A Matter of Convenience

Thirty-Four

~Isis~

I haven’t dined with the pack in a while. Honestly, the last time was before my dad passed. I’ve been gone too long and felt today would be a good day to start this back up.

I sit at the table, half-heartedly listening to the surrounding chatter. Everyone is in good spirits and are enjoying each other. On the other hand, I am just trying to get through the meal. I couldn’t handle sitting in my father’s seat even though it’s officially mine now. I sat in the seat I’ve always sat in, but that didn’t make things any easier.

I found myself looking over at this empty space more times than I could count. Every time I saw it empty, the wound in my heart would widen just a bit. I tried to stay present in the conversations happening around me, but I couldn’t do it. I kept thinking about all of the meals I ate by my dad’s side. I remember how we used to laugh and have quiet conversations throughout our meals.

My hand is covered, breaking me out of my reminiscing. I look up to find Miles looking at me with sympathy in his eyes. Are you okay, Issy?

This is harder than I thought it would be. It’s still too fresh. Miles nods at me and draws small circles on the back of my hand. I’m sure that I couldn’t have gotten through this without Miles by my side.

I continue to push food around my plate; my appetite has been scarce for a while now. I look out of the floor-to-ceiling windows that line the back of the dining room. One of those windows on each side is actually a door. I always loved the view from this room, especially when we are having a pack event behind the packhouse.

Movement catches my eye, but that within itself isn’t weird. The weird part about it is that it seems like someone is lurking around the packhouse. My body stills as I try to wrap my head around what I’m seeing. I look around the table where I am, but it doesn’t seem like anyone sees what I do. Who’s on patrol right now?

It’s Clancy’s group, ma’am.

Clancy, give me a patrol report. I sit and listen as Clancy gives me a rundown of what’s happening on packlands right now. Everything is in its place, and everyone is where they are supposed to be. There haven't been reports of intruders or sightings of people who shouldn’t be around.

My vision clears, and I look out of the back window again. The figure is far enough that I can’t distinguish their features, but I see them. I quietly stand, placing my fork and napkin on my plate. Miles looks at me, but I slightly shake my head. I’m pretty sure whatever’s going on is something I can handle on my own.

I slowly open the door and step out into the crisp air. There’s a slight breeze, but it feels good on my skin. I close the door behind me and step off the patio. I notice the moment the figure is aware of my presence. I imagine my scent is taking over, but they don’t seem afraid. The closer I get to the person, the more I can feel their aura. It’s a familiar aura, one that I’ve been around before.

The figure is crouched on the ground, staring into the forest. I feel anger rolling off in waves, but I sense no danger. The figure slowly turns toward me, and my breath catches in my throat. “Ericson?” I look closer and notice that his eyes are slightly darker than usual. This isn’t Ericson on the surface. I guess that’s why I wasn’t sure who it was at first. “Blade.”

Blade is in Ericson’s form. He’s only wearing some basketball shorts. He’s dirty, and I can see where some branches have cut and scratched him. He looks like he’s been running for a while now.

I stop about a foot in front of him and wait. Blade is looking down at the ground, his shoulders hunched. “I didn’t know where else to go.” I reach out and let my finger graze his arm. It’s wet with sweat, but I don’t let that deter me.

“It’s okay. You’re welcome here anytime. We are mates after all.” I give a dry chuckle and pull my hand back. “Are you and Ericson okay?” I know they aren’t, but I’d rather let him tell me what’s going on.

~Blade~

Ericson is screaming at me, but I’ve locked him away. He hates that we ended up here, but where else should we go? I refuse to put my mom in the middle of this mess because she doesn’t deserve it. She’s bound to my father, and she loves him. I would never want her to feel that she has to choose between us.

I have to be honest and say I can’t stand our father. He’s always been a piece of sh.it, and I’ve never liked how he’s dealt with Ericson. I’ve always had to sit in the back of his mind and watch him be belittled and bullied.

Ericson’s a good guy, a good human. He may irritate me sometimes, but I’m actually glad that I’ve been tied to him. I know how strong he is and what a great leader he can be. I’m grateful for our mom because, without her, I fear the man that Ericson would be right now.

I drag my eyes upward and look at the woman in front of me. I don’t know what it is about her, but I like her. There’s something about her that pulls me in. Ericson is irritated by her and actually dislikes her, but I don’t see that.

She’s a strong she-wolf, not just because she’s an Alpha’s daughter. I can tell that her strength comes from her life experiences and the fact that she works hard to build it up. In the few times I’ve seen her around her pack members, I can see their respect and love for her. I would love nothing more than for this bond to be real between us; I would love to meet her wolf.

I’ve often thought about our fated mate, Amara and her wolf, Kali. I know how horrible Kali felt when everything happened. She didn’t want her human to be with that warrior. She was vehemently against it, and my heart went out to her. I hated how her human destroyed mine, and I wish Kali and I could break away and be with each other.

I’ve realized over the years that the worst thing about being a wolf is the fact that we don’t have full control over our lives. Sharing a body isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. As much as I love and respect my human, I can’t help but wish I could be on my own sometimes. I wish I could make my own decisions and move down my own path.

I reach out and gently place my fingers on her cheek. Her skin is soft and warm. I can feel Ericson’s body responding. I don’t know what this pull is, but it’s there and pushing me closer to her.

I close the distance between us, placing my free hand on the small of her back. Isis looks up at me, her eyes sparkling. I feel like I can’t even control myself right now; worse, I don’t even want to. I drop my head, letting her warmth and scent wrap around me. It’s invading my pores, and I’m ready to risk it all.

I let my lips touch her cheeks, breathing in deeply. I slowly trail my lips along her face to the corner of her mouth. I gently poke out my tongue, letting it settle in the spot between her lips. I close my lips around hers for a second before pulling back slightly. I catch her eyes, but there’s nothing there to put me off. I let my lips gently caress hers, reveling in how soft they are against mine. Before I can take things further, I’m yanked back by an invisible hand, my back colliding with a tree trunk. I’m dazed for a moment, and when I come to, I see that I’ve become a passenger again, sitting in the back of my human’s mind.