Does being mates really mean a guaranteed happy-ever-after?
Isaiah already has enough problems in his life without adding a new one—his mate. The man Fate chose for Isaiah isn’t just any man, no. It’s the man who kidnapped Jamie for the Glass Research Company, the man Dominic kept locked up for a year. And now he’s out and living with the pride, eating with them and sleeping in the room next to Isaiah’s.
John knows he’s lucky. Dominic could have killed him for what he did, but the lion shifter gives him a second chance instead, and John isn’t about to waste it. He’s not all that comfortable around shifters yet, but it’s not like he has to like them. Even if he finds out he’s a shifter’s mate.
As if things weren’t already difficult enough, Isaiah has to go home and leave John behind. Will John come and help when Isaiah’s house is attacked? Will Isaiah finally realize he can’t live his life for his mother? And even if he does, will John take him back?
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Isaiah
Copyright © 2015 Catherine Lievens
ISBN: 978-1-4874-0523-6
Cover art by Latrisha Waters
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
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Devine Destinies, an imprint of eXtasy Books Inc
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Isaiah
Whitedell Pride 14
By
Catherine Lievens
Chapter One
The door opened while Isaiah was typing away on his computer. He didn’t even need to look away from his screen to know who it was. Jayden was spending a lot of time with Isaiah lately. They were both loners. Jayden had his books, Isaiah his computers.
“Hey.”
Isaiah looked up just the time to smile, then went back to work. “Hey.”
“Can I sit?”
“Of course you can. Why are you even asking? It’s not like it’s the first time you hid in here.”
Jayden looked at the pile of books in his hands. “Just wanted to make sure it was still okay.”
“It is.”
Jayden sat on the couch in the corner of the room and Isaiah turned back to his screen. He checked all the cameras to make sure they were working but hesitated at the last one. He looked behind himself to check that Jayden had his face buried in his books, then clicked on the thumbnail.
The image grew, but Isaiah quickly resized it so that Jayden wouldn’t see it even if he did look up, then looked at the man on the screen. John Smith was on his bed, flat on his back, reading a book.
Isaiah didn’t know why he was so fascinated by the man when he really shouldn’t be. He should hate him for what he’d done to Jamie, for working with the Glass Research Company. So why did Isaiah feel the need to watch the man several times a day?
“What are you doing?”
Isaiah jumped on his chair and quickly opened another document on his screen, but Jayden was right behind him. There was no way he hadn’t seen what Isaiah had been looking at.
“Working. I’m working.”
“On what?”
“I was checking the security cameras.”
“Uh huh.”
Isaiah turned his chair to face the weasel shifter. “What?”
“Checking the security cameras? I know I’m clueless most of the time when books aren’t involved, but even I’m not that clueless.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure.”
“I don’t!”
Jayden arched a brow. “Who are you trying to convince?”
Isaiah crossed his arms on his chest and slumped in his chair. “Fine. What do you think you know?”
“I know you’ve been watching John Smith.”
“I have to. It’s my job.”
“You’ve been watching him way too often for it to be merely a job, especially since Dominic is about to release him. We all know the guy isn’t dangerous, even though becoming Joshua’s best friend might not be the smartest thing to do. I mean, I don’t have anything against Joshua, but he’s always been kind of an ass, really. I don’t know how Adrian manages to be around him so much, to be honest. It’s probably because of the mate bond, but I’m not sure I’d be able to even with that. The guy’s never even—”
“Jayden, stop talking. You know Joshua isn’t that bad. Just because he doesn’t like to hear you talk doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy. He just doesn’t have much patience.”
“Yeah, okay, but what about John Smith?”
“What about him?”
Jayden narrowed his eyes. “You’re gonna act like you don’t know what I’m talking about? Fine, whatever.”
He moved back to the couch and Isaiah instantly felt guilty. He hadn’t meant to make Jayden angry or to make him feel like Isaiah didn’t want to talk to him. He just really didn’t want to talk about it—to anyone.
Isaiah didn’t think anyone would take his fascination with John in a good way, especially if what he suspected was true. There really could be only one reason he was so interested in the man, and he didn’t think the others would take the fact that John was probably his mate kindly.
Not that Isaiah was sure of it. He’d never actually met John in person. He had seen him once, very briefly, while John was being transferred into his cell—cabin—in the woods. Isaiah had been checking the cameras inside and outside the cabin, and Joshua and Soren had been moving John. Isaiah had been outside, perched on his ladder while his mate had passed next to it, and he hadn’t been able to get a good sniff of his scent, so he couldn’t be sure.
Isaiah’s fox didn’t seem to care about any of that, though. The stubborn thing wanted John, and it didn’t seem to understand what the problem was. And it wasn’t even the only problem Isaiah had at the moment.
