The Secrets of the Panther
Chapter 53

IZZY

I knew what Puna was doing, but it was still a betrayal of what I felt. I didn’t want to hurt Blake, but I needed him to sleep.

I received a text from Alice that she wanted to talk to me away from everyone who would lie to me.

I noticed the looks everyone had when they came out of the office. I needed to replace out what was going on. If it is to do with Michael, I want to kill him before he comes anywhere near here.

I could hear Blake make his bed on the couch; I wanted to kiss him. His lips against mine were like heaven. When Puna took over, his concern made my heart score more for him, but I needed to figure out what was happening.

I remember placing the lavender gel in the bath, as I knew it would help make a sleepy werewolf sleep longer. I had my methods years ago when werewolves tried to catch me, but I also knew Allie was tired. I wanted Blake’s word to keep Allie safe, and I knew she would be his girl the way he was with her when she came out of the bath. She would have him wrapped around his finger eventually.

I pretended to sleep, and after what seemed like hours. I crawl out of bed. I quickly grabbed my clothes and threw them on. Keeping my eyes on Blake on the couch, I placed my hair in a high ponytail and walked to the bed to place a kiss on Allie’s head. I grabbed a pillow to place by the side of her so it looked like I was still in bed. I looked over to the couch to see Blake snoring soundly. Blake was in a blissful sleep.

As I walked to the door, I could feel Puna come through slightly. “Why did you make me do that?” She asks as we open the door and look over my shoulder at our sleeping mate once more. “I needed him to think you wanted to take over, and I needed him to think I was not ready.”

She looks back at me with a confused look on her face. “Where are we going?” She asks. I quietly close the door and head through the corridor.

“Something happened today; Kat and Todd were in the office with the two alphas, Luna Lauren and Graham. Did you see their faces” I said as I sneaked around the corner of the wall, but the footsteps coming towards me made me hide behind the cupboard on the stairwell.

Some omegas were finishing their jobs after a few moments; they were gone. I walked further and headed straight through the front door of the pack house.

Puna looks at me as she remembers everyone’s faces when they came out of the office. “I guess something happened,” she says as she looks through my eyes. “There are more guards around now. Look,” she says. I ran straight towards a tree and looked around it.

Puna is right; there were more patrol warriors around the place. Why would that be?

“Do you think it could be because of what happened in the cells with Linda?” I asked her. Puna nods her head. “I think everyone is trying to protect us, even our mate,” she says. “He was angry to replace out that Michael was still alive,” she says, letting a slight growl out.

I felt a shudder go through me; Michael's mention made it sound unreal.

“Why are we outside, Izzy?” She says, pulling me from my thoughts.

I look around and notice that we could make a run for it. I ran through the pack land and headed to Kat’s house. I needed to talk to Alice, as that’s where she is right now. I hope Kat’s there too, as there was something in how she looked at me, but it was also how she looked at Allie, which made me worry more.

“We are going to Kat’s house, and we need to know what’s going on as Alice wants to tell us,” I say, as I can see Kat’s place ahead of us. “I think whatever happened, it’s about Allie and me.”

Puna nodded her head and came closer. “The house is dark; they might be asleep,” she says, but as we come closer, there is a light in the kitchen that only shows when someone was there. The kitchen is in the back part of the house, and there is no way of knowing who was there unless you walk in through the back door.

“Why didn’t we tell mate where we were going?” She asks, which makes me stop in my tracks.

I wanted to tell her what I thought I did, but Allie is the main person in my life, and I know Blake would do anything for her, but he would make sure I was close to him as well, and I am weak. My power is strong.

“I wanted to know first what happened, and we can decide what to tell Blake,” I said.

Puna stares back at me with a glare. “You’re lying,” she says. “You wouldn’t tell him and asked him to protect Allie. Why?”

I stared back at her but ducked behind a bush to see if anyone else was around. I didn’t want people telling anyone where I was, not even Blake.

“I don’t know,” I said but sigh. “I want him to protect Allie as I knew he would, but not only that, he wouldn’t let us kill the people who handled everything they did to us, to our family.”

While Puna looked back at me, I continued speaking. “I want us to kill them; we need to kill that elder, Drake, the witch, but the one person more than anything, Michael,” I said; Puna growls at the mention of his name. “I want to kill him myself; I was weak then, but now I have you, Puna, and we can do it together. I want to be free from the feeling he has control over me.”

Puna was quiet for a little while. “I want to kill them for what they did to you, Izzy, and also for all the times they made us be away from our cub, but also, I want to kill them for all the pain they have caused you and everyone here in the pack as well.”

I nod at her, and I stare at the house.

There was movement there, but I couldn’t tell who was up.

“Go the back way,” says Puna. “There are some eyes on the house. I can feel them looking, but I can’t tell who is watching.”

I nodded and strolled to the back entrance. The light to the kitchen was on, but there was muffling going on.

I open the back door, but something hits me from behind.

I am completely knocked out cold.