A Matter of Convenience

Forty-Eight

“Alpha Felix.” Isis stands against me, her breath on my arm.

“Alphas.” He nods and steps forward. Isis moves from behind me and starts to walk toward the door. Before anyone can think, Alpha Felix grabs her and turns her to face me. His hand moves to her throat, and I can tell he’s holding tight.

“Wha… what are you doing?” Isis’s hand moves up to his wrist as she stares at me. He has a gleam in his eye that I don’t like.

“I figured that I’d let you help me with Alpha Ericson over here.” I stand up tall, not wanting to show any angst.

“What do you want with me, Alpha Felix?”

“I want what I’ve always wanted. I went after Isis, here, to get to you.”

“To what end? You and I have had no dealings and have had no quarrel.” He tightens his hold on Isis.

“Well, you’re right. You and I have no issues between us, but the same can’t be said for me and your father.” Why am I not surprised that my father is the cause of all this?

“If you have an issue with him, you should take it up with him. There’s nothing I can do to help you.” Alpha Felix chuckles, bringing his free hand up. It lands on Isis’s hip and starts to draw circles.

“You make an interesting point, but we both know how your father is. He’s been avoiding me for a while now, and my patience has run thin.” He tightens his grip on Isis’s hip. She doesn’t make a sound, but her eyes tell how much discomfort she’s feeling. “He attacked me because I had something he wanted. He took land that belonged to me.” My sharp intake of breath is the only sound in the room. “I want my land back, but your father has been sure to avoid me. I’ve tried talking to him and the council; now it’s time I take matters into my own hands. You will give me what I want or your mate will get hurt.” I look down at his hand and see that his claws are digging into Isis’s skin. She has tiny drops of blood dripping down her hip.

“Why do you think that messing with me will make Ericson act in your favor?” He chuckles and runs his nose along her cheek.

“Are you not his mate, hmm? I’ve seen the marks which tell me that you two have chosen each other, unless those marks aren't real. I mean, I find it interesting that my warrior is still feeling the pull to you, yet you are supposed to be mated to him.” He points at me by extending a finger that's on her neck. “Could it be that you two are trying to play the system? It's no secret that the elders on that side feel that you need to be mated to take over your pack. Are you two trying to play the system to get what you want?” He runs his nose along Isis's face again, causing her to shut her eyes tightly. “Just tell me it was all a game and I'll gladly let her go. Well, I may take a piece of her, but at least that would have nothing to do with you.”

“f***k you, Felix!” He sticks his tongue out and lets the tip graze her cheek.

“I can make that happen for you if you ask me nicely.” What a sh.itshow! I hate that I've gotten Isis into this mess. I had no idea there was an issue, but still. It's her association with me that put her in this position. If I admit we are faking, he will definitely out us and try to use Isis. If I keep my mouth shut, Isis remains a pawn in a game that has nothing to do with her. “Well? Are you going to call dear old dad or not?” I really don't have a choice right now. I have no idea how far out her people are or if they will get here in the next few seconds.

Just as that thought passes through my mind, I see movement by the door. Someone has slipped into the room, and hope blooms in my chest. When I settle my gaze on the person and see who it is, that hope dies out. It's Jovanni, and he's probably here to collect Isis before his Alpha can do any real damage.

~Jovanni~

I caught my Alpha slipping into the room, the door open slightly. I crept up to the door and listened to the conversation. The more I heard, the more my blood boiled. I can't believe this is the grand plan Alpha Felix had.

I don't care anything about this issue with Alpha Trevor. The guy's a prick, and I'm not surprised they have beef. It’s the part about using force on Isis, even if Ericson states that she's a non-issue. The plan was never to hurt her, so what changed?

I peek into the room to find Alpha Felix with his back toward me, and he has Isis glued to him. I bet he's hurting her, and that makes Wolfgang almost feral. Ericson is facing the door, and he isn't moving.

I slip into the room and come up behind my Alpha. Ericson's eyes move to me before moving away quickly. “Jovanni, you came just in time. I was just waiting for Ericson, over there, to tell me what's really going on between him and your mate.” He has no idea that I heard everything. He doesn't know that I know he has plans to touch my mate regardless of how this turns out.

“Oh? What say you, Ericson?” I guess the best thing would be to play it cool until I see my opening.

“I have nothiing to say. You've seen the marks, so they speak for themselves.” Alpha Felix shakes his head.

“I don't know why I expected you to be honest. Ah, oh well. We will proceed anyway.” I know his hand tightens on her neck because she whimpers. I notice his other hand has her hip in a tight hold. I don't like any of this, and neither does Wolfgang.

“How do you expect me to contact my father? I have nothing here.”

“Jovanni.” I pull a burner phone out of my pocket and slide it over to him. It's a phone I got off one of the rogues. Ericson slowly bends and picks it up, never taking his eyes off Alpha Felix. He starts to dial a number and puts the phone on speaker. The rings echo throughout the room.

Movement catches my eye. I turn to my Alpha to find his hand has dropped from Isis's waist and is grazing her ass. His face is turned toward her, and his tongue is touching her face. All logic slips out of my head, and I see red.

I'm pushed to the back of my mind and blocked. All I can do is watch in horror. My claws extend, and my hand shoots forward. It pushes through his body, and the warmth of his insides wrap around my hand. It wraps around a hot, pulsating thing. My hand is pulled back, and Alpha Felix drops instantly.

Isis turns to stare at me, shocked. Ericson has disconnected the call and is staring at me as well. I'm trying to talk to Wolfgang, but I can't get through. “You're safe now.” He lowers my hand and lets his heart drop from my fingers. The block is removed, but I'm still in the back of my mind.

Let her go.

Wolfgang, what did you do?

Let her go, human. I say nothing, letting his words wash over me. It's the plan that I've come up with once I woke up in that house. I knew that the rogues turning on us made things different. More than that, the words Isis said to me staked a claim in my mind, and I kept turning them over in my head.

I turn my body completely so that I'm facing Isis. “I, Jovanni Bolton, accept your rejection.” The pain drops me to my knees, and I clutch my chest. I watch her close her eyes briefly. When she opens them, she looks relieved.

“Thank you.”