Chapter 26| Meet The Third De Luca.

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ALEXANDER.

Over the days I was restrained from being in Isabelle's presence I began to track down my attackers with the little hints I found. Like, when I mated with Isabelle for the first time and had my memory return I had a virtual slideshow of events that portrayed the feelings I felt at their happenings. I could remember being attacked out of no where but I couldn't remember where exactly it happened.

I could remember a man's face staring down at me in irritation before I was doused in what probably led to my memory loss. From then on I became unconscious and that was probably when my face got scarred and also where I got the wounds Isabelle treated on me. What gets me questioning their motive is the culprit's reason for leaving me at the border of the Forest of Eyre to die. On one hand I was sure they didn't want me dead, they probably wanted me to disappear from the face of the earth for an unknown purpose and live in the forest alone. On the other hand I had a feeling they wanted me to have a pain induced slow death, the one that made people wish to have a knife pulled into their hearts to get on with it already and be free of the agonizing turmoil that went with a slow and painful death.

They obviously had no idea what a great favor they did to me by keeping me exactly at that spot where Isabelle found me.

With a smirk I let myself relish in the memories of when it was only she and I in our secluded world. I stopped in my tracks as I heard the sound of my sister, Leah's voice shouting my name or more like my title as she always does.

"Alpha Hothead." She called out once we were an arm's length away from each other. Her head stopped at my chin as she walked into my parted arms and I engulfed her whole form into my embrace. "I missed you." She sighed against my chest.

"I missed you too little girl." I ruffled her hair briefly and it evoked the reaction I wanted. Her hands flew to her head smoothing down her naturally unruly curls. Her hair had the tendency to easily get tangled and I happen to love taunting her by ruffling it up and having it ending up in a tangled mess.

"Urgh not that please." She moved away in haste pushing her hand forward to create space between us.

"I missed doing that too." I countered, stepping closer to her.

"And I guess I missed out on a lot huh?" She wiggled her brows at me, "I'm still in the dark as to why two attractive women are living in the Pack Manor and on the East wing which is strictly for family members or dear loved ones. Care to elaborate on the topic?" She tilted her head to the side as she always does when in a dilemma.

I brushed a hand over my face at the jolt and irritation I felt at the mention of my Belle and my intended subsequently. Thinking of the latter makes my blood boil with fury.

"It's actually a long story, too long for someone who just got back from a trip." I concisely worded, cordially trying to avoid the topic.

"You know I'm as fit as you are if not more right now! Just feed me with the details already brother." She did the thing with her eyes that makes her get away with everything and this time her lips wobbled slightly too.

So, I found myself leading her to the nearest cafe around. With our cups in our hands I told her everything aboug Arabella and the parts she needed to know about Isabelle, especially the part that says she belongs to me just like I, her.

"Let me get this straight, Arabella is your intended while Isabelle is like your lover or what?"

"Isabelle is my mate and yes I've marked her but that's not a subject to converse on. Why don't you tell me how you feel about college?" I asked, hopeful that it'll get her mind off my predicament.

It did when she released a huge sigh and started rambling about the friends she made and how some laughed about her belief that werewolves exist, how they claimed their existence to be ridiculous and mythical.

"Hope you didn't make a show of yourself by shifting in their presence to actualize your facts and put your theorem into practice? We wouldn't want to have you penalized for tempering with their mental health."

Leah rolled her eyes at my hyperbole.

"Of course I didn't 'cause hello that would've brought everyone's attention on the new girl with the American name and Italian Surname. I'll pass, I have too much fame as it is already."

"Any male pups bothering you?" The skin at the fore of my head creased in concern.

Her cheeks tinted slightly at my question making my eyes instinctively narrow into a glare.

"No. Well yeah, there are guys around but I'm waiting for my mate. There's no point leading frat boys on when I know I have not much in store for them for the future the moment I meet my mate. Whoever he is." She added the last part in a whisper I heard as clearly as I did her other words.

"I'm glad you think so too, it'll be much better for you and your studies. I want you to put your best in what you're doing. It wouldn't do to let me be the only smart one in the family. Luke's already proven himself to be brainless, it'll be awful to have you following in his steps."

We both laughed at my words.

"I know exactly whose steps I'd rather follow in but then he just called himself a smart one. Bummer! Makes his IQ level drop a ton." She grinned innocently.

Leah and I bantered some more before leaving the Cafe and heading to our separate ways. Tonight was one of the nights I dreaded not because I didn't want to see Isabelle but because I couldn't bear to see her with her arms latched into my Beta's while someone else holds unto me, the thought of us being so close yet so far to touch made the urge to fight hit me hard.

Although I knew Francis wouldn't touch a single hair on her head if he thought it inappropriate I felt that twisted stab of jealousy whenever I saw them together. Earlier in the day it took all of the power I had to pull away from her when we were only a hair's breadth away, if only he didn't arrive in time I would've felt what her lips tasted like after too many fucking days of going without it. I felt her desire and was sure as hell she felt mine which doubled hers a thousand times over.

How she melted in my arms when I held her was what kept me through the whole meal without breaking the hold I had on my fork unlike that last time we ate in a setting like this when I actually rendered the piece of cutlery useless.

Arabella was quite on my side tonight as Leah chattered on and on about all that happened within the time span she was in school, details from when she got on the plane to and when she got down from it was explained in vivid details to us all at the dinner table. At some point Isabelle's curiosity got piqued and she didn't hold back from asking questions. I stared while they conversed feeling a strange sense of peace at the immediate bond the two created.

Francis and Damon sat side by side this time and kept exchanging glances that seemed too recurrent and frequent to make me believe it was a mere coincidence. I put it at the back of my mind to ask them of what the looks they kept exchanging was all about.