The Secrets of the Panther
Chapter 41

KACEY

I leave the office in search of my sister. I know I can talk to her. I know what she went through, well, sort of. Men are cruel bastards when they don’t get what they want, especially when the word no is said. They don’t like it.

I look towards the stairs and spot her flip-flops sticking out.

“Izzy,” I say as I come closer to her; she wipes her tears away and looks up at me. “Yeah,” she says weakly.

I take a seat next to her.

“You ok?” I ask even though it is a stupid question.

She nods but sighs. “Yeah, I’m ok, but I hate talking about what happened to me. I’m so glad Allie was asleep when I talked about it. She knows that something bad happened to me, but not the extent, as she is too young to understand.”

That’s fair enough, I thought. Allie is the spit of Izzy. It is like looking in a mirror when you look at them. There’s not an ounce of Michael in here; there is no trace. You could say that Blake was her father even though no one would care or notice.

“Why did you come and look for me?” She asks, twisting to look at me. “I don’t want to sound like a bitch, but we don’t know each other, and I thought you would want to spend time with your mate.”

I look at her. “I got plenty of time to spend with Charley, I wanted to make sure my big sisters were ok, and also, I have some idea of how you feel,” I say to her; she looks back at me, confused. “What do you mean?”

I sigh and look at the front door to the pack house. “Only three people know about this, and the fourth would be you. Blake, Dale, and Charley, known as the boys, were the ones that helped me get through it, and Charley is my mate. I didn’t want any secrets between us,” I say and turn to her; she looks back at me and nods. “I was sexually assaulted when I was fourteen by a boy. He thought I was his mate, but he wasn’t. I have known I was a lesbian and liked a girl since I was ten, as I fancied more famous actresses than actors.”

She looks at me, stunned. “Kacey, you don’t have to—” she says, but I shake my head. “Izzy, you told Dale, Blake, and my parents what happened to you. I thought you were very brave and strong for doing that.”

She smiles. “I’m not brave. I haven’t been intimate with anyone since,” she says but pauses.

I smile at her. “You will soon, especially with Blake. He is one of the good ones,” I say. “The guy that assaulted me didn’t believe me when I told him I was a lesbian. He thought he could change my mind.”

I shudder at the memory.

“He didn’t get too far as I broke his fingers when he grabbed my thigh, but it haunted me for a long time. Blake and Dale found out as he bragged he slept with me. They knew I won’t as I wasn’t interested,” I said.

“What happened to the guy?” Izzy asks.

I can’t help but laugh. “Blake and Dale made the trainer place him in a ring with both of them for a month after the first beating and match. Dale broke his nose and told him he would suffer till everyone knew the truth about what happened,” I say. “The guy told everyone the next day, but Blake and Dale beat him up a few more times.”

She smiles. “That must have been nice having them backing your corner,” she says. “Todd killed Michael after what he did, I didn’t know until a month later as I was weak from what happened to me, but I felt happy, but after a while, what he did always came back with vengeance. I made Lena take my memories away, all the pain from my mothers' death to what happened to me; I was spiraling out of control. I had to deal with hunters and even other wolves. I shredded them all apart because of my rage and hurt. I was leaving bodies everywhere,” she says.

I look at her. “Izzy, you will get through this. If you ever want to talk, just come to me. I’m a good listener, and I know Dale would love to help,” I say.

She smiles.

I look over her shoulder and notice Blake carrying Allie to his room. I can’t help but smile. Izzy notices and looks too.

She stares at them.

“Blake will make a good father to Allie,” I say. “He will also be an amazing mate to you too, Izzy. Give him a chance. You don’t have to do anything physical until you are ready, but he can help you. Just tell him what you want from him.”

Her eyes are still on her mate. “I guess, but I just hope he can wait till I am ready. I don’t know when I will be. It’s not helping that the mate bond is working, and also, Puna is one horny cat when she is around him,” she says.

I can’t help but laugh. “My wolf is the same around Charley. If I give her the reins, she might hump her,” I say, and she starts to laugh and look at me.

“What are you two laughing about?” Calls Dale as he comes closer to us.

