Brothers 3

Chapter 22

He met Isabel in town. Her dark hair was in a lose side ponytail and she was glancing around herself with wide eyes. When she saw James she half smiled.

"You're here."

James nodded. "You said you wanted to talk." His hands were slick with sweat and he rubbed them on his jeans. He hadn't been this nervous meeting a woman since he was a teen.

Isabel led him to a café not too far away. It was a cosy place with blue walls and light wooden furniture. The smell of coffee and pastries was everywhere, and James almost gagged at the thick scent. How did humans' stomach any of this stuff?

They were seated in the corner next to a window. The overhead light highlighted the shadows under her eyes. James was fairly sure that she wasn't sleeping and given how potent her scent was he didn't think she had showered either.

She looked down at her hands, taking a long inhale. When she lifted her eyes, they were shiny. James did not want to see another woman cry this soon after Ella. He took her hand in his and squeezed. She chewed on her lip.

"This is all crazy," she mumbled, "I don't even know where to start trying to understand."

James nodded and kept his mouth shut. He wouldn't beg. If she was going to leave him then there was nothing left for him to say to try and change her mind. Her hands were shaking gently in his.

"I don't know how to use magic or what a werewolf is like. The only thing I do know is that I like you." She glanced up at him.

He stopped breathing. She wasn't leaving him? What did she want to talk about then? Her eyes were wide and pleading and she tightened her grip on his hands. Her pulse was fast.

"I thought about it but no matter what I did I kept coming back to you. You are always on my mind and you don't deserve to be trapped with anyone. If I can help you, then I should." She swallowed hard.

James found it hard to speak. He hadn't seen this coming. "You don't have to get involved. I don't want anything to happen to you." His voice sounded distant and wooden to his ears. She was going to stay? How on earth had he managed that? She should be running for the hills, terrified to be anywhere near him and his stalker. He studied her. She was pale and was chewing at a hole in her lip. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her heart was hammering. Everything about her said that she couldn't do this. It made no sense that she was willing to help him. Unless she was falling in love with him. A sick feeling settled in his stomach and his heartbeat picked up. He had wanted her help and sure he wanted her to like him, but love was not part of the plan. Not even he would be okay with that.

Thankfully, his panic must have come across as concern for her because she tried to smile and leaned across to rub his arm. "I know you don't want me to be in danger, but I will be fine. You will be with me. I know we can protect each other."

James nodded; his throat too dry to speak.

"You look terrified." She tilted her head at him. Before he could say a word she got up and rounded the table. She took him by the hand and dragged him to his feet, pulling him into a tight hug. There were tremors running through her body and James wrapped his arms around her to try and still her. Guilt made it hard to breath as she mumbled comforting things and promises that everything was going to be okay.

This was going so much further than James had intended.

James walked home. It was starting to get late, but he needed the time and the space to think. Isabel had surprised him. He should be happy that she was still helping, and he was, but he was also terrified that she was falling for him. She of course was meant to like him a lot, but she had been in such a state and still willing to help. People didn't do that for just anyone. No one had ever really gone that far for him before.