The Secrets of the Panther

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The door shut behind me; I had to stop and close my eyes.

I was in pain because of the realization of what she said. I know I’m trying and have been patient when it comes to Izzy, with everything she has been through and what has been going on. I even took Allie as my own. I love them both.

I can feel the pain run through me. Axel is having a hard time, but he also knows we need to have some space.

“Let’s go for a run,” he says in a soft tone.

I open my eyes and sense he has come closer to the surface.

I can’t even talk to him. I have so many emotions right now, and I have no clue how I should feel.

Izzy is my mate, and I have accepted her, but shouldn’t it work both ways? We should be able to work together and be as a team.

I turn to walk away and head down the stairs.

I need to get out of here. All the walls feel like they are closing in around us.

I need to think.

I walk straight through the pack house. Some people don’t acknowledge me, but I can feel eyes on me. No one speaks to me. They either smile and nod, looking away.

I walk right through the front door, but I run towards the forest.

I jump midair over a log and shift into Axel.

Axel takes over and runs. I looked through his eyes as we bound through the forest. I take in the scenery of the grounds of the pack.

We must have run further into the town, but there is one place I never thought I would ever be here. But I remember Izzy telling us all about the vampires and dead bodies everywhere.

The place smells rancid, between the ash and the decaying bodies. My senses have taken this whole scene in a frenzy. Axel scrunches up his nose, “The smell is bad,” he says in a rush.

I look through his eyes, but something catches my eye. “Axel, let me shift back,” I ask him. He says nothing, and he shifts back with no hesitation. I think the smell was getting to him more than he let on.

“No, it wasn’t,” he says in a huff.

I frown. “Hey, I don’t poke around in your thoughts all the time. I would like you to leave mine alone, please,” I say. But I stop short as the smirk that appears on his face has me guessing more.

“Trust me, human; you don’t want to know what I’m thinking about, especially when it comes to our mate,” he says.

I say nothing, but the mention of our mate, Izzy, makes me question some things.

I walk, and Axel looks back at me with curious eyes. “What’s wrong?” He asks as he sits on his hind legs.

I say nothing to him.

I walked through the bodies. I forgot to ask some members to come here to clean up, but I knew I had to see the scene myself. There were two headless bodies, one man and one woman. They must have been that hybrid family that Izzy mentioned to me.

But I stared at the ground; there were six hearts. I can only imagine what happened to the others.

I walked around and looked at the woman’s body. Her head was next to it.

I could feel my stomach twist. I can’t believe the kid witnessed all this.

Axel stares but doesn’t move an inch in my head.

I can’t help but kneel. I look over my shoulder at the man’s decapitated head.

“Axel, why would they want the hybrid child for?” I ask him as I slowly getting up.

Axel pounders on the question for a few moments, but he speaks. “We both heard stories as pups about them. They are mean and powerful. They might want to train the hybrid to kill. A hybrid would be deadly to us and everyone,” he says.

I look at the bodies once again. I need to bury them.

“Why are you burying them?” Asked Axel, cocking his head to the side.

I sigh.

“I think they were looking for a way out of this mess,” I said and stared as I carried on talking to him. “I think I can now understand something. We have a different shifter as a mate, and we love her through the bond. But I have to admit, I would probably fall head over heels with Izzy for the person she is and how gorgeous she is,” I say to him.

I walk around and dig with my hands. It will take me ages, but I need to do this.

“I agree, we would have mate either way,” says Axel, “But what has this to do with the vampires?”

I stop and let my claw come through, which will help the dig more.

I sighed. “Vampires and werewolves have always have had a love-hate relationship with each other over the decades,” I said and looked down to dig again. “I think with what Elder Johnson, the head vampire, and the witches, they want it to be like it was all those years ago. But times are changing, and we need to be changing with them, not holding back.”

I dig into the ground quickly, but I carry on talking to Axel. “I think we need to change some rules within the pack. I’m supposed to become Alpha like my father, but I want the freedom to make changes without getting in trouble from the Elder or council person who doesn’t understand how to lead.” I stopped the digging and wiped my forehead with the back of my hand as it caked me in sweat.

Axel stares at me but says nothing.

“Axel, as the alpha, we need to be connected with everyone, including vampires and other supernaturals. I don’t want people to lose their mates because they are different species; that’s not right. The Moon Goddess chose our mate for us. I believe in the mate bond but,” I say and stare back at him, “I know we had to be patient with Izzy, and I will carry on doing that till she is ready. I need to know she is in this for the long term, or are we going to have a panther that loves freedom more than us?”

Axel lets a snarl slip through his teeth. “Mate won’t leave us, as we are her one true mate. I think everyone who has come in contact with her has hurt mate, and she has always had to be on the defensive side about her feelings, not letting them come to light. But I know Puna cares about us and will make Izzy see sense, but I believe because of this war, she thinks she has to fight on her own to kill the vampire and witch. I believe she does, but I think she might not be strong enough,” he says.

“What do you mean?” I ask him as I dig again.

“I think her power with her emotions is true, and it is because of everything she held back over the years. But when she defeated Michael, it took it out of her,” he says and stands up. “I think we need to talk to Drake’s mate. She might know.”

I stop. “Are you going to dig these two holes? Or I’m going to be here till Christmas,” I say to him.

Axel says nothing, but he shifts back into his true form. Axel loves digging; you would think he was huge but on the massive side.

After a few minutes, Axel had dug out two big holes.

I shifted back to my human form. I picked up both bodies and heads. I place them in the hole.

Axel shifted back again and made sure he filled the holes back up. Once they were all patted down. I looked at the hearts. Axel snorted. “Leave them, let them worry about who got killed here,” he said.

I nod.

Axel turns, and he pounds back to the pack house without stopping.

I shift into my human form and grab a pair of sports shorts under a chair.

Thank you, mum.

I walked through and headed to the room I knew Anya was. There was no one there. I could hear voices inside.

Where the hell was Dale? He should have been waiting outside like I told him to.

I was about to open the door to see who was there, but I stopped.

I can smell her scent, my mate, Izzy.

Izzy was talking to Anya.

I leaned in, and I could hear my name, but nothing else.

Suddenly I heard footsteps behind me, coming up the stairs, Dale.

I moved out of the way and hid around the corner. Making sure I was entirely out of sight, I waited for Dale and Izzy to leave.

But I couldn’t help but listen to her; her voice changed dramatically when she saw him, but also the truth was spilling out about what she truly felt.

After a few moments, I heard them leave.

The thought of going to speak to Anya was too much for me. I wanted to know what they were on about, but also, I wanted to get out of there as my head was in a spin. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FindNøvᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Izzy missed her freedom, and I know she would. She was mainly on the run, but I can see why she would call it freedom even when being chased; she never had to answer anyone.

I could feel my heartbreak slightly as I always had the comfort of my pack around me, the love my parents gave me. But for Izzy, that never happened and all because of a man who had stupid beliefs and wanted power.

I looked at Anya’s door. I was trying to figure out whether or not to go in, but before I could do anything, a mind link came through. It was from my dad.

“Blake, Can you come to our bedroom? Your mother and I want to talk to you about something,” he says.

Well, I will have to wait till tomorrow to talk to Anya.

I walked towards where my parent’s bedroom was located.

“Axel,” I say as I stroll. “I think we should train tomorrow before we see Izzy. We need to know how to kill the vampires.”

Axel nods in agreement, but he sighs out loudly, “I think we should too, give mate time to calm down,” he says.

I walked up to the floor to where my parent’s bedroom was located.

I knocked on the door, and I hate coming up here when they both were here.

“Come in,” shouts my father through the door.

I sigh out before I take the door handle and walk inside.