The Secrets of the Panther
Chapter 52

BLAKE

Graham had to leave suddenly, so Izzy and I took Allie back to the kitchen for food.

The cook made some food for us; watching my girls be comfortable around me is enough to make me feel whole.

I look towards the office as Kat, Todd, and Graham approach the kitchen.

I look up to see some concerned faces. “What’s going on?” I asked Graham through the mind link.

“There is an issue, but your father will tell you later, but the pack is in lockdown from today,” he says.

I look back at him. I want to say something, but Allie pulls me away. “Handsome, can you read me a story?” she asks.

I look down. She looks exhausted.

Izzy looks at her. “Allie, let’s get you bathed and ready for bed,” she says and looks at me. “You can come if you like.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “I would love to,” I say, but I look back at others smirking at us.

Izzy notices. She goes red slightly.

Allie yawns as Izzy takes that as the cue to leave; she picks Allie up. Allie moves and leans toward me to take her.

I take her into my arms, and she rests her head on my shoulder.

Izzy moves quickly, and we head back to my bedroom, where Allie wants to stay.

Izzy goes into the bathroom and starts running the bath.

I sit on the edge of the bed with Allie resting on my lap. “Handsome, my mummy likes you,” she says suddenly. “You make her happy.”

“She hasn’t been happy for a long time,” she says, which catches me off guard. How the hell would she notice that?

I would ask her what she meant. Izzy walks back into the room and kneels in front of me. “Allie, have a quick bath, and you can go to sleep.”

Allie doesn’t take much convincing as she leans over to Izzy. Izzy takes her and walks in with Allie in her arms. As they are in the bathroom, I grab some T-shirts for them both.

I place one on the bed for Izzy to wear; I walk to the bathroom and see Izzy leaning over, washing Allie quickly as the little angel is having trouble keeping her eyes open.

I grab a towel and lift Allie as Izzy moves away slightly, but her arm brushes against mine, making the mate bond send tingles right through me. Izzy looked up at me with wide eyes; she felt them.

I couldn’t help but smile. I take Allie into the bedroom and dry her quickly as Izzy leans on the doorframe, watching me. I place the t-shirt over Allie’s head and move her to the middle of the bed.

I look over my shoulder at Izzy.

“You are good with her,” she says in a whisper and grabs the other t-shirt from the bed.

I smile, but she walks back and stops. “I’m going in the bath,” she says as she looks at me. “I haven’t had one in ages.”

I nod. She walks in and leaves the door open.

I sit on the edge of the bed. I can feel my cock twitch in my jeans, knowing she is in there, which is not helping.

I crept closer to the door, leaning on the doorframe, and looked in. Izzy was in the bath with bubbles flowing over her. I couldn’t see her body. Her eyes look at me as she cocks her head to the side. “Why are you staring at me?” She asks with a stern look on her face.

I couldn’t say anything, but I slowly walked in and stood before her. Her eyes never leave mine.

I clear my throat. “I was going to shower while you’re in the bath. I need to freshen up,” I said with a raspy breath.

Her mouth drops open, but she quickly recovers. “I... ER...” she says.

I couldn’t help but smirk. She looks so cute when she’s lost for words.

She closes her mouth but nods.

I turn away and slowly strip out of my clothes and turn on the shower. My shower is a walk-in. I leave my boxers on, but I can’t help but look over my shoulder at Izzy. She is biting her bottom lip as her eyes look over my body.

“Please, Izzy, don’t look like that,” I say.

Her eyes meet mine, and she gulps, “I’m sorry... I...” she says, but I smile. “You can look. This is all yours.”

It sounds corny somehow, but her face was a picture after that comment. Her eyes went wide with wonder. It makes me want to know what she’s thinking.

I walk into the shower and throw over my boxers on the floor while I go under the water. I know Izzy is still in the bath; I wasn’t long in the shower. I grab the towel hanging on the hook in the shower and wrap it around my waist.

I looked towards the bath to see Izzy was about to get out, but the sudden me showing myself made her lose her balance; with a swift movement, I caught her. Her body tenses at my touch.

I pick her up bridal style and walk her into the bedroom; I can feel Izzy stare at me. “Blake, please.....” she whispers, but I place her on the bed without saying a word.

