Isabella stopped what she was doing and sat down. “Yes. You don’t know what it was like. I was six, Dominique. People told me I should kill myself. Elder Lawson came once a day with food and that was all I had. Do you know how many nights I spent in that cabin, alone? In the dark, scared, crying? They told me I should die. The other children threw rocks at me and not one elder stopped them. Do you know how much I grew to hate my own father as a child? I was punished, for what he did. No one had pity. Not one person had pity on a six-year-old girl,” she whispered.
Dominique found himself strangely drawn to her. He walked over to her and sat down. “You had a difficult time. I am sorry, I didn’t realise what was happening.”
Isabella shook her head; a few tears had escaped her eyes and were streaming down her face. “Fuck. I hate crying,” she said, trying to wipe them.
Dominque found his hand reaching over to cup her cheek. He saw her luscious lips open in surprise as he gently wiped of a tear from her cheek. “I am truly sorry. I am your leader, and I failed to protect you from years of abuse,” he said, feeling his heart melting.
“It’s fine. Not like you had things easy,” Isabella said, sniffing.
“No. It was hard. I saw him, you know? It was my job to oversee the burial, of course I was too young to run the tribe or do anything. Elder Lawson acted as a leader till I was 15, and he made the burial arrangements after the battle. I still had to be there though, the symbolic figure of a leader. I saw my father’s battered body; I saw so many. I still haven’t forgotten it. Then I never truly got a childhood. Since that day, I have been prepared and raised to be a leader. The burden has been on my shoulders since then.” Dominique didn’t know why he felt like telling her. Why he felt like sharing all his pain with her. But he did.
“When I approached you that day, with the pup. I was scared. I knew you blamed my father for your father’s death. I didn’t know how you would react. I always thought you hated me. Everyone else did,” Isabella whispered.
“I don’t think I hated you. But I did blame you. I still do. I know you weren’t the one who did it, but you have a traitor’s blood in your veins. That’s not easy to run from,” Dominique said. What he didn’t tell her was how his mind had been thrown into disarray. He was confused how he felt about her, now that he knew her better.
“Yea. I know. I tried… to run from it,” Isabella said, staring at a distance.
“I know the feeling. I tried to run away too. From my responsibilities, from my nightmares. You should know, your father fought in the battle. He fought bravely and he fought hard. It is something that the elders hid. Gerald was a traitor, and, in their eyes, his bravery didn’t make up for what he did. But he fought on our side. He took down 10 of them before he went down. I thought you should know,” Dominque told her. He had recently found out the fact while studying the old reports.
He suddenly felt Isabella’s warm hand in his, her skin soft and smooth. The touch sent electric shocks through his body. He turned his face to find her looking up at him, her eyes filled with tears and warmth. “Thank you, Dominque. Thank you for telling me,” she whispered.
Her eyes shone bright in the dark cave, and her touch left him craving for more. When he finally headed home, it was all he could think about.
Chapter 8
Isabella
When Dominique left, Isabella found herself constantly thinking about him. She tried to busy herself with the pup, but even the little darling failed to distract her. She still remembered how warm and inviting Dominique’s eyes looked. They seemed to promise companionship, understanding, and care. Isabella shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She had grown up without all this care and compassion, and she didn’t need it now.
She forced herself to sleep, as the rain thundered outside. The next morning the sun rose shining brightly, and Isabella fed the little pup. It was while she was struggling to change his nappy that Dominque appeared.
“Everything okay?” he asked, as a way of greeting.
Isabella felt her cheeks turn pink as the memories of last night returned. She silently cursed her body for betraying her emotions.
“The pup is being fussy. It keeps crying and refuses to eat properly,” Isabella said, frustrated.
“I thought you might need some help. Taylor brought his mate to help you,” Dominique said. This statement was followed by the entrance of a small petite girl, her hair in beautiful curls.
“Isabella. Hello. I am Rose. Taylor told me about the pup, and we are both happy to help. Isn’t that right, Taylor?” Rose said. Taylor, who had just followed her in, grunted.
“I said, aren’t we happy to help her, Taylor?” Rose asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
“Yes! Yes. Happy to help,” Taylor grumbled.
“Well, how about you women get to it and Taylor and I will go and…” Dominque started to say.
Isabella narrowed her eyes and said, “You women? Excuse me? Do you think it’s just the woman’s job to raise the pup?”
“I… No, that’s not what I…” Dominque said, clearly confused.
“Is that so? You think it’s the woman’s job?” Rose asked, joining in.
“I… didn’t say that,” Dominque replied, looking bewildered.
At his expression, both girls burst laughing. “Go on then, do your manly things. Plus, I don’t think you can handle the pup as it is. You guys might just start crying,” Rose said, still laughing.
Dominque and Taylor left in the search of an orphanage to drop the child at. Rose helped Isabella to the best of her abilities. She was the only one in the pack who had ever shown her kindness and even now, she helped.
