The Secrets of the Panther
Chapter 149

IZZY

THREE DAYS LATER

I can’t help but stare at the phone.

Worry was setting in.

Blake hasn’t been in touch. Well, that wasn’t true. He has been ringing me back, but I have been busy. We have been missing each other’s calls.

“He will ring,” says Dale, pulling me from my thoughts.

I looked up at him, and he had a smile plastered on his face.

We have been working non-stop in the office since Allie’s birthday. I didn’t realize that there would be so much work to do, but with Dale’s help, I was managing everything.

Alpha Derek has been in a few times, but he has been quiet.

Dale mentioned what had happened to some of the pack members here, that they were taken for food for the vampires at the hands of the Elder. I wasn’t pleased and even gave Alpha Derek some words that he wasn’t too surprised to hear.

Blake must have said something to him.

Dale also mentioned that Alpha Derek was in the doghouse with Luna Lauren. Apparently, she ripped him a new arsehole, and they both have been replaceing out how the missing members were taken from the pack.

Alpha Derek dropped off the list last night, and I was shocked to believe how many were taken; over twelve members were taken. Dale messaged Alpha Dawson the numbers, and he would send the pack members back for burial as soon as they worked out who they were.

Sadness swept over me; no one deserved to be treated like that, whether they had a family or not. Every pack member had a family, the pack.

“Earth to Izzy,” calls Dale once again.

I shook my head, “sorry,” I said. I looked at my brother, who had a weird look. I couldn’t help but frown. “What?” I asked him.

Dale stares at me for a moment but sighs. “Nothing, I know where your head went, and it was on the pack members again, wasn’t it?” he asks.

I nodded, but said nothing back to him.

Dale sighs, “Izzy, what’s done is done. All we can do now is learn from what the older generation did and be better,” he says. I couldn’t agree more with what he said.

I stared back at the phone, willing for Blake to ring me.

Dale laughs. “Keep looking at the phone; it will soon talk back to you,” he says.

I look up at him and smirk. Puna stirs, but she was in a fit of giggles when I look back.

“Mate will ring,” she says after she calms down.

I nod and stare back at her.

Puna and I have been on edge since Blake left. But we hashed it out about what I said. Even though I regretted what I said at the moment, Puna knew it was mainly because everyone targeted me. I leaned back in the chair and glanced toward the window.

All the pack members were busy outside. Luna Lauren told me she made headway with the ceremony and even sent out invitations to all Alpha’s and Luna’s to attend. I had never felt so nervous in my life.

My stomach turns whenever I think about it, so I try to get my brain to forget about it and think about something else. But that ends typically back at Blake.

My stomach turns again. I have been feeling slightly nauseous lately, but never sick. Putting it all down to stress about Blake and everything, I again ignore the feeling. I was about to open my mouth when a knock on the door erupted around the room.

“Come in,” I shouted as I moved up in the chair.

The door opens, and in walks Alpha Derek with Luna Lauren following behind him.

The door closes behind them, and they look at me, smiling.

“Any news yet?” asks Alpha Derek.

I shook my head, and his face fell slightly.

I know both Alpha Derek and Luna Lauren have been waiting to hear from Blake too, but there has been no word.

My mind wanders to what he was doing.

What if he found someone better?

“Don’t think like that!” says Puna. “Mate won’t do that; he stupid if he did.”

“Izzy,” calls Luna Lauren, pulling me from Puna.

I stare back at her.

She looks at me and moves closer. “Everything is all set; I only have a few things I need to do for the ceremony,” she says. She glances at Dale, who nods at her.

What the hell was this all about?

Luna Lauren looks at me. “I wondered if we could order you a dress for the ceremony,” she says. “I have one in mind, which I think will suit you.”

I stared at her, and a dress was far from my mind right now.

“Yeah, sure, order it,” I say to her. I glanced back at the phone. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me.

“Izzy,” calls Alpha Derek, but I don’t look up at him. I keep my eyes on the phone.

“Izzy, how would you feel about taking a trip to the Red Moon pack?” he asks.

I look over at him and stare.

“You could see Blake, talk to him even,” he says.

I looked toward Dale, who was staring back at me. “I think it would be a good idea; I could come with you,” he said. I frown. “Who would look after the pack?” I ask.

Alpha Derek clears his throat. “I could,” he says, making Dale and I look at him.

Alpha Derek stares at the both of us and sighs. “I know I truly fucked up with my pack,” he says. “But you need to sort out with Blake and bring him back home.”

“Can I trust you not to fuck up again?” I asked him. He stares at me, but a grim line forms on his face. “How could you ask….” he says. Alpha Derek stops talking and closes his mouth. But he looked toward Luna Lauren, who was glaring at him.

I couldn’t help but smirk. An alpha being ordered by his Luna. He is still in the doghouse.

“Izzy,” says Luna Lauren. She turns to me and stares for a moment. “I can assure you, Alpha Derek won’t do anything. I will do the everyday running of the pack, and he can help me.”

I stare at her for a moment and nod.

“Okay, Luna Lauren will have the final say on pack business till Blake, Dale and I come back,” I say to them.

Dale was smirking widely, but I could sense Alpha Derek wasn’t too thrilled to be demoted. But to be demoted against his Luna was something else, I guess.

Dale moves from his chair, and I look up at him.

“I will get sorted and bring the car around,” he says.

I nod.

Dale leaves, and I grab my phone to text Kat about watching Allie for me. She was more than happy to look after her, especially when I told her where I was going.

Everyone has been apologizing to me for the way everyone acted. But they all seemed to have come around to the idea of what I did. I just hope Blake has.

I move out of the chair, and Luna Lauren takes the seat as I head to the door. “Izzy,” she called, and I glanced back at her.

Luna Lauren smiles, “bring him home,” she says.

I said nothing, but I knew I wasn’t leaving Red Moon pack till Blake was in the car with Dale and me, even if I had to sit on him and tied up.

Puna smirks.

I walked out and headed straight to the front of the pack house. As soon as I got outside, Dale was waiting for me at the driver’s side. I walk over to the passenger’s door and climb in.

Once we were ready, we set off and headed straight to the Red Moon pack.

It took an hour to get there. Dale and I sang to the radio. But also talked. But as soon as we pulled up, something didn’t feel right. We pulled up to the pack house, but no one was around.

I climbed out of the car and was hit with the aroma of dead flesh and rotten eggs.

My stomach turns again, and sick comes up to my mouth. I couldn’t help but throw up next to the car. I wiped my mouth and looked up to see a concerned Dale staring back at me.

“You okay?” he asks.

I nod. “I’m fine; the smell just got to me, that’s all,” I say to him. He stares at me and sniffs the air. But he growls.

“Vampires and rogues,” he snarls as he turns to where the smell is coming from.

Dale runs in that direction, and I follow him.

As we got closer, loads of people were standing on either side—pack members on the one side with Alpha Dawson, Anita, Drake, Anya, and Blake standing in front. I glanced over to the other side, and the rogues and vampires stood. But as I looked, some looked familiar.

Then an image of the war came flooding into my head. Most of the ones facing the pack were from the war, indeed. They ran away after I killed Nell and Amir. Well, mainly the vampires ran, but something about the rogues made me think of something else.

Dale growls.

“I need to do something,” I say to him. I turn back to the sight. I need to stop this before anything happens. There can’t be another war.

Without a second thought, I ran to the middle of the field as Blake was about to charge toward them. I can’t let him do this.

“STOP,” I shouted and started running toward them all. I could hear Dale call me, but I needed to stop this.