The Secrets of the Panther
Chapter 12

KAT

I watched as the girl I had to raise with my own daughter walks away from me. She has been through so much.

Hunters are hunting her and they are working alongside some dark people, vampires, and possibly a witch too. We have hidden everything well, well enough even from wolves to know what Izzy is capable of.

She is not to be messed with. She has killed many but more seem to appear.

As for Michael, I know he won’t be coming anywhere near her, Todd and I killed him for what he did to her. He deserved it. She couldn’t heal as Puna was sleeping for a while. It was hard to watch someone go through what he did to her. He was a monster. He should have stayed away from my niece, I had to protect her. He wanted her but he didn’t in the end after what we did, he will never be found.

I look up towards the stairs and I can hear silent snores coming from her room, I giggle, same old Izzy. She must have been worn out.

I look at the clock and know everyone is at the ceremony for the young alpha, Blake. Izzy will come around about him I’m sure of it. She needs him as much as he needs her, I think.

I grab my phone and text Alice:

“How is the party?”

“It is ok, most of the people are drunk,” she says.

A photo comes through on my phone, it is of Paul and Alice. I am so happy they both found each other. I am starting to miss Todd more now.

“Who is there?” I texted back with a few heart emojis for the photo too.

“Everyone and anyone. How is Izzy? Did she pass out snoring?” I can’t help but giggle at that, she knows her cousin so well.

“Yeah, she is in bed and snoring lol,” I say.

I have to admit I would have liked to have gone to the party.

“Yeah, I will be on a killing spree,” says Grace, my panther in my head. She was pissed at Graham for turning up. We both thought he would have honored the agreement of keeping his distance but that was not the case. Izzy is his daughter but he has missed out on so much with her. He doesn’t even know what she is capable of or what she has been through.

Another text comes through from Alice.

“Mum, you ok? Why don’t you come?” She asks.

“No, it’s ok. I want to be here just in case Izzy needs me,” I text and then quickly add. “Besides Grace would have gone on a killing spree, especially after today.”

I have been sitting at the kitchen counter for just over an hour, drinking tea and reading my book since Izzy went to bed.

My phone goes again:

“Lol, yeah true. His mate is here too,” she knows Linda is Graham’s mate. I have told some parts of Lucy’s story to her but not all, especially the part where he had to choose between Linda and Lucy.

I reply back:

“Well, if I end up there, they will have to clean up her blood as well, so I think it’s safe for me to stay here.”

“Yeah, okay,” she sends back.

I look at the clock, I best get to bed. I pull everything I need to take upstairs with me onto a tray. But before I take everything up with me.

I hear the loudest scream, it is coming from Izzy. Izzy is screaming loudly.

I grab my phone and sprint straight to her bedroom. When I open the door to her room, she is lying on her bed holding her chest, pain running through her, sweat dripping down her face. “Please make it stop,” she cries out.

I run to her but her eyes are glowing green. “MATE WITH ANOTHER,” roars Puna.

I grab my phone and ring, Alice. She picks up straight away after the second ring and the first thing she hears is Puna roaring in pain. Izzy and Puna are both forward in their human form. Her power is coming through. She is suffering.

“Alice, what the hell is happening over there,” I ask her, all I can do is watch as my Izzy rolls around in bed, screaming with horrendous pain.

“MAKE HIM STOP,” she screams.

“Paul just caught Blake fucking someone outside,” she says. “What the hell is wrong with Izzy”

I am livid, these stupid wolves are hurting my girl.

I look at Izzy still rolling around on the bed. “Mum, I got you on the loudspeaker. Everyone can hear you,” she says but Izzy’s screams are getting louder.

“Stop that fucker now, he is hurting Izzy,” I snap, I didn’t mean to snap at my own daughter but I can’t stand seeing Izzy in this state.

“How is that possible?” She quickly asks.

“I don’t know but get him to stop NOW, she is screaming in pain here,” I say.

After a few moments, Izzy calms down but opens her eyes. They are still bright green, Puna is upfront with her still, and tears are flowing from her eyes. “I HATE MATE,” she says and turns over.

All I get is her back, she ignores me.

I can feel the hate and sadness coming off her.

I have to leave the room, her emotions are too much for me and my panther to handle.

As I get outside her bedroom, Alice is still on the phone. “Mum,” she asks. “Are you still there?”

I have to compose myself before I can talk, I make it into my room.

