Becoming The Shadows (Shadow Series #4)

Embracing The Shadows

Paris was beautiful. The moon was high up in the sky with the moonlight shining down on The Eiffel Tower and the little street life down below. The tower was closed for the night, too late for it to be open. That didn't stop me from climbing it to stare out at Paris from the top. I loved to look out over Paris when most people were asleep in their beds. Everything was peaceful.

Two months have passed since I've been in France. The city had a special place in my heart. I loved France. This was the place that I could always go to to help clear my head, to find myself. This trip was exactly what I needed to figure everything out. These past two months have helped me figure out who and what I really am. I knew what I was in the supernatural world. For once, everything made sense in my life.

The wind gently blew through my hair as I lean against the railing and peered at all of Paris down below. I needed this last minute trip up here. The climb wasn't hard for me. It's actually a lot easier when there are not a lot of tourists all around. There was times during these two months, where I would climb to the top just for some time alone. I never got caught.

"Are you ready?" Isaac spoke up from where he was leaning against the railing somewhere behind me.

I kept my gaze on the city down below. I nodded once, "Yeah, I am."

He shuffled forward to stand beside me. Isaac's kept his head straight to stare at the world down on the ground. "Does anyone know?" His left arm gently brushed across my own arm.

"Stiles is telling everyone." I smiled at the thought of my best friend.

Two months was a long time to be gone. The trip was important to me, though. My time here helped me learn exactly what I was and why I came back to life. If anyone else had tried to come back to life, it wouldn't have worked. The blood was in my veins. I was the Protector that Beacon Hills and my friends always needed.

Keisha and I worked day and night to discover what I was. When we figured it out after a month of searching, everything made sense to me. The answer had been in front of me this entire time. I was a Protector; someone who could not be made, but born with the blood in their veins. Someone that cared so much for the ones in their lives and would do anything to keep them alive. These days, Protectors were rare.

No one had pure and good intentions, but I did. When I died, the Protector blood was in my veins and it brought me back to life. The real me was brought to the surface. I would always protect my friends and everyone knew that I would be there to save them no matter what. In my first life, I was born to be a Protector and, when I died, I was brought back to continue with that life goal. Keisha learned that my kind tend to have a supernatural ability- my was the ability to change my appearance and senses. There was nothing about myself that I couldn't change.

"Do they know about me?" Isaac asked.

"Lydia does."

"So, it's basically going to be a surprise to everyone when I show up?"

I nodded, "Do you want me to tell them before we get on the plane?" I peered up at him, waiting for his answer.

Our first flight back to Beacon Hills was in five hours. We were going to head to the airport right after our trip to the Tower. I just needed one last view of Paris before we took off. I was excited to go back home. France was my home, too, but Beacon Hills would always come first to me. Beacon Hills finally accepted that Clara Argent was still alive and just faked her death. Dad worked hard to convince everyone, but he did it. I wouldn't have to look like Claire anymore.

"No," Isaac shook his head. "Let them be surprised."

"A lot has happened these past two months." I said, looking back at the city.

I wasn't wrong. A lot has happened since I arrived. Isaac immediately knew who I was.

"Can I ask you a question?"

I turned to face Isaac on the rooftop of the warehouse the hunters had transformed into our home and place to train everyone. The rooftop was usually off limits to the newbies, but Isaac had a 'get out of jail free' card with me.

The sun was starting to set and the two of us liked to come up here to watch it. A habit the two of us fell into after a week of me being here. The roof was always quiet. A place that we would go to when the other newbies became too much and we just wanted some peace and quiet.

Isaac leaned back against the side of the roof with his eyes set on the sun. "Always." He simply answered.

I fiddled with the ends of my cardigan. "How did you know it was me?" I kept my eyes glued to my hands wrapped up in the ends of the cardigan.

"I don't think you noticed how much attention I paid to you back when we first met." Isaac began, "I noticed everything about you- the way you stood, acted, the faces you made when you thought no one was looking, your favorite clothes, the way you held your bow and arrows, the way your eyes lit up when around me."

My eyes widened as he shared all of this with me. Did he really know all of that about me?

Isaac shrugged, "I don't mean that in a creepy way either. You just- You intrigued me." A smile spread out on his lips. "When you showed up here a week ago, you didn't look like you, but it was still you. I could just tell."

I bit down on my bottom lip. Without even realizing it, tears had built up and started to slide down my cheeks. They were quickly captured by Isaac's thumb as he wiped them away before they could reach my chin. I gazed into his eyes, feeling myself get lost in them all over again.

I nervously licked my lips, realizing just how close our faces had gotten. "I-" I glanced down at his lips before I looked back into his eyes. "I don't want to rush into a relationship." My voice had dropped down to a quiet whisper. "After what happened with Derek, I don't want you to be a rebound."

"I think we both know that I'm not a rebound." Isaac's hands still cupped my cheeks. He hadn't moved away from me. "But, I understand that you don't want to rush into anything."

I reached up to wrap my own fingers around his right hand. "If I kiss you, I don't know if I'll be able to stop." I whisper, earnestly. "And, as much as I hate to say this, now is not the time for us to be together."

Isaac nodded, "I'll always wait for you. There's no one else."

I smiled, "Friends for now until it's the right time."

"How will I know it's the right time?"

"You'll know."

With that, he pressed a kiss to my forehead instead of my lips.

"We should get going." Isaac checked the time on his phone. "You never know with flights. Things are always changing. It's better to be super early than late."

I took one last look at the city before I pushed away from the railing. "Let's go home." 

XXXX

COMING DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

Okay, so, if you haven't noticed already, I have started the very first chapter to the next story. It's called Embracing The Shadows. Make sure you go add it to your library. 

I'm trying to finish up some of my other stories before I start this one. I'm aiming for December, but if I don't finish enough of my stories, it will be January. I'm working really hard to finish some up right now. 

This is season 5...and I'm bringing Isaac back because I love Isaac and he loves Clara, so it's only right to bring him back. 

Okay, enjoy. Hopefully this will be started in December. Go add Embracing The Shadows to your library. Just look up "Embracing The Shadows JustMe52" and it should pop up OR go the simple route and just go to my page to find it that way.

So, yeah!