His Prowl

Part 6

Chapter 6

“Please,” Sydney groaned from the back, “just pull over at the next stop.”

Isaac flicked his eyes to the back of the car.  Why was she avoiding him?  He figured she would be a little bent out of shape because he left her years ago, but it was needed.  They had an understanding; they would always be there for one another, and now, she wouldn’t even make contact with him.

“We can stop for five minutes at the next gas station.  You run in, do your business, and run out, or I’m leaving your little ass.”

She sent him a large smile through the mirror, making her green eyes shine.  “You always know what to say to make me feel better.”  Immediately, as the words escaped her mouth, her eyes darted away. 

Slamming on the breaks, he swerved onto the off-ramp.  For once, he actually wanted Sydney away from him; he wanted to have a conversation with Blake, but with Sydney there, he couldn’t ask the questions he wanted to.  And, he couldn’t point out that the man needed to grow some balls.

As soon as he pulled into the parking lot, Sydney jumped from his back seat and ran towards the store.  Hmm, she must not have been lying when she said she needed to go.  Shrugging, he turned towards Blake with a smile.  He meant for it to be comforting, but the effect was lost on the boy sitting next to him.

“Look,” Isaac said with a sigh, “I’m the happy one, the one who makes a joke out of everything, who never takes anything seriously.  So, I get why you are as nice as you are.  It’s just how you are, but man; you can be nice and not be such a wuss.”

Blake turned towards him with a confused expression.  “What do you mean?”

“You’re second in command.  That means that you are strong.  Stop letting people run all over you when you should be the one commanding them.  You don’t see Sydney taking crap from people.  Okay, so maybe she can come off as a little catty, but she means well.”

“So,” Blake drawled out, “you are saying that I need to be mean?”

Isaac nodded.  “Now, you’re getting it.”

“I’ll start with you.  You may laugh, but the sadness in your eyes is unmistakable.  The way you pant after Sydney is beginning to get annoying, and I think that your eyes are creepy,” Blake replied with a smile.

“That is not what I meant,” he mumbled while banging his head against the steering wheel.  “Stating facts is not being mean, and neither is pointing out something that creeps you out.  Now, I’m going to want to use my eyes to my advantage.”

“Not my fault.  Why can’t all of you just be like Ally?”

Isaac glanced over at the man. He was smiling, but Isaac could tell by the look on the man’s face that he felt no more than brotherly love towards the woman.  Did the leopard realize this himself?  Or was he still pinning after a person who he didn’t really want?  “What do you mean?”

Blake smiled over at him.  “She is blunt to a fault.  She doesn’t care about what others think of her, but she also doesn’t realize that that makes people like her more.  She’s powerful though, so powerful.”

The last sentence was said with longing, and that was when it hit him.  Blake had never been faced with hardships in life.  It was the same for Sydney.  That was why the two were on this secret mission.  It wasn’t to find some woman; it was to toughen them up.  Smiling, Isaac had to admire the new Leopard Queen and Leo.  The two of them knew what they were doing.

Reaching over, he messed Blake’s hair up.  “You’ll be fine.  Just go with the flow.”

“That has nothing to do with what we were talking about.”

“No, it doesn’t, but all this girl talk is making me want to paint my nails,” Isaac told him with a smile.  “Speaking of which, when is that girl going to be out here?  We will be at the border in thirty minutes, and then its shift time.”

“What the hell?” Blake shouted while looking out the window with wide eyes.

Following Blake’s glance, Isaac stared at Sydney.  It wasn’t her that caught his attention this time though, it was the large white leopard stalking after her.  The worst part was she didn’t seem to notice the thing. How could someone not?

Jumping from his car, he was ready to shift, but before he could, scents assaulted his nose.  Noises echoed through the parking lot.  He darted his eyes around, and mumbled a curse.  They were surrounded.  There were shifters everywhere.

“Out of all the gas stations in the world,” Sydney said, coating her words in sarcasm, “you had to pick the one ran by shifters?”

He smiled at her.  “You know how much I like a little action.”

“Yeah, I do,” she said while rolling her eyes.

He wiggled his eyebrows at her.  “How about you and I get started now then?”

“Me on top?”

“Never,” he mumbled.

She stuck her bottom lip out.  “You never let me have any fun.”

Isaac shrugged.  He wasn’t going to let her put her life in danger.  They had come up with code phrases long ago, and what she wanted, wasn’t going to happen.  Looking to his right, he was relieved to see Blake standing beside him.  If the man could fight, they may be okay.  If not, they were up a creek without a paddle.