By the grace of God, I had escaped the pack territory without anyone noticing me. After I knocked Jaxon out, I threw random items into a duffle bag, attempting to hurry, stole all the cash from his wallet (sorry, Jaxon), and took to the woods. I made sure to stay in the in-between area from the salt line and the pack house, ducking behind trees and sloshing through random creeks to bury my scent.
I found the nearest bus station and paid for a ticket to a city in South Alabama, hoping the more people I'm around, the harder it would be to track me. The total journey was twelve hours, a tiresome affair which I used to catch up on sleep and mindlessly watch the scenery go by, my entire body numb by the decisions I've made.
My wolf howls inside of me to go back, creating a physical, mental, and emotional discomfort. I make sure to keep my barrier up so he can't reach me. He can't track me, either, with this crystal around my neck. No one can—not Hayes or Jaxon.
Completely alone.
For once in my life, I'm completely isolated. Even after my mom left and my dad died, I was never alone. I had my pack. Thinking back on it, I've never really made any decisions for myself. The Alpha took responsibility for me in the Smokey Mountain Pack. And when Jaxon found me, he decided that we'd be together. I didn't have a say. I didn't have a say in whether I'd be marked, inducted, whether I wanted to be the Luna or not, wanted to be with Jaxon at all. I've never had a choice. But now I do.
It's freeing, to decide for myself, but also terrifying as I think of what it's costing me. Jaxon is going to lose his shit when he wakes up. He's probably already awake. Since he never gave me a cell phone, it's not like he can call me and he can't reach my thoughts unless I allow him in—which I won't.
I warily check out the window of the semi-nice hotel I'd booked. Surprisingly, Jaxon carries a lot of cash for someone who hardly ever leaves the pack territory. I didn't want to blow through it too quickly, but I also didn't want to stay somewhere too sketchy. I yank the curtains shut and check the deadbolt for the sixth time—still locked.
Five more days until Hayes' ritual.
Maybe, when he sees that I'm gone and Jaxon has no idea where I went, he'll divert from the pack and after me. And when he can't find me, he won't be able to do the ceremony, he won't be so powerful, and I can go back to Jaxon.
I mean, it's not like I can't not go back to him, or I'll die. Or will I? Jaxon is the only one who's ever told me I would certainly die if I break the bond or if he dies. Let's just say I don't gain my wolf. Maybe only reason Jaxon has said that I'd die is because I'm so weak right now without a shifted wolf and am unable to protect myself.
That combined with the fact that I don't have the power to sever our mate bond would make me extremely vulnerable and more likely to die. But that doesn't necessarily mean that I will die. Maybe Jaxon only thinks so because he perceives me as frail. I'm not as fragile as he thinks me to be, or I would be dead already from his antics.
Theoretically, let's say my wolf decides to make an appearance. Even though there's a power divide between us, I'd still have the ability to reject him and sever our bond. I could even get Jon to reverse the induction, something Jaxon thought impossible, which can't be done on an unshifted wolf because it's so painful and draining.
Splitting your soul from being bonded to hundreds of others, as is the case with the Moonlight Pack, can kill someone without a strong wolf form. But, if she does decide to come out, then it could be done. I could be... free. I could go back to Smokey Mountain Pack or search for a new one.
The biggest thing to consider, now that I'm out of Jaxon's bubble, is whether my love for Jaxon outweighs my desire to be free. My love for him hasn't come easily, and most would say it only ever manifested because of the induction, not because I actually love him. It's a fair assessment, which the Council representative posed to me a couple weeks ago.
"No matter your feelings before, those two in compendium will bring together the most polarized of mates."
And he's right. I hated Jaxon before the induction and he felt the same about me. Immediately after is when we had sex for the first time. Not because I wanted to, but I had this deep need within myself to do so. Because of the induction. I press my fingertips into my eyes at the thoughts flying through my head. Now that I'm away, I'm gaining more perspective about my situation.
Does Jaxon even love me?
Do I even love him?
Do I stay with him because he's my mate and that's simply how it's done, rather than because I actually want to be with him?
In reality, my fear of him outweighs my love for him. I never know when he's going to lose it, fly off the handle, haul off and hit me. He could at any moment, and I would be powerless to his whims.
And I don't want to be powerless anymore.
