Page 39 of Shattered Fears

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Without warning, the air fizzled all around her; she felt herself falling, the scenery whizzed past, and her stomach churned. Then, just as suddenly, her body came back together, and she landed in the middle of nowhere. A fleet of cars rapidly tore toward her. They slammed on their brakes, and the lead one stopped just inches from her. She looked up at the passenger in it and was met by her father’s wide eyes. He opened his door and was out and stumbling toward her.

“Isobel.”

She stood up tall. The other men got out of their cars and pointed their guns at her.

“Stand down,” her father yelled at them. The man driving the car that her father was in looked at them a few times. He blinked, trying to adjust his eyes to what he’d just seen. He nodded to her father and put his weapon away. Her heart started to beat less rapidly than it had been a few seconds ago.

“What the hell?” Her father grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the cars. She tried to shrug him off, but he was too strong for her. His fingers dug into the tender skin of her arm. “How did you do that?”

“Magic.” Her father let her go. He looked at his hand as if she were dirty and had sullied him.

“No. You’re not one of them. What has Kingsley done to you?”

“Kingsley’s done nothing,” she spat out at her father. “You’re in the wrong here. I want you to let my brother go.”

“Isobel, you can’t be serious. He’s been associating with people who change into animals. The photos proved it. He’s one of them.”

“No, he’s not.” She got up into her father’s face. “He’s the same as us.”

“He’s nothing like me, and I’m starting to wonder about you, as well. You know I have to take you into custody now. How did you just appear like that? Tell me. Who’s the real culprit? Jesus, can they place you anywhere? Could they put you in the oval office when the president is alone?” Her father dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. The anger inside her rose, and she reached forward and knocked the phone out of his hand and onto the ground. It hit a rock and smashed.

“I can guarantee nobody would want to be alone with the president, he’s perfectly safe. Now, you’re going to listen to me, Dad, because I’m not going to let you do this.”

“Isobel, you know nothing about what’s happening here. Get in the car and be quiet, and I’ll forget I saw the fact you just showed up in the middle of nowhere.”

“No. You’re going to stop treating me like a child. I’m an adult. You’ve lied to me all my life, pretending to be a senator, dragging me to all the rallies where I’ve had to listen to people laughing at you about your wild theories on shifters. The reality is you’ve been hunting them with the view to killing them just because you’re ignorant and won’t take the time to understand what they really are.”

Her father reeled back at her words.

“You associate with them? My god, you’ve been lying to me all these years. What type of daughter are you?”

She laughed with complete dumbfounded shock at her father’s words. He wasn’t listening to anything she was saying. He was turning this around to blame her.

“Isobel, have you gone mad? What have they done to you?” Her father looked past her. She turned her head to see what he was looking at. One of the men was creeping toward them with a tranquilizer gun in his hand.

“You’re going to drug your own daughter?”

“You’ve left me no choice.”

“No, you’ve plenty of choices. You can listen to me for once. These people aren’t dangerous. They are a family that love each other. They’re parents to young babies, and you want to capture them and do what? You’ll torture them. I know you will.”

“They’ll be investigated to see why they have these abilities. It’s to protect the public.”

“They’re the public, as well. Don’t you see that?” She was keeping an eye on the man stalking toward her. Her time was running out. She only had a few seconds left to get her father to change his mind before they’d arrest her. “Dad, please. You have to listen to me for a few moments. I’ve met these people. They wouldn’t hurt anyone. They’re my friends. Please leave them in peace. I’m begging you not to do this.” She fell to her knees in a pray position before her father. “If you don’t want them in Montana, then let them leave but don’t harm them. They wouldn’t hurt you. You have my word on this. What happened to us being daddy and daughter. Trusting each other.”

“I can’t.” Her father shook his head. “They’re dangerous animals: lions, tigers, and bears. You just appeared in front of me. That’s a serious risk to our national security. They could be captured and used as weapons against America. I’m thinking of your future by doing this. We need to neutralize the potential threat. We don’t even know how big this epidemic of shifters is; it could be worldwide. The entire human race could be under threat. What if they breed with humans? Are their genetics superior? Why, they could create a race of human hybrids. You have to trust I’m doing this for you, Isobel. Now, please, get in the car.”

“You’re wrong. I don’t know how I ever believed you were a good man. I see the truth, now. You’re narrow-minded, just like everyone else.” She let a tear fall down her cheek in mourning for the father of her memories because the man in front of her was alien to her. He’d become the actual monster that he falsely believed he was hunting. “I know they’ll never harm anyone because I grew up with a shifter in my life, and you’ve known one for many years. He would never hurt anyone. In fact, he walked away from me rather than make me have to choose between my family and him.” Her skin prickled as she felt Zain all around her. His scent of their lovemaking still lingered on her skin, and she knew if the people around her had the abilities that a shifter had, then they would smell his mark. His branding of her as his. She’d tried to save him but had failed. Her father would destroy him.

“Zain,” her father rasped. “He’s one of them?”

She nodded.

“He’s the greatest man I’ve ever met: kind, funny, loving, and gentle. He’s also a bear shifter. He turns into a black bear. His parents did the same. They’ve lived amongst us for years and never caused any harm. I love him. I’ve given myself to him, physically and mentally. You may look at him and see a wild animal, but I see a person who commands more respect and love than anyone else I’ve ever known. If you do this, you’ll regret it because you’ll be destroying better people than yourself, and I’ll never forgive you.”

She felt the cold tip of the tranquilizer gun at her shoulder.

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