The Secrets of the Panther
Chapter 15

IZZY

After talking to Allie for five minutes, she helped me calm down.

Once I got off the phone, Kat poured out some tea and was sitting on the stool by the kitchen counter.

I sigh.

“I miss her,” I said as I take the seat on the opposite side of her.

“I do too,” she says.

I look at the clock and it is now four am.

I have had some sleep but I know I need more, it has been a long day.

We settled down and had some tea but the door unlocks, and Alice walks in. She looks flustered.

She sees us, and her expression changes. “Why are you up?” She asks me.

I look over to Kat, she nods letting me know I should tell her what I told her. Alice sits next to me. I explained everything that happened with alpha Drake and the whole experience of feeling Blake with another woman. She looks pale after I tell her everything.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

She shifts in her seat but looks at Kat, not strange at all.

“Alpha Drake was at the party tonight. He only came for a few moments. But after the shit show with Blake,” she says but grimaces at the thought of what happened to me, while he was doing it with someone.

“Everything came to light, a slut named Kelly spiked Blake’s drink, and he went for her as if he thought she was his mate. They were full on having sex against a tree. Dale tried calling him to stop, but he carried on. He looked like he was on a mission. Once he was done, Graham lunged at him for what he did. He actually punched him in his face.” She said. “Paul found a bottle nearby and it had some kind of smell to it. I didn’t ask as I was on the phone with Mum. But the pack doctor was called due to Luna Lauren asking as Blake and his wolf were affected by whatever was in the drink, and the slut was sent to the cells."

I don’t know what to think; Blake was spiked.

I hear a growl in my head. “I still don’t want matre," says Puna.

I ignore her. I don’t want him either. I am just curious as to why someone would go through all this trouble.

“That’s not all,” she say suddenly. “I had to tell Dale and Kacey about you both being mates; he kept it from everyone for some reason.”

Well, there goes the concern for him. That sentence earns another growl from Puna.

Kat looks at me but turns to Alice. “What about the girl? Did she say anything?”

“This is the reason I came here, I couldn’t talk to her as we were trying to calm Blake down. When we did, I talked to Dale, Kacey, and Paul when two guards came running back from the cells. They were covered in blood," she said. "The girl had her throat ripped out. The alpha thought she killed herself, but I noticed something on the wall which wasn’t anywhere near the body, blood. It was hidden behind a mattress. When we moved it, there was a message left for us."

Alice grabs her phone out of her pocket and scrolls through it till she replaces what she wants us to see. Alice turns it around and shows Kat and then me the photo.

“I didn’t do this” was written in blood on the wall.

“What does the alpha think?” Asks Kat, looking at Alice.

We both stare at her.

“He thinks he has a traitor amongst them,” she says.

“What about Blake?” Kat asks; she looks at me. “He was spiked; he didn’t know what he was doing.”

I think she is trying to convince me that I should be concerned about him or something, but I'm not.

I growled.

“I don’t care.” I snapped and get up to leave but stop suddenly.

I turn around.

“You said Drake was there at the party; who was with you?” I asked.

I am wondering something.

Alice looks at me like I had two heads before she talks.

“He came on his own, but he did speak to an old guy towards the end. I think they were hiding from people but I noticed them when I looked into the window when we were heading back into the pack house. Why?” she asked.

Drake could have done this all. He was trying to get me as his mate. He would have done anything to do it. I can’t tell her what I think just yet.

“Nothing, just wondering,” I said. “I’m going back to bed. I need some more sleep. I will get up in a few hours. I will help you with the cafe if you want this morning.”

Kat shakes her head.

“I will open the cafe about midday, for the dinner rush. But I think you should sleep in, both Puna and you have had a hell of a few hours” she said and smiles at me.

I nodded.

I turned around and headed up the stairs. Neither of them were talking, just watching me as I go up the stairs.

I get to my room and close the door.

My bed looks so comfy, I need my sleep.

“I need to sleep,” said Puna, yawning in my head.

“Puna, what do you think about this whole thing?” I asked as I climbed into bed.

Puna looks back at me and moves closer to be up close. “I think we should sleep, we haven’t had much sleep in the last 36 hours. I think when we wake up, we should go for a run.”

I smiled.“

"Ok, that sounds like a plan but I think we should watch people around here. I don’t trust anyone” I said.

I lowered myself down onto the bed and my head hit the pillow. It takes a while as Puna is restless but once she settles, I am back into a deep sleep.

KAT

We kept quiet for a while till we could hear her soft snoring, she was out like a light. She has one hell of a 36-hour stay awake.

Alice sighed.

“There is something else, Dale felt Izzy’s power coming through in the cafe yesterday. He was asking questions, and I explained what I could to him but I obviously don’t know what you and Dad did to her,″ she said, keeping her face blank. “She is missing loads of memories lately, what’s going on?”

I looked at her and sighed.

“Dad mentioned she wasn’t sleeping, she was having a rough time in the pack they were staying with. Todd met a witch, a good one who happened to know a spell that would help. She took what she could away but we asked her to take all of the bad memories she had” I said.

“What bad memories Mum?” She asked. “Izzy never talks about anything.”

“That’s my point, she thinks she can carry the whole world on her shoulders. She shouldn’t have to. She was captured and tortured before, that stays,” I said, trying not to give too much away.

Alice looked at me with concern.

“OK, I won’t like to be around when she gets them all back. Her power will be strong,” She said. “What do you think about all that’s happened today and tonight?”

I looked at the photo on the phone of the message that the girl left in her own blood, poor girl.

“I think it might have something to do with that Alpha Drake but I also think something else is happening. One thing I would like to know is what Blake spiked with to make him think he was mated to her,” I said.

“There was a funny smell in the cell,” she said. “Something I smelt before when we came here.”

I look at her confused.

“What was the smell like? What do you mean?” I asked.

“It is hard to explain, I have smelt it before but I can’t place my finger on it,” she said. “When I smell it again, I will let you know.”

I nodded.

I looked at my daughter, she looks tired too.

“I think we both should head to bed, we both need some sleep after the long day we all had," I said with a small smile.

She smiles.

“I am going to leave, Paul is waiting for me back at our house,” she whispered as she gets up off the stool she has been sitting on.

“Let me know how Blake is and what he was spiked with. I may know someone who can tell us what it is. Well, your father does,” I said to her.

She looks over her shoulder.

“The witch he has been with, in the pack he has been with?” she asked.

I smiled and nodded.

“I have spoken to her, she also talks to Izzy too,” I said and I suddnely remembered something. “Oh and Allie says she can’t wait to see you.”

She looks at me, heartbreak was written all over her face for the little girl left behind.

“How is peanut?” She asked.

“She is fine. Allie had to help Izzy calm down earlier. But she wanted to know how her favorite Auntie was,” I said.

She laughs.

“She is the sweetest, well I best leave as Paul is waiting. I will see you later Mum,” she says and turns to leave.

She goes to the front door and leaves.

I sighed and grabbed the mugs that were left on the counter. I place them in the sink to do when I get up later.

I leave the kitchen and go to lock the front door.

I turned to walk upstairs and head straight into my bed, my bed is actually calling my name for me to sleep.