A Matter of Convenience

Forty-Nine

~Isis~

The moment the sun hits my skin, a shiver runs through me. I stop and lift my head to the sky, soaking up the rays and fresh air. Sometimes, you never understand what you have until you don’t have it anymore.

I don’t take more than two steps before I’m wrapped up in strong arms and slammed to the ground. Sloppy kisses are placed all over my face and neck, leaving me stuck between amusement and disgust. “GET OFF!” I struggle to break free, hating that I still have that sh.it in my system. It’s causing havoc and keeping me weak.

It doesn’t take long for wetness to replace the kisses. The body on top of me starts to shake, and I hear sobs. f***k me! Though limited in my movement, I let my hands find their way to its back and pat it over and over. It’s an awkward situation because of our placement, but I do what I can. “I… I was so sc… scared that I’d n… never see you again, girly.” Goddess! I roll my eyes and continue moving my hands.

“I’ve missed you too and I want us to have this time, but you have to get the f***k off of me.” Miles chuckles and sits up. He’s straddling my legs and wiping his tears away. I anchor myself upward on my elbows, staring at Miles.

I’ve known him most of my life but never seen him this distraught. I guess it speaks to our bond, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Miles leans down, kissing me on my forehead, before jumping to his feet and extending a hand to me. I take his hand, and he pulls me up. Arms immediately wrap around me as his scent fills my senses. “I just lost your father. It’s too soon to lose you. Please keep that in mind, hmm?” I pull back and look at Uncle Lionel, noticing the tears gathered in his eyes.

“Well, if this one would stop playing hard to get and agree to be my Beta, we wouldn’t have any issues.” I cut my eyes to Miles, who’s backing up with his hands up.

“Hell no! If I’ve learned anything from this, it’s that I was right about myself. Being a Beta is beyond my capability.” I roll my eyes and shake my head.

“You’re wrong, you know.” Ericson walks up and claps Miles on the back. “You’d make a good Beta.” I watch Jovanni walk out of the building, and he’s immediately grabbed by some of my warriors. A growl sounds in the air, strangely enough from me.

“Let him go!”

“I know you’ve been locked in with the rogues lately, but Jovanni had a hand in all this.” Miles has his arms crossed, nodding at Uncle Lionel’s words.

“That may be, but without Jovanni, Isis wouldn’t be standing here right now.” Miles's arms slowly drop to his sides as he looks between me and Ericson.

“Care to fill us in?” I sigh and watch as the warriors drop their hold on Jovanni. I turn to Uncle Lionel and pat his arm.

“I will once we get home. I really don’t want to stay here any longer than I have to.” He nods and looks toward the building. Jovanni is walking slowly toward us, his eyes lingering on me. I know we now have a broken bond, but I imagine it will take him a little longer to let go of his feelings for me.

“Uh, where’s Alpha Felix? I saw him go into the building.” We look at each other, though none of us open our mouths to speak. Ericson breaks first, clearing his throat.

“Was Beta Terrence here?” Miles nods with a solemn look on his face.

“He was killed not long after we got here.” Well, that’s a development. I know there’s no Gamma in the Darkfang pack. It looks like there are no more ranked members, which puts Jovanni at the top. That’s kind of funny. He wanted me for status and ended up getting it in a brutal way.

“Well, Jovanni. I guess you got your wish. We will help you with the council if you need it.” He looks at all of us before nodding and turning away. Howls break out around us, and I look to find warriors with their heads down in mourning. Jovanni looks at me from over his shoulder before shifting and running off.

Uncle Lionel puts his arm around my shoulders and kisses my temple. “I guess we have a lot to talk about. Let’s get home so you can rest.” I nod and lean into him as we walk away from that wretched building.

~Ericson~

The scenery flashes by as we make our way back to the packlands. A lot has happened, and I haven’t really had time to unpack it all. I don’t really know what my next steps need to be, but I know I’ll figure it out.

I turn Felix’s words over and over in my mind, my anger starting to grow. My father has always been an asshole, and those close to him just take it in stride. This time, his ways spilled over and touched people he had no actual dealings with. How is it that Isis gets caught up in a mess due to my father’s horrible ways?

I’m sure some of you are arguing that my father can’t be blamed since Felix’s actions were his own. I agree that we all have control of our own actions. No one can make us do anything at all. The issue is the fact that he does things without considering the consequences.

My father is an Alpha who is charged with caring for an entire pack. He has to consider them before he does the things that he does. He has to consider his family as well. My father doesn’t do this, ever. He always forges ahead and does whatever he wants, not considering the possible consequences.

The car stops in front of the neutral territory, not far from the clinic entrance. I throw the door open with determination, ready to confront my father. I feel her presence behind me, but my focus is on my packlands. “Ericson? Are you okay?” I don’t look at her; I don’t respond. “Don’t do anything rash.” I let out a harsh chuckle.

“Don’t do anything rash?! Because of him, you were in danger. Because of him, some Alpha planned to use me for revenge. Whatever I do couldn’t possibly be considered rash.” I move with purpose, knowing what my next step needs to be.