Still, it didn’t mean he could push Jayden away like that. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
Isaiah turned his chair and faced his friend. “For basically telling you to butt out of my business. I know you mean well.”
Jayden sighed and put his book on his knees. “I just want you to be happy, and I don’t think you are.”
“I am!”
Jayden pressed his lips together and shook his head. “You’re not, and it doesn’t take a genius to see it. If you don’t do something Keenan is going to butt in, and believe me, you don’t want that.”
Isaiah shuddered. “I really don’t.”
“So will you talk to me?”
The office door opened again and Isaiah mentally cheered that he could avoid that particular conversation. He beamed at Nate, who looked taken aback at being welcomed that way.
“Hey, Nate! What can I do for you?”
“Uh, I need to know if there’s a free room somewhere in the house.”
; Isaiah’s fingers were already typing even as he asked, “Why are you asking me? Keenan should have a list.”
“He’s on holiday.”
Isaiah tilted his head even as he brought up the list of rooms in the house. “Holiday?”
“Yeah. Logan took him to Yellowstone.”
“How’s Dominic doing without his PA?”
“Grumpy, but Keenan trained Ani. It’s only for a week anyway.”
“Oh, okay. So, we have a free room next to Troy and Emery’s rooms and one next to mine. Do you want me to check the enforcers’ wing?”
“No, I want to be able to keep an eye on John.”
Isaiah’s head snapped up at the name. “John?”
“Yeah, John Smith. Dominic thinks it’s time to free him from his cell, but he doesn’t want him too far away.”
“What’s he gonna do?” Jayden asked as he smirked at Isaiah.
“Dominic wants to ask him to enroll with the enforcers.”
“Why? He’s just human.”
“He’s a very well trained human, and it might make dealing with humans easier.”
“And you really trust him?” Isaiah asked.
Nate shrugged. “Not sure yet. He didn’t do anything to show he doesn’t deserve our trust.”
Isaiah snorted. “He’s been in a cell for a year, of course he didn’t do anything.”
“He helped us to find Gabriel.”
“Doesn’t mean we can trust him.”
“He helped the orphans.”
“Still doesn’t mean anything.”
Nate frowned. “Do you know something I don’t, Isaiah?”
“No.”
“Then why are you hell-bent on not letting the guy out?”
Isaiah just shook his head. “So, where are you going to put him?” Not in the room next to mine, please!
“In the room next to yours. I don’t think Troy and Emery would be happy to have him close to their kid.”
Isaiah groaned and hit his forehead on his desk. “Can’t you stick him somewhere else?”
“No. Are you going to tell me what you have against him?”
“He worked for a company that tortured and killed shifters. He kidnapped Jamie and shot some of the pride members. Is that enough?”
“He’s been here a year and he hasn’t even tried to escape,” Nate countered. “He helped us to find Gabriel.”
“Sure, okay.”
Nate looked like he wanted to argue some more, but he just shook his head. “I’m putting you in charge of showing him around.”
“What? You can’t do that!”
“I can, and I’m doing it. I’d have asked Keenan but he’s not here.”
“You can wait another week to let the man out.”
“Nope. Dominic wants him out tomorrow at the latest. I suggest you check the room and make sure there’s everything John will need.”
“But—”
The glance Nate gave Isaiah was enough to stop any other protest he wanted to make. “It’s an order.”
Isaiah huffed. “Yeah, okay.”
The pride’s beta left and Jayden barely waited until the door closed behind Nate to start laughing. Isaiah scowled at him, but Jayden wasn’t scared of him and just went on snickering. “I’ll get you for this.”
“You can try.”
Isaiah stuck his tongue out and went back to his work.
* * * *
John looked up from his book when he heard his cell door open. Joshua came in and John put the book on the couch, next to his thigh. “Hey, Josh.”
“You ready to get out of this place?”
John’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
“Yeah. It’s time.”
John was almost scared of walking out of that door, to be honest. He’d spent an entire year in the small cabin in the woods, and while he hadn’t been happy about it in the beginning, he knew it could have been worse.
The cell wasn’t a cell, more like a comfy cabin. He’d had plenty of time to do all the things he hadn’t been able to do while working for the company—he’d read a lot, he’d slept, he’d even started learning French, even though he knew he’d probably never use it. He’d come to know shifters, some of them very well, and he’d realized what the company had told him and all the others wasn’t true. Shifters weren’t beasts. In fact, some of them were more human than some of the humans John had worked with over the years.
He’d thought he’d be killed when he’d been captured. He’d known kidnapping a mate was something that any shifter would kill him for, but the pride’s alpha had just locked him up instead, and not even in a proper jail. John still wasn’t sure why, to be honest, but he was more than glad for it.
