Isabella's Dilemma: Wolf Secrets Book 1 Read online

  ‘Sweetie Pookums?’ Izzy raised a brow at the ridiculous nickname.

  From her position on his couch, Izzy could see Mary Ann. She was June Cleaver incarnate, from the white pearl necklace and conservative knee-length dress down to her sensible shoes.

  So this was the type of woman Jackson preferred. Well I guess I don’t need to worry about him wanting to keep me as his mate. I’m nothing like her. Even without all that makeup, I bet her face is perfect, while mine is scarred. I don’t wear dresses. I don’t wear jewelry. And my hair is short so it doesn’t get pulled in a fight.

  Izzy was relieved and a little shocked to find that she felt a sharp twinge of disappointment. She shook her head.

  It’s just the mating compulsion, that’s all. I can fight this. I can!

  Jackson stuttered, “I-I-I—” and glanced at Izzy.

  Mary Ann noticed and followed his gaze.

  “Jackson? Who? Who is that woman?” she demanded, noting that Izzy was wearing Jackson’s shirt.

  “Um....” Jackson ran his fingers nervously through his hair.

  “You two-timing jerk! How long has this been going on?” Mary Ann demanded.

  Jackson didn’t answer her and she turned and stormed off.

  “Mary Ann, wait!”

  Still in his boxers, he followed Mary Ann to her car, calling out to her.

  “Mary Ann, please!”

  He grabbed her arm, spinning her around.

  “I can explain.”

  “Well? Start explaining then.”

  Mary Ann crossed her arms.

  “She’s...ah...my mate?”

  “You’re asking me?”

  “She’s my...mate,” he declared quietly.

  “Your...mate?”

  Mary Ann stared at him, bewildered.

  “I just met her last night. I haven’t really had time to—”

  “Your MATE? Well, congratulations!”

  Mary Ann understood what that meant. Jackson was mated. Their relationship was over. She opened the car door, nearly hitting Jackson’s hip and tossed the basket inside. She sat in the car and pulled the door shut.

  “Have a nice life, Jackson,” she whispered.

  She blinked away her tears and drove away, not bothering to spare him a backward glance.

  Fuck! Mary Ann dumped me! She dumped me!

  Jackson’s pride was injured. His mate wouldn’t share his bed and his girlfriend just dumped him. Head down, he walked back into his cabin, closing the door softly behind him.

  “Everything all right, Sweetie Pookums?”

  Izzy knew it was wrong but couldn’t help herself. She grinned, biting her lip to keep from laughing. Jackson’s head snapped up and he growled, “No, everything is NOT all right. I told her you were my mate and she left me. She’ll never take me back. I wish...I wish I’d never met you.”

  Izzy’s smile faded and her wolf eyes flashed. She was unprepared for the sharp spear of pain that lanced her heart.

  She stood angrily, informing him, “I didn’t ask for this, either. Don’t worry. As soon as you get me some clothes, I’ll be gone and you can go back to fucking little Ms. Perfect. The last person I want to be mated to is the brother of a rapist.”

  She turned and headed to the bathroom door, slamming it angrily behind her. She paced the small bathroom, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

  His words only hurt because of the mating instinct. The sooner I get away from him, the better.

  Izzy allowed the hot water to wash away her anger and it was replaced with disappointment. For the first time in her life, she had failed her mission. Aleksandr will understand, she told herself. She couldn’t stay and investigate when her mate was around. The longer she stayed with him, the stronger the bond would develop between their wolves. If she didn’t leave soon, their wolves would force them to stay together. Their wolves, their primal selves, wouldn’t care that she had killed his brother or that he was the brother of a known rapist.

  Finished with her shower, she dried herself then wrapped the towel around her body. As she did the previous evening, she removed the soggy bandages and examined her wrists. Although her bones were no longer visible, the area was still raw and healing. She applied the antiseptic and rewrapped her wrists.

