Alliance of Shadows: NEIL

Nature and Nurture

Phillip had just arrived at the manor by the time we broke through the trees. The light of the midday sun touching his head made the greying strands stand out a little more. He was leaning casually leaning against the hood of his car, watching us with a glint akin to pride in his eyes.

As he should be, I thought. He had been my father’s Beta, and, after my grandfather and mother died and dad took over the role, Phillip jumped in to help him without question. It was this man who showed me what I needed in a Beta, and another small part of the reason I inevitably chose Colton.

He grinned at us as we jogged up. Laughing, he clapped me on the back as he looked her over. “Would you look at that? Goddess, boy. What kind of magic did you work on her?”

I laughed as we walked into the house. Izzy placed a light kiss on my cheek before running up to her room to get showered and change. “Nothing I didn’t have to do, Phil.”

Watching our exchange, Phillip turned to me. “In all seriousness, how has she been doing, Neil?”

“She’s been sleeping and eating better. We had trouble with it at first, but I gave her a crash course in how to determine what is and isn’t a healthy portion. Now she measures out what she’s able to eat and cleans her plate every time. She also started exercising daily with me. Izaria’s also making progress with her counseling,” I told him. "We’ve got a pretty good routine going.”

“You also look much healthier these days," he commented. "You’re less of a drag.”

Laughing, I shook my head. "I know, Phil. I was in a state of constant turmoil, and she became my ray of light. My reason for living.”

He grinned, "Having a Mate is a blessing and a curse in some cases. There are always people making trouble when you least expect it, but you two seem to be thriving."

“Despite the obvious age gap, I love her more than words can describe,” I whispered. Leaning against the island, I sipped my water. “You know, my father and I have a stronger bond now. We're working together more often, and he seems like he’s, I dunno, happy that I’m not a mess anymore. Honestly, Izzy makes me want to be a better man, a better Alpha. Knowing what she went through does helps but, at same time, I wish she'd never suffered at all.”

Phillip chuckled lightly, “It’s great to hear you so concerned for someone other than yourself. Have you told her yet?”

I shook my head, "No, not yet. Only Clara can override dad’s orders, and he hasn’t done that yet. If I tell her on my own, I’m going to need my stepmother’s help keeping my father’s temper on ice."

He started to pull out some papers, laying them on the table as he sat down in the chair. His methodic movements helped distract me for a brief moment. "Well, orders are orders, I suppose."

“Are you guys talking about me again,” Izzy asked. She walked into the kitchen and pulled out the peanut butter and bread before grabbing Laura’s homemade raspberry jam so that she could make a sandwich.

“Yes,” we replied in unison.

Phillip laughed at how bubbly she was compared to the shell of a girl I had introduced him to weeks before. He looked at me, his eyes shining. Tapping into a private mind-link, he said, ‘She’s blossoming beautifully, Neil. Admirable work.’

‘Thanks,’ I answered Though his praise was welcomed, I wasn't entirely sure it was because of me, but a guy could hope.

He waited until after She’d finished eating to begin his examination. Measuring her curves, he took note of her growth. Out loud, he stated, “You have certainly come a long way, young lady.”

Indicating the chair next to him with his hand, Phillip asked her to sit down. Again, I had to keep my emotions - mainly my jealousy - on a tight leash as he went through the motions of a full-body check-up. I had no reason to be jealous of this man. One, he was a doctor, two, he was old enough to be her grandfather. Besides, I knew the surge in dark emotions was only because of my wolf’s possessive Alpha streak, but it didn't stop it from surfacing. It didn’t stop King from gnashing his teeth at Phil, either.

Finally, when I didn't think I could handle it anymore, he straightened with a smile. “There’s no sign of any breathing issues, and everything looks clear. Your body is showing proportionate growth, which is wonderful.”

“Hard to slack off when your boyfriend is a real stickler.” She rolled her eyes, which made Phillip chuckle.

