Izariah-I woke up to a loud pounding on my door. Pulling my covers over my head, I tried to tune the sound out, but it only intensified. Groaning, I rolled over on my side to smash my pillow over my ears.Nothing I did seemed to matter as the banging would not stop. Kicking my covers off, I screamed into my pillow. I was generally a morning person, but I felt like I had barely fallen asleep.“Okay!” I yelled.Rolling out of bed, I walked over to the door and yanked it open. “What the hell?” I demanded at Braxton, who was standing in the hall with his fist in the air.“I told you we were going into town today. We are leaving in five minutes.” He had a smile on his face that reminded me of a child’s smile.He looked a little cute and not like he was a natural-born killer or something. It softened my mood a little, but not enough to tell him exactly what I felt about him pounding on my door. Turning my head, I looked at the clock on the wall and sighed.“It is five in the morning. You p
Izariah-Getting out of the car, I felt a little uneasy with how he was treating me. Now he was being attentive and like a decent man. I wasn't sure if I should trust the way he was acting. The best thing I can do for myself is to keep my guard up."Have you ever been in a helicopter?” Braxton asked me as we walked toward it.“Wait, we are going up in that thing?”The laughter that flowed out of him was a little surprising. It was pure and sounded as if it was something that very few had a chance to hear. Looking at him, I realized that he was entirely different from his usual self.Even his demeanor was more relaxed and as if he weren’t angry all the time. Prior to this morning, he always seemed uptight and in a foul mood. This side of him almost made me think I could be his friend.“Yes, we are. I was going to take you into town and have fun, but I changed my mind. I want to show you my favorite spot in the entire world.” His smile was contagious, causing me to return the smile.Bra
Izariah-When we stepped out of the helicopter, I was hit with a blast of heat. Looking at the helicopter, I wondered if it would be okay to be exposed to this intense of heat. I didn’t get a chance to ask Braxton, because he answered my unspoken question.“It will be fine. This isn’t the first time I have used it to come up here. We won’t be able to stay for more than thirty minutes, however.” Even thirty minutes seemed like a long time to be exposed to this heat. Barely a minute outside of the helicopter and I was sweating. Pulling out my phone, I set it for twenty minutes so we could know when to head back.“How close can we get to the lava? I would really like to see it up close.” I asked when we started walking up a path, toward the tip of the volcano.“There is a small leak over here, where you will be able to view it. Whatever you do, don’t let it touch you. It will burn through your flesh and bones in a matter of seconds.”Nodding my head, I followed Braxton as he led the way
Jace-Braxton led us to where he believed Izariah fell. Seeing how far she rolled down, I worried that we would find her dead somewhere. He filled us in on how much time has passed between hearing her scream until now. It has been about half an hour. The urgency to find her was increasing by the second. She has already been exposed to the elements for roughly an hour.It pissed me off that he felt the need to bring her here, and then leave her alone to get something to drink. The moment she was left alone, a number of things could have happened, one of which already did. Now she was lost somewhere, probably injured or worse.I should have never gone to meet with my family when I had been the one to invite her to the barbeque. If anyone were to blame, it was me. I knew better than anyone that Braxton had set his sights on her and knowing him, it wasn’t for anything good.I had already vowed to protect her, even if I didn’t fully understand why. There was something about her that intere
Braxton-All the way back to the car, I kept trying to get Izariah to cool down. I was happy I found her, but she looked to be in bad shape. I only meant to show her something special, but had I known it would have turned out like this, I wouldn’t have taken her.It would have been better to just take her into town as I had originally planned. Was it my curse to torment others without even trying? It frustrated me to no end that I was the reason for her being injured like this.Thankfully, I could feel her pulse, but it was very faint. When I planned to take her on this trip, it was to make her suffer but then it turned into something else. Now, this was the second time she has nearly died at my hands this weekend alone.Maybe it was best that I should stay away from her, yet I could no longer do that. I couldn’t deny that I was drawn to her unlike any other I have come across. I didn’t like that she could ignore my Alpha command, or that she made me bleed, yet wanted her near me.“I
Braxton-When I reached Izariah’s room, she was asleep and hooked up to a lot of machines. My stomach twisted at seeing her like this. Slowly, I approached the bed, now a little unsure if I should be here.She looked as if she were sleeping peacefully, although she did have a few scrapes on her beautiful face. On the plus side, they did clean her up. She didn’t look as bad as I thought she would from how I had found her.Still, the sight of her laying on the bed like this ripped through my heart in a way that didn’t make sense. Walking toward the bed, I stopped when I reached the foot of the bed. My hand instinctively reached out to touch her leg, but I quickly pulled it back.What was wrong with me? I couldn’t be falling for her, that was too crazy of a possibility to even consider. Shaking my head, I thought it was best that I just leave now that I saw that she was okay. It would have been better if I just let her rest.Turning around, I took a step away when the softness of her voi
