by Anna Edwards
“I’m going to my father to tell him I’m leaving, and I want nothing more to do with him.” She pushed Zain back and had a look of resolve on her face although her hands were trembling. “It may shock him enough to stop whatever he’s doing. I’ve always been his little girl. It should count for something.”
Zain let go of her and stood up. He ran his hand through his beard and leaned against the wall of his room.
“If that’s what you want to do, I can’t stop you, but I don’t think it’ll do any good. Your father will never let you go. As you say, you’re daddy’s little girl: he worships you and wants to control you. You’ve been his surrogate partner in many ways, considering how useless your mother is. Kingsley and I have spoken about it often; it was a seemingly endless cycle of trying to figure out how we could change it, but we never found an answer. It’s another reason why I left.”
“No.” She stood up and interrupted him. “I’m my own woman. He can’t control me forever.”
Zain swallowed deeply. “Suppose he says that if you walk away from me, then he’ll leave the Glacial Blood pack and me alone?”
“Don’t.” She shook her head.
“I mean it, Izzy, because it’s exactly what he’ll say. He’ll tell you that he won’t touch us, to get you to stop seeing me, and then he’ll find every means to capture us without you knowing.” Zain shook his head and rubbed his hand over his forehead. He was frustrated, she could tell, and so was she. Why was he saying these things? She was convinced that she could get her father to change his mind. Didn’t he love her enough to respect her? If he knew that she was in love with Zain, surely he wouldn’t hurt anyone? Then the image of her brother being shot, came back into her head. No, he would. He’d hurt Zain and lie to her. If he could do something like that to his own son, then he was beyond help. He was lost to his misguided cause. She slid down onto the floor, and the tears started again. She hated the woman she was, at that moment. She was weak, feeble, and unable to help the man that she loved deeply.
Zain wrapped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head.
“I love you, Izzy. I won’t let anyone hurt you. I made the promise never to leave you again, and I meant it. We’ll figure this out together. You have my word. Together. We’ll do this together.”
She whimpered out a, “yes.”
Zain brought his lips to hers and kissed her with loving affection. It made her heart twist in fear.
“I need to be inside you.” Zain kissed down her neck and lifted her over him.
She nodded, needing the same.
He placed his hand below her long skirt and pushed her panties aside. Despite the fact she was anxious, she knew he’d find her wet and ready for him. She always was when he was around. He stroked the length of her sex and pushed a finger inside her. She gasped at the invasion and brought her lips to his. She pulled his lip into her mouth and tugged slightly.
“Fuck,” Zain growled.
He withdrew his finger from inside her, and she held herself up while he undid his jeans and removed his rock hard cock from them.
“Take me,” she hissed with burning need and lowered her panties.
Zain’s cock slid along her sex and propelled up into her. She groaned with renewed surprise at his size — she’d never get used to it. Now, with Zain entirely inside her, they both stayed still. A fire ignited in her core and spread throughout her body.
“I love you,” she sobbed. “I’m scared of losing you again.”
“Not happening,” he growled but still didn’t move inside her. His hand came up and tangled in her hair. “You’re mine. When this is over, we’ll mate. I’ll mark you so that everyone on this planet will know who you belong to. I’ll put my seed in your belly, and we’ll have babies, a whole family of bear cubs. You’ll look beautiful pregnant. We’ll teach our children tolerance and respect. We’ll be able to do this in the open for all to see. We’ll walk side by side as bear and wife. Do you understand me, Isobel? You belong to me, now; I have wasted too much time by not accepting that. You’ve ingrained yourself in my heart. We’re made for each other, and nobody will break us. Say you understand. Say your mine.” During his passionate speech, he’d started moving: slowly at first, but with each powerful statement, he surged hard up into her. She could feel him everywhere in her body. They’d become one.
“I’m yours, forever,” she called out as an orgasm surprised her. Her whole body shook and shuddered. Her pussy clamped down on his dick, and she felt him release deep inside her. His warm spurts of cum bathing her with his ardent affection. They stilled and sat in silence except for the sound of rapid breathing from their exertions.
“Kas’ll be waiting for us.” She finally broke the peace between them.
“I think he knew what’d happen. He’ll be fine, but I do need to go to find your brother.”
The reminder of her brother’s predicament was the passion killer she needed to remove herself from Zain. He got up and tucked his deflating cock back into his pants.
“Wait there,” he stated, and she did as she was told. He disappeared into the ensuite bathroom and came back with a wet towel. He cleaned up the evidence of their lovemaking from between her thighs. She righted her clothes while Zain returned the cloth to the bathroom and came back to her. He pulled her into his arms again.
“Let me call Jessica and get you to safety.”
“It’s ok. I’ll call her. I figured out how.”
“You did.” He smiled at her. “My smart girl. Stay with the others. I’ll get your brother and be back as soon as I can. If you need me, just think of me, and I’ll know.”
“Is that shifter magic?”
“No, just love.”
He leaned forward and kissed her.
“Call her, now,” he told her.
She shut her eyes and focused on the witch.
“Jessica?” she said. The air shimmered and the witch appeared.
“You called?” Jessica bowed.
