The Secrets of the Panther
Chapter 5

BLAKE

I found my mate, but she doesn’t want anything to do with me.

I am beyond pissed.

Why doesn’t she want me?

I look at Graham, he has a blank expression on his face but I know he is hurting. He finally meets his daughter and she doesn’t want anything to do with him. I don’t know the full extent of the whole issue between them but whatever it is, it’s not good

“I am sorry, Blake.” he suddenly says to me, still staring in front of him but turning to me as I look at him and notice he is smiling but it is a small smile. He doesn’t say anything else.

“You ok Graham?” I ask him, he looks at me blankly but I carry on. “I want to say sorry about what happened at the cafe.”

He nods and I can feel the guilt coming off him. He is hurt badly. He stares for a few moments but sighs loudly.

“We need to see your father when we get back to the pack house but can I ask one thing from you,” he says with pleading words. “Don’t mention anything about Izzy being your mate to him just yet.”

That statement startled me, why wouldn't he want me to tell my own father about replaceing my mate, especially my mate being his best friend's daughter? Well long lost daughter I should say.

“Why Graham? He would be happy that I found my mate,” I said but the look on his face says something I can’t read.

“He will be when he replaces out it is with my daughter but there are a few things you don’t know about the situation and that’s why we need to see him first. We need to explain a few things to you, it may help you understand why Izzy doesn’t want a mate,” he says finally.

I looked stunned at him but recovered quickly.

“OK, I won’t say anything but Graham, what happened for her to hate you so much,” I ask but regretfully ask as soon as the words leave my mouth.

His shame hits me “I hurt her mum, in the worst possible way. I also didn’t go and claim her as my mate’ he says silently. I am stunned. “I will explain more when we see your father”

I look back at the man who helped me train when my father was too busy to do it. I became good friends with his son Dale, who is now my soon-to-be Beta, and his sister Kacey. They were like my own siblings. We argue and fight just like siblings.

Izzy would have made a good impression on me if she was around. Her sexy figure in those PJs, I couldn't tell what kind of shape she was but I didn’t care. Her blue eyes and brown hair that was pulled into a messy bun on top of her head and pink lips made me want her more. Her eyes glowed green when her panther came closer. The power that came from her when her panther came closer was unnerving. There must be more to her as I felt the power rolling off her coming in waves but it depended on her emotions and at that time all I could feel was anger and rage.

We sat in silence for a while, the pack house was far from the town but the driver was stuck behind someone.

Graham looks out the window.

I mind-linked my father. “Hey Dad, we are on our way with the cakes. There was a situation that you need to know...Izzy is back,” I say.

“Hey son, yeah I heard. Graham went to see her. I think it went horribly. I did tell him to wait a few days for her to settle in” he says in a gruff voice.

I sigh. “Horrible is an understatement. She was angry. He wants the three of us to meet in your office about it,” I say

My father is quiet for a moment but then all of a sudden “We need to talk, I think you should be there to hear all of this as you will be alpha soon”

“Ok, we will be there in twenty minutes,” I say. I stuck to what Graham told me to do about not telling my father about Izzy being my mate.

We finally got back to the pack after driving for twenty minutes after the conversation between me and my father.

We all climb out of the SUV once it comes to a stop outside the pack house.

Paul, my soon-to-be gamma, was standing at the side. I know why he is here. His mate Alice nearly had her head torn off for the disrespect towards me but by the look on his face, he knows.

“Sorry about Alice Alpha, she was protecting her mother,” he mind links me, I nod at him “I will apologize to her after”

He looks at me with a strange look “You shouldn’t have to apologize to her. She is still getting used to our ways around here. They all lost their pack many years ago and have moved around a lot over the years,” he says but looks behind me towards Graham who is in a world of his own. “He shouldn’t have gone there,” he says. “I know most of what happened due to Alice telling me and it isn’t good.”

I look back at him, stunned. “I will hopefully know more when we go and see my father in his office,” I say back and shut off the mind link.

He nods and runs to his house that he shares with Alice, he probably is missing her, Alice mentioned that she wanted to tell Izzy but she doesn’t know how she would react to the news of her having a mate.

There has to be a reason why she hates the thought of mates.

I hear a growl in my head, my wolf Axel. “She will come around soon. I think we just need to take it slow with her.”

I am stunned into silence, my wolf has always been on about his mate for years but he has never been this soft. He is usually possessive about his mate. But thinking about it, Axel just wants what's best for Izzy, even if it is being slow.

“What’s gotten into you? You have been quiet since you told me that Izzy was my mate,” I say to him.

He keeps quiet for a moment but takes a breath. “I am being sensitive towards our mate because I think seeing her father after so many years made her angry,” he says. “Also her panther is powerful, her power comes from Izzy’s emotions and I think her cat has her own emotions about the situation. I think we need to know what happened.”

“I think you are right, Axel. Let’s replace out what the hell we are in for,” I say to him.

He chuckles and sits in the back of my mind, resting but on high alert and waiting to replace out more about our mate.