Page 7 (1/2)

Ithe pal to keep his eyes on both of us, but finally he can’t help but look only atto readanywhere with him," Isaac says in a harsh, desperate whisper Creases forrab hts off to him so that he won’t know the lies I’m about to tell him, are lies

"Isaac," I say softly, "I want to help I can communicate with her…I…," I let my breath catch; "…I could feel her eht we stayed with her in the cabin They were so strong…I-I didn’t completely understand it then, what had happened, but now I know She’s reaching out tothat I said was true except the part about wanting to help Make that two things that I still fear: Trajan and being in Araht Her two hundred-fifty-year-old imprisoned emotions are too er ed by fury and conflict, his breathing still heavy froo He looks back and forth between Trajan and I, a swaro with her," Isaac demands

"You can join her later," Trajan says "You are Alpha here and your duty is to your pack"

"My duty is to her," Isaac snaps, pushing the words fiercely through his teeth "You know that rave emphasis on a word that would normally be replaced with ‘father’, but he refuses to address him in that way

I feel soer and defiance I sense soerous and I look over at hi inside of them

From the corner of my eye, I see Harry step out onto the front porch He has probably been listening this whole ti to take as lance across the yard to see Harry and I shakehe will hear me as easily as Isaac does "You’llthe porch steps And he waits

I turn to Isaac, placing ently on one side of his face and I soften my expression His hand co the base of my palm

"Isaac please," I whisper, "let me do this I feel like I need to do it I’ll be okay Your father has no reason hurt me and I’m under his protection so you have to know that no one else would"

I hope I’ht not end well for Isaac and I can’t let that happen

"You take care of business here," Trajan says from behind, "let her and Aramei be alone for a ti?" Isaac says, his voice still heavily laced with disdain

"That will be for me to decide when I a, tense seconds, but I feel his entire body harden like stone against mine The air around the three of us is rife with hostility, barely contained by Isaac I’m surprised that his eyes haven’t shifted black

He hates his father right now I know that he loves him, but this is a different sort of hate and I can only tell what it’s fueled by, not what outcome it will inevitably cause

So…

I step carefully away froers lingering until they reach the tips of er’s side door where I had been sitting before with Trajan, I hope that Isaac will contain his anger until we’re gone Every muscle in my body is stiff with trepidation And I try not to make eye contact with anyone; not Isaac or Trajan or even Harry who still stands at the top of the porch steps watching ency to accompany me But Harry knows more about ill happen than Isaac could ever know Because Harry knows ht now is certainly part of the design, that road my life must follow in order to fulfill er, Harry would know it

What he’s doing right now is an act I’ he can to make those around us believe he is only hu of destinies or futures or wars to be made

I am destined to start a war And it’s Harry’s job to make sure that I do it

When I think of this, I’m sure to close my mind off to Harry because…I don’t want to be the cause of any war

And I refuse to be

The first half of the drive is co No one speaks, whichto distract my keen senses from all of the petty sounds and sasoline burns s I can even smell the blood on the driver’s teeth froht’s fulland huhway or the roar of the engine and the thunder ru in some distant thunderstorm But worst of all, I feel suffocated because I’ next tohatever kind of life she is living inside that lost and lonely head of hers