The Secrets of the Panther
Chapter 25

IZZY

I walked through the door, closing it behind me. I had to lean back on it for support, I closed my eyes for a moment.

The whole experience with Blake was something I had never felt before. My body was on fire with his touch, and the kiss was sending messages everywhere that I wanted him more than I wanted to admit.

An image of Michael fills my head and sends a shiver down my spine; he can’t be like him. He just can’t.

“Stop thinking like that, Izzy,” Puna said. “Our mate won’t hurt us. You will have to tell him what happened.”

Then the sudden realization hits me, Allie.

Would he accept Allie?

There are so many questions going on inside my head that I didn’t realize that someone was in the room.

“Izzy.”

I opened my eyes and see Kat smirking at me.

I groaned.

“How much of that did you see and hear?” I asked.

She smiled.

“Everything,” she said. “I’m happy you are willing to give it a try with Blake.”

I looked at her.

“I don’t know," I said. "I have too many questions running through my head at the moment”

She looks at me and walks to the couch to sit.

“Like what?” she said as she sits down and pats the seat for me to sit next to her.

I walked over to sit by her.

Once I’m next to her, my head drops, and I can’t help but play with the hem of the shirt.

“We kissed,” I said.

“That’s not a bad thing, Izzy,” she asked softly.

“I know that," I said. "But it was the first time that I have never thought about Michael."

I sighed and continued.

"The realization dawned on me just a few moments ago; I have to tell him about Allie. I know I have to tell him but talking about what happened will be hard for me. I have never told anyone else except for Lena, Charley, and you,” I said with a tear slipping down my cheek. “What if he doesn’t accept Allie?”

Kat pulled me into her and hugged me.

“Izzy,” she said softly. “With what I have heard about Blake and have seen of him, he adores you, and he will accept Allie. You need to tell him, but it should be up to you when. He will understand.”

We stay like that for a few moments, but all I can think about is the verse my mother sang to me when I was a child. It always helped me to calm down when I needed to relax.

I sighed as I let the words come out.

“My little angel, it’s time for bed. Close your eyes and dream for a brighter day, for you deserve one with all the hopes and making your dreams come true,” I said softly, barely whispering.

Kat tensed by the side of me.

“You remember the song?” she asked.

I pull slightly away from her and stared at her.

I nodded.

“I remember Mum singing it to me, part of it, at least. I can only remember one verse," I said, wiping the tears from my eyes.

"Before I came here, I would sing that verse over and over to Allie till she fell asleep,” I said.

Kat looked at me and smiled.

“That’s so sweet," she said.

She touches my hand and looks at the clock.

“I think you should go to bed and rest. We can talk more in the morning,” she said.

I nodded and got up off the couch.

I walked up the stairs.

Once I sorted myself out, I climbed into bed, and sleep took me away to the land of nod, with thoughts of Allie and Blake running through my mind making me feel happy.

KAT

As my niece leaves to go to bed, I head to the back door while grabbing my phone.

It is happening; she will soon remember things.

Then everything will be out in the open. She is not going to be happy, but we had a plan, all of us.

I stepped outside the door; once I knew she was out of earshot, I dialed the number.

It rings; it’s picked up on the third ring.

“She is starting to remember,” I said into the phone before anyone could speak. “She remembered part of her mother’s song.”

I know when she remembered that, her memories would soon return.

“We knew it would be a matter of time; we also knew that her being there would trigger her memories, such as smells and places in the town; what’s the problem?” she asked.

I closed my eyes.

“She found her mate, she has to remember more of what happened with the hunters, being captured and tortured, but also she has Allie to think about," I said. "Her daughter is with you while she is here. The one person that can calm her down, Allie, is her entire world. She is everything to her. we may need her to come back here."

There was silence.

“Lena, you will have to come if her memories come back before she can process everything. We will have one powerful panther who kills, I don’t just mean kill hunters, but she will kill people who will stand in her way, and when she replaces out the truth of what we found out about her mother, she will kill the people who are responsible for what happened,” I said.

I sighed.

“It's already happened earlier in the cafe; she nearly attacked her father’s mate. I could see in her eyes that she knew her scent, but she couldn’t place it. The cunning bitch pushed, and it resulted in her mate pushing the bitch out of the way before Puna and Izzy could get to her. We were lucky that Puna was controlling her power, or it could have been much worse,” I growled, remembering what had happened earlier.

Lena speaks to someone on the other end, leaving me waiting for her response.

After a few moments, she comes back to me.

“I’m on my way. I should be there in a day or two,” she said. “I will bring Charley with me who can help us; she wants to help Izzy, especially since Izzy saved her and a few others."

Lena sighed and continued.

"Todd and Allie will come a few days after we arrive. If you say her memories are coming back slowly, then having Allie there will help her; we will make sure the hunters don’t follow us before they come,” she said.

The mention of my mate coming back to me makes me happy inside; also, knowing Allie is going to be here soon will also make all the difference too.

“Ok, Lena, we will see you in a few days,” I said and hang up.

I head back inside; I need to keep Izzy busy for now.

Once I am by the door, I realize Izzy might have to tell Blake about Allie and Michael sooner than she thinks.

I just hope nothing happens in between this.

I don’t think any of us can take it anymore.