Chapter 0299

Our first conversation carried more emotional weight than I'd anticipated.

When her shift ended, Isolde collected my dishes before vanishing into the kitchen. I tensed, listening for any sign she might slip out the back exit. Relief washed over me when she reappeared moments later, a crossbody bag secured across her chest, sliding into the booth opposite me.

Her golden eyes locked onto mine. "Well? You wanted to talk. So talk."

"Not here." I lowered my voice. "I'll walk you home."

"That's not happening." Her fingers tightened around her bag strap. "You're not getting my address."

I leaned across the table, catching the faint citrus scent of her shampoo. "You know what I am. Tracking you would be child's play. Do you really want your human friend overhearing this?"

Her gaze flickered over my shoulder to where Theodore watched us with undisguised curiosity.

"Goodnight, Theo." She stood abruptly, waiting for me to follow.

As we reached the door, the older man called out, "Text me when you get home safe, Izzy."

The night air hit us as we stepped outside. A thousand questions burned my tongue, but Magnus's possessive growl in my mind twisted them into something sharper. "What's he to you? That human. He's old enough to be your grandfather."

Her laugh held no humor. "He practically is. And he's the reason I never wound up in foster care." She shot me a sideways glance. "Not that you can judge. How old are you? Forty?"

"Victor. Thirty-two." I ignored her jab. "So your parents are dead?"

"My mother is. Never knew my father. Don't care to."

"But you're an Alpha."

She froze mid-step, shock flashing across her features. "How did you—"

"Because you commanded me back in the diner. Felt your Alpha aura slam into me like a freight train." I studied her bewildered expression. "You didn't even realize you were doing it, did you?"

Isolde shook her head, strands of chestnut hair catching the streetlight. "I just wanted you away from Theo."

"What's your wolf's name?"

"Aurora."

My pulse jumped. "And she just manifested? Because a week ago, you didn't have a wolf."

"Got her on my eighteenth birthday."

"Happy belated." I made a mental note to find her a gift, though what do you buy for a female Alpha who hates birthdays?

She shrugged. "Not exactly a holiday I celebrate. Too many bad memories. Though getting Aurora made this one... different."

The pieces clicked together—late wolf manifestation, dead mother, absent Alpha father. My gut twisted. Odds were high her own pack had discarded her, assuming she'd never shift. I'd seen it before with Alpha bloodlines; children cast out for failing to meet expectations.

"Aurora." I addressed the wolf directly, watching golden flecks bleed into Isolde's irises as her spirit surfaced. Magnus pressed against my consciousness, drawn to his mate. "Do you know what you are?"

"A Guardian," came the immediate response, her voice layered with Aurora's resonance.

"And what does that mean?"

"That we're destined to protect our mate."

I blinked. That wasn't the answer I expected. "Protect me from what?"

"Anything that would harm you."

A dry laugh escaped me. "We'll circle back to that. Right now, you're the one who needs protection. If any Alpha discovers you, they'll force a bond. A wolf like you? Packs would kill to claim you permanently."

She whirled to face me, moonlight catching the challenge in her gaze. "And you? What do you want?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want me for my power?"

"I want you because the Moon Goddess carved our souls from the same star." My palm itched to touch her, but I clenched my fist. "You're my other half."

Isolde's next words sliced through the night like shattered glass. "I don't believe in mate bonds."