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Chapter nine

It was clear that Isaac walked into some kind of deep discussion between his mother and uncle. Nathen's face remained void of any emotions, apart from a few narrowed glares directed at his daughter. His mother, on the other hand, her emotions were easy to read.

She was angry. Disappointed.

"I know," Isaac said stepping towards his mother. Her disappointment stun, but he couldn't let that cloud his thoughts just yet. There was so much to do. Much to think about. "I'm late."

"Late?" Cassie's face contorted into a deep frown. "You were late an hour ago, Isaac. Now; it's just insulting."

Isaac's fingers wiped across his brow. "I know. I'll contact the Council. Reschedule the meeting."

Cassie moved around the desk and walked towards her son. Isaac may be the Wilder Alpha, technically, he was alpha over his mother, but it certainly didn't feel like that. Isaac was still young. Still training. "It's not as easy as making a phone call."

Isaac's face fell. Whatever emotions Evonne stirred in him an hour ago seemed to ebb away under the intense gaze of his mother. "I know. I'm sorry. I truly forgot."

"I know, son."

Isaac was a lot of things, but not irresponsible. He took his position to heart. No fooling around for him. Duties first. Always. But then there was Evonne, and the way his heart seemed to flutter under her brown eyes. How her touch seemed to freeze his lungs. How could duties come over her?

Cassie wasn't strict by nature, but she had a lot on her shoulders. A lot her son was meant to take on when it was time. She made her expectations for her only son perfectly clear in her twenty-odd minute lecture. She wasn't harsh, but when the well-formed lecture came to an end, her intention was clear: Don't miss another meeting. Don't do anything stupid.

"And the same goes for you three." Her eyes narrowed as she swung towards the lingering Angel, Zac and Adian. As close personal friends to Isaac, they too had certain expectation. Roles. They couldn't bring shame to the pack.

After another long-winded lecture, she sent the four teens elsewhere. Even though the study was in Isaac's apartment, he knew he could never dismiss his mother, but she could do that to him.

But Isaac, it turned out, wasn't free just yet.

"Isaac?"

Isaac hesitated in the threshold of the door. With a lowered head, he turned back towards his mother. He heard his friends down the hall. The moment they had been dismissed, they all bolted. Not that he could blame them. "Yes, Mother?"

Cassie's eyes flicked to the ancient, delicately carved grandfather clock that stood beside the bricked fireplace. "Where were you?"

Isaac's eyes met his mother. "What?"

"You missed the meeting by almost four hours." Her eyes were back on her son again. Calculating eyes. Watchful eyes. "What stole your time?"

Isaac's palms suddenly felt sweaty. Tell her. He should tell her. Tell his mother about Evonne. His mate. His throat felt raw. "I . . . um." He couldn't tell her. Not yet. Telling her would mean one of two things. Publicly accept Evonne as his mate. Invite her into the pack.

Or rejection.

"Just hanging with the guys. Nothing big." Even as he turned from his mother and sped down the hall, he could tell she didn't believe him.

***

Evonne watched through the upstairs window as the moving truck drove away, the afternoon sun gleaming off the reddish truck was almost painful on her eyes. Squinting through the discomfort, Evonne left the window and walked back down the hall to her bedroom. Downstairs, she could hear her dad and brother bickering as they argued over the best methods to move a particularly heavy box in through the hallway door.