He glanced over at me, “Is that right? Neil, I suggest maintaining her physical training to support her new lifestyle. We need to get your weight now, Izzy. Let's see how the last six weeks have treated you."

"I'm pretty sure I'm where I should be because Neil never lets me get away with skipping meals. He's been pretty anal about getting me to go jogging every day with him, too." She told him.

He laughed again, “Anal, huh? That’s the first time I’ve ever hear that term and Neil be used in the same sentence sequence.”

I waited and watched with bated breath as she stepped onto the scale one of the Omega’s brought from the downstairs bathroom. Phillip let out a low whistle. “Your weight is damn near perfect. I can see that it is mostly muscle weight, but even so, you have come a very long way.”

Exhaling as she bounced over, her emotions written all over her face, I smiled as I wrapped her in my arms. She sighed, turning her head to Phillip. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she asked, “What about the test results?”

We sat down, me on the chair and her on my knee, as Phillip went over the results, “Your bloodwork and Pap smear came back negative for any issues, and there are no signs of infections. There are no indications of underlying health issues, either, which is great. Have you had the chance to think about the birth control method you wanted?”

Izzy bit her lower lip. “I won’t remember to take the pill. I don't feel comfortable with the idea of having anything stuck inside me, either. The research I did on the patch didn’t garner me the results I was hoping for; not with a high defectivity rate. So, I decided to go with the needle.”

“Even though you’re afraid of them?” He pressed lightly. I could tell he was in awe of her ever-growing courage and strength. He raised a brow at me and sighed, “Alright. Your next dose is in a month. Would you prefer that here or at my office?”

“Here, please," she replied.

After Phillip took off back to work at the clinic, we cuddled up in the entertainment room while watching one of her favourite horror movies. I laughed every time she hid her face behind the pillow she had clutched in a death grip. Of course, my laugh would get a determined glare, and she would throw the pillow at me instead. Her antics only made me laugh harder each time she got scared.

The questions still ran rampant in my mind, though. I mean, I was trying to figure out if finding out about me and the rest of the supernatural world would hurt or help her. Dear Goddess, I didn’t want to lose her.

I was fighting the decision like the coward I was, unsure if the last few weeks were real. I didn't want to be rejected by her. Rejection would push me over the edge, tear apart my remaining sanity, and leave me trapped inside my own head like a feral creature while in wolf form. After that, I would slowly lose my own life, and King would return to the Goddess’s Garden.

Letting my mind go back to when Colton damn near succeeded in killing himself over something I had the power to stop before it started, I silently thanked the Goddess my cousin, his Mate, was there for him.

I was still sore over the fact that Daisy had ripped me a new hole for being an ass to him five years ago. Our fallout didn't last long, but some wounds just never closed completely. Knowing that I could have helped him, knowing that I chose to let my emotions lead me into more and more trouble, I still blamed myself. I was cocky, and I almost lost my Beta the day I chose to punch him out rather than listen to his side of things.

Seriously, I didn't deserve my friends. They were too good to me, and all I did was wallow in self-pity while they lived their lives to the fullest. Licking my lips, I pulled her onto my lap and kissed her temple. "Izzy, I'd like to take you out again if you'd let me. There's a spot out in the forest I'd love to show you. It was my mother’s favourite place, and I think you would love it, too.”

Falling quiet for a minute, she mulled over the suggestion before turning her eyes to me and smiled shyly. "You would be okay with that?”

Thinking it over, I smiled. Maybe I was finally letting go of the past, finally healing. Or maybe I was just tired of staying in a place I no longer existed in. “I think you and my mother would have gotten along, Izzy. Yeah, I’m okay with you sharing in the place she and I used to love together.”

“I'd like that,” she murmured, snuggling into my side.

"Great. Then it's settled,” I said as I chuckled. “I'll arrange everything, but I'll leave the food to you because I can't boil water without running the pot dry."