Chapter 13|Welcome Back, Brother.

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After Damon left Alexander sat in silence letting Damon's words settle into his brain. A lot has to be done. He thought without giving a single thought to the Arabella girl who was brought as his intended.

He scoffed.

Alexander made his way to his room where he found Isabelle curled on the bed with a book in her hand and her eyes closed. A swift tug pulled at his chest as he stared at her sleeping form.

He was never tired of staring at the petite woman who never failed to make his blood rush in awareness and excitement. The mere sight of her aroused him much more than the sight of his ex lover sprawled naked on the bed did. She, however was wearing his oversized shirt with her other hand that wasn't holding the book tucked under the pillow. Her fiery red hair was sprawled across the pillow, it contrasted vastly to the pure white fabric of the silky sheets.

Her pale complexion pulled him closer into the room. Alex crouched on the floor beside the bed, took her hand that was holding the book in a firm grip and kept the book away. He took her hand by the wrist and rubbed the pad of his thumb letting the soft satiny feel of her body calm the tempest in his body.

He released a rough breath from parted lips. The warm air he blew out met with her skin making her shift in her nap, her left eye opened slightly before the right did. Subconsciously, Isabelle tucked the gaping front of the shirt she was wearing up and rose from her lying form to a sitting position atop the bed.

"You're done talking?" She asked with a yawn.

Alex replied with a nod before asking her a question himself, "Didn't get much sleep last night did you?"

A blush spread like wildfire across her cheeks at his words which were nothing but the truth. Despite them journeying from The Forest of Eyre, exhaustion did nothing to cool both the desire and ador they felt for each other. One round turned to two, deep into the night Alex awoke to her naked flesh attached to his front, it was supposed to be a mere affectionate kiss, singular, unfortunately and fortunately within seconds he had her on her back moaning his name. The fourth took place early this morning.

She playfully shook her head twice at him before running to the bathroom.

After returning she had him sit and explain to her what was happening. When he reached the part about his betrothal she visibly jerked and turned her head away from him. Alex felt her pain, he felt her jealousy and he felt her anger.

The tone she used to inquire about his betrothed though was anything but angry, the words were softly spoken in her usual calm tone, "How didn't you know about her?"

"My grandfather once told me about a betrothal agreement that was made at my intended's birth before his death."

At his words she pulled away from him creating space between them. It had Alex flexing his fingers and clenching his jaw hard, his teeth ground too hard it felt like he had a wish to have them breaking into each other.

"Then why am I here?" She asked rubbing her arms with both hands and staring out the window she was standing by.

Alex felt her anguish and this time her pain felt too real he felt like he could grasp it with his bare hands. With the stealth he was known and commended for he moved closer to her and without giving her a chance to refuse his contact he circled his arms around her pulling her flush into his embrace without an inch of space between them. She released a breath before a tear slipped past her eyes, Alex lowered his head to her face, kissed away the tear before pressing a kiss to the nape of her neck. "Nothing can make me let you go my Belle, nothing and no one on this earth can. Not a betrothal I don't trust nor a pack of wolves from another state or part of the world. You're mine wholly the same way I am irrevocably yours." He placed an open-mouthed kiss to the mark on her neck, sucked at the skin there until he left a raging hickey for the world to see. "This is our badge of ownership, you run in my veins the same way the blood in it flows, more than it even." He explained. "I'll never let you go, no matter what happens." He vowed, turned her around and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

The pain in her chest had lessened to a dull ache it almost didn't hurt.

"Promise me that you'll stay by my side no matter what and in any situation." Alex religiously whispered against her skin.

"I.. I don't know. I don't know what to do, I'm lost here, I feel so lost." She murmured back shutting her eyes at the onslaught of emotions the feel of his mouth on her neck evoked.

"But you're not lost with me." He urged her to look up at his face with the tip of his finger, his tone was laced with urgency, "You have me, I have you. By God I feel stronger with you here like I could conquer the whole world if I wished to. Now promise me Bella, promise me that you won't let go of me." He urged desperately.

In a state of utter confusion Isabelle stood on the tip of her toes and placed a chaste kiss to his lips, with their lips fused against each other's she made her promise. He felt it on his before the words, softly spoken reached his ears. With a smile he traced the seam of her lips with his tongue before pulling her deeper into his embrace.

The feeling that was coursing through him was overwhelming, too strong to be resisted.

......

Alexander and Isabelle decided to stay in the whole day until dusk when Damon came to get them. Prior to their leaving, Alex had his PA, Miss Ivor get tons of stuff for her ranging from dresses to shoes her size and everything in between from the mall.

Clad in a sky blue sundress with tiny red dots, Isabelle joined a freshly washed Alexander in the car, he was dressed in a black shirt and black slacks, over his eyes were a pair of dark sunglasses.

Isabelle watched in awe as they passed buildings, tall ones, wide ones, flashy ones and demure ones. She felt out of place and intimidated by the infrastructure being not what she was used to back at the Forest of Eyre, she was used to trees, bushes, the stream, her cottage and a few meager choice of food and outfits. She realized that she literally lived in a jungle, though one thing she missed about the Forest was the tranquil she felt there, the peace that seemed to engulf the whole of her, the quiet that accompanied her wherever she went, the serenity and safety she felt. The one time she was attacked at all at the forest was when she encountered the boar, but thank God Alex was there, her savior.

All through the ride Alexander's grip never left hers, he held her hand firmly in his, squeezing it a time or two but never enough to put pressure on it. It was all a way of reassuring her that everything was going to be alright.

She prayed so to be the truth vehemently. She didn't even want to think of any other possible outcome because of how out of place she felt there. With her being a plain human and them werewolves was the first difference between them, the next was the life they live in compared to hers, the third was how the only three people she met so far intimidated her even though Alexander was present when his assistant brought in her clothes, she nonetheless felt like she was being judged from the way the woman's gaze moved shrewdly over her. Next was Damon whose chilling gaze draws a fear in her soul and the totally indifferent driver who acknowledged her with a mere nod after she smiled brightly at him.

Isabelle sunk deeper into the soft seat of the car and released a sigh.

The driver turned into a corner before stopping at a huge sable set of gates that looked like they belonged in a movie, the gates parted and the sight before them was one to behold. A fountain was at the middle of the vast field, a large building stood at the center, they didn't stop there. Rather, they stopped after another ten minutes drive.

After getting down, Alex tucked Isabelle into his side in a possessive gesture and walked in fast strides towards the large doors that led to the mansion. It was eerily quiet as the sound of their footsteps were the only sounds that could be heard. They took three turns and stopped by another door, a man appeared from nowhere and turned the knob open.

They slid in wordlessly and came face to face to a man with striking features almost exactly like Alexander's. Isabelle sought out their differences and noticed how a little bit shorter the stranger was, lankier than Alex too, had laugh lines on his face and had eyes that twinkle with unspoken amusement. His aura told her that he was very much more jovial than the hardened man beside her. He turned his eyes to her and she found herself gazing into a pair of dark brown eyes instead of the jet black she expected to see.

"Welcome back, Brother." Were the words that slipped past his lips as he beheld the people before him. His eyes focused intently on the strange woman who was literally plastered to his brother's side in a protective manner.