Big Bad Wolf Chapter 5

Big Bad Wolf Chapter 5

She Was Broken

Isabell

It was quiet in Tyler, with no city noise. The calm night spoke to her battered soul. She sat on the porch swing listening to the crickets and small night creatures. She’d left the confines of the house behind as the others chatted and explored.

She sat on the front porch, contemplating the moon and more stars than in California. She needed peace and Javier stepped out onto the porch a few minutes later, bringing that with him.

Was he following her? No. That was paranoia. Maybe he needed air as she needed it. He didn’t make her feel uncomfortable. He felt… safe, but she was unsure about him.

“Do you mind if I join you?”

He asked politely. She could have refused his company, only he eased her anxiety. She desired the peace he brought with him.

“Please do.”

She slid over on the swing and patted the seat next to her. He walked over and sat down beside her.

“Will you be okay here?”

He wanted to know if she felt safe.

“For a bit. I’m tired, and I need to rest, to recover. Fox and Artie are good people. They’ve been kind to me. I feel incredibly weak. My fire is so depleted.” She shook her head.

The man made her feel safe. She wanted to talk to him, to keep him near her. She knew little about packs or direwolves or even tigers, but Javier was powerful. He had protected her, defended her.

He was alpha, even though he’d willingly accepted being beta. He intrigued her. She wanted to know more about him.

“You’re safe here, Little Red. Luke will formalize it Saturday, but you’re already part of the pack. He issued orders regarding your safety and smooth integration into the pack.”

“I’m nervous. Will you come tomorrow to teach me about the pack and the canines?”

She practically begged him. Isabell wanted to see him again. She wanted to beg him to stay with her, so she wouldn’t be alone and wouldn’t be afraid. Her fear and her loneliness were crippling her.

She feared she wasn’t getting better. Javier’s presence chased away that anxiety.

“I’ll come after the site clears tomorrow evening.”

Isabell shivered at the thought he would leave soon. She wanted to keep him close, but that made little sense. She didn’t know him. Isabell couldn’t ask him to stay. He might not want her clinging to him. No man wanted that.

“Are you cold?”

He lifted his arm for her to scoot next to him and wrapped it around her so she would be warmer. She leaned into him, accepting his warmth and the calm comfort he offered, even though the night was warm.

She shouldn’t have, but he felt too good to her. She simply couldn’t resist his offer. Javier was large, strong, and protective. At the moment, she needed that.

“Thank you for taking my part. It’s rare to meet someone who doesn’t see me as a monster. I appreciate that.” Isabell whispered her truth to him.

“Luke was just startled. The flames are different. Maybe I reacted differently because I wasn’t born a shifter. Luke turned me on Friday night. I attacked the man who hurt Eli, and he cut me up good. I was dying when Luke got there. Everything seems different to me. If Eli can dream talk; why shouldn’t you breathe fire?” Javier chuckled.

He was making out that protecting her from his alpha was no big deal, but it was to her. Luke was too powerful. His aura scared her.

Javier was strong, but his power wasn’t over-exerted against her. It seemed to wrap around her like a shield protecting her. Maybe it was because he had only recently become a shifter. Still, his aura was comforting. He didn’t shy away from her, as almost every other man she’d known seemed to, either.

Isabell liked Javier. She hoped things didn’t change between them when he learned she couldn’t be more than friends with him. Every time she liked a man, it went badly when she accidentally burned them with her flames.

Kissing was about as far as any date had ever gone. For years she’d tried to get close to men who were interested in her. About fifteen years ago, she’d finally given up.

It was hopeless unless she found another phoenix or turned a man into one. No one wanted to be burned every time things got serious.

Only the telekinetic painter had shown any interest, and that was only half-hearted after his breakup. She politely turned down the few offers, and as Miles had accepted her answer, so had the others. No dates equaled, no scorched people.

Javier was nice to her. Perhaps, like Miles, she could keep the friendship. He already knew her secret. That was more than any man other than Fox knew. Having another powerful friend would be good.

“No matter your reasoning, I appreciate your help. Thank you. I honestly don’t think I could survive being taken again.”

Isabell shivered at that thought. Javier hugged her.

“No one is taking you anywhere. You’re going to stay right here with me and fly. Okay?”

He was so confident. She desperately wanted to believe him. The thought of flying again seemed surreal. She wanted the powerful man’s protection. If she could have his friendship, it would mean the world to her.

“I want to fly again,” she whispered.

Isabell accepted Javier’s protection without hesitation. She wanted nothing more than to stay with him and fly.

She felt better sitting there with him than she had in a long time. On the porch in the dark, life was suddenly brighter. She smiled at her own thoughts. She must have lost her mind. The situation was more than she could handle. Even though she was broken, Javier made her feel good.

Thank you for your support! Welcome to the dream… Sincerely, -OK

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