  Izzy refused to look at Jackson as she walked to his chest of drawers. She pulled out a pair of boxers and slipped them on. She found a shirt and slipped it on. It fell an inch above her knees. She found a bandanna and decided to use it as a belt. The bandanna clashed with the shirt, but she didn’t care. In a short while she would have clothing that fit and she would leave.

  “What the hell do you mean, ‘brother of a rapist’?” Jackson demanded suddenly.

  “Thor was a rapist. That’s why I killed him.”

  “No. My brother would never—”

  “He did. We obtained his DNA and had it analyzed by an independent lab. His DNA was a perfect match. He was guilty.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “I don’t care. I did my job and if you have a problem with it, take it up with Aleksandr.”

  Jackson glared at her.

  Annoyed with him, she asked, “Can you take me to get some clothes so I can leave?”

  “After we eat. Someone brought our breakfast. I want to know why you think my brother was a rapist.”

  Over breakfast Izzy briefly described the evidence gathered against Thor.

  Chapter Three

  Three months ago....

  Aleksandr slammed the newspaper down on the table.

  “There was another attack last night.”

  His Soldiers nodded back at him gravely.

  “This is the third attack on a woman this month. Like the other two victims, this woman’s clothes was also shredded. Fortunately, the police don’t know about our kind, but that’s only a matter of time.”

  Aleksandr clenched his fist, furious with the wolf that hurt three innocent women.

  “One day people are going to start listening to the ‘loonies’ that have reported werewolf sightings. And if any scientist that worked for that lab, Genesis 23, ever decided to step forward and confirm the existence of werewolves, we’ll all be hunted to extinction,” Xavier said grimly.

  “Or be put in labs and experimented on,” another Soldier chimed in.

  “Or be put in zoos for human amusement,” Hunter added dismally.

  “In my humble opinion, you deserve to be in a zoo, Gabriel.”

  Izzy teased and the others laughed. Aleksandr frowned but didn’t chastise her. His Soldiers needed to keep their sense of humor in these dire times.

  “Jealous, Love?” Gabriel asked sweetly.

  “Of?” Izzy countered.

  “Focus, boys and girl,” Aleksandr reminded them. “We need to find out who is attacking these women. Only a rogue wolf would risk exposing our kind by raping a human. Hunter, you need to track this rogue.”

  “Yes, sir,” Hunter replied.

  “Izzy, do you think you can find the DNA evidence the police collected on these women?”

  “I’m on it.”

  “Good. Once we find the rogue, I want DNA confirmation before he is killed.”

  “What of the women, Aleksandr?”

  “Lucien, Ian, Ethan and I have decided to create a fund for victims of wolf attacks. We will pay for any medical bills or therapy they will need to deal with this horrible act. We have enough funds to relocate them if it makes them feel safer.”

  He turned to Izzy.

  “I spoke to the other alphas this morning and we agreed that we should offer them protection.”

  “Who would provide protection? Given what’s happened, I doubt they want a bunch of strange men hanging around.”

  “That’s where you come in, Izzy.”

  Izzy raised her brows.

  “Seriously?”

  Izzy couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice.

  “We think Minerva’s Minions is the perfect group to help guard these
women. We have enough funding, so, what do you say?”

  “We’ll do it. At cost, of course.”

  Aleksandr nodded and they discussed other pack concerns.

  Several hours later, Izzy knocked on the hospital door then walked into the rape victim’s room. Kelly Jefferson was lying on the bed with an arm in a cast and bruises all over her body. Her attacker had beaten her before raping her several times. One of her eyes was badly bruised and puffy and her bottom lip was swollen. She had several bandages across her face. She gaped at Izzy’s scarred face and touched her own.

  “I’m sorry to intrude, but I want to help catch the bastard that did this to you. Just give me five minutes of your time and if you’re not interested, you never have to speak to me again.”

  Kelly nodded mutely.

  “My name is Izzy and I’m sorry about what happened to you. I can offer you vengeance.”

  “Do you know who did this?”

  “Not yet. I’m investigating this and when he’s caught, I will take care of it.”

  “How will you know? I never saw him. He kept me blindfolded the whole time.”

