A/N ~ I apologize in advanced for any words that look like 'beehid' or 'beefore', as my keyboard has moments when it likes to add in random extra/double letters. No joke. It's not me. This chapter isn't amazing, but it's not revealing anything amazing. Please remember that editing will be later on =)
Enjoy!
P.s - I'm really struggling with the new design of the Wattpad website when it comes to saving my work/chapters. Urgh. The new app design is nice though.
P.p.s - Little Mix is an amazing band <3
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Larissa and I swapped shocked looks. She said yes. It'd barely registered in my brain. She said yes! Her body had stopped shaking, although her cheeks still glistened with the fresh tears.
"You, uh, accept?" I stammered out, my heart beating a mile a minute.
Isla threw me an are-you-fucking-kidding-me look. "Yeah," she deadpanned, "Ooh look, the big bad Alpha's st-st-stuttering."
"You're confused."
She batted her eyelashes, the picture of innocence. "I'm sure."
Suddenly Larissa clapped her hands together loudly, making both Isla and I jump. I swung around to face my mates' aunt, and noted the evil sparkle in her eye. Obviously Isla did also, because she began to protest against it.
"Now, now Isla. You've agreed to this." Larissa cackled.
I stared wide-eyed at the former pack doctor. "Why am I getting the feeling you're going to do something bad?"
She smirked at me and winked. "Not for you," she swung her head around to Isla, "to her."
Isla stood up so suddenly she knocked the chair backwards. It flew into the back wall, a sickening crunch filling the room on contact. I stood up, along with Larissa. She stuck out a short index finger, and pointed it straight at Isla. "Do not jump to conclusions." I swung my gaze between the two females, puzzled.
"What fresh hell are you so happy to put me through then!"
Larissa fidgeted. "It might involve shifting, but — BUT," she sent her niece a deadly glare, "That's not why I'm smiling. Although I have to put you through some rigorous testing, which'll be fun, but I'm looking forwards to maybe working this out once and for all."
Isla still had a doubtful expression on her delicate features, and I had to grip my wrists tightly to keep me from trying to comfort her. For her to be that afraid of shifting showed me how serious the situation was, for her and for me. It obviously gave her great pain, and in doing that to her, it was going to worry me immensely. Not to mention if we mated in the future, the pain would then transfer to me.
"When do we start it then?" Isla asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Larissa's face fell. "You see girly, erm, we start real soon. Real, real, soon." Isla visibly gulped at her aunt's admittance.
"So, how soon?" she murmured, already looking resigned to the worst.
"In a couple of hours." Larissa muttered back, eyes downcast. "At least there isn't any more bedrest for you!" She claimed, trying to point out a silver lining. I just stood there stunned. Family feuds are sorted quickly in their household. Usually my father had to be a mediator for my mother and I. But we didn't have petty fights. I've noticed most arguments Isla's involved in with her mother or aunt are silly, and blow over super quick. Why waste time and energy on a useless disagreement? That was one thing I'd probably never wrap my head around.
I tuned back into the conversation when I noticed my beloved mate giving me a side-ways glance.
I cocked an eyebrow. "What was that for-" I bit my tongue, nearly letting slip a 'dear'. I'm getting way too comfortable with the fact she's my mate. It was her turn to shoot me a questioning look, but she quickly shrugged it off and turned to face her aunt.
"I was asking my dear aunt here if you were going to intrude on this."
Larissa frowned. "Well of course Isla," she scolded, "He is both allowing and funding this project. It's only fair."
"It's only fair," she mimicked snidely, "I don't care."
"ISLA!" Isla just giggled, letting her gaze wander over to me out the corner of her eye. She nervously twirled a strand of her hair around her fingers.
I gave her a small smile and shake of my head. "You're not getting rid of me that easy."
Isla gave me an adorable pout. "Nothing I can do will change it?" A smirk slipped onto my lips. There was one thing she could probably try, but I wasn't going to say.
"Just got to accept it."
Her eyes flashed before hardening. So she was just trying to escape me, huh? Cayden growled in my head at her, hurt. Even though we both realized why she was so distant, it was still hard to comprehend your mate not wanting to spend time with you. That's soon going to change. I smiled coldly at her. Game on Finchworth.
~~~*~~~*~~~
I was fighting back sniggers as Isla lay on her back, panting. Although it wasn't fair on her, it was pretty funny watching her flail about. It was adorable. Abso-fucking-lutely adorable. And hilarious. It'd been several hours since she'd agreed to the deal her aunt and I had struck, and so far I hadn't realized how damned lazy she was until she actually had to do the exercises that just the average pack member had to undertake. It wasn't even the training my pack receives! I had watched her sceptically and amusedly as she complained about the physical exertion.
I wasn't feeling completely comfortable with the fact that my precious mate had no way to defend herself, but I was nearly dying from watching her half-assed attempts to lay a hand on me, or her mother. The first little while Larissa had made her run and stretch, taking blood samples and running other types of tests on her before and after. Then for an hour or so we'd gone through basic attack and defence movements. And now we were trying to get her to try them out on us. To say she was failing amazingly was an understatement.
"Are you gonna stand there and giggle like a maniac or are you gonna be an gentleman and help me up?" she grumbled, passing a hand over her face and up to her hair. Although she had basically demanded me help her up she stayed sitting on the ground. Isla pulled the hair tie quickly from her hair, and just as fast had it back up in a tighter ponytail. She brushed away a few loose strands from her face, before looking up at me from beneath her long lashes. "Thanks for the help up, Spinner. I'm so grateful for it!" she said sarcastically, getting to her feet on her own. She dusted down the back of her gym shorts, which were incredibly short — just to my liking.
I'd already run my eyes all over her impressive figure when she first stepped out in her gym gear. Well, it wasn't necessarily her gym gear, but she looked hot in it. Although she protested immensely against not being able to wear a shirt of sorts over her sports bra, her mother said it'd be easier without it. Mariah never said it'd be easier for me. Though the sight of my barely clothed mate definitely held my attention, she still couldn't do anything to me.