☾
Although I try to remain hidden away in my hotel room, there comes a time when hunger takes over, combined with stir-craziness and constant thoughts of what I'm going to do about Jaxon after this. The hotel is downtown, near small shops, restaurants, and a park, so I decided to take a quick stroll and grab a bite to eat. As long as the crystal remains around my neck, I should be fine. If anything, they'd probably think I'd go back to Tennessee, my home, not South Alabama. It's still boiling hot outside, despite being December, so I opt for a t-shirt and some jeans and pull my hair into a casual ponytail.
Using Jaxon's money, I go ahead and purchase lunch and dinner. On the way, I pass a small bookstore and end up buying two random books to occupy my spinning thoughts. I eat lunch in peace on a park bench, watching people stroll by on their peaceful Sunday, most still adorning clothes they'd worn to church. I've never been to church. Werewolves don't tend to believe in God, but in the Moon Goddess. At least, I've never met a werewolf who does.
I sip on my soda from its to-go cup, condensation coating my hands from how much it's sweating in the heat. I don't mind it, though. It's still a fairly nice day, sitting here next to the Bay and taking in all the different scenery. I've never been here, before. I've only ever been to Tennessee and South Carolina—my home then Jaxon's home. The world is so different, even a few states over. I bask in the breeze and sunlight and freedom, not minding the solitude at all.
"Isabelle?" Someone calls my name and my eyes shoot open. I frantically gather my things, ready to make a run for it, before I feel a soft hand on my forearm, causing me to cease my fearful gathering.
I slowly gather the courage to look into the eyes of the man before me and realization dawns on me when I meet his kind face—Mr. Richards. I'd forgotten that the Southern Division of the American Council of Werewolves is located here, in this city.
"M-Mr. Richards," My racing heartbeat calms down and I let my things slide back onto the park bench.
"Isabelle, what are you doing here? Is Jaxon with you?" He looks around, his tone cautious and wary at seeing me out, alone, in another state.
"Uh—no, he's-he's not," I stumble through my words. How am I going to explain this?
"Did you feel threatened? Did you run? Is that why you're here—"
"N-No, sir, Jaxon didn't threaten me. Granted, he doesn't know where I am, but that's for his own good."
"His own good? Is something going on I should be informed of?"
With a quick glance around, I shake my head, "M-Maybe we shouldn't talk about this here—"
"We can go back to my office—"
"Not there, either."
It dawns on me that because of my letter, Jaxon or Hayes may assume I'm seeking asylum with the Council, which would place me at their headquarters.
He follows my antsy glance around us and sighs, "Why don't we go back to my house? My wife is there, so it won't be just us two alone." I nod. Although I'm not afraid of Mr. Richards, I think it's better for the both of us that another person is present. "We can walk. It's not too far from downtown."
We walk in silence. He offers to carry my books and I allow him, twining my fingers in front of me instead. He was right, it doesn't take very long to come to the traditional white house next to the street. He beckons me inside and calls out to his wife once we're in, "Sarah, I'm home! And we have a visitor."
From down the slender hallway, a raven-haired woman peeks her head around the corner. "Arthur!" She smiles, hurrying to kiss him. They're mates—I can see her mark peeking out from under her shirt. But they're married? That's not typical of werewolves. Usually, being mates is enough and marriage doesn't happen. "And who do we have here?"
"Isabelle Slate," He introduces for me, "Luna of the Moonlight Pack."
"Oh," Uneasiness overtakes her expression as she glances over to her husband, "you're Jaxon's mate?"
"I am," I mumble, shaking the hand she'd extended to me.
I can sense her hesitancy and I know why. She's probably curious as to why I'm here in their house alone. She's probably thinking of the repercussions for both of them if an angry Alpha finds his mate hiding in their house. "Don't worry, Mrs. Richards, I won't be here long," I try to reassure her, but she just smiles.
"Oh, it's no bother, Isabelle. Would you like anything to drink? Water? Tea?"
"No thank you."
"Dear, we were wondering if you could sit in on our conversation? Isabelle was just about to tell me why she's in our lovely city... unaccompanied."
"Of course, Arthur."
We all migrate into the living room, the spouses sitting on a loveseat and myself in an armchair. It's quiet only for a brief second before Mr. Richards prompts me to speak, "So, Isabelle? The reason you're here without Jaxon?"
I clear my throat, "Well, it's kind of a long story."
He gestures for me to continue, so I do. I spill my guts about everything with Hayes—the prophecy, the whistles, the marriage ritual in five days, Jaxon's refusal to hide. I don't stop until every detail is told and my voice is shaking. They seem overwhelmed by the information, but I can tell Mr. Richards is dissecting it piece-by-piece. Finally, he speaks, "I think we can help—the Council, I mean."