  Her eyes filled with tears and she sniffled.

  “You are the third woman he attacked. The police have DNA evidence from the other women’s rape kits. I’m sure they will get some DNA from yours. Once I find him, I’ll compare the DNA and he will be executed.”

  “I’m guessing you’re not a cop.”

  “I’m not. I...run a private security firm. It’s called Minerva’s Minions. My team is all female and consists of former police officers and military personnel who provide protection for women.”

  “I see...and how much is this going to cost me?” Kelly asked dejectedly.

  “Nothing. I have a group of private investors that will cover my costs.”

  “What’s the catch?” Kelly asked suspiciously.

  “There isn’t one.”

  “Why are you doing this? Why would you want to help a stranger?” Izzy took a deep breath and sat on the bed next to Kelly.

  “When I was a child, I witnessed my mother’s attack. She was raped then murdered. I couldn’t do anything then, but I can do something now. That’s why I created Minerva’s Minions. My team helps protect women when they cannot protect themselves.”

  “Let me guess, Minerva was your mother?”

  Izzy smiled wanly at Kelly.

  “Yes. I can help you and I can punish the bastard for what he did to you. The only thing I ask of you is that you forget that we ever had this conversation.”

  “You really will protect me?”

  “I promise you Kelly, my team will stay with you for as long as you wish.”

  “When do you start?”

  “Is now a good time?”

  Astounded, Kelly nodded and Izzy opened the door, letting three of her Minions and her lawyer into the room. Ms. Black, the lawyer, explained what they would need and Kelly quickly signed the forms. Ms. Black spoke softly with Izzy before leaving. Kelly spent the next hour getting to know her new bodyguards then Izzy left Kelly’s room with two of her Minions. They quickly worked out a schedule to provide coverage for Kelly before Izzy left the hospital.

  Izzy drove an hour to the State Police Crime Laboratory. She entered the building with a nondescript folder in her hand and asked to speak to the manager. She gave him the legal documents Ms. Black had drafted requesting copies of the DNA results from the rape kits of the first two victims.

  “This is a highly unusual request, Ms.?”

  “Hoyden. Are you saying they are not entitled to see the results of their own DNA, Mr. Smythe?”

  “No, no, not at all! It’s just that I’ve never encountered anything like this before.”

  His brow wrinkled in contemplation.

  Giving the rape victims’ lawyer a copy of the DNA evidence couldn’t possibly hurt the investigation. Even if the victims thought they knew who the perpetrator was, somehow managed to obtain a DNA sample and paid a private lab to run the tests, it would be inadmissible in court. The investigation would not be compromised by allowing the victim to get a copy of her own DNA test results.

  “The victims’ attorney, Ms. Black just wants to see the evidence herself. She doesn’t want the actual sample, only the results. Will that be a problem?”

  “I don’t see why they couldn’t get a copy of the results. Wait here and I’ll have a copy made for you.”

  An hour later, Izzy left the State Police Crime Laboratory, heading to the private lab to drop off the DNA test results. Then she returned to the Hoyden pack.

  “Aleksandr, did Hunter have any luck tracking down the Rogue?” Izzy inquired.

  “As of an hour ago, he had already been to the first two victims’ home, where they were attacked. He was heading to the park where the third victim was attacked but hasn’t given me an update yet. He’s not sure but he thinks two wolves were involved.”

  “Two wolves?” Aleksandr nodded.

  “He caught two distinct scents. It’s possible that someone else is hunting the first wolf, but I doubt it.”

  “None of the victims mentioned a second person. They were blindfolded, so I suppose they didn’t realize.”

  “That means the wolves have a similar build,” Aleksandr deduced.

  “Two Rogue alphas? I didn’t think two alphas would get along, especially if they went rogue.”

  “It makes sense if they knew each other. Or if they were related.”

  “So it’s possible we have to kill two wolves?”

  Aleksandr nodded grimly. The wolf population had dwindled in recent years. To order the deaths of two wolves, especially an Alpha, was a decision Aleksandr did not take lightly. He had to consider the welfare of all wolves. The Rogue risked exposing them to the human world, endangering all wolves. This was a heavy burden to bear, but as Alpha, it was his duty to protect his Pack and his kind.

