Alliance of Shadows: NEIL

Contested Resolve

While we waited for our food, we played twenty questions. Listening to her talk, I found out that she had no desire to attend parties. There was never an inclination to experiment with drugs, either. I also learned that her only experience with alcohol was the night of her birthday and last night with me. She didn’t wear make-up or use harsh chemicals in her hair.

When the food arrived, she only poked at her poutine. Then I saw the note that had fallen by her plate when the server brought out our order. I picked it up and read it over.

‘You need to think about going on a diet, Fatty.’

Izzy had a bit of weight on her, but she was far from fat. I excused myself and went up to the counter. “Would you mind getting your manager for me, Rach?”

I'd known Rachel Williams since I was a toddler. She knew without question that if I asked for the person in charge, there was a damn good reason. A few minutes later, Farrah, the manager, walked out. I handed the paper to her without a word.

Her jaw dropped as she read the words written by her employee. Shaking her head, she said, “I am so sorry this happened, Mr. Dane."

"So am I," I replied coolly.

"Anna, my office, now,” she snapped.

“That poor child,” Rachel exclaimed, reading the note the manager dropped. She smoothed back her pale blond, grey-streaked hair, “This isn’t the first time Anna’s done this. People weren’t born perfect, you know.”

I walked back to the table and saw that she still hadn't touched her food. Anger swept through me before I shoved it to the back of my mind. Giving her arm a gentle squeeze, I sat back down, “It’s alright. I dealt with it.”

She sobbed heavily, "I'm sorry, Neil. I've done nothing but because you trouble all day, and you've been nothing but nice to me."

I growled, "That's not true, Izzy. The people around here have s**t for brains, so stop blaming yourself. I don't want you starving yourself or throwing up on purpose anymore, either. It’s not healthy.”

“Okay,” she whispered with a nod.

I watched her closely as I ate the rest of my food. As Anna stomped out of the diner, Izaria finally dug into her food. Relieved I nodded. Minutes later, Rachel brought us each a piece of strawberry swirl cheesecake. Her motherly smile finally made Izzy relax a little more. “Do you two need a drink refill?”

“Yes, please," I said quickly. “Can we get two Dr. Pepper?”

As Rachel left us alone with the desserts, Izzy gave me a questioning look. I grinned, “Did you think I wouldn’t notice that I was missing a few cans of Dr. Pepper?”

“I didn’t know that they were yours.” She replied after a while.

I laughed, “No, it's okay. I don’t mind sharing."

She dug into the cheesecake, savouring it with a light moan. Reining in my desires, I tapped her hand. “Is it good?”

“Better than s*x,” she whispered.

“You vixen. Wait until I get you home," I laughed. Her face blanched, and I mentally slapped myself. I should have known better than to say something like that. Hooking my forefinger under her chin, I forced her to look at me. She resisted, and I couldn’t help but admire the strength of her spirit. I pulled her into my arms, “It's okay, Izzy. You’re okay. It was only a joke. A bad one, but it was just a joke.”

She shivered against me, and I pulled off my jacket to warm her up. I offered her my dessert, but she pushed it away. “No, you eat it.”

I chuckled, pushing it back toward her. “I don’t like cheesecake. I've been coming here for years, and Rachel still forgets.”

She smiled at me. She sighed, “Can we leave now?”

“Soon,” I said. My cell rang, and I suddenly felt sick as I checked the ID. It was John. “Hello?”

“Did you do it?" He asked. He sounded excited, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to know why.

"Are you insane," I answered testily, “She’s barely legal, John.”

“Yeah, but those are the best kind,” he countered.

"Are you f*****g serious," I questioned in disbelief. Here I was trying to make up for what I had done, and he was acting like sleeping with a minor wasn’t a crime.

Without missing a beat, he said, “Yeah, I'm serious.”

I clenched my teeth, “Get Izaria out of your mind, John. I will hunt you down and make you pay in ways that would make The Conjuring look like a trip through Disneyland.”

“Whatever, Neil,” his reply was snarky.

