Saving Isadore [MxM] (An Alpha's Fight Book 1)

Chapter 32

AARON • POV

Graduation day seemed to ambush us out of nowhere. The days had merged together after Isadore's grandma died and I felt as though I'd been hibernating inside a warm, dark cave, with a possessive, grieving bear.

I'd hardly left Isadore's home to go back to my own to see my family or ventured outside with my school friends to enjoy our last summer of secondary school. Hadn't visited an indoor pool park or a mall arcade yet, or even taken a road trip with Oliver down to the east coast for a chaotic day on one of England's disappointing, overly crowded, pebbled beaches.

Yet I didn't regret a single second of time I'd spent with Isadore, holding him, caressing him, wiping away his never ending tears and whispering words of hope and assurance against his ear until both of us were exhausted and dragged into restless sleep.

He'd needed me and leaving him alone to deal with the aftermath of his grandmother's death would've been like ruthlessly handing loneliness and despair right into my fragile boyfriend's outstretched hands.

But now, however, as I stood, half asleep, with my father and mother freaking out on the other end of my phone about not being prepared for my graduation... which was in three hours, or the grand prom that followed later on in the evening, it felt like someone had slapped me in the face, sending my head swinging out of the bear's cave and back into the chaos of society.

Ah yes, I had a life outside of this mourning den with my mate and currently, I'd been ignoring all the responsibilities that lead up to this very important day.

Even Isadore looked startled, as though he was trying to process how time had flown by so quickly and was utterly bewildered as to what he was going to do.

At least he was awake, and sitting up on the edge of the bed in his pyjamas, rocking back and forth as he stared at me with wide, hazel eyes, looking for guidance I knew I was going to have to give.

Instead of actually paying attention to my parents, I was sizing Isadore up, trying to figure out how I was going to transform him into the prince I'd fallen in love with, in time for our ceremony, because right then, he looked more like the demon girl from 'The Ring'. The accurate description made me snort.

Isadore frowned.

Dad started yelling.

"You've got two hours to get here and put your damn suit on or your mother and I are leaving without you! Tell Alu we'll meet him there!"

"Yes dad!" I said placatingly, mock saluting, even though he couldn't see me. Hanging up, I chucked my phone to the bed, groaning and stretching. My body was sore from being plastered against the mattress, sometimes curled up or with Isadore sprawled on top of me. The gentle giant often forgot his own size and I'd been suffering pins and needles for days as his weight had cut off circulation through limbs. Though I couldn't ever find it in me to ask him to move, I just dealt with the pain, like the unashamed softie I was for Isadore.

"He's mad," Isadore pointed out, looking unsure and frail as he twisted his fingers through his long, oily hair, tangled and mussed sexily from sleep. I walked over to him, gently smacking his hands away from the strands.

Unusually, I didn't mind the rocking as his preferred method of comfort even though it was the most attention grabbing stim, but watching him yank out his own hair was utterly disturbing, not to mention a path straight to premature balding. I made sure to stop him whenever I caught him in the act.

"He's stressed," I snorted fondly, imagining my big, bad alpha of a father freaking out over his first son's secondary school graduation. It was more amusing than anything else. "It's graduation day, Honey! Yay, we made it!" I leaned in and kissed his cheek. "But we're severely unprepared so I'm gonna need you to work with me here. That is if you still want to go - you don't have to."