Isabel's Choice

Chapter 33 - Lars

I regret the question as soon as it leaves my mouth and Isabel - Isa - presses her lips together tightly. They shed the red traces of our kisses and pale to a quaint pink.

I can still undo it; there are still some days to go until Eino's celebration and there is no need to ruin this winter morning with uncomfortable decisions.

But instead of trying to backtrack my invitation - or just shutting up and using my mouth to explore hers again - I hear myself selling it further :

"I thought we could spend some days there before his celebration. I could show you my birth territory and Willow could run in proper snow..."

Isabel's eyes lighten to that beautiful molten gold I love, but then they go dull again. She rests a hand at the base of her neck as if trying to protect herself from an imminent threat.

"Will your parents be there?"

There is no way to sugarcoat my answer. "Yes. Not for the whole time, but for his actual birthday, yes."

"And you think it's a good idea that I am...also there?"

It's my turn to pout, silently pondering her question. Since I took over the Southern River Border, Kari and Ayn's interest in Isabel's well-being or existence has been limited at best. In every phone call I had with them they sent standard well wishes for my Luna. Considering the history, I was more grateful than hurt by their cold politeness.

This was until the incident at the Red when Ina flew me over to my parents' place, and my mother saw all my injuries - the wolfsbane-burned hand and the other cuts on my body. She muttered that true mates don't hurt each other like this and that she is very much looking forward to getting to know better this female for which I seem to keep bleeding over and over again. When she said that, her squint darkened her eyes to the dangerous brown moonstone shades. So it is debatable whether having Isabel and Ayn in the same space for a whole day is a good idea.

I am about to formulate some vague, non-committal response, but a giant black wolf charges toward us. Pushing the Luna to the side, I take the full impact alone, my back cracking against the table. The beast puts his paws on my shoulders, and I dodge his attempt to lick my face. Or bite it, one never knows with Hail.

"Shift," I order, my arms wrapped around his ribs. The male that appears in my arms is tired, his cheeks are sunken in, and the circles around his eyes have the same color as his pupils - dark purple.

„Bro!" Eino whimpers, not even embarrassed about his involuntary shift. "I have a bunch of stuff I need to talk to you about!! I am just gonna go get my papers..."

"Since when are you awake, Beta?" I ask, and he turns towards the Luna. 

"When did we get back here, Isa?"

"Four days ago," Isabel answers, her eyebrows knitted in a frown.

"So...that would be it," Eino admits with a guilty smile.

"You didn't sleep in four days??" I roar at him. The guilt for having put a dangerous amount of responsibility on his shoulder is gone. 

Eino just smirks, swaying slightly in front of me. "Come on, bro, I want to tell you what I found about the Defenders, and then I need to drive North because it's Raya's birthday today."

I very much want to listen to his findings, but I want even more that he doesn't collapse exhausted and spills his brains on my Luna's kitchen floor. An arm thrown on his shoulder, I nod: 

"Sure. Let's go to the living room and you can give me the whole low-down."

Isabel's eyes are shooting daggers at me, begging in my mind to force him to rest. She doesn't know that this is my plan, but the execution is a bit convoluted.  Eino has inherited from Ayn one very annoying thing: the ability to dive into a task with so much focus that they forget about their bodily needs. It usually takes external intervention to remind them to eat, drink, or go to bed. And, if that doesn't happen timely, they morph into irrational monsters. At that point, any handling needs to be gentle and subtle to be successful.