“That’s such a cool power to have. Is there any way you can teach me to do it, or are witches shifters of some kind but with magical powers?”
“All humans can be witches, actually. Ok, not as powerful as some of them, because there are genetic mutations in witches just like shifters, but you can learn the basic protection spells. It’s a dormant power in all humans, which has been forgotten over the years.”
“I didn’t know that?” She opened her mouth in shock. There was still a lot that she had to learn about the shifter world. It intrigued her.
“Enough chat. I’ve got to go. Jessica, look after her.”
The witch rolled her eyes.
“Damn, now all you men have partners, you’ve become bossy. Isobel and I will go and see if we can find anything remotely vegetarian to eat at the Shifter Council. Selene and Scott were fighting over a leg of lamb when I left, but I think I may have seen a carrot.”
“Just watch her. Nothing stupid.” Zain raised an eyebrow toward them both.
“Promise,” Jessica sing-songed.
Zain came up to Isobel and gave her a final kiss on the lips.
“I’ll be back before you know it.”
She kissed him back.
“Be careful.”
Zain disappeared out of the door, leaving her alone with Jessica. The witch came up to her.
“You ready, or do you want to finish washing up first?”
“Washing up?” Did she know what they’d been doing? She could still feel Zain between her legs, and she was certain that his cum was also leaking out of her. “We…er...I’m ok.” She blushed.
“You know he hasn’t touched as much honey since he introduced you to us.”
“He hasn’t?” she queried.
“Nope. I’m glad he’s happy. He’s had the pack, but there’s always been a part of him he’s held back. I know why now. His heart was with you the entire time. He’ll do anything to protect you, and I have a feeling you’d do the same. A perfect couple.” The witch s
miled at her and held her hand out. “Ready?”
Something inside her snapped. Jessica’s words reverberated around in her jumbled mind, ‘anything to protect you’. She looked at her watch. How long had she been here? Over an hour? Her father had called for his guards and told them he was setting off for the Glacial Blood mansion straight away. They should be here by now. Why weren’t they? A trap? Zain was walking into a trap. The fights between her brother and father suddenly all made sense. Everything had been kept from her because they wanted to, supposedly, keep her ignorant of shifters when all along she’d fallen in love with one. Kingsley was bait. Her own father was using him as bait.
“Isobel?” Jessica looked at her strangely.
She had to put a stop to this.
“I don’t want to go to Berlin.”
“What?”
“Take me to my father? Can you find him wherever he is?”
“No.” Jessica shook her head. “We’re going to the Council for protection.” Jessica grabbed her hand, and Isobel felt the magic start to surge through her.
“No.” She used all the strength she had to break the connection between the two of them. “Zain and Kas are walking into a trap. My father should be here by now. Kingsley is bait. It’s been that way all along. My father isn’t ignorant enough to believe that my brother has been changed. He doesn’t do anything by halves. He’s kept this entire part of his life secret for many years. He’s played us all for fools, thinking he’s a crazy senator, but no, he’s a cold and calculating killer with Zain and Kas in his sights. He probably knows more about the Glacial Blood pack than you do. Now, you’re going to take me to him, and I’m going to put a stop to this, once and for all. If you don’t, then you’ll be responsible for Kas and Zain’s deaths. Do you want that on your conscience?”
Jessica looked straight at her. She could see the different factors flashing through the witch’s mind. She was weighing up all the options and coming to the same devastating conclusion.
Jessica’s eyes turned white. The air around them started to crackle, and Isobel felt herself being lifted from the ground.
“Save them,” Jessica called just before Isobel’s body dissipated into thin air.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Without warning, the air fizzled all around her; she felt herself falling, the scenery whizzed past, and her stomach churned. Then, just as suddenly, her body came back together, and she landed in the middle of nowhere. A fleet of cars rapidly tore toward her. They slammed on their brakes, and the lead one stopped just inches from her. She looked up at the passenger in it and was met by her father’s wide eyes. He opened his door and was out and stumbling toward her.
“Isobel.”
She stood up tall. The other men got out of their cars and pointed their guns at her.
“Stand down,” her father yelled at them. The man driving the car that her father was in looked at them a few times. He blinked, trying to adjust his eyes to what he’d just seen. He nodded to her father and put his weapon away. Her heart started to beat less rapidly than it had been a few seconds ago.
“What the hell?” Her father grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the cars. She tried to shrug him off, but he was too strong for her. His fingers dug into the tender skin of her arm. “How did you do that?”
“Magic.” Her father let her go. He looked at his hand as if she were dirty and had sullied him.
“No. You’re not one of them. What has Kingsley done to you?”
“Kingsley’s done nothing,” she spat out at her father. “You’re in the wrong here. I want you to let my brother go.”
“Isobel, you can’t be serious. He’s been associating with people who change into animals. The photos proved it. He’s one of them.”
“No, he’s not.” She got up into her father’s face. “He’s the same as us.”
“He’s nothing like me, and I’m starting to wonder about you, as well. You know I have to take you into custody now. How did you just appear like that? Tell me. Who’s the real culprit? Jesus, can they place you anywhere? Could they put you in the oval office when the president is alone?” Her father dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. The anger inside her rose, and she reached forward and knocked the phone out of his hand and onto the ground. It hit a rock and smashed.
