Isabel's Choice

Chapter 36 - Lars

"Who in the seven hells let you - again - in my house???" Sven barks at Zero One, who is lying in front of Eino's door. "Ayn doesn't live here anymore. Leave now."

The lynx spits and hisses at my middle brother with the audacity of one who is protected by higher forces. He basically is, my mother would smite anyone that so much touches a hair on his head.

"Please, please take him with you," the big Alpha of Eagle Rock begs. "I will kill him one of these days. Not Thunder, but me, I will do it. With my bare hands."

"I cannot have Eino and Zero One in my pack, bro. One moody creature for each one of us is only fair."

Jokes come automatically when I am with Sven, but instead of it being soothing, humor flows through my soul like a river of shards.

Because it feels wrong to be happy.

It feels wrong to push Isabel's treason to the back of my mind.

I managed to do it last night when, after riding through a snowstorm for two hours, I found her sleeping in the kitchen and carried her to her room. The mixture of love and resentment that choked me while watching her must have been one of the most disgusting feelings I experienced in my life. It made me understand Eino's issue with the bond - the stupid genetic programming that requires us to protect our mates even if their behavior hurts us. A leash.

It was only after I had dropped her in the bed, closed several doors between my eyes and her beauty, and washed her scent from my skin that I was able to go back to being just angry.

Next to me, Sven sighs and growls at the same time, flashing a fang in the cat's direction. This action finally convinces Zero One to head down the stairs, his tail raised defiantly like a bushy middle finger.

"Yeah, go. Go find Ayn. Be careful not to drown in the River. Or...don't be!" Sven screams behind him and then he opens our young brother's door.

"Rise and shine, little one, we are here to see your wolf!" He pulls the covers from Eino's body. I look away because I am sadly familiar with my Beta's habit of sleeping naked and I don't need to see his morning hard-on saluting me.

But much to our surprise, Eino is already dressed in a shift suit - or maybe he slept in it - and he is happy to accept our hugs. And kisses. And fist bumps.

"The terror trio is of age! Thank the Goddess we all lived to see this day, I am so so proud of you guys! And a little bit of Ayn and myself," Kari chuckles behind us. "It sucks that your mom is not here... but, because your mom is not here, we can shift and race to Eagle Rock," he proposes with a mischievous grin, demonstratively cracking his neck.

"I want to walk," Eino announces and three jaws drop in disbelief. He pouts at us and adds: "It's tradition, no?"

"It's also a tradition that you mess with us, so what's your game, shifter?" Sven gives the little one a very careful once over, but Eino just shakes his head and says innocently:

"Come on, let's go, I am looking forward to eating my birthday cake."

The cookie mountain Isabel made for him, for her Beta. Love. Resentment.

The fact that Eino doesn't even want to run is not helping at all with my mood. I am starting to wonder if his wolf paradoxically didn't go to sleep on the day he was supposed to wake up.

The small meadow under Eagle Rock is covered in a fresh blanket of snow - marred only by the footsteps of the females who have unsurprisingly beat us in getting here. Alejandra and Isabel have spread some blankets and all the scattered rocks hold a plate with Eino's favorite snacks.