Izzy POV
"I get to stay here?" She asked, trying desperately to control her excitement, and remain calm.
"No."
Her heart dropped, "But you just said- "
He cut her off, "The deal is you won't return home, you turn your back on your human life and act to protect and keep the secrets and rules of our world, not to stay here at Silva." Rowan said, his voice cold and harsh.
"Okay, then what? Where am I going? I'm not staying in a jail cell for the rest of my life! And if you think I'm going too, you might as well just kill me now!"
"You aren't going to be locked in cell, I told you - we aren't monsters."
Throwing her hands in the air she looked at him in desperation. "I don't understand." She said honestly, exhaustion from the last minutes, hours, days, and months catching up to her. Her brain and body drained from the constant terror and threats, the non-stop confusion.
"You're coming with me."
"What?"
Rowan POV
"You can't be serious Row!" Hayden said for the hundredth time, staring down the table at the human in their midst. Disgust and distrust radiating from him, just as strongly as it had from the moment he had laid eyes on her. Rowan pinched the bridge of his nose, he felt for his cousin he really did, and he understood his hostility, but it was becoming exasperating.
They were sitting in the Silva's dining room, spread around the large darkly stained table, mixed amongst members of the Silva Pack. Rowan sat at the head, flanked by Austin and Olivia, Noah and Isaac refusing to sit - stood at his shoulders, flowing down the table were Hayden, Silva's Head Warrior Ryan, his son Kevin, Beta Tucker, his mate, Luna Mindy, and then opposite Rowan at the other end sat Vance, with Leia beside him and finally squashed between her and her twin sat Izzy.
Rowan could still feel her confusion as she sat in stunned silence, every few seconds her eyes flicking to him, only to dart away when she found him watching her.
"I am very serious Hayden. My decision has been made." Rowan sent to his cousin, still watching the human.
He still didn't know what had driven him to his decision, or why he was so dead-set to stand by it, but there was something about her, something that wasn't quite right. And, until he figured it out he didn't want to let her go. At least, that's what he was telling himself was the reason behind his rash decision.
"Hayden." Rowan's mind snapped back to the others around him at the sound of the sharp thought from Olivia, she barely raised her voice, choosing to make her point with rational arguments and reason, if she was starting to snap, then Hayden was really pushing her buttons. "Drop it! Your being rude, and YOUR Prince has made his decision, it isn't your job to question that!" She said her volume rising as she punctuated each word with a burst of power.
Sensing her emotions were about to boil over, and not wanting to have a brawl in the middle of Silvia's packs dining room and Pack house, Rowan touched Olivia's shoulder drawing her attention away from Hayden. Her eyes were black, and Rowan could feel the slight tremors under his fingers, she was about to shift.
"You need to calm down Liv." Rowan said gently, urging her wolf to calm and back down from the challenge Hayden was in avertedly issuing. Watching as she took a deep shuddering breath, Rowan let out a tiny sigh of relief as her eyes settled back to the normal soft brown, her body relaxing.
"Hayden," Rowan waited until he had his cousin's full attention, "Enough." Letting the full weight of his power and dominance ring through the command Rowan held Hayden's stare until the younger wolf dropped his eyes, his neck bearing in submission.
Dinner after that was a tense affair; Hayden glared at Izzy who seemed to shrink more and more as the meal dragged on, Olivia glared at Hayden, and Rowan was forced to continue to play referee while constantly having his attention pulled back to the silent girl, for some reason his wolf grew more agitated and upset at his cousin's continued hateful stares, and low growls. Alpha Vance and the rest of the Silva pack spent the meal trying to ease the simmering emotions while simultaneously avoiding becoming entangled in the Royal Court brawl that was threatening to erupt on their dining room table.
When the plates were at last starting to be cleared away, Rowan cleared his throat, tearing his eyes from Izzy and the plate of food she had barely touched. I shouldn't care if she ate or didn't, if she isn't hungry that isn't my concern. Rowan repeated to himself, trying to convince himself, and his wolf, resisting the urge to reach out for her mind to assure himself that she was well. She isn't my concern.
"Alpha perhaps we may now retire to your study, we have business to conclude." Rowan said offhandedly, his head nodding to where Izzy sat with her shoulders hunched, blatantly ignoring the strange urge to try and ease her obvious distress. Not my concern.
"Of course Rowan." Vance said, pecking his mate gently on the cheek before smiling at his daughters tenderly. "Tucker. Ryan. Kevin." He said, standing with Rowan.
"Bring the girl." Rowan ordered, before turning to follow Vance out of the room, his guardians and court falling in behind him.
The silence stretched out as they filed into the wood paneled room, Rowan lead the way, sitting in one of the matching armchairs opposite the dominating desk in the center with the surface polished to a shine, nudging his chin in the direction of the large high backed chair behind it for Vance to take.
Noah and Isaac as expected took up positions behind him.
After shutting the heavy doors behind the last of their group Austin leaned back against them, his eyes weary as he carefully watched the room, his gaze constantly moving to make sure he kept Izzy in his sights.
Rowan watched as Olivia guided the girl past him towards the sofa at the back of the room, suppressing an eye roll as her elbow 'accidently' caught a glaring Hayden in the ribs, in a not very friendly jab that had him expelling a breath of air on a 'oomph'.
