Run! The Black Wolf's prey.

Chapter 51 - Big, bold and powerful

“John! Finally…” Rebecca’s voice echoed through the phone.

John moved a few steps away from Isabel, who was seated by the waterfalls, watching the scenery with a contemplative look on her face. She was dressed in jeans and one of John’s knitted sweaters, her long blonde hair cascading down her back like a waterfall of gold. John's was filled with pride as he looked at her. She was his! This beautiful creature.

“Mother,” he replied, his eyes glowing with devotion, still gazing at Isabel.

“Where are you? Do you have the... human... with you?”

“Yes, of course...” John felt irritated. He would prefer just being with Isabel right now.

“But why did you leave in such a rush? We just wanted to talk, and your phone was switched off.”

“If you just wanted to talk, you would have come alone, mother. I’m not stupid,” John snarled. Who did she think she was fooling?

“That’s right, of course. I’m sorry John, but we really thought we needed to see both of you to sort this out... And we need to see for ourselves that she's not a witch...”

"She's not a witch, mother. Please, trust me on this! I would be able to tell. I'm not that ignorant."

“OK, John, I hear you. But listen," Rebecca sighed. "We understand now that you won't leave this... human girl... behind. Trust me when I say that I do understand. You want to protect her, and that is very honourable of you. I’m proud of you, John! But now you need to come home so we can sort things out. And you can bring her, the girl. She will be safe here, with the pack.”

John contemplated her words. Was she telling the truth? Or was she playing a game with him? He was pleased he had put that much distance between them and his family... It would take them too long to find them now even if they were tracing his call, he and Isabel would be long gone when they arrived, IF they would try to go after them.

“John…?” Rebecca’s voice was hesitant. “John, I think you do want to come back home. This is where you belong. Everyone is waiting for you… The whole pack is waiting for you! We have informed them about the situation, and they're all ready to welcome your human girl to stay with us for as long as needed.”

“As long as needed? But mother, I don’t think you understand. I love her. I need her. This is not something temporary,” John looked back at Isabel who had closed her eyes, facing the sun that made her hair glow.

He was standing far enough so she shouldn’t be able to hear their conversation, but close enough to feel that he could protect her if someone, or something, showed up.

“I understand, John, but we don’t know what the future will bring. If you meet your true mate you’ll...”

“I don’t care about finding my true mate!” he snapped. He was getting frustrated, how many times did he have to say it? “Isabel is all I care about. If it’s not her, it’s not anyone.”

“But John, you cannot mate with her! You can’t mark her, and you will not have that kind of bond with her as with a chosen wolf mate.”

“Then I’ll do it the human way,” he muttered. “I’ll marry her.”

“What?” Rebecca gasped.

“I said I’ll marry her! If she will have me, of course,” he added.

“And if she doesn’t love you the way you love her?” she asked vigilantly.

“Then I will love her anyway. But she will of course be free to leave me when it’s safe to do so…”

“Oh John…” Rebecca sighed. He could hear the desperation in his mother's voice. “This is such a mess. But please, come home now. We can’t handle it all over the phone. Bring the human and come home.”

“Her name is Isabel, mother,” John growled. “But yes, you’re right. We should discuss this face-to-face…”

He glanced at Isabel who was still sunbathing. She had taken off his sweater and was only wearing a soft singlet with skinny straps, her nip.ples slightly showing through the thin fabric. She had tossed her hair to the side, exposing her long delicate neck, and her bare skin was looking as smooth as silk. All he wanted was to go sit with her, embrace her and kiss her on the collarbone... and mark that beautiful neck of hers.

“Mother, when you’ll meet her, you’ll understand. She’s perfect. Even if she’s a human, she’s all I ever wanted in a mate,” John smiled warmly as Isabel turned her head to look at him.

“She won’t give you any pups…” Rebecca spoke with a low and soft voice.

“We’ll be fine,” John nodded. “I’m sure we can adopt. Or maybe Chloe will have pups that will be able to carry our bloodline. I’m sure we’ll find a way.”

“What about her? Doesn’t she want to have any children?”

