This is not your regular werewolf story, this is more. Isabel has a power so rare that it magnifies with every emotion she has. However, she has been through so much in the last ten years. Her werewolf father abandoned her, and she had to deal with her mother's death alone. Her auntie, Rose took her in, and they had to move around a lot over the years after that tragic occurrence. Now Rose wants Isabel to stay with her in the town she left ten years ago. When she arrives, everything comes to light. Secrets long buried rise to the surface, and she's faced with the irresistible Alpha Mark, her fated mate. Will Isabel's fragile control shatter under the weight of her emotions, or will she harness her power to reclaim her destiny?
Chapter 1 One
Isabel
I stepped off the train, and the scorching sun beat down on me, radiating off the platform's worn pavement. "The weather here is boiling," I thought to myself.
The air was heavy, devoid of even a whisper of breeze as I struggled to breathe in a good source of oxygen. I wish I was back home or at least in the comfort of the many places I'd temporarily been calling home lately.
I retrieved my suitcase from the luggage rack, passing by fellow passengers who had stared at me for a few seconds before giving a hint of glumness. I gave my best smile, grabbed my suitcase, and turned away, rushing to escape the heat. I walked along and headed into the train station's old-fashioned clock tower. It's smaller than I remember, but it provided a little shade from the scorching sun, offering little respite.
I scanned the crowded platform, searching for my aunt's familiar face. We had arranged to meet here, but the sea of strangers made my stomach twist with anxiety.
My life had been a blur of constant relocation. I moved around a lot, and I mean a lot. But with my mother, who was around for the first part of my life, it felt like an adventure; after her passing, it became an escape. My auntie, along with her mate and daughter, had taken me in, but we'd kept moving around more, mainly to get away from whoever.
Looking around the station for my auntie, who was very adamant about me coming back here, sweat dripped down my forehead, and I wiped it away with my sleeve. The blended cacophony of announcements and chatter from the station's speakers and passengers overwhelmed me, making my ears ring.
I wish I knew why, as this town always brings only bad and painful memories, especially with him here. His name remained unspoken, a painful reminder of abandonment. He'd left my mother and me when I was just nine years old, shattering her heart into a million pieces. I had to watch her heart break every single day, while he pursued his pack and new love, forgetting to remember even his daughter.
I seriously questioned my Auntie's motives for wanting me back here. She knew my condition as I had stated to her in the past: only life or death would bring me here, closer to him - the man who'd shattered my family. Yet, she'd settled in this town with Rose, my cousin.
A sense of foreboding settled in; this town would be my living hell. I dreaded facing the past, but Auntie's words echoed in my mind: "Come back, it's important."
"ISA, OVER HERE!" My auntie's voice pierced the station's din, and I turned right to spot her jumping up and down, waving enthusiastically as she tried to get my attention. I smiled up at her as I started walking towards her.
I walked over to her cautiously, my senses on high alert. I noticed the curious glances of the station's patrons, wondering who or what I was.
The town my auntie has moved to is a werewolf town. Few humans reside here, and my auntie told me they know about them. There were at least two packs residing on the outskirts at opposite ends. One being His pack. My auntie had warned me about the packs' presence and the humans who coexisted with them as they seemed to roam around the town freely. "This is going to be interesting being a cat shifter here." I mumbled silently to myself.
"Auntie," I said, grinning as I stepped closer to her side. I am quite aware that she hates me calling her that, as her expression changed as soon as she heard me say it, disapproving of the nickname.
"Isa, you know I hate that word so much," she said, her tone playful despite the scowl. I know she is happy to see me.
"I am sorry, Madea," I replied, smiling and pulling her into a warm hug.
"How was your journey?" She asks as she takes my backpack, relieving me of my back pain as we walk toward the exit.
"It was fine. I had to take a plane ride first, then 12 hours on the bus with a few stops along the way before taking an hour train ride. It was hectic but I didn't mind. I am pretty much used to it and I also triple-checked that I wasn't being followed," I said, scanning our surroundings again.
My gaze locked onto the taxi drivers exchanging keys, their eyes fixed on me. I sighed. "If one more person looks at us like that again, I will damn shred their esophagus out of their mouth," Swift, my tigress counterpart, snarled within me.
I am a tiger shifter; my mum was one, and so are Rose and Madea too, and we weren't accustomed to scrutiny.
"Why is everyone gawking at me?" I asked, unease creeping up my spine. Swift stirred, sensing my discomfort, and stepped forward to look around at everyone.
Madea looked around as she sensed my uneasiness and looked up at me with a smirk, "Well, It's not every day a stunning gorgeous 20-year-old arrives in town." she said, her eyes sparkling.
I chuckled. "Yeah, right, I'm sure there are plenty of beautiful girls here, but you know what I mean," I said as Swift's alertness remained.
I quickly noticed two old ladies staring at me, but once they realized that I was looking directly at them, they moved their eyes somewhere else hastily. One looks like they are mind-linking someone.
"I bet she's alerting the Alpha about the newcomer," Swift says, stretching out as she laid back down into my mind with a yawn.
Madea looked around before looking at me with curiosity, "You should be careful when Swift surfaces, your eyes change color slightly. Be cautious." she said in a whisper, trying to ensure that no one could hear her.
"We will talk more in private," she says as she nods towards the stairs that say 'Exit Train Station'.
We are heading through the car park to her little black Honda car waiting for us when a BMW pulls right in front of her car. Madea looks at the car and sighs.
" Pack drama. Be nice, Isa," she murmurs through her gritted teeth.
A tall, imposing man steps out of the car, he looks at us. He proceeded to open the back door, and two young men, roughly my age, stepped out. Their eyes roamed, sizing us up.
One of the young men approached us, his scent wafted toward me straight away, triggering an instant recognition. The scent seemed very familiar as it tingled my senses, and I struggled to figure out where I knew it from. Then, like a punch to the gut, realization dawned.
I know that scent. A low growl escaped my lips before I could contain it.
This wasn't the man who'd abandoned me and my mother, but the similarity was uncanny. It clicked into place – this must be his son.
Chapter 1 One
26/09/2024
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