Isabel and the Wolf: (Part 4) by Ariana Hawkes Read Free Book Online

the unusual strength and enhanced senses common to weres.”
    “You carried me here, didn’t you?” Isabel said weakly. Josie nodded. “And when we were in the woods, you just knew the way back to the truck. You could tell by the scent of the vehicle or something?”
    “Yes, I could smell the gas,” Josie said. She smiled, with a hint of viciousness. “And I know you had sex with Jed last night.”
    “Oh!” Isabel reddened again. She pulled herself up from the sofa, clamping her knees together. “And how do you keep all of this from Rob?”
    “I’ve had a lot of practice hiding my true self from humans. So, by the time I met Rob, it was second nature. He says I’m a bit much sometimes, but that’s all he knows.” Isabel thought back to how Josie had been acting when they’d come over to her place for dinner. It was true; Rob had no idea. And she’d had just about enough of Josie having the upper hand, taunting her with her secret.
    “All this time, Rob thinks you’re all loved up with him, and has no idea you’re actually obsessed with Peter?” she said. Josie’s face twisted, her pretty features becoming ugly.
    “I do love Rob,” she spat. “It’s just not in the nature of werewolves to be monogamous. Unless they’re an alpha pair. And yes; I do have an attraction for Peter that drives me crazy sometimes. But he doesn’t want me. He’s made that perfectly clear. Because I’m infertile, I’m defective to him!” With that, her face changed. The sweet apples of her cheeks became long and gaunt, her eyes narrowed and tilted upwards at the outer corners, and Isabel distinctly saw a flash of amber bursting from the black irises. She was poised in front of Isabel, her fists clenched, a low growl coming from her throat. In terror, Isabel picked up a cushion and clung to it, as a barrier between herself and Josie. This broke the spell. Josie tossed her head and laughed harshly.
    “Relax, Isabel, I’ve got nothing but goodwill towards you.”
    “Then why do I feel like you want to kill me?”
    “Don’t worry about it. We Romanians are passionate wolves, yelling one minute and laughing the next. Really. You’ve got nothing to be afraid of. Neither Petre nor Jed will do you any harm. That they ultimately want you to be their mate, I have no doubt. But that decision is up to you.”
    “But I’m human. How could that be possible?”
    “I have one thing to say to you. And it’s an ancient Romanian proverb: Dac ă te bagi între lupi, url ă ca lupul .” Isabel stared at her, fascinated by the sound of the language, and temporarily forgetting about her distress.
    “And what does it mean?” she breathed.
    “It means, if you’re going to join the wolves, then howl like a wolf.”
    “But what does that mean?”
    “You’ll find out in time,” she said, her voice full of satisfaction. Isabel scowled at Josie. She evidently wasn’t going to get any more out of her.
    “I should go,” she said, standing up cautiously and heading towards an open door. Her head hurt, but the dizziness had passed. “I’ll see myself out,” she called, speeding up as she located the route to the front door. “Thanks for the juice.” She slammed the door and walked quickly over to her car. She drove for five minutes, until she found somewhere to pull over. She leaned her head against the headrest and closed her eyes, trying to find some clarity.
    The car was baking hot, and her hair was sticking to her forehead. She must have fallen asleep. And now someone was banging on the window. She saw a sheriff’s uniform. Jed! She jerked away from the window in horror. She refocused her eyes. It wasn’t Jed. It was a guy with dark hair and a thin face. He was indicating to her to open her window.
    “You ok, miss?” he asked, in a twangy accent.
    “Yeah, I’m fine thanks,” she said, trying not to sound groggy. Maybe she was still over the limit from the previous night. What if he breathalyzed her? She woke up