint giggling from inside, and the occasional smacking noise. When she pushed the door open further, she heard their voices clearer. Macy and John were fooling around on the couch while an episode of the Simpsons played in the background. Ally gathered her courage and stepped onto the threshold, which made a loud creaking sound beneath her foot.

  “Hello?” John called out, his voice sounding slightly worried. “Who the hell is there?”

  “It’s me,” Ally said. “I came to get some of my things.”

  In the silence that followed, John slipped his shirt on and walked over to the doorway.

  “Well, well, well, look who finally decided to show up.”

  Macy stuck her head over the couch and smirked at Ally.

  “What are you doing here?” Ally asked. She couldn’t possibly be sleeping with John. He was ruthless and wouldn’t hesitate to beat the living hell out of Ally.

  “What do you think? John and I are hanging out and watching TV. We were together long before you two broke up and the minute you disappeared he declared his devotion to me. Romantic, huh?”

  “That’s disgusting,” Ally said. “You should know better.”

  “John never hurts me, so I don’t know what you’ve been talking about. You must just have been a terrible girlfriend or something.”

  It took all the strength in Ally’s body not to physically or verbally attack Macy.

  “What are you doing here, anyways?” John asked. “Lost lamb come back home?”

  “Not even close. I came here to get my stuff.”

  She breezed past him on the stairs and headed towards her room. John followed her, asking questions about whom she was living with and what the hell she had been up to.

  “I’m living with a guy named Kazuma. You might have heard about him in the fighting ring.”

  John rolled his eyes. “Kazuma, huh? Why does that name sound familiar? I’ve definitely heard of that loser before. I think they call him the dragon or something. I can’t imagine why.”

  Ally smirked. Of course Kazuma was called “the dragon.” She was going to harass him about this to no end.

  She grabbed a few bags from her closet and proceeded to stuff them with her things. John was talking nonstop in the doorway as if he were on speed. The others must have been right—he was probably taking drugs, maybe cocaine. When she glanced at him she noticed his pupils were dilated and he looked a bit chaotic.

  “How goes things with Macy?” she asked, indulging him out of boredom.

  “Things with Macy are great. She’s been attending matches with me and helping me out with a few of my side projects. I’d tell you but it’s underground business, and frankly none of your business. How goes things with your new loser boyfriend?”

  “Kazuma isn’t a loser. You don’t know anything about him. He’s an amazing human being and nothing like the two of you. You’re both scum.”

  John laughed a wicked laugh and lit up a cigarette. “You’re just as ornery as you always were, Ally. Let me guess, it’s your time of the month?”

  Ally froze. John was right—it was the week she was supposed to get her period. If she counted correctly in her head, she was supposed to have gotten her period three days ago. She was late.

  Not wanting to give John further reason to harass her, she laughed it off. “You’re right, I am on the rag. But even if I weren’t, I still wouldn’t put up with your snide remarks. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get back to my other boyfriend.”

  John stepped as
ide, waving his hands for Ally like she was royalty. She stormed out of the house, ignoring Macy who was cackling on the couch for no reason.

  “Disgusting,” she muttered under her breath as she tossed her bags in the car. She’d gotten everything she needed from the house and wouldn’t need to go back there ever again. She could finally say goodbye to her old life, and to the dumpy new couple.

  On the car ride home she fidgeted with the radio and the steering wheel. If she was pregnant, it was definitely Kazuma’s. She’d always used protection with John, especially because he was a womanizer. There had been several occasions when he’d come home smelling of sex and liquor, slurring an admission of guilt to her about cheating with a waitress or dealer. The first time Kazuma and Ally slept together they hadn’t used a condom. She’d been in a great deal of emotional turmoil and hadn’t even thought of it.

  They’d slept together several times after that, and Ally had started going on the pill. She was on her green week, which meant she was taking sugar pills. She definitely needed to talk to Kazuma about this. At least it wasn’t John’s, if she was even pregnant. That was the only thing she had to be thankful for. John was such a louse he didn’t deserve her. He hardly deserved Macy, but with the way she acted in the house—perhaps Ally had been wrong all along.

  Chapter 7

  On her way back to the house Ally picked up a pregnancy test. The woman at the counter looked at her suspiciously, which made Ally feel pissed off. She’d already had to deal with the drama that came with John and Macy; she didn’t need to take shit from the cashier.

  For some strange reason Ally wasn’t scared about the possibility of carrying Kazuma’s child. He was the most romantic man she’d ever dated. He was always checking up on her to make sure she was okay and he was attentive to her needs. They often spent the mornings waking up slowly, oftentimes making love before Kazuma headed off to the gym and Ally headed to work. That was her favorite time of day, right before the heat exploded, when the sky was full of dark rain clouds.