We both smirk, “Our horny cat and wolf,” I say, which makes him cringe slightly.

We laugh again.

Dale looks at Izzy. “You ok, Izzy?”

She smiles at him. “Yeah, but the three of us need to talk, though,” she says as she looks between the both of us. “We need to decide what we will do about your mum.”

She’s right; mum has been in on much of the shit that has happened lately, especially the cause of Izzy’s mother’s death.

I look towards Dale, who has a blank expression, but neither of us could speak as Izzy talks. “I want her dead for what she did to my mother, but also for Graham, too. No man should have to go through that, but I want to know what both of you think because I want a relationship with both of you,” she says.

“I would say let alpha Derek decide,” says Dale, “But I don’t want to be around. She is my mother.”

Izzy nods and looks at me. “What about you, Kacey?”

I stare at her. “I don’t know… but I want to be there,” I say.

“Why?” Asks Dale suddenly. He doesn’t know about the whole thing with grandfather.

I sigh. “I want to tell mum before whatever judgment she has that I’m lesbian as I want to wipe the smirk off her face. She was the one who has been pushing me towards different men even...” I say but stop.

Dale looks at me and growls. Izzy stares at me in shock. “She knew about the man who did that to you,” she says and places her hand in my hand.

A tear slips down my face. “I found out a few days ago, Grandfather was telling her about my fling with one girl, they both called it a faze, but she said why didn’t you just lose your virginity to the guy? He would have made you like men more,” I say in a whisper.

Dale growls, and so does Izzy, which surprises me. I look at her. Her eyes are bright green again. “NO ONE SHOULD SAY THAT, NOT A MOTHER,” she says, but it wasn’t her. She closes her eyes for a moment and cocks her head to the side.

When she opens her eyes, she looks at me. “Sorry, Puna has it in for your mother. The whole conversation got to her,” she says. “Kacey, your mother should never have said or done that. You love who you love.”

She smiles at me, still holding my hand.

Dale looks at us and smiles. “I am happy you will give us a chance, but I know you haven’t mentioned Dad. What about him?” He asks her.

She looks at him and then at me. “I will get to know more about both of you, but I need to talk to Da… I mean, Graham. We need to clear the air, and he needs to know about me and Allie, too,” she says.

We both nod.

“Am I interrupting something, or can I join?” says Blake as he comes to the side of Dale. He looks at Izzy, who smiles at him.

“Blake, take her to see Allie and chat with her before all this mess with our parents starts; you need to talk to her. Let her speak, tell you what she wants, and do that. She needs to know you will not push her into anything physical unless she asks first,” I tell him through mind link.

He looks at me and smiles.

“Hey, Izzy, would you like to see Allie? I have put her in my bed. Paul and Alice are with her for now. I think they want some alone time before the whole treason thing with Graham and Linda,” he says.

She looks at him and nods. “Please, I want to see her.”

Izzy gets up, and Blake moves around Dale, walking alongside Izzy.

“You ok, sis,” says Dale as he looks at me. I haven’t stopped looking at the pair.

“Yeah, I am. I think our mother should die for what she has done. I have never had a good relationship with her, and neither have you. She always belittled you, especially about being a beta to Blake,” I say and look at him. He has a grim look. “Dale, Izzy will kill her. If she doesn’t, someone else will. Mother has been working with the people who have messed with the pack. Grandfather will die at the hands of Izzy.”

Dale sighs and sits next to me. “I know what you mean. Mother wasn’t a mother to us. She wanted to have titles and power. We need to be there with Izzy. We need to unite with her on this. What about Dad? Does he know you are a lesbian?” He says and turns to face me.

I smile. “He found out when grandfather was having a go at me, mother was by his side nodding in agreement with him. Dad stood up for me. When I told him why they were having a go, he told me I should love who I want to love,” I say.

I look towards the side and spot my mate.

“I’m going to spend time with Charley before we go down,” I say, but I know he has his eyes on Lena, who is walking over to him.

I smile and get up, walk straight to my girl and grab her by the waist and pull her into a kiss.

She was surprised, but she moves her mouth with mine; she tastes so sweet. I can’t believe she’s all mine.