RISK

24

Xander's heart feels like it's beating out of his chest as he watches Isabella's body convulse on the floor below him. Agonizing pain courses through every inch of her body. He can feel his wolf in distress, making him worry in fear even more. He doesn't know what to do to help her...and he absolutely hates himself for it.

He sees tears begin to leave Isabella's eyes, his heart breaking at the sight. Sweat forms on her whole body beginning to soak the clothes she's wearing. Her hair loosening from the slick puff it was in beforehand. Her loud screams echo throughout the house making both him and his wolf whimper. Xander feels Isabella's pain but it's nothing compared to the pain she's actually feeling.

Think, Xander. Think. He repeats in his mind over and over again.

Isabella is shifting. First things first, get her in an open space. Xander bends down attempting to scoop Isabella up in his arms. The usually effortless task fights against him as her body is staying nothing close to still. It relieves him to see his touch does minimize her convulses, relaxing her a bit. Using his strength, he restricts her movements so he can carry her into the woods behind her backyard. His werewolf abilities allow him to move swiftly. Once they're hidden by the trees, he lays her down on the ground softly. Xander keeps a slight physical connection of their bodies, hoping the mating bond can help lessen her pain.

Think, Xander. Think. He repeats.

He thinks back to years ago when he shifted for the first time. Sure, it was painful but it didn't last nearly as long as this. He knew it was coming and what it was so his body knew to let his wolf take control and the rest would happen naturally. He looks at his mate's face, seeing it scrunch in pain.

She's fighting it.

He finally realizes that Isabella fighting the pain is what's going to worsen the pain. In order for her to shift, she needs to relax as much as possible and let her wolf take control.

"Isabella." It takes Xander hearing his own voice to realize his wolf has surface, just enough to deepen his voice. His wolf views this situation as a flight-or-fight response, and he's ready to fight.

Isabella hears Xander's voice for the first time in what seems like forever. However, instead of calming her down like it usually does, her pain level increases becoming more torturous. She lets out a grunt expressing this.

Why did my voice make it worse?

Upon careful examination, he realizes Isabella's wolf is affected by his voice so she's trying to surface even more. If he keeps talking, and Isabella tries her best to relax, the shift can happen quickly.

"Isabella, baby, I know it hurts. But you have to relax. The more you relax, the less it'll hurt. I promise."

Isabella can hear his words but refuses to listen. She's so angry at him. She's even more angry at herself right now. She's been hearing a voice inside her head for a while now and ignored it. Assuming it was just part of the mating bond, without asking any questions, is what's gotten her here. She continues to fight the pain, against his advice. She doesn't want to give in to the pain.

"Please, Isabella," she hears his voice crack in despair, "It's the only way I can help. Please."

For a split second she's able to open her eyes and look into his. She sees his eyes are dark, meaning his wolf has surfaced a bit. But she also notices the his eyes look glassy. He's crying.

Xander can't help the self-hatred that runs through him. His top priority should be Isabella. The stupid decision he made to keep her identity from her is what's gotten her in this position. If he told her, they could have experimented to see if her wolf would ever be strong enough to shift. It could have happened in a safe environment, where she trusted him to guide her. Now, all trust is lost and he has no one to blame but himself. Isabella has taken risk after risk, staying with him after finding out about werewolves and Octavius. And he didn't return any courtesy back by hiding the truth.