Izariah-Just when I thought I could get a bit of rest, someone entered my hospital room. Opening my eyes, I was surprised to see Jace. A smile lit up on my face at seeing my current favorite person around here.“I wasn’t sure if you were planning to visit me.” I whispered, only because my throat felt dry and hoarse.“Of course, I was. I wasn’t going to leave the hospital without knowing you were okay. How are you feeling?” Jace pulled the chair that was against the wall, closer to the bed to sit down.“Not too bad, I would like to get out of here. Do you have any idea when they are going to release me? I am not a huge fan of hospitals.” I groaned, sounding a little like I was whining.“I guess they want you to stay a few extra days. I am sure the doctor will be in to discuss things with you later. Would you like me to stay with you while you are here?” Jace’s facial expression seemed hopeful.As much as I liked the idea of him keeping me company, I couldn’t ask him to stay. He still
Izariah-The aroma of fresh coffee, eggs, bacon, and a blueberry muffin stirred me from my sleep the next day. Opening my eyes, I was surprised to see Braxton setting food on the hospital bedside tray. I wasn’t sure what surprised me more, the fact he was still here after I knew the rest of the class had left to return home.I knew that the plane was going to leave at six this morning, which it was already past that from the clock on the wall. I didn’t know why Braxton hadn’t left with everyone, but I was kind of glad he was here. After spending yesterday evening alone, I had gone stir-crazy.He might not be my favorite person, but currently, he wasn’t too bad of an option. Plus, he did bring me breakfast, which smelled amazing. He was busy setting things up still, so I didn’t think he knew I was awake.“What is all of this?” I asked.His attention moved to me, and a wide smile spread across his face. I had to admit that I liked it when he smiled. It didn’t make him seem like such a b
Three Years Later Izariah- “Will you hurry up already? You don’t want to be late to your own graduation!” Rachel, my new best friend and Jace’s mate yelled from the front door of the house that I lived in with Braxton. After we officially moved to the pack, we stayed in the packhouse with his father for a bit. On the day of Braxton’s graduation, which had been two years ago, he surprised me with the keys to our own house. He explained that he hadn’t wanted to live with his father or in a house that had too many bad memories. “I am coming!” I yelled from the bathroom, where I was putting the finishing touches on my hair. As I inspected my reflection, I was reminded of the first day that I met Braxton. That morning I had been running late to class and my old friend and roommate had yelled at me to hurry. I had just barely made it in time to take my finals that day. I guess no matter how many things have changed from then until now, there were still some things that were never goin
Braxton- When we arrived at the lake, where her childhood best friend died, I wasn’t sure what I could do for her. I could sense she was hurting inside, as she experienced being back here. We were all standing in a group, near the lake, no one saying a word. When she started walking forward, I decided that this was something she was going to need to face on her own. Putting my arms out, I stopped the others from following her. If she looked back then I would join her, but her gaze remained on the center of the lake. “Just wait. If she needs us then we will be there for her, but I think the best thing for her is to support her from back here.” I explained. “Do you think that it will work? What if she is never able to shift?” Jace asked. “Then I will make sure I am always by her side to protect her.” I said with certainty. “Even without a wolf, I believe she is stronger than any of us realize.” Sebastian spoke in a faraway tone that made me glance at him. His eyes were focused on
Izariah- Taking a deep breath, I gathered my courage as I opened the car door. I barely had time to close the door before I rushed by Gwenna. She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly. “I knew the moment I met you that we had a connection. I never would have suspected it is because you are my sister!” She exclaimed, speaking a little too loud in my ear for my liking. I was a little confused about how she already knew that I was her sister when I hadn’t spoken a word yet. Since I had been looking forward to this moment as well, I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her just as tight. Between her and the Alpha King, she was the one that I had been the most nervous about seeing. Meeting my biological father was scary, but it wasn’t like I needed a new father, as I already had one that I absolutely adored. Having a sister, on the other hand, was something I have always dreamed of. Seeing that she was just as thrilled with the idea, I relaxed. Not wanting to break the mom
