Page 74 of Isabel and the Werewolf Beast

“Barth,” I said.

“Oh.” She placed her hands over her cheeks. “I haven’t seen him in many years. I’m so happy to hear he’s still alive. We were as you say family a long time ago. I vote for ceasing this war we have on werewolves and looking into who started the rumor of vampires to humans. I understand we might never learn the truth, but we have to try to discover it. Who is with me?”

“Aye,” said Vampire Two.

Vampire One scowled.

The rest of the vampires cast their votes one by one down the line sitting at the oval table. I tried to tell myself I didn’t care what the outcome was, but my stomach churned anyway. Each vote swayed one way and then the next. When it was over, the votes had decided our fate.

Five to keep the war. Seven to bring it to an end.

We’d won.

I’d won so much in such a short time, but the most important win of them all was Isabel’s love.

“Can you facilitate a meeting with Barth?” Vampire Two stared directly into my eyes, daring me to say no.

If I wanted this war to end, and I did, then I had no other choice. “Yes.”

Chapter thirty-six

Dante

The vampires erupted into a roar, all standing at once.

“Josephine, no,” Vampire One said.

“You can’t tell me what to do.” Josephine’s eyes flared red as she glared at every vampire. “Unless you want me to tell you what to do.”

The uproar ended as quickly as it started.

Josephine stepped around the table and walked toward me. “If you may escort me to Barth. Alone.”

Isabel’s panicked gaze landed on me. I gave her a reassuring smile even though I didn’t know what the hellI was doing or how this would go.

“Perhaps it would be best if I organize for you two to meet alone?”

“Fine.” Her lips pulled into a tight smile. “I’ll wait outside the gates and you’ll bring Barth to me.”

All these orders were making my skin prickle and my throat gurgled like I might growl at her. I kissed the top of Isabel’s head and strode out of the room before any more objections were made.

Josephine was almost silent as she strode beside me out of the castle and onto the pathway to the front gate. I didn’t know what to say to one of the first vampires. So many questions pounded inside my brain that I had trouble singling one out from the others. Before I knew it, we’d walked through the gates. Gates that not that long ago I’d been stuck behind with Isabel. Who knew that time would become my fondest memories?

Leaving Josephine at the edge of the forest, I ran through the trees. The sooner I facilitated this meeting, the sooner I’d get back to Isabel. Being away from her made everything inside me ache with the need to be back by her side. How did werewolves stand being apart from their mate?

Up ahead, the sounds of people talking shifted through the leaves of the trees as though carrying the voices to me. A split second later, a wolf stepped into my path. I held my hands up.

“I’m Dante, remember? My brother Asher is part of your pack now.”

The wolf shifted. Fur became skin as a man stood before me.

“Asher isn’t here,” the werewolf said.

“I know. I need to talk to Barth about Asher and vampires.”

“Follow me.” He nodded, sending his thick black hair falling over his eyes.

We walked deeper into the forest toward the voices and the camp that Asher was once a part of. As soon as we stepped into the circle, the werewolves stopped talking. Barth stood from the log he was sitting on. His brows dipped into a deep frown.

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