  “Once we have DNA confirmation, the guilty parties will be executed,” Aleksandr declared.

  After six weeks of searching, Hunter finally tracked down the wolf he thought was responsible for the rape of three human females. He stalked the wolf until he could get a sample of his DNA. The wolf finished his cigarette and discarded it with a flick of the wrist. He missed the trashcan but didn’t notice, as he was focused on a female jogging in the park. He followed the female and when he was out of sight, Hunter put on a latex glove and picked up the discarded cigarette butt. He placed it in an envelope to protect the sample and took it to a private lab for DNA analysis.

  Jessica, a lab technician and member of the Last Chances Werewolf Pack, took the DNA sample from Hunter.

  “How long will it take to run your tests and give us a result?” Hunter inquired.

  “About three days.”

  “Three days? Can’t you rush it? We need this information as soon as possible.”

  “I understand that, Hunter, but these things take time. First I have to do a screening to determine whether there is any DNA on this sample. Then I have to extract the DNA. Once I extract the DNA, I have to do a DNA quantitation.”

  “DNA quanti-what?” Hunter asked, perplexed.

  “DNA quantitation. I have to figure out how much DNA is in the sample. I use a Genetic Analyzer to do that, but the machine takes time.” Hunter nodded.

  “What happens after you figure out how much DNA you have?”

  “Once I determine how much DNA I have, I calculate how much DNA I will need to replicate and tag so I can do a PCR.”

  “PCR?”

  “Yes. PCR stands for Polymerase Chain Reaction.” Hunter gave Jessica a blank look.

  She shook her head and explained, “DNA consists of about 3 billion bases, 99 percent of which are the same. We are more alike than not.”

  “So how are you going to know whether this is the rapist’s DNA?”

  “I’m going to look at that one percent of DNA, where we are different from each other. The FBI uses thirteen specific locations or spots on the DNA u
nique to each individual. Basically I add a chemical tag so I can ‘see’ those specific thirteen spots.”

  “Oh. I understand. It’s like highlighting key words?”

  “Eh...Sort of. So once that’s done, I do something called DNA typing. At that point, I use the Genetic Analyzer to test the DNA sample. Once it’s done, I can look at the results and compare it with the three sets of results Izzy gave me. I’ve already looked at the test results and the same person is responsible for all three sexual assaults.”

  “I thought there were two males?”

  “Either it’s one male with some extra chromosomes or two closely related males. Once I do the test, if this is your guy, I’ll know for sure how many males were involved.

  “OK thanks, Jessica. Call me when you know something.”

  Four days later….

  “Aleksandr, Jessica says it’s a match....And she says there were two assailants, closely related. Thanks for your help, Jessica. Bye.”

  Hunter hung up the phone and turned to face the other Soldiers.

  “Any ideas who the second assailant might be?” Aleksandr asked.

  “When I followed him, he went to human places, restaurants, parks and especially bars. I didn’t see him interacting with any other wolves,” answered Hunter.

  “Hmm...What do we know about this wolf?”

  “His name is Thor and he’s from the Clodpoll Werewolf pack. One of his cousins is the Alpha, Damian.”

  “I know Damian. He’s an overbearing ass, but as far as I know, he wouldn’t condone rape. They are a tight-knit clan, consisting mostly of single males who are closely related. Most of them are first cousins. Their pack is a boot camp for wolves. Wolves from many packs sometimes go there for basic Soldier training. I’ve known several Alphas that spent some time there honing their fighting and hunting skills. The best trackers also use the Clodpoll pack training facilities.”

  “Aleksandr?” Izzy said softly.

  “Yes, Izzy?”

  “May I take care of Thor?”

  “Fuck no.”

  “But I’m a good Soldier, Aleksandr. I can hold my own,” she argued.

  “I don’t disagree with you, Izzy. But he’s an alpha. A Rogue. You don’t stand a chance against him.”