Once everyone was settled, Rowan spoke his voice level and calm, using what his mother affectionately called his 'Prince' tone. Though lately it wasn't just reserved for state business, more and more it seemed the only one he had anymore, cold and devoid of emotion. It suited him now, Rowan thought, It's what I am. Cold and without a heart. Shaking off the morbid and useless thoughts he focused on the task at hand. "Alpha Vance, I have taken into your consideration your appeal and after talking to the accused -"
Rowan resisted the urge to turn and look at her, he could feel her gaze on him, could smell her nervousness and fear in the air. She thinks I'm going to go back on my word, that I lied. She doesn't trust me. The realization hit like a silver bullet, embedding itself in his chest, radiating out until it filled him. Hurt and pain flared as the thought took root, his wolf whimpering in his mind. He felt his Guardians shifting behind him as they sensed his emotions spike. I shouldn't care if she doesn't trust me, Rowan thought, trying to convince himself that she had no reason too anyway, and that either way he shouldn't care. She's just some human and not my concern.
Why are you protecting her then? Why are you saving her life? Why not just leave her here? Why insist she has to accompany you? His mind threw up the questions, Rowan felt his fingers gripping the armrests of the chair, the pads of his fingers threatening to rip the supple leather as he fought the warring voices in his head. It's the right thing to do. He thought back to himself. Since when do you care about the 'right thing' anymore? The dark voice asked, the words accompanied by the memories and the pain that had pushed him to become the unmoving, uncaring man he was. Before he could control it, his head twisted, his eyes searching out the source of his sudden unease and unsureness, catching her green eyes in his. I won't let her die. He thought suddenly, the conviction in the thought taking him by surprise, even as the words felt right.
Before he could understand where they came from, or why they felt so right, Vance clearing his throat pulled him from his internal struggle. Ripping his gaze from the emerald depths of hers, Rowan turned back to the task at hand.
"I have made my decision." Rowan said, the lingering irritation with himself seeping out and leaving the words clipped and harsher then intended.
"Please Rowan, I ask you to reconsider." Vance said, his face paling as his focus shifted to the human over his shoulder, guilt and remorse resonating from him in waves.
Rowan froze, his mouth open, brows furring in confusion, before realization dawned. He thinks I have decided to kill the girl.
Having not hidden his emotions or thoughts well enough, Olivia piped up from where she attempted to soothe a now trembling Izzy. Well you really could use a lesson on people skills Row, try not talking like you're ready to rip everyone's throats out this very second. It might go over better.
Rowan bristled, his eyes narrowing. I didn't sound like that.
Yeah cuz you did, and you do like ALL the time. Hayden added, momentarily forgetting to maintain the death stare he had on Izzy. We're just used to it, but just so you know - you're kinda terrifying.
Waving off their comments (and the words that echoed his mother's assessment over the last few months), he refused to examine their merit, or the reasons behind his change the last few years.
"You misunderstood me Vance," Rowan said trying to make his voice friendlier, assuming he succeeded when Vance's eyes snapped back to his, relief and hope sparking in them. "There is nothing to reconsider, the girl will be spared. The law applies to humans that pose a threat to our kind and our world, if you vouch that she poses no such threat then I see no reason that the law should apply to her."
Vance's shoulders sagged in relief. "Of course, absolutely. I vouch for her, and will continue to monitor and guard her to ensure that she and our world is safe."
Austin coughed from the doorway, the forced sound doing a terrible job of masking the chuckle. His eyes dancing with mirth and mischief when Rowan glared at him, winking at him before grinning at Olivia - who grinned back before throwing her own secretive smile in Rowan's direction.
Both of you stop it. Rowan said, though there was no command or heat behind his words, merely simple exasperation.
What? Austin thought back, I didn't say anything. You probably want to get back to correcting Vance, you know, telling him how you've decided to personally take on the care and well-being of the pretty young female.
At the words Olivia giggled, while Hayden let out a low growl of annoyance and dissatisfaction. Rowan glared at the two, not liking the look they were sharing or the mysterious looks they both threw the girl. They were up to something.
"The girl is coming with me." Irritated and exhausted Rowan tossed the words out, a ring of finality in them cutting off Vance's plans for the girl's permanent place in his pack. Gaping the Alpha and the rest of his pack stared at Rowan.
Sighing he suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, "I have decided that the girl will live, however, she will not be staying here, she will be coming with me."
"We are perfectly capable of housing and guarding her here, and the girls are very fond of her." Vance said cautiously.
Despite his benign words, he couldn't quite hide his thoughts, and Rowan had to fight to control the growl that wanted to rip free as he caught them. "She will be safe with me."
"I never- "
Rowan cut off his denial with a wave of his hand. "My decision is final. The girl comes with me or she dies. I give my word, and the word of my blood, that she will remain safe and alive for as long as she remains a non-threat to our world." Rowan added in an attempt to pacify Vance's fears and concerns.
"Very well." Vance said his voice weary, once more off the Prince.
Rowan resisted the urge to turn and follow his line of sight to where he knew he would find the girl staring at his back. She is not your concern.