The Secrets of the Panther
Chapter 147

IZZY

I couldn’t help but stare at my friend; I thought she was, but the way she was acting, she was proving she wasn’t.

“Izzy,” Lena says quietly. “I didn’t realize what you were going through. I would have never pushed you like that. I know Alice wouldn’t have either if she had known.”

I stared at her. I knew she was following us; I wanted to see what she was up to, but her coming out of the woodwork made me think she wanted to tell me what she thought and makeup.

I look at her, and Dales’s hand squeezes my hand slightly. I knew he was being supportive of me. He has been for the last two days.

“Izzy, please,” she says.

I look at her and sigh. “You know, a friend would actually tell me what the hell is going on and would also stand by me,” I say to her. Her eyes soften, and she nods.

“I should have told you about what I was doing,” she says. I look at her, slightly confused, “what do you mean?” I asked her.

Lena looks at Dale, and I glance at him to notice he is nodding at her. I could hear her footsteps as she moved closer to me. “Izzy, I have been trying to replace some research on Allie, well, mainly her magic,” she says. I look up at her and stare.

“What did you replace out?” I ask her.

Lena bends down and sits on the ground in front of us. “I have found little, but something in her power tells me she is more powerful than you,” she says.

I gathered she brought me back from the brink of death, where I was during my time waiting and resting to get back to them all after the war.

Lena carries on, “There were no more books in the storage unit,” she says. I raised my eyebrows at her. “You went there?” I asked. She nods, but Lena gives me a sheepish look, “Kat and I went the other day, but there wasn’t much there,” she says.

I look at her, but something comes to me. “My mother had a thing for hidden places, especially hiding things. I remember her hiding papers that she received from my dad, that he sent her before the entire ordeal started,” I say. Dale’s hand squeezes my hand at the mention of our father.

I sigh. “Look, we have time to research after,” I say to her. “I tell you what; we will do more research soon. But I think we all earned some rest from the hunting, the war, and running from everything.”

Lena looks at me for a moment and nods. “I want to make sure we are prepared for anything,” she says. But I shook my head, “Lena, that’s not your job anymore,” I told her. “Look, I think we should stop to smell the roses and see what we have in front of us. I mean, you have a mate who clearly loves you here,” I say as I turn to look at Dale.

Dale smiles.

I turn back to her, “live your life; I wasn’t the only one who was on the run,” I say to her. “As for now, we try to figure out what’s normal and help the pack become more aware of the situation with other shifters.”

I stop and look at her.

“Lena, you can still research Allie's power and everything, but you don’t need to be prepared for anything,” I say with a smile. “We will place a plan for many situations, including whatever you replace.”

Lena nods, but she sighs. “I’m sorry for broadcasting Allie’s memories,” she says. “I never thought Alice would feel so strongly about it.”

“There has been too much magic; spells have been done on people,” I say. “You can’t blame her. And I had to take my memories away. She never understood why I had to.”

Lena nods. “I never knew the extent of the power you had, but I never felt that your emotions were fueling the power of everything. I honestly thought you had the feelings to feel as well,” she says.

I shook my head. “I told no one how my power was fueled, as I never knew who I could trust,” I say to her. “I trusted you and Charley, but I mentioned nothing, just in case they tortured either of you. I couldn’t let it come out.”

Lena stares at me. “I guess that was something,” she says. Her eyes soften. “So everything you have been feeling,” she says.

I sigh, “when the power was gone, everything was heightened and came crashing down on me like a storm,” I say to her. “I even jumped Blake.”

I could hear a groan next to me. “Didn’t need that image in my head,” grunts Dale.

Lena laughs, but I smirk.

Once Lena controls her laughter, she looks at me. “I didn’t realize you couldn’t get hold of Blake,” she says. “If I knew,” she glares at Dale. “I would have kept my big mouth shut.”

I look back at her but say nothing.

“I think we should get back,” I say to them.

They both nod, and we all get up. We walk through the forest.

Dale lets go of my hand and wraps his arms around Lena’s waist.

Puna stares at them and whimpers slightly.

I know why; she wants Blake, and so do I.

As we got to the clearing, I could see Alice with Allie. But it wasn’t the kids I was staring at. There with them was Alice. She stared at me as I came into view, and I could tell she had been crying.

I stop in my tracks, and Lena walks to my side with Dale.

“She was angry,” she says. “She felt bad for what she said to you.”

I look at her and smile.

I didn’t need to say anything to them; they both said their goodbyes to me and headed into the pack house.

I took a breath, let it out, and walked over to Alice. I needed to explain to her, but after crying and talking to Dale and Lena, I felt relieved, and some weight had gone.

This whole feeling of emotions was new to me; I just needed to get to grips with it all.

As I approached, Allie was running toward me. I bent down, and she ran into my arms. Her face nuzzles into my neck as I pick her up. Her legs instantly wrap around my waist. I hold her in place as Alice stares at me. Kat walks over to us, with Archer holding her hand. “Everyone will tidy up from the party tomorrow,” she says.

I nod.

I look between the both of them and sigh. “I know you both have your own opinions about what I did,” I say to them. “I have my reasons for doing it too, but you both need to understand I would never put Allie in danger.”

“We know that,” says Kat, “hot head here didn’t think before she spoke.”

I glanced at Alice, who looked like she wanted to cry. “Izzy, I’m so sorry for what I said,” she says.

I nod. “I know, but you can’t assume I don’t know what I’m doing,” I say to her. She nods. “I never understood what it was like for you,” she says.

Allie pulls away from my neck and looks at me, “where did daddy go?” she asks.

My heart sinks.

“Daddy had to go back to the Red Moon pack to help them,” says Kat as she looks at me. I could see the sadness in her eyes.

Allie looks at me, “can we see him?” she asks.

I stare at her for a moment. “Not yet,” I say. “We have to make sure there is no other danger in the pack before taking you there.”

Allie looks at me, “so daddy is being a superhero, making sure no bad guys come to hurt anyone,” she says.

I nod; I love how her little mind works.

“I want to be like Elsa and help daddy,” she says.

Alice laughs. “Well, peanut, you will have to wait for a while,” she says. “You too little for that.”

Allie glares at Alice, making us all try not to laugh. “I’m not little anymore; I’m five now. Bigger,” she says.

I couldn’t help but smile.

“You definitely are bigger,” I say to her, making Allie smile wider. “But you need to get some sleep as it helps you grow up bigger.”

Allie was about to say something, but something white came closer to me.

I look over to see a gigantic Olaf snowman walking over to us. Allie stares at it in disbelief, “Olaf,” she says quietly, but as he comes closer and touches her hand. Allie squeals and jumps into Olaf’s arms.

Poor Olaf nearly fell over, but Paul, who was walking behind him, caught him.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Kat had her phone out, taking some photos of the kids with Olaf. Some pack members came over to us to see the giant snowman.

Everyone here has been amazing to me, and they have made me feel like part of the pack.

I glanced around, but my heart sank.

Puna comes closer. “You want mate,” she whispers. I nodded; I couldn’t say anything. “I think let mate come around and calm down,” she says.

Puna smirked when she realized what I was thinking, and I couldn’t help but groan.

Maybe she’s right. Maybe letting Blake cool off and having a few hours to calm down would be good. I know what I said to him hurt his feelings, but it was the heat of the moment.

I need to learn not to be like that.

Everyone was having fun as I watched Olaf take Allie’s hand and wave to the children to follow him. Do you want to build a snowman play, and all the children start to dance and sing along to it.

I have to be in the moment, even for Allie. I will make it up to Blake when we both have calmed down.