“I can guarantee nobody would want to be alone with the president, he’s perfectly safe. Now, you’re going to listen to me, Dad, because I’m not going to let you do this.”
“Isobel, you know nothing about what’s happening here. Get in the car and be quiet, and I’ll forget I saw the fact you just showed up in the middle of nowhere.”
“No. You’re going to stop treating me like a child. I’m an adult. You’ve lied to me all my life, pretending to be a senator, dragging me to all the rallies where I’ve had to listen to people laughing at you about your wild theories on shifters. The reality is you’ve been hunting them with the view to killing them just because you’re ignorant and won’t take the time to understand what they really are.”
Her father reeled back at her words.
“You associate with them? My god, you’ve been lying to me all these years. What type of daughter are you?”
She laughed with complete dumbfounded shock at her father’s words. He wasn’t listening to anything she was saying. He was turning this around to blame her.
“Isobel, have you gone mad? What have they done to you?” Her father looked past her. She turned her head to see what he was looking at. One of the men was creeping toward them with a tranquilizer gun in his hand.
“You’re going to drug your own daughter?”
“You’ve left me no choice.”
“No, you’ve plenty of choices. You can listen to me for once. These people aren’t dangerous. They are a family that love each other. They’re parents to young babies, and you want to capture them and do what? You’ll torture them. I know you will.”
“They’ll be investigated to see why they have these abilities. It’s to protect the public.”
“They’re the public, as well. Don’t you see that?” She was keeping an eye on the man stalking toward her. Her time was running out. She only had a few seconds left to get her father to change his mind before they’d arrest her. “Dad, please. You have to listen to me for a few moments. I’ve met these people. They wouldn’t hurt anyone. They’re my friends. Please leave them in peace. I’m begging you not to do this.” She fell to her knees in a pray position before her father. “If you don’t want them in Montana, then let them leave but don’t harm them. They wouldn’t hurt you. You have my word on this. What happened to us being daddy and daughter. Trusting each other.”
“I can’t.” Her father shook his head. “They’re dangerous animals: lions, tigers, and bears. You just appeared in front of me. That’s a serious risk to our national security. They could be captured and used as weapons against America. I’m thinking of your future by doing this. We need to neutralize the potential threat. We don’t even know how big this epidemic of shifters is; it could be worldwide. The entire human race could be under threat. What if they breed with humans? Are their genetics superior? Why, they could create a race of human hybrids. You have to trust I’m doing this for you, Isobel. Now, please, get in the car.”
“You’re wrong. I don’t know how I ever believed you were a good man. I see the truth, now. You’re narrow-minded, just like everyone else.” She let a tear fall down her cheek in mourning for the father of her memories because the man in front of her was alien to her. He’d become the actual monster that he falsely believed he was hunting. “I know they’ll never harm anyone because I grew up with a shifter in my life, and you’ve known one for many years. He would never hurt anyone. In fact, he walked away from me rather than make me have to choose between my family and him.” Her skin prickled as she felt Zain all around her. His scent of their lovemaking still lingered on her skin, and she knew if the people around her had the abilities that a shifter had, then th
ey would smell his mark. His branding of her as his. She’d tried to save him but had failed. Her father would destroy him.
“Zain,” her father rasped. “He’s one of them?”
She nodded.
“He’s the greatest man I’ve ever met: kind, funny, loving, and gentle. He’s also a bear shifter. He turns into a black bear. His parents did the same. They’ve lived amongst us for years and never caused any harm. I love him. I’ve given myself to him, physically and mentally. You may look at him and see a wild animal, but I see a person who commands more respect and love than anyone else I’ve ever known. If you do this, you’ll regret it because you’ll be destroying better people than yourself, and I’ll never forgive you.”
She felt the cold tip of the tranquilizer gun at her shoulder.
“Take me, examine me. You’ll find nothing but love, for those who are different.”
Her father turned green.
“You’ve slept with him.”
“Many times.”
The air was heavy with the emotion of the situation. She heard the gun behind her cocked, and then, all of a sudden, Zain was tumbling through the air and knocking her out of the way. He growled out in pain as the gun fired. The shot must have hit him.
“Zain.” She jumped to her feet and headed straight to his side. The men who had stood down were bearing down on them with weapons on display.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
“No.”
“Isobel!” her father shouted in desperation. Zain stood and pushed her behind him.
“You want a shifter? You got one. Leave the innocent alone.” She watched in horror as Zain growled and started to shift. She hadn’t been this close to him during the changing phase before. She heard his bones breaking and re-healing themselves into the form of a bear. Black fur grew all over him, and he went down onto four paws. He snarled a warning as the men ground to a halt. The air crackled, and she felt Jessica’s presence around her. Her body started to feel as though it were floating. The screams for everyone to stand down became echoes. Zain felt farther away from her every second she drew breath. No, Jessica was taking her but not Zain. No, her father would capture him. She tried to fight the spell binding her, but she couldn’t. Everything felt surreal as though she was floating above the situation, watching as Zain leaped toward the guards and collapsed to the ground when the deafening cacophony of guns went off.