Her nakedness makes my cock twitch for her. I can feel Axel stir inside at the thought of our mate naked in front of us.

“MATE, BEAUTIFUL,” he says, with his tongue hanging out.

“Down boy, remember we need to be careful with her,” I say, as I can’t help but skim over her body. Izzy notices me looking and places her arms over her breasts while crossing her legs. I clear my throat. “Here, have a towel,” I say as I move away from her. I grab a towel from the closet and hand it to her.

I turn away even though I can see everything in the mirror beside me. I can see her look at me.

“I... Thank you,” she says quietly. “I best get ready.”

I nod. I walk into the closet and grab a pair of sweatpants, pulling them up and grabbing a top. I walk out to replace Izzy sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I was wondering if we can...” she says as she looks at me and pats the bed beside her.

I walk over as she stops talking and sat next to her. I can smell the lavender gel she must have used in the bath; it hits my nose hard.

She looks at me. “Thank you for today,” she says, looking over her shoulder at Allie, who has now entered the middle of the bed. “I am happy that I got to talk with my dad, and he got to meet Allie. I am...” she says, but I can feel the tension in her voice.

I have an idea where all this is coming from. “This is about what Linda said,” I said, placing my hand in hers; she looked at what I was doing. I slipped my other hand under her chin to make her look at me. “Izzy, I promise he won’t come anywhere near you or Allie.”

She looks at me, her eyes looking at my whole face. “Michael will want me. I want nothing to happen to Allie,” she says, looking back at Allie. “Blake, promise me something,” she says quietly, looking back at me. She places a hand on my cheek; I can’t help but lean into her touch. “Promise me you will protect Allie,” she says. “Whatever happens, Allie is your number one priority.”

I furrow my eyebrows together. “I always promise to protect Allie, but Izzy. I will protect you, too,” I say. “Why would you say something like that?”

Izzy says nothing but looks at me, but suddenly she moves and straddles my lap, placing her legs on either side of me, her eyes not leaving mine. I can’t help placing my hands on her hips.

“Izzy, please,” I say; she so turns me on, and I know she can feel my erection under her, but she stays there, still.

Izzy places her finger on my lips. “Blake, I want you to promise me you will look after Allie, no matter what. As if she was your own,” she says. I look at her, not opening my mouth.

Her eyes wander over my face once again. “Blake, you are my mate. You promised Allie would be yours no matter what,” she says.

All I could do was nod at her.

She creeps toward me. “Don’t move,” she said in a whisper.

I don’t move a single muscle as she edges herself closer to me, and suddenly, her mouth is on mine.

Izzy kisses me, and I couldn’t help but move my mouth with hers. She moves back suddenly away and looks at me, her eyes shining green. Puna is close to the surface. “MATE,” is all she says as her mouth comes crashing back onto mine.

Axel is going crazy in my head. “Puna’s taking control,” he says, which makes me go still.

Puna knows I won’t mate with Izzy until she is ready.

I move back slightly, her lips swollen. “Puna, no,” is all that comes out of my mouth as Izzy’s mouth replaces mine once again.

Fuck, I want her, but I need to take control of this.

Axel knows the plan, and we can’t take our mate until she is ready, and I know Izzy is not.

I stand up, turning around, dropping Izzy on the bed with one movement.

I couldn’t help but pant after the kiss.

Izzy closes her eyes, but tears are flowing down her cheeks when she opens them. I move closer, but she moves up onto the bed.

I stop. I can’t help but feel slightly hurt by how she moves away from me.

“I...” she says, looking at Allie, then back at me. “I will sleep now,” she says.

I couldn’t help but stare at her. She goes under the covers and snuggles into Allie.

“Mate hurt,” says Axel with a whimper. “Puna was not thinking about Izzy, and Puna wanted to mate us.”

I let out a sigh. “I know I could feel Puna coming closer to the surface,” I say and look to the couch, but something was telling me that something was up with her, but I couldn’t figure out what.

“Let’s sleep on the couch,” I say. Everything was as I left it from yesterday, and I set my make-shift bed and lay down. Sleep takes me an hour later as the smell of lavender wafts over me, sending me into a deep blissful sleep.