Isabel's Choice

Chapter 52 - Isabel

Eino turns abruptly towards Arnie's companion, a blond female with a young wolf inside her, who is peering terrified out of her human's eyes.

The new Alpha cocks his head and stares at her, giving her a careful, languid once-over. Even if he has briefed me in detail on his intentions, I still wrinkle my nose at his disgustingly accurate act. I felt sorry that Raya missed seeing him take the pack-mind. Now I am happy she's not here to see loverboy ogling this girl as if she were the last chocolate cupcake in the world.

Arnie however sees it well and pulls his female behind him with a defensive growl. His sound extracts a small chuckle from Eino's lips.

"She is your chosen mate," the new Alpha states, overtly looking over the Beta's shoulder to catch another glimpse of the female's body.

"Yes."

Eino signals her to step forward and she reluctantly walks again in front of him, her eyes to the ground, her neck bent nicely and low.

"Name?"

"Julia, Alpha."

"Julia, would you like to have Arnie's mark?"

"Yes, Alpha."

"And would you mark him back, seal your bond with him and all?"

"Yes, Alpha," she whispers, blushing in all shades of red.

Eino looks back at the Beta, mild disappointment tugging at his lips.

"Arnie, why didn't you mark this female? Because your former leader - your father - didn't agree?"

"Yes," Arnie mutters through clenched teeth.

"But your brother would have been on board with it."

"Yes."

"Well, what do you know, I have one thing in common with Peter," Eino exclaims and slaps Arnie's back excitedly. "I also agree with your mating. Mark her."

"Excuse me?"

"I, your Alpha, give you my permission to seal your bond. Mark the female now."

There is an awkward silence. Arnie and Julia exchange a nod and she bares her shoulder for the male to sink his fang in.

But as the Beta canines extend, Eino speaks again, his tone casual, his eyes focused on some dirt he's trying to scrape from his nails.

"Although, I have to warn you, if you draw blood from that female, I expect you to mate her. Here," my brother clarifies, raising his eyes toward the pair.

The blond girl instinctively pulls away from Jake's younger son, and this later has space to lounge at Eino.

"You deranged motherf.." the Beta's words stop together with the flow of air through his windpipe, as the Alpha's fingers close around his throat.

"Does it upset you that two hundred people would be watching your consensual mating?  Would it be easier if there were only two shifters, looking at your female as you take her? Say, me and one of my brothers?"

Small drops of blood stain Arnie's shirt, red as the color of his face as he is fighting to breathe under the Alpha's grip.

Lars shakes his head at Eino's offer which was not part of the initial plan. He pulls me a little bit closer to him and Sven seeks in his turn more contact with Alejandra. Their brother ponders their refusal for a moment, before speaking again close to Arnie's ear.

"I will tell you what, Beta, I will be the only one watching. That's like a whole fifty percent less audience than at Isa's claiming you have witnessed. The one you told to Alpha Finn that it was consensual."

In three sentences, Eino's pitch went from being light, reassuring almost - to deadly venomous, deep.  An angry Alpha tone so rough, that it makes the other guest leaders shift into place. As if their wolves feel its threat personally, as if their minds would be held, not just the one of Jake's son.

"Was it, Beta Arnold?"

"No."

There is no shame in his voice. It's only the regret of being caught that weighs heavy on him, pushing his throat onto Eino's claws. 

The rage that has been smoldering in the crowd through the whole interrogation finds an outlet in Finn, who lets out a hair-raising growl.

"You cursed rogue. You and your brother swore on the Wolves' Way that Isabel chose Owen willingly!"

Irene's still not back, so it's up to my fathers to try and contain him. It's difficult because their wolves also want revenge for having been cheated out of raising mine. For having been lied to by their own leader, even if he was a victim of deceit himself.

Finn bares his experienced fangs at Jake's family - parents and son being equally guilty in his eyes.

Eino shows him his young ones and instructs him to back off with a hiss.

"My pack, Alpha Finn. My sentencing."

He re-focuses on his prisoner and reverts to the toneless voice I know so well.

"Arnold, son of Jake and Diane, you've broken the Wolves' Way twice - condoning violence against a female and lying under oath in front of another Alpha. There are many people who have rights to your throat."

Eino briefly glances at the Lower Pass warriors - who nod, eager to clean with Arnie's blood the shame his actions have brought on them.

He then looks at Finn who drools hungrily, eyes shifted to bottomless black pits.

The situation is precarious, the friendship between packs gone and the peace hanging by a thread.

Lars exchanges a worried look with Sven. He then lowers his forehead on top of mine. It's not only to reassure me, I know he's discretely mind-linking Gamma Harry, to move some wolves closer to this meadow.

I wish I could speak in the same silent way to Eino and tell him to wrap up this dangerous game and just let Finn kill them all.

But there's a distance between us that cannot be closed with a thought, so I squirm the whole long second it takes the young Alpha to find my eyes and rest his violet gaze on them.

"Luna Isabel, in my judgment you have been hurt the most by Arnold's actions. I would like to offer you retribution so that I can start with a clean slate in my tenure."

"Thank you, Alpha Eino, that is very generous of you. I accept it," I say without bending my neck to him because this is how we practiced it a thousand times in the last few days.

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A/N: Eino at work 😍!

Sound: Alors on dance by Stromae