I Reject You

Chapter 2

ISADORA POV

Making my escape from the pack, running through the night, the darkness of the untamed wilderness cloaked me as I sought refuge in my stepfather's pack. I needed a safe place to rest, a place where I could gather my strength and protect my child from the dangers that lurked around us.

Arriving at the borders of my stepfather's pack, exhaustion threatened to consume me, but I pushed myself forward, driven by the love for my child and the desperate need for solace. The scent of familiarity greeted me as I stepped into the territory, and I made my way towards the main den, praying that my stepfather would grant me refuge. Eamon would be mad at him if he found out he allowed me to hide here for some time. I can only keep my fingers crossed right now.

Knocking on the door, my stepfather, Alpha Philip, stepped out. His expression was a mix of surprise and concern. "Isadora, my dear, what brings you here in the dead of night?" he asked, his eyes searching behind me, clarifying whether I came alone.

"I had to leave," I replied, my voice trembling with emotion. "I needed to find a safe place for my child and myself."

His brows furrowed, suspicion flickering in his eyes. "But your home with Eamon should be safe enough, shouldn't it?" he asked, his voice laced with doubt.

I hesitated for a moment, knowing that I couldn't reveal the truth, not to him or anyone else. "It's complicated," I replied, trying to sound convincing. "I needed some rest, and I thought coming here would be best."

My stepfather narrowed his gaze, his intuition sharpened by years of navigating the intricate politics of various packs. "Isadora, you're not telling me everything," he said, his tone firm. "If all you needed was rest, then your castle with Eamon would be an even more comfortable place to find it."

Swallowing hard, feeling the weight of his scrutiny. "I just needed to get away for a while," I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. "Please don't inform Eamon that I'm here."

He studied me for a moment, his eyes searching mine for the truth. "Isadora, you can't keep running from your problems," he said, his voice gentle yet insistent. "If something is wrong, you need to face it and fix it, not hide from it."

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I turned away, unable to meet his gaze. "I can't do that without strength; that's why I'm here to recover," I admitted, my voice choked with emotion.

My stepfather stepped closer, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I may not always agree with your choices, Isadora, but you are my daughter, and I will always protect you," he said, his voice filled with a mix of tenderness and concern.

The weight of his words and the memories of the love he once showed me overwhelmed me, and I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. "Thank you," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I just need some time to figure things out and protect my child."

He nodded, his expression softening with understanding. "While you're pregnant and caring for Eamon's heir, you can stay here as long as you need," he said, his voice unwavering. "But remember, running away won't solve anything. You have to face your fears and confront the truth, whatever it is, because I know certainly for a fact that you're not telling me everything. Besides, the toad doesn't run in the daytime for nothing; it's either something is chasing it or something is chasing it. Clearly, Isadora, something is chasing you. That's the only reason you'll be knocking at my door this late in the night with your pregnancy, but it's fine if you don't want to tell me; I respect your decision."

I nodded my head in response, too weak to say anything else.

My relationship with my stepfather remained complex, a mixture of past affection and the strain of our conflicting motivations.

The next morning, the sun had just begun to rise, casting a golden hue over the pack's territory. I stood at a distance by the alpha's den balcony as I watched the pack members go about their daily routines. A mixture of emotions swirled within me: relief at finding a safe haven, but also uncertainty and fear of the consequences that might follow.

In the midst of the tense atmosphere, as I sat there, lost in my thoughts, I overheard the hushed conversation between my stepfather and someone on the phone from the window. My heart skipped a beat as I heard Eamon's name. What was my stepfather doing? Had he snitched on me, betraying my trust?

"I thought you should know," my stepfather's voice echoed, filled with a mix of concern and tension. "Isadora came to seek refuge here last night, claiming she needed some rest. She said she didn't want you to know; I found that strange."

The sound of Eamon's voice came through the phone, and my heart raced with trepidation. "What? Why would she do that?" Eamon's voice was laced with surprise and confusion.

"I'm not entirely sure," my stepfather replied, his tone careful. "But I have a feeling that something is troubling her deeply. She seemed broken and lost when she arrived."

Eamon's anger was palpable over the phone. "Did she say anything about why she left? Did she mention me at all?"

My stepfather hesitated for a moment before replying, "She didn't say much, but she seemed hurt. It's possible that something happened between you two. You need to talk to her, Eamon. She needs you."

Before my stepfather could say anything else, Eamon abruptly ended the call. I could feel the tension in the air, and my heart pounded in my chest. He was coming for me, and I wasn't ready to face him, not after the pain he had inflicted upon me.

Fear and uncertainty gripped me as I realised I had to leave to escape before Eamon and his men arrived. Without a moment's hesitation, I made up my mind. I couldn't confront him, not now. I needed more time to heal, to gather my strength, and to protect my child from the storm of emotions that surrounded us.

With tears streaming down my cheeks, I slipped away from the den. I couldn't risk going back into the living room to grab my stuff, my heart heavy with the weight of my decision, but I couldn't bear to see Eamon.

My breath came in ragged gasps as I ran, my heart pounding in my chest and tears streaming down my cheeks. I couldn't face Eamon, not when the wounds of his heartless betrayal were still fresh. The pain of his callous words weighed heavily on my soul, and I knew that I needed time and space to heal before I could even consider confronting him.

I ran as fast as my feet could carry me, heading in the opposite direction from both my stepfather's pack and Eamon's. The stress of running for so long, coupled with the weight of my pregnancy, began to take its toll on my body. Even though I used my werewolf abilities, my vision blurred, and my legs felt like lead. The darkness of the wilderness seemed to close in around me, and with one final step, my strength gave out.

I collapsed to the ground, my body crumpling in a heap of exhaustion and despair. The tears continued to flow as I lay there, overwhelmed by the weight of my emotions.

As the minutes ticked by, my consciousness wavered, and the darkness threatened to consume me. The world around me became a blur, and I could feel myself slipping away.