Chapter 5 Unexpected

Isabella's POV

I reached for the car door, but the werebears were quicker. They moved at unreal speed for creatures their size, intercepting my escape easily. One more scarred than the rest smirked as I skidded to a stop. His arms were resting over his massive chest and his deep, rumbling laugh sent chills down my back.

"Really?" he drawled. "That was your plan? To run?"

Another one chuckled. "Gotta give her credit. She's got fire."

My heart hammered in my ears, but I decided to not let them witness my fear. Instead, I held my head up and glared. "If one hair on my head is harmed, you will all pay for it with your lives."

The scarred one gave another intaking breath of amusement. "Is that so?"

Behind me, a voice blared sharp like an arrow. "Shut up and hit the damn button!"

It was Leo, the man whom I had just been allied by Theodore to be with.

I didn't look at him, but my fingers fluttered, eager to comply and press the button. But something stopped me in my tracks. The bears weren't attacking anymore. They had me trapped, yes, but there was nothing aggressive in the way they stood. They weren't even attempting to hold me down.

Instead, they looked at me with an almost expectant patience, as though they were waiting for me to realize something. Then, the one with the scar spoke again; his tone was softer this time.

"You don't belong here."

I hitched my breath but made my face blank.

"Come with us," another said. "We can help you."

I forced out a scoff. "Help me?"

The girl with the auburn hair stepped gingerly closer. "You're running from something," he said. "We know what happens to wolves without families. And we know..." He paused, looking at the others before continuing, "We know what they did to you."

I stiffened in shock. Instantly, it was like there was a lump rising in my throat that felt so heavy that I could almost swear that I was gradually getting asphyxiated.

How could they possibly know? My mind swirled, looking for a trick, a lie, a trap but they didn't seem to be trying to deceive me." Their eyes were telling me something different.

Pity was what I found in the deepest core of their eyes. I didn't have time to focus on it, my mind was already becoming a one-stop shop for wandering thoughts. Suddenly, a shadow passed at the edge of my vision, and before I could react, Leo swung in with full force.

The first bear barely had time to blink before steel crunched into flesh. A wet, sharp gurgle sounded when a blade pierced the throat of the auburn-haired one. He gasped and stumbled backwards, clenching his wound, blood oozing through his fingers.

With a great thud, he dropped to the ground, his face a bloodied mess.

I registered the spray of warm blood across my face just before the scarred bear roared with rage and rushed toward Leo. They slammed together with a bone-jarring impact, claws and steel in a blur. The ground shook under them, the coppery taste of blood in the air.

I backed away, breathing shallow. My head spun, and my stomach turned at the sight of the dead body at my feet. It all happened too fast. When the last bear was finally down, Leo stood over him,  panting, blade still slick with red.

I turned to him, forcing down the lump in the back of my throat. "What did they mean?" I demanded. "What were they trying to say to me?" Leo cleaned his blade on the dead bear's fur and stared at his brother's face, which was unreadable.

"You talk too much," he said with a serious look that left me almost shuddering at what he might do next but I didn't allow my face to show any emotion, I simply raised my head and blinked profusely before replying.

"Excuse me?" I said, more daring than inquisitive.

He breathed out, shaking his head. "Your mouth gets you in trouble," he said. "Maybe if you didn't drive it for five seconds, you wouldn't pull your neck nearly cracked."

I bristled. "My wit just rescued us both in the nick of time!"

Leo scoffed. "Did it? "Because the last time I checked, your talking failed to win you forgiveness from your former pack members and you have recorded zero shame or remorse for it."

His words pierced deeper than any sword. I felt the sting in my chest before I unleashed it. I clenched my fists. "I was framed."

Leo didn't respond nor did he care how I felt about the words he had just uttered

I made to open my mouth to explain, but before I could, the distant growl of an approaching engine sliced through the stillness of the night.

A gleaming black car arrived, its tyres churning up dust. It was too polished, too pristine amid the carnage enveloping us. The driver's side door opened and a man stepped out.

He was tall and sharp-featured. It was the sort of handsomeness that felt almost dangerous. His suit was immaculate, unaffected by the dirt and blood that characterized the world around him.

His eyes landed on Leo first, and for a moment he seemed ready to greet him. But then his gaze shifted to me and his entire demeanor changed. His erect posture became stiff. His lips parted a little as if he were about to speak and then he faltered. His throat bobbed, and his dark eyes narrowed just a little, something inscrutable flashing across his face. I could hardly tell if it was an unseemly recognition, shock or something else.

My stomach twisted. Do I know him? Leo wasn't tense as he stood beside me. The man roused himself, clearing his throat. He opened his mouth as if to say his name. "Get in the car," Leo said sharply. His voice brooked no argument. I paused for a millisecond then slipped inside.