Izariah- “Chill out, I am Millie’s boyfriend.” The man spoke in a tone that indicated that he didn’t care who I was or why I was here. “Don’t lie to me. Tell me who you are, now!” I demanded. With everything that was going on, he was the least of my problems. I have already dealt with enough, so I didn’t have time to deal with a little punk too. He was probably a few years older than me, and I could sense he was an Alpha, which didn’t explain why he was in my room. “I am not lying. If you don’t believe me, you can ask her yourself. She just left to get some ice cream, but she should be back any minute.” He said with a yawn as he leaned back and went back to playing a game on his phone like he had been doing when I entered. Not sure what to do at this moment, I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. He seemed harmless, but I still didn’t believe him. I knew Millie had a crush on Sebastian, so why was this dude claiming to be her boyfriend? Just then Sebastian barged into t
Izariah- The moment we drove through the gate that surrounded the territory; I was completely speechless. Eric, who had been driving the car, had to slow down to a crawl, as members of the pack surrounded us. It took me a moment to understand that they were all celebrating. “What is going on?” I asked, not sure what the reason was for all of this. “Two things. They are welcoming their future Luna and celebrating that their old Luna is no longer here.” Braxton answered. “Do they know it is me?” I asked. I didn’t need to ask why they were celebrating Tabitha being gone, as I am sure many hadn’t liked her. There were only a select few that knew what I was though. As far as everyone else was concerned, I was still a wolfless Omega that worked with the pack doctor. Granted, no one at the pack had cared or treated me terribly over it. There had been one group of teenage girls that had made a comment about it, but it hadn’t escalated. Braxton had been with me when I heard it and he had
Izariah- “I will grant you something, but it won’t be to find another mate. If I have learned anything, is that I don’t make mistakes twice. You have shown me that you are undeserving of love, for you don’t know the meaning of love.” As my mother speaks, she walks closer to Tabitha. “I did love them!” Tabitha yells, but my mother is unfazed by her outburst. “The fact that you think that is love, shows me that I can’t allow you to love another soul. It would be wrong of me to torment anyone with the kind of love that you have to offer. No. Instead of that, I will give you something else.” My mother places her fingers against her chin and taps them a few times, appearing to be deep in thought. “What are you going to do? I promise I won’t cause anyone any more trouble if you just let me go.” By now Tabitha looked truly scared. “And what? Allow you to roam free and give you the chance to not repent for your actions? Even if I allow you to go free, you still won’t learn anything.” She
Braxton- Seeing my father enter the room, I was a little confused about why he was here. My eyes moved to Izariah, who didn’t seem surprised at all. Moving my attention back to him, I hoped that he was here to help and not to make things worse. “My love, what are you doing here?” My mother asked innocently. “Save it. I heard everything just now.” My father growled as he stomped toward her. “You don’t understand, it isn’t like that.” The panic in my mother’s voice revealed that if there was one person in this world, she both loved and feared, it was my father. My earlier assumption that she was in control of their relationship was wrong. Now that I thought about it, it had simply been my father giving in to my mother because of his love for her. I completely understood because I would do the same for Iza. Not that I would have to worry about that, because I doubted there was a single bad cell in her body. It was also apparent that my father hadn’t known about the things my mother
Izariah- “I was wrong, I won’t do it again. Please give me another chance. If I had known she was the daughter of the Moon Goddess, I wouldn’t have tried to break them up.” Braxton’s mother pleaded with my mother. “Do you honestly believe that I care? It shouldn’t matter who someone is. All that matters is that they love each other. I chose your son for my daughter, not because of who his family is or how much money he came from. I did it because I knew they would be good for each other. If we only based someone’s standing on if they were good enough, then do you think I would allow my daughter to be with someone when his mother is so awful? Despite your beliefs, I don’t think someone’s past will define who they are.” “Then you can understand that I was only doing what I thought was best for my son. I love him and I want him to succeed in life.” Luna Tabitha seemed to have given up pleading with the Moon Goddess, as she met her gaze with unwavering certainty. “Best for him?” My bi
Izariah- Unfiltered strength flowed through me, not only mine but Braxton’s as well. Had I known that having Braxton mark me would awaken my wolf, I would have let him do it sooner. Not only had I unlocked my Goddess abilities, but I have a wolf. I still had a bit to go before I could fully be who I was meant to be, but right now none of that mattered. I would figure it out in time and once I could let go of my fear of water, I knew I would be able to shift into my wolf. My birth mother had been right, but now I knew it. Full of confidence and brimming with untapped power, I held Braxton’s hand in mine as I stepped around him. The look of shock and then anger that passed over his mother’s face was everything I had hoped for and more. When she came in and assumed that he had marked Gwenna, I couldn’t wait to prove her wrong. No longer did I fear her. Compared to me, she was nothing more than a power-hungry werewolf that couldn’t hurt me or Braxton any longer. Her threats were meani