Isabel's Choice

Chapter 17 - Isabel

Place and time: Southern River Border, about a month later.

I cannot remember the last time I had such a great day, where everything fell into place effortlessly.

***

In the morning meeting, Owen informed us about the progress of the investigations related to the Eastern Hills murder.

The Witches' Council concluded that there wasn't any evidence of dark magic use. The Shifter's Council has interrogated all suspects and has cleared them all.

The Regular Human council didn't appreciate this outcome. They made that clear by further decreasing the quotas for the rationalized goods.

Luckily, my contract for a new car had been signed a while ago. So at lunch, I got to hold the keys to an amazing brand new leisure vehicle. I only held them shortly, because Owen took it for a ride, to visit one of his allies in the east.

To celebrate my new acquisition, as well as the fact that the Alpha was going to be away for the day, I decided to grant myself some private time at the River Border.

My decision was greatly influenced by my wolf's whining. She was hoping that, with the travel restrictions lifted and the standing agreements reactivated, my half-wizard true mate might have some random business to sort out across the River. If we hung out long enough around the Ferry terminal, maybe we could get a glimpse of him.

***

So here we are, me - enjoying a tall ice latte, and my beast - in her careful scrutiny of the small crowd that populates the port promenade. Engrossed as I am in a Wolves' Way guideline, I jump out of my chair when I hear next to me the charming deep sound Willow was waiting for.

"Good afternoon, Luna Isabel."

My wolf wags her tail against my ribs, whimpering a satisfied "I told you so" in my brain, together with something about how I and this mountain warrior are meant to be.

"Good afternoon, Lars, on your way to the Witches' Plains?" I ask, responding to his polite bow with a small one of my own.

"Coming back...from magic training. I am happy we can cross the River easily again."

He seems happy indeed, his eyes sparkling in a dark teal blue that has my wolf sigh with longing. In her opinion, our true mate, our one and only, is the greatest gift the Moon Goddess has ever bestowed on a female.

"That is fantastic indeed," I nod." I planned to call your mother and thank her for the contact of the car dealer. We got our new leisure vehicle today."

"Congratulations. She will be happy that information was helpful to you."

A brief silence ensues, and I become self-conscious that I am standing here, in public, exchanging smiles with an unrelated male. Plus his wolf seems to share in the madness of mine because he is shamelessly staring at me through his human's orbs.

But it's hard to break eye contact.

With Owen so much around in the last month, Willow has spent most of her time sleeping inside me. If engaging for some minutes with this male means feeling her at my surface, happy as a careless pup, I am ready to put up with the consequences.

"Wolves' Way?" He points towards the book I dropped on my table.

Lunas are not requested to have in-depth knowledge of the Way, the legal matters are usually dealt with by the Alpha and the pack elders. My interest in the ancient law was sparked by Owen claiming me. I was initially trying to find information that would somehow invalidate our bond. I didn't really but reading it helped me to understand the concepts of pack leadership. It was good brain work and I tried to keep up with its updates

"Yes, it's the most recent economic guideline, I was mapping the changes to the old version," I explain unnecessarily extensively, but Willow pats my back, congratulating me for displaying my interest in such an exotic subject. 

"There is only one paragraph in article fourteen which is mildly impactful," he comments distracted, "smaller packs will receive some subsidies to cover medical expenses." He then looks again at me with a guilty smile."I am sorry, I didn't mean to spoil it for you. I've spent a lot of time in the last days refreshing my knowledge of the Way."

I want to ask why, but another Alpha just stepped into our space, his size and his frown making my wolf cower submissively.

"Good afternoon, Luna Isabel," he bows politely and then he nods to the shifter in front of me. "Lars."

"Alpha Kari, what a pleasure to see you on our territory," I return his greeting. "Are you traveling to the Witches' Plains?"

"No, actually I am coming back. Soon my Luna and I will celebrate an important milestone in our bond and I wanted to get her a surprise from her birth territory. It seems I got caught in the act." 

He says the last sentence plainly, without smiling and I try to understand what is going on. If Lars was coming from the Witches' Plains, they should have been on the same boat. But then I see the younger male stilling, the breath frozen in his chest and lips tightened in a straight line. It is very obvious which one of the two is lying.

"So Lars, shall we drive home together?" The Alpha asks his son, but the tone of his question bends Lars's neck and also mine, even if I am an innocent bystander in this encounter. 

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A/N:  Oops! I see illogical consequences in acting Beta Lars's immediate future.