“So, ready?”
“How are the others going to take this?” John was thinking about Jamie and Ward, of course. He hadn’t seen Jamie since he’d handed him over to the company, but Ward had come to see him in the beginning of John’s stay in the cabin. He’d wanted to know why John had done what he’d done, and John had told him. He wasn’t sure if it was enough for Ward to forgive what he’d done, but he hoped so.
“Are you letting me go?”
Joshua grimaced. “Not yet. Dominic wants you to work with the council enforcers for a while before we really let you go. He... doesn’t trust you fully, not yet anyway.”
John rose from the couch and walked to his friend. “It’s okay. I wasn’t expecting anyone here to trust me.”
“I do.”
“And that still surprises me.”
Joshua frowned. “Why?”
“Because I used to work for a company that tortured your kind? Or maybe because I kidnapped one of your friends?”
Joshua shook his head. “We both know you’re not a bad guy, even if you made crappy choices in your life.”
“Most people wouldn’t call kidnapping someone a crappy choice. I should be rotting in jail just for that, not staying in a cozy cabin.”
“It’s been a year.”
“And I haven’t done anything to earn my freedom.”
“You called your friend and helped us find Gabriel,” Joshua pointed out.
“Not enough.”
“Well, we think differently, and Dominic has agreed to let you out of this place. I wouldn’t question his decisions too much, if I were you.”
“It’s not like I want to stay here, Josh. I’m just not sure throwing me literally to the wolves is a good thing for me. I really don’t think the other enforcers will look kindly at me.”
Joshua clapped John’s shoulder. “I’ll protect you, don’t worry.”
“Not funny.”
“Do you need to grab your stuff?”
“Yeah. Wait here, it won’t take long.” It wasn’t like John had a lot of things in his cell. Some clothes, his e-reader, some books, his bathroom kit. He stuffed everything in a backpack Joshua handed him, then gave the cabin one last look. He wasn’t sure whether or not he’d miss it. It had been a jail, but it had also given him the time to rethink the choices he’d made in his life, and to get to know a lot of people. Most of the pride members had been in the cabin at one point, and John had become friends with some of them.
“Ready?”
John nodded and let Joshua steer him toward the door. Joshua opened it and stepped outside, quickly followed by John. John took a deep breath of fresh air. He’d been locked away for so long, and sticking his nose between the bars that covered the cabin’s window frames just wasn’t the same.
Joshua gave him the time to breathe and look around, and once John was satisfied he followed Joshua on the path he knew led to the mansion. “Where am I going to stay?”
“In the house with us. There’s already a room ready for you.”
“What about meals?”
“You’ll eat with us.”
“You sure? I don’t think Jamie and Ward are going to appreciate that.”
“Oh
, I’m sure they’ll be fine, once Keenan gives you the verbal ass-kicking he’s planned for you.”
“You’re going to have to explain that.”
“Keenan is Jamie’s brother, and he’s a smart-mouth. You’re lucky he’s not home right now, so you’ll have a little time to get used to it before he plows through you and kicks your ass for kidnapping his brother.”
“Is he human?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I think I can take him.” John might not have fought in a year, but he’d trained as much as he could without actually getting out of the cabin.
“His mate isn’t, though,” Joshua said with a smirk.
John opened his mouth to reply, but he gaped instead. The path they’d been following opened on a back garden. The garden belonged to the huge house John was now looking at. Scratch that—it was a freaking mansion, actually. “How many people live in there?”
“Too many,” Joshua grumbled. “Around thirty, I guess.”
“That’s... a lot of people.”
“And I didn’t even count the couples who live in the cabins.”
Joshua pointed to John’s right. John looked and saw there was a cabin there, with flowers vases around the porch and boots sitting next to the door. “How many are there?”
“Ten. Not all of them are actually lived in, but Dominic thought some of the couples might want to move sooner or later.”
John looked around, but he knew it would take him a while to notice all the details and record them in his memory. “What about that other wing?” he asked, pointing at what clearly was a later addition to the left side of the house.
“That’s the enforcers’ wing.”
It wasn’t as big as the house by any means, and while it did stand out, it was also well integrated with the mansion. “So, where am I going to sleep?”
Joshua gestured at the house. “Follow me and I’ll show you.”
John memorized all the hallways and turns they took as Josh led him to what was going to be his room. Once there, Joshua stayed at the door while John entered and looked around. The room was as cozy as the cabin had been. There was a king-sized bed with two nightstands, a dresser, a closet, a TV set, and a door that led to a private bathroom. John peeked in and saw that someone had left a stack of towels on the counter next to the sink. There was also a pile of sheets on the bed, along with clothes that still had the tags on. Someone clearly had readied the room for him.
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