I cock an eyebrow, unsure of what they could do in this situation, "How? Mistletoe Pack and Hayes himself are older than America. He's 426 years old, Mr. Richards. I think he elevates himself above the authority of the Council. No offense, but he's probably stronger than your forces."
"I understand what you're saying. While I personally don't practice magic, we have plenty of warriors under our employ that are skilled in fighting and the deep magic of the Earth and the Moon Goddess—far more powerful, far older than Hayes," He informs me and I narrow my eyes.
"Why would they help you?"
"Who do you think formed the Council in the first place? They did. I'm not surprised by Hayes' behavior. He was actually one of the founding members of the Council, but when he wanted to use his magic to amass power for himself and dominate the other packs, the Founders banned him and restricted him to his pack alone. The prophecy is how he plans to break their restrictions and rise above all."
"Hayes was a Founder? Why isn't that more well-known?"
"They erased him from the ledger, from history. He wanted power, but all he would receive is obscurity. He hasn't caused too many problems since, but I suppose he's been awaiting for the prophetic year."
"So the Council knows about the prophecy?"
"Barely. We're told that he never shared much of it with anyone. He was always very crafty, secretive. Which is another reason he was expelled. He only wanted to achieve his own ends, rather than help all werewolves."
"So you think they'll help us, the Founders? They can keep me safe and keep Jaxon from being killed?"
"If I can reach them, yes, I believe they'll help. The problem is finding them in such a short amount of time. They like to remain hidden from humans and werewolves to retain their anonymity."
"How are you going to find them?"
He sighs at my question and looks over to Sarah, squeezing her knee, "It won't actually be me who finds them, but Sarah."
I furrow my brow and look to her. "My grandmother is a Founder," She explains, clasping her hands together in her lap.
"So you practice the deep magic?"
She shrugs, "Hardly anymore, since Arthur started working at the Council. Let's just say, my methods haven't always been... legal." She flits a nervous look over to her husband, "But I think I can contact my grandmother, Dionisia. She can spread the word to the rest of them. She despises Hayes, like all of them, so it shouldn't be a problem to get her there."
"And I can talk to the Council about getting some warriors sent out there. The magic should be enough, but just in-case, we'll have a back-up plan," Mr. Richards adds in and I nod, a wary feeling of relief flooding me—hope.
I want to have hope that it will all work out, but who knows? The Founders may not come, and then it wouldn't matter how many warriors we have. Hayes will win. The briefcase next to Mr. Richards' feet begins to ring and he opens it to grab his phone. "I have to take this, ladies. I'll be right back," He squeezes his wife's shoulder before exiting the room and leaving me alone with Sarah. She watches me intently, so much so that I shift uncomfortably underneath her stare.
"Ask me," She says and I furrow my brow.
"Ask you what?"
"When you wanted to know if I practiced, I could send a question burning inside of you. What is it?"
I toss a glance at the door Mr. Richards had just gone out of and sigh, lowering my voice, "I'm unshifted. Is there a way for me to break my bond with Jaxon, actually get away from him, and not die?"
"I've heard about him—cruel, arrogant Alpha out to achieve his own ends, much like Hayes," She comments, seemingly mulling over the question.
"There is a way... it's not legal, and I don't think you'd do it," She narrows her eyes and I just now notice the purple tint to them, matching the amethyst around her neck. I hadn't noticed it before, too absorbed in solving my own problems, but now it winks at me in the overhead light.
"Please, I need to know," I push, glancing at the doorway to check for Mr. Richards, hoping he doesn't come back before she can tell me.
"The knife that was used to induct you," She begins, "you take it, and you plunge it into his heart."
"B-But it's silver, he'll die—"
"Exactly."
"B-But I don't—"
"I told you, you don't want to do it. Even if you believe your love is a fabrication, you still wouldn't kill your mate. I sense that about you."
"Wouldn't I just die if I killed him?"
"The knife is spelled specifically for inductions. If one wanted to reverse an induction, they'd need the same knife. By plunging it into the heart of the Alpha you're bonded to, the one who bonded you to the rest of the pack, you're reversing its effects. Confusing, I know. Such is the story with the idea of mates. One never knows if rejection or death of a mate will bring death to the other."
"B-But Jon said there was a different way to reverse the induction... and Jaxon said it would kill me...I've seen it. My father died after my mother rejected him."