“I’m here, the pain has stopped. If this is what he thinks is going to win her over,” I say but another voice is on the phone. “Kat, it is me, Lauren, how is she?” She asks.

Lauren.

Luna Lauren takes me by surprise.

“Luna, she is ok. She could feel everything. I mean everything he was doing with that girl she felt everything” I tell her, a tear slipping down my face.

I knew the signs as I walked into the room, I had to watch my sister go through the same thing with Graham when he was with Linda.

“Kat, how is this possible?” Luna Lauren asks. “How could she feel everything? Could it be to do with her power?”

I stare ahead of me, I am so grateful that my sister told Luna Lauren about it before the rejection happened.

“How could he do this to her?” I asked.

After a few moments, “We just found out, the pack slut spiked his drink. He didn’t know what he was doing. Graham punched him and now both of them are locked up in separate rooms to calm down. Graham nearly ripped Blake apart. We also have the pack doctor looking at Blake to see what he has been spiked with,” she says with a sigh. “I am so sorry for what happened Kat, I want to see her.”

I know she does, “Come by the café, I’ll let you know when. Have my number off Alice, you can replace out when,” I say. “By the way, why did the slut spike his drink for?”

“I have no clue, I honestly thought Blake was different from the other boys but obviously he is not. The guards just came back and told us that she is claiming someone helped her but I don’t believe it,” she says.

Mmmm...I have a funny feeling about all this and I think it’s something Izzy hasn’t mentioned to me yet.

“Anyway Kat, I will let you go. I hand you back to Alice now,” she says.

I wait for a few seconds, and Alice comes back on. “Mum, how is she?” She asks with worry in her voice.

“Al, am I off speakerphone?” I ask her, heading to the dresser. I pull open the top drawer and dig for it.

“You are now, I am on my own outside the pack house. What’s going on mum?” She asks.

Ah found it, a piece of paper with the number I need.

“Has your father rung you lately?” I asked her, Todd is her father and my mate. He offered to be with Izzy after what happened to her after she left us to go on her own.

“No, why?” She asks. “Mum, what are you on about? You are starting to worry me?”

“I am sorry Al, I’m going to ring him on the phone now. I think someone is after Izzy and they are in the pack” I say.

Alice is quiet for a few moments. “I had a feeling someone was doing something hickey here, what do you want me to do?” She asks.

This is going to be a long shot.

“Can you speak to the girl who spiked Blake’s drink?” I asked.

She sighs. “I will try, what do you need me to ask her?”

“Ask her what happened?” I say. “She might be the key to replaceing out who is behind some of the shit that has been happening with Izzy lately.”

“Ok mum,” she says. “I best go or people will be wondering where the hell I hell I have gone.”

“Ok sweetheart, watch your back at that pack,” I say.

“I will, and mum, look after Izzy,” she says. She clicks off.

I look at the number I have in my hand. I miss his voice so much.

I dial it into my phone and let it ring, he picks up after the second ring. “What happened?” He says.

“Why do you assume that something happened?” I say. “Can’t your mate ring to say she is missing you like crazy?”

He chuckles, I have missed that chuckle.

Before he speaks I can hear her little voice in the background, “Auntie Kat,” Allie says in her small voice.

“Hey baby girl, how are you?” I asked her.

She giggles. “I’m okay, I want to be with mummy. Where is she? Is she ok?” She asks, sounding worried.

I look towards my bedroom door, I walk through it and head toward Izzy’s room. I open the door and look in.

She is sleeping.

I stare at her, leaning on the doorframe, staring at her.

“Mummy is a sleeping baby’s girl, she had a hard day. But she is ok. She will talk to you soon” I say “Can I talk to uncle Todd please?”

She hands the phone over to Todd. “She was happy to hear your voice,” he says. “So am I.”

I sigh, “What’s wrong?” He asks.

“What happened a few weeks ago? Izzy hasn’t told me yet. She has been through so much since she has been here already and she only now is sleeping. She had a run-in with Graham which ended badly,” I blurt out.

“We knew that would happen and she will tell you when she wakes up, is there anything else?” He says.

“I miss you,” I say.

I close Izzy’s bedroom door and head into my room.

“I miss you too sweetheart, won’t be long, hopefully, we all will be together,” he says in a husky voice.

“Damn, I want you here with me. We are alone. Why not make this fun?” He says.

I smile and head back to my room. I shut my door, I need my mate.