John had not thought about it, but his mother had a point. What if Isabel wanted children? Human children? It wasn’t totally impossible... they could have mutual children, he had heard of a few cases when humans had given birth to a mix species baby, the child not inheriting any of the wolf genes. If any wolf genes were present, the woman would miscarry so early that she barely even knew she had been pregnant at all, her period just a few days late.

“If we don’t get any children of our own, I’m sure we’ll solve it somehow. If she wishes to have any. But mother, it’s a little too early to worry about that,” John wanted to end this conversation now, so he could go back to Isabel and enjoy their last moment together in solitude, knowing all too well how busy life would be as soon as they came back to the pack.

“Alright,” Rebecca got the hint. “Come home. Bring… Isabel. She's welcome to stay with us. And she will not be harmed.”

“What about Nick? Has he come back? I don’t want him anywhere near her,” John growled as he suddenly remembered his brother.

“We haven’t seen him since he left, unfortunately…”

“Good,” he nodded. “We’re quite far off, so it will take some time to drive, but we’ll come home tomorrow.”

John ended the call and came to sit by Isabel in the grass, and she looked at him with an anxious expression on her face.

“How did it go?” she whispered, resting her chin on his shoulder, her big hazel eyes searching his face for answers.

“Better than expected,” he admitted. “They say you're welcome to come live with us... That you won't be harmed, that you'll be safe...”

“But...?”

“I’m not totally sure I can trust them. I just want to make sure they're telling the truth and not playing a game with us, luring us into a trap.”

“And these are the people you want me to live with…?” she frowned.

“Don’t worry, when they get used to you, everything will be fine. I think you’ll enjoy pack life! I just have to make sure they don’t do any hasty actions that would put you in harm... Before they understand the situation correctly,” John put his arms around her, holding her close.

“I can’t believe it’s your family we’re talking about…” Isabel murmured.

John’s relationship with his family was nothing like her own with her mother, she couldn’t think of a situation where she would think her mother would try to trick her into something.

“No, but they still think you’re a witch, remember?” he chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. “My dangerously smart and wickedly beautiful little witch!”

“I’m not little,” Isabel pouted with her lips, her eyes twinkling teasingly. “I’m a big, bold and powerful sorceress… And I'm going to make you my S&M slave!”

“Careful! Or I'll eat you!” John tickled her, making her giggle.

“No but seriously,” Isabel chortled. “Can you show me now? Your wolf?”

“I actually think we need to leave,” John wasn’t too eager to show her his wolf. He knew just how intimidating he looked in his wolf form. What if she got scared? What if she freaked out, not wanting to be with him anymore? Just the thought of her looking at him with fearful eyes made him feeling weak. No, it was still too early.

“I’ll show you later. I actually think you should see someone else of our kind first, when I’m still in my human form, so you’ll feel safe.”

“I already feel safe with you, John. I’m not afraid of your wolf,” she put her hand on his cheek, her eyes seeking his. “I just want to see you, the whole you. Every little part of you.”

“Later,” he gave her a peck on the lips. “But now we really have to leave. We have a long ride ahead of us.”

“I hope we’ll come back here soon,” she took a last look at the beautiful place and sighed. “This place is magical!”

“We will,” he promised.

They gathered all their things and went back to the car.

“It will take the whole day to get back,” John started driving back to the main road. “I’m thinking we should spend the night somewhere on the way, maybe in a hotel, and I’ll leave you there as I go home and meet my folks.”

“I thought we would go there together?” Isabel frowned.

“I will come back for you once I’ve made sure it’s safe.”

“How far is it? Maybe we can go to my mom’s lake house, instead of some hotel? It should be on the way,” Isabel wasn’t too keen to be left alone at a hotel, she would feel safer in her home.

“That’s not a bad idea,” he mused. “I suspect your lake house is not too far from my home, but far enough so our hunters shouldn’t sense your scent.”

“My scent? How would they know my scent?” Isabel was confused.

“They were at my apartment, I’m sure they noticed your scent there…”

“You werewolves are really something different,” she shook her head and chuckled. “But yes, we’ll go to my lake house, I’ll call mom and tell her we’ll go there. Besides, I’d love to show you where I spent my childhood.”

“Can’t wait,” John smiled.