After my parents died, I hunted down all the rogues that I could find and killed them. Now, after six years, they were back. And I would not chance losing Isabella to them too. They targeted my family before; I didn’t put it past them to do it again.
Chapter 19
Isabella
After listening to Roman praise me for lying to him, I walked right out of the room without speaking a word. I couldn’t listen to him. I couldn’t look at that smile of his and that softness in his eyes.
My stomach turned. I hated every second of it. When he found out that this was all a lie, he would be so hurt. He wouldn’t look at me the same. He wouldn’t give me the same smile.
I shook my head and made a beeline for Mom and Dad. This wasn’t my fault. If he would’ve just accepted me as a warrior, I wouldn’t even consider becoming a Lycan. Sure, becoming a Lycan was always a goal; but I just wanted to protect. A warrior would have sufficed because I enjoyed being in Roman’s pack, under his command,withhim.
Mom was curled in Dad’s sweatshirt by the fire, staring at him with the flames reflecting off of her eyes. All I wanted was a relationship like theirs, and I hoped the Moon Goddess would give me that soon with a mate. Then—maybe—I wouldn’t feel bad about leaving Roman.
“There you are, Izzy,” Mom said.
“Your mother and I are leaving,” Dad said. Good, I needed to get out of here. I had to meet Ryker soon. “You can stay with Derek a little longer if you—”
“No, let’s go home.” I watched Roman walk out of the packhouse with that same soft expression that he had. For the briefest moment, his eyes met mine. But I looked away, the guilt smothering me.
~~~
When we finally got back to the house, it was nearly 11pm. I retired to my room, shut my door, and breathed in the refreshing scent of Moonflowers. They twinkled on my windowsill, lighting up my room like Christmas lights. I brushed my finger against the Luna Raya’s keychain and smiled.
I was doing the right thing. I was doing the right thing. I was doing the right thing.
My wolf might’ve wanted to stay, but I wanted to go. This was my dream.
At 11:50pm, Dad started snoring. I waited anxiously by my bedroom door, grasping the keychain in my hand. If anything would give me strength to fulfil my destiny, it would be Luna Raya.
After another two minutes, I took a deep breath and peeked my head out of the door. Mom and Dad’s door was closed, and I could hear Mom cursing the Moon Goddess for having a mate who snored louder than her father.
I doused myself in a foul-smelling perfume to hide my scent from the guards, tiptoed down the stairs, skipping the floorboards that creaked, then slipped out of the door. The moon glowed so brightly in the sky, its light filing through the tree leaves and hitting the forest floor. Wolves growled viciously in the distance—in the direction of the packhouse.
To the west, guards were doubled… so I decided to sneak out to the east. I hurried through the woods, being sure not to leave my scent on any trees or bushes.
There was an eerie sense of danger in the air. I gazed around, making sure every step was in the right direction—away from the danger and not toward it.
Another wolf growled, and I ducked behind a tree. This one was closer, and it sounded different from any growl I had heard. Rogues, maybe? Ryker had been looking for new recruits for a reason.
Either way, I had to be more careful. Ifanyonesaw me, I would be screwed. They’d tell Alpha Roman that someone was sneaking outside of the borders. Roman would track my scent and drag me back to my room, if not lock me in the pack prison for leaving without permission for the second time.
When I thought nobody was around, I walked carefully and quietly through the woods toward the borders. Three guards walked tensely around, gazing everywhere as if they were looking for something. Or someone.
Nothing could ever go easily for me.
The numbers11:58glowed on my phone. I tapped my fingers on the screen, waiting anxiously for them to be relieved of their positions at 12am. There would be more of them, but they usually weren’t as on-guard at that time. I had tried and tested this multiple times, sneaking out and going to the Night Raider’s Café with Derek in high school. I just had to be quiet.
That’s when I’d take my chance and sprint off of the property. I didn’t want to keep Ryker waiting. Tonight was my only chance to prove myself.
After crouching down behind another tree, I pressed my lips together.11:59pm.
I gazed through the woods, trying to find a hidden passageway, when I locked eyes with Ryker. Standing about two hundred yards off of our property, he was looking directly at me. Waiting for me to make a move. Assessing my actions.
Though Ryker stood close enough for his scent to be noticed, Lycans were known to have an abundance of abilities to hide themselves, like scent cloaking. He didn’t move, just leaned against a tree with a smirk on that gorgeous face, and I knew that this was my first test. I would either escape without being noticed or get caught by Roman.
At 12:00am, the guards didn’t move. They continued to walk alongside the borders, watching. Ryker gazed down at his wrist and tapped it, as if to say: it’s time.
Fuck it. I needed to get out of here. Now.
