ISABEL

FORTY TWO

Two weeks has gone by with no sign of Rodrigo's illegitimate son or his minions around the Pride pack border. This bothered Isabel a lot because she has never met her adversary face to face, so she couldn't predict what his next actions would be. The fact that the future looked bleak no matter how hard she tried to deny it, didn't sit well with her, but she couldn't tell anyone, not even her father. Showing even the tiniest sign of uncertainty would throw the pack into disarray and she couldn't risk that happening because of her anxiety. To divert her thoughts from thinking about the worst case scenario, Isabel took up training David. Since he was under her roof for the time being, it would be improper of her to still expect her dad to be the one training him. Strangely enough, David hardly ever complained or made a fuss during training, as he took it as a fun activity, unlike her nephew, Fernando. This made her work easier, and was infact a good distraction. In the course of training, Isabel developed a special bond with David, which she never had with her younger sister or any other pup. It warmed her heart to be loved by someone else other than her family and mate. Unknown to the young werewolf, he has won a special place in Isabel's heart.

One night after tucking Teresa in bed, Isabel returned to the master bedroom, and cuddled up against her mate under the duvet. Dylan instinctively wrapped his arms tighter around his mate, cherishing the warmth of her skin.

"Tired?" He asked, as he kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"Not really" Isabel replied with her eyes closed, preparing herself to fall asleep.

Dylan smiled at his mate's reply, because she was trying really hard to sound unaffected, but he knew how exhausting it was for Isabel to get her little sister to sleep. She could fight off an entire army and still be full of energy, but when it came down to putting Teresa to bed, she was usually drained of energy, but that didn't deter her from spending quality time with her sister. If Dylan didn't think better, he would say his mate was acting strange. Like she was trying to make up for something. He could tell she was worked up about the issue with her half brother, but didn't want to show it. This worried him because she barely slept at night. She always kept watch at midnight while everyone was asleep and goes back to bed just before dawn. How does he tell her that this could have an adverse effect on her health?

"Don't worry, babe. You're gonna kick his ass" He whispered when he thought she had drifted into a light sleep.

"You think so?" Isabel asked lazily, to his surprise.

Dylan wasn't surprised that Isabel was still awake, but that she admitted having doubts herself. This was so unlike her. He turned her around so she was facing him and said,

"I know so"

Isabel heaved a sigh of relief at Dylan's reply. For some reason, she needed that assurance from her mate even though the battle was hers alone.

"Tell me something" She requested, snuggling her head onto his chest, to inhale his heavenly scent, as it helps her relax.

"Something like what?... I love you?"

"I know that already... Tell me something no one else knows about. That's if you have one" She mumbled against his chest, making him tense.

"So do you have a secret?" Isabel teased, looking up at her mate, who quickly looked away, to avoid having eye contact with her.

Isabel had no intention of making Dylan feel uncomfortable, she only wanted to hear his charming voice, hoping it would take away her wolf's uneasiness. What could he be hiding from her?

Dylan on the other hand was stunned by Isabel's question. Why did she ask that all of a sudden, out of nowhere? He wondered, staring at the clock for no reason in particular. It was only when he looked at the clock that he realized that their birthday was three hours away. He doesn't want their relationship getting strained once again because of something he did in the past, but at the same time, he wants his mate to know everything about him, even the most embarrassing things.