I knew he was pissed because I wasn't giving him the leeway he wanted. John could go f**k himself for all I cared. I was not going to let him cross the line where she was concerned. Honestly, I should have listened to my real friends when it came to John. Especially after he tried to hurt my cousin Daisy in high school. I should have let Colt put him in the hospital for that, but I was an i***t back then.

Clearly, I needed my head checked.

Another call came through right after I hung up. This time, it was Clara. I got up from my seat and moved just outside her hearing range, “Clara, is everything alright?”

She sighed heavily, “Yes. I was just calling to check on Izzy.”

“She's doing good,” I replied. "I took her out for something to eat when we left Phil's office. He gave her something for anxiety and a birth control shot until she makes up her mind on what one she prefers. I… she opened up for me. The stuff she went through… was it… real?”

“That's good to hear, and I’m afraid so. According to the fax I received, Izzy should have graduated last year. When I called them about it, the Chairman said the Board didn’t want to put her ahead of her age group." Clara said. The clack of her keyboard in the background was actually annoying. “I’m in the process of filing a petition that should let her take the graduating exams in the next few months.”

I raised a brow at how agitated my stepmother sounded. “I can’t believe anyone would be so damn cruel to their own blood. What subjects has she gotten credits for?”

Clara sighed again, “Everything except physical education. Thank you so much for taking care of her for me. I would have done it myself, but I was swamped with cases today. By the way, I know what happened last night.”

She muttered the words as if she was commenting on the weather. My blood ran ice cold. I knew what was coming, and there was no easy way to get out of this mess. I closed my eyes. “Clara, I…”

“I know that she’s very mature for her age, but seventeen is still a minor.”

I had to tell her the truth. It was the only way to avoid trouble at this point. Heading to the men's room, I checked all the stalls, ensuring I was alone before I said anything. “Clara, it was and will never be my intention to hurt her. I honestly didn’t mean to have s*x with her last night. It just happened. I'm sorry.”

“Do you have any idea how disappointed I was? Any freaking idea of how horribly wrong that could have gone for everyone involved? You still haven’t fully recovered from Molly’s accusations, Neil.”

As I leaned against the sink, I kept pleading with her. “Please, Clara, you know she's safe with me. I can promise you now that I will do everything in my power to protect her.”

Another sigh, then she hissed, “If I find out that you forced her in any way, I swear I will kill you. Do you understand me, Neil? I will hunt your sorry hide down and skin you alive.”

I felt the fear of my stepmother’s magical abilities travel the length of my spine. Izaria was my Mate, the other half of my soul, and I already loved her. For months I had been watching over her, never realizing what was happening all along. Now I saw it clearly for the first time. I loved her personality and the way her mahogany hair tumbled down her back like a waterfall of dark chocolate. The way her soft skin felt like satin under my fingertips.

“I’m in love with her,” I whispered.

“Why?” Her voice cracked as she spoke.

Snorting a laugh, I said, “Give me a reason not to be, Clara. I know I should have walked away last night, but it just felt so damn right.”

A heavy sob echoed over the line before she spoke again. “Promise me you're not going to put any pressure on her, Neil. I’ll let you date her, but I don’t want her harmed. She’s precious to me.”

“I won’t, I swear,” I promised. Releasing my death grip on the porcelain sink, I said, “Thank you, Clara. You won’t regret this.”

A new dread filled me as I thought of my father. He was the one I truly feared telling. Taking another breath, I asked, “How do I tell my dad?”

“You just did,” my father’s voice said through the line.

Shit. I scrubbed a hand over my face while a deafening silence echoed in my ears. Honestly, I was so dead I should have invested in the coffin business. “D-Dad?”

“This is your only chance, Neil," he snapped. "Don't screw this up, or you will be out like last week's trash. I gave you that title, and I can just as easily take it from you.”

“Yes, Sir, I understand,” I whispered. There was no way in hell I was going to mess this up. I needed Izzy in my life. I loved her, and I was ready to face the Devil himself to prove it.