Phoenix

Chapter 10

Keiran

I freeze as she hugs me, burying her face in my neck. Her delicate body is shaking as she cries.

I look around to spot any sign of danger she might be in, but she is alone. There is a lingering scent of some other wolves but no sign of them. She doesn't seem hurt, just overwhelmed.

I am torn between my wolf and human self. My wolf wants to duel her mate, claim her and take her somewhere, where she never cries. My human self reminds me of all the reasons why I shouldn't listen to my wolf.

I wrap my paw around her waist and draw her closer, lowering my head on her shoulders as she cries.

I let her cry while I soak in her scent, and memorize the feel of her body against me. She stops eventually, and looks at me with her tear stained face.

Her tiny nose is red, her eyes are swollen and she is biting her lips to stop herself from crying further.

I quickly look away as my heart beat rises.

" What took you so long?" She says, her voice heavy with unshed tears, as she pulls away from me.

I immediately feel cold and incomplete without her.

'I came as soon as I could.'

I inadvertently move closer to explain it to her.

I want to tell her how I felt her call to me as I was in a meeting with my father. I couldn't walk away, but ran to her as soon as I could.

She is no longer looking at me. She wipes at her eyes, already looking distant but she is gripping my fur softly with one of her hand.

I watch her silently. I can stay like this forever, looking at her and never get tired.

She eventually looks at me, her eyes looking black in the scanty moonlight.

" I.... I can't do this anymore." Her voice is calm and her face is expressionless.

I feel dread coiling in the pit of my stomach.

'What do you mean?' I ask her, carefully.

" It means, I give up. I have been betrayed by my most trusted ones, and I can't seem to escape." She smiles bitterly and my heart aches.

"I called you, hoping that you would do something for me, but I realize it's all in vain." She continues.

'Isabelle...' I try to interrupt her but she doesn't seem to hear me.

" I think I should go to Matt, tell him everything I know and end this earlier." She lets go of my fur and makes to get up.

'NO!!!!! ' I seize her shirt between my teeth and push her back to the ground.

She laughs, humorlessly.

" I remember you doing this.... I thought it was a silly dream. I died and you somehow held onto me, just like this. I think I came back because of you."

Her eyes flash with rage, suddenly.

" Why didn't you just let me go?"

'I couldn't....' I trail off. My wolf gives out a whimper. I can't control my emotions around her and her hopelessness is killing me.

" Why?" She demands, furiously.

'If you remember that day. You must remember something else as well.' I say averting my eyes. My heart is beating frantically in my chest.

She remains silent as she looks at me in confusion, and then realization dawns on her.

Her eyes widen as she looks at me incredulously, and her mouth twists in disgust.

" You must be joking..." She spits out, as her voice drips with anger and sarcasm.

I just stare at her, feeling my heart breaking in half.

" You think you are in love with me?" She says, as if it's the most silly thing she has ever heard.

'I don't think. I know.' I reply calmly, not betraying the emotions I am going through.

She rolls her eyes.

" Come on, I am sick and tired of being played with. Tell me the truth, for once. What is your play here? What do you stand to gain with all of this?" She asks me.

'There is no play. I just.... I love you.' I put in as much emotion as I can into these words, knowing that right now is not the ideal time for this confession, but I can't help it. I can't stand her accusation that I am also betraying her in some way, and I can't see her this hopeless.

She laughs.

" Do you really expect me to believe this? I am not some gullible and naive, little girl, who would go weak in the knees by your lies." She says.

'You are right. You are not weak, and naive. So, stop acting like it.' I tell her, ignoring everything else she said.

Her eyes flash golden as I hear her wolf growl.

" So you want me to fight?" She growls, angrily, already turning. " How about I start with you?"

She turns then, ripping out of her clothes, and gives out a low howl.

She bares her teeth as her golden eyes glint in the moonlight.

She howls, and charges towards me.

I sidestep her at the last minute, and she crashes to the tree behind me. It gives out a sharp creak, as its splinters and some leaves rain on the ground, but doesn't break.

She bounces back in position as she begins to circle around me, her eyes calculating and almost predatory. I like her like this.

I mirror her movements, keeping her in my sight.

'I will rip you to shreds unless you tell me the truth.' I hear her thoughts in my mind.

'I have.' I tell her.

She stops circling, and looks at me.

'How can I believe you? I don't even know you.' She says and she seems so vulnerable at this point that I can't help but move closer to her.

I desperately want to hold her in my embrace, caress her and tell her everything.

It is in that moment that she gives out a sharp growl as she claws at my face.

I barely move out of the way but her claw scratches my jaw.

And before I can move further away from her reach, she jumps on top of me, throwing me to the ground. I give a small yelp of surprise as I go down with her.

Her front paw is pressing down on my throat, almost cutting off my air supply, as she traps me under her body.

She is strong, I admit it to myself.Almost as strong as me, which surprises me.

She howls firmly, trying to use her Alpha influence on me.

I barely conceal my amusement as I roll underneath her. Her paw slides off my throat, and I use my back paws to topple her sideways and climb on top of her.

It's her turn to be surprised now. There are a million questions forming in her golden eyes.

And I feel myself drowning in them.

I feel her chest heaving with each breath, soft fur brushing against me and her delicious scent enveloping me.

My heart beat rises as a million inviting images rush to my brain.

I realize that we may be equal in strength but I will always lose to her.

She continues looking at me as she props both of her paws on my chest.

My breath catches in my throat at her touch. She must have sensed my pounding heart.

And then, she uses all of her strength and pushes me off her.

I fly off her almost weightlessly as I look at her in surprise and my head hits the tree, she hit earlier.

The tree breaks with the impact and I fall along with it.

I feel a sharp pain in the side of my head where the tree hit me, as my vision begins to blur.

'Who are you?' She demands again. 'How can you fight me, an Alpha?'

I open my mouth but words get jumbled in my head.

I strain to concentrate and keep myself conscious, but the darkness is quickly taking over my vision.

'No, look at me.' She shakes my limp body in frustration. 'How can you tell me that you love me, when I already have a mate? It's impossible. Unless ......'

She trails off and looks at me in horror.

I can barely make out her words now, as I give into unconsciousness.

My body slowly turning back to it's human form.

"YOUR HIGHNESS!!!!!" Someone yells from a distance, as I hear frantic footsteps reaching me.

I try to sit up, as I strain to recognize the person running towards me.

I look at her as she scrambles away from me in horror. She is turning into her human form as well.

" You are Prince Keiran..." She says in her trembling voice.

I give her a weak smile as I slip into the darkness awaiting me.