Page 50 of Shattered Fears

Isobel pulled her hand away from her father and blinked rapidly with shock.

“Please no, Papa. Please, you can’t do this,” Isobel begged, but it was falling on deaf ears. Everyone in the room, bar Zain’s lover, could see this. Her father had his own agenda, and damn anyone who got in his way.

“Isobel. I want you to walk out of this room and don’t look back. I’m going to deal with them, and then we can get on with our lives without the fear of attacks.” Her father pointed to the exit, but she remained rooted to the floor with her eyebrows knitted together.

“Mr. Ross.” Kas stepped forward, and the senator pulled a gun from his pocket and pointed it directly at Zain’s alpha. Kas held his hands out. “Mr. Ross, I’m a polar bear. I don’t move fast unless it’s after a seal. I can assure you I’m not about to attack you.”

“Lies.”

“How do you know they are?” Kas countered.

“You’re animals: wild and unpredictable.”

“And only attack when threatened,” Kas spoke through clenched teeth. “I had hoped we could come to some agreement, which would negate the need for violence, but I see your opinion of us is evidently too low and will never be changed. It’s a shame because I’m sure, for the sake of national security, we could form a great partnership. But clearly you’ve made your decision and will need to deal with the consequences of it. I’ll be leaving here with Zain, Kingsley, and Isobel. It will be their choice to come with me although I doubt Kingsley’s will be vocalized, given the injuries he’s received at your hands. If you choose to come after my pack, then I’ll be forced to show you just what a wild animal can do to protect its own. Do you understand this Mr. Ross?”

“Are you serious?” Isobel’s father still waved the gun around as he looked incredulously at Kas. “I’m not going to be dictated to by a savage. No. What is going to happen is that you’ll all be caged like the beasts you are, and we’ll figure out a cure for these abilities you have. We’ll find every single shifter on this planet and rid them of their disease.”

Kas put his head in his hands.

“Were you bitten by an animal as a child? What has caused this hatred of us?” the polar bear asked.

“I just know what’s wrong and what’s right?”

“And right is torturing your own flesh and blood?” Isobel interrupted. “Kas is right. I’m going with him. I’m taking Kingsley and Zain, and we’re going to leave here. You’re not the man I thought you were. I don’t think I can call you my father anymore. Not if you’re going to do this.” She turned away from her father and toward her brother. At the same time, Zain felt the cuffs at his arms release. He was free, but he didn’t have time to think about it because Isobel’s father jumped for her. Zain was up in an instant and pulled him away from his woman. The gun fired as the senator was thrown across the room. Zain followed the path of the bullet and visibly exhaled when he saw it lodge itself into the chest of the doctor. She looked down shocked and tried to speak, but nothing came out as blood started to flow from her mouth, and she slumped down dead on the floor.

“No!” the senator cried out. “She was the best doctor.” The distressed man fired the gun again at Zain. The bullets were heading straight for him, and he couldn’t move out of their path. He didn’t need to, though, as they never reached him. They stopped mid-air and crumbled to dust. He looked at Jessica, and she smirked at him. Her hands were raised with static energy crackling from them.

“Just a little something I’ve been playing with.” She turned her attention to the gun, and Zain watched it glow red until it was molten, and the senator had to drop it.

“As I said, I’ll be walking out of here with Zain, Isobel, and Kingsley. You’ll leave us alone, or next time I won’t order my pack to refrain from mauling you, like the wild animals you think we are.” Kas loomed over Isobel’s father before walking over to the desk that the doctor had sat at and picked up the paper she’d been writing on, “I think I’ll take this with me, as well.

Isobel let out a whimper and plastered herself to Zain’s side. He held her tightly.

“I want to go,” she breathlessly uttered.

“Jessica.” Zain turned to the witch and asked for her help.

“Wait.” The senator crawled along the floor toward his daughter. Zain stepped in front of her.

“No,” he growled.

“She’s my daughter.”

“She’s my mate,” Zain stated and felt Isobel’s hand tighten in his.

“I’m going with Zain and his family. They’re my family, now.” Isobel looked around him and addressed her father directly. “I no longer have a father. The moment you hurt my brother and my mate, you ceased to be a part of my life. I’ve wasted many years on you and your idiotic beliefs. I knew what Zain was all those years ago, and I let him walk away from me. I existed as a slave to your cause for too long, but not anymore. I’d heed Kas’ warning. I’d crawl under a rock and hide. I’d stay the hell away from him and his pack because he’s not the only one who’ll reap hell on you if you decide to attack. I’ll destroy you.” Zain could feel Isobel shaking as she spoke. He took a double take when she let out a nervous laugh. “Oh the irony! Zain and I wasted five years because he didn’t want me to have to choose between him and my family. If only we’d known then, you’d already made the decision for us.”

“Isobel, please. You can’t do this. You’re all I have.”

“No, you don’t have me. You have a sham of a marriage, a son who I can almost guarantee will be pissed off with Kas for not ripping your head off, and a daughter who’s going to, one day, give you grandchildren who will be part bear, part human.”

It was Zain’s turn to freeze. The thought of a baby him and Isobel excited him, but he wanted a few more years practicing before the actual event.

“In a few years,” he coughed out. Isobel laughed, despite the stress of the situation.

“In fact, all you have is this building and the research you’ve done on shifters. Teagan?”

“Yes.” The wild dog was sitting on the broad-set Jett. She was poking him with a claw, every now and then, when he tried to throw her and Emma off.

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