She scoffs, "Jon and Jaxon are both liars, my darling, as is the case with most men. Jon only told you the contrary so you wouldn't immediately reject his ideas. And Jaxon only convinced you that you'd die so you wouldn't be able to leave him. Guilted you into thinking having him killed would result in your death and the death of his pack. Your father, on the other hand, was already the weak one in the relationship. Your mother was his strength. With her gone, he had nothing to live for, not even you."
"H-How do you know so much about me?" My voice shakes with confusion and a little bit of fear.
She shrugs, "It's just a cold-reading, Isabelle. To be sure, we'd have to test those theories, or ask the men themselves. The only way to talk to your father, however, would be through necromancy... which again, isn't technically legal under the Council's rules."
"How old are you, exactly? How powerful?"
She cocks an eyebrow, "My grandmother is one of the Founders, and she personally trained me, so about as powerful as them without the acclaim to my name. I didn't want anything to do with the Council when it was formed. I don't like limitations on my magic," She shrugs. "To answer your first question, it's rude to ask a lady her age, but I will humor you. My grandmother was born in 1252. She was forty when my mother had me, so, a little math and—"
"You're 729 years old?" My face blanches and I balk at the fact that she could easily kill me with a snap of her fingers.
She turns her head to the side, "Yes." When my eyes slide over to the doorway, she laughs, "Arthur knows, if that's what you're wondering. He's my mate. He knows everything about me."
"You had to wait seven centuries before you found your mate?"
She chuckles again and dismisses my sentiment with a wave of her hand, "I found him at the right time. I wasn't concerned with a mate before, only the deep magic and power."
"So you must've known Hayes?"
"I did. Not well, though. I considered him to be a peon, even if he was originally a Founder. He's a weak and insecure little man. You shouldn't worry about him."
"I am worried about him. The only magic I've ever been taught is to absorb energy from trees."
She furrows her brow, the smile still on her face, "That's level-one magic, usually taught to children who are being groomed to become a lupus mystici—or, mystical wolf. That's what we call ourselves. The lay-wolves typically don't know that."
"I didn't know that," I agree, but she continues to intently watch me.
"You said you're unshifted?"
"Yeah. What does that have to do with anything?"
Instead of answer me, she asks, "Do you know who taught you the energy absorption?"
I shrug, "I don't remember—it was so long ago."
"Hmm," She strokes her chin thoughtfully, still staring me down with those purple eyes, "interesting."
"What's interesting—" I begin, but Mr. Richards reenters the room with an apology for taking so long.
"Not a problem, dear," Sarah places her hand in his and he gives her a genuine smile, as if being away from her for only ten minutes was the worst agony of his life.
"That was my boss at the Council. Tomorrow, I'll present your case to them, and Sarah will work on contacting Dionisia. In the meantime, continue to lay low. Sarah will find you when we have a confirmation from both parties about the matter," Mr. Richards informs me.
I stand, slightly hopeful, but also trying not to get my hopes up in case none of this works. "Thank you, so much Mr. Richards, Sarah, for everything. Even if this doesn't work, thank you for trying," I express my gratitude and Mr. Richards shakes my hand.
Sarah, on the other hand, goes in for a hug, whispering in my ear, "This isn't the last you'll see of me, Isabelle Slate. I can guarantee that." The tone wasn't menacing, but a hopeful promise. I scrunch my forehead in confusion at her words, ready to ask her what she means. Her purple eyes flash, though, giving me the message that she doesn't want her husband to know what was said. I honor her wishes and nod at her before they see me out of their perfect white house.
It's easy to find my way back to the hotel and I lock myself in again, prepared to read and take all of these things off my mind. Magic...Warriors...Werewolves... Oh my! I am a werewolf and the subjects confuse me.
You're hardly a werewolf, My wolf chimes into my head, the first I've heard of her since somewhere in Georgia.
"Well I'd be a full one if you'd fucking manifest, you bitch," I mumble underneath my breathe. When she gives no reply, I scoff and relax myself onto the bed, opening to page one of the romance novel I'd bought. Maybe I'll get an idea of what humans think real love is, rather than what's been drilled into my werewolf mind.
A/N: Ok, so what do we think? I tried to get an update for you guys pretty quickly so you wouldn't be hanging on that massive cliffhanger of Isabelle knocking Jaxon out and then peacing out on him. Don't forget to vote, comment, share!
1) Do you think when all is said and done, Isabelle will stay with Jaxon?
2) Do you think they truly love each other, or do you think it's just the mate bond + induction pulling them together?
3) Will the Founders be of any help in saving Isabelle and Jaxon from Hayes?
4) Why do you think Sarah is so intrigued by Isabelle and her past?
xoxo,
IC Judah