23. Isaac

ISAAC

“Finish the whole bottle. You need to keep your fluids up,” Isaac ordered Miles sternly. His tone was at odds with the way his fingers carefully threaded through the beta’s hair. It was damp with perspiration and Juno’s thick heat sweetened scent coated him. Isaac did his best to breathe shallowly, fighting the urge to shove him down on the nearest surface and lick the luscious sugar-laced cream off his skin. Just pheromones, he told himself. Don’t let it go to your head.

Too exhausted to argue, Miles tipped his head back and drank deeply before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Isaac noted the dark circles that had formed under his eyes with concern. Miles and Ollie were doing an admirable job of tending to Juno but he hoped Everett would be able to help with the next heat to take some of the pressure off his bonded.

“She’s near the end of it now, love,” Miles offered assuringly, sensing Isaac’s worry. “Sleeping for much longer stints than before.” He gave Isaac a sidelong glance. “You know there’s fun aspects of all this that make the tiredness worth it, right?”

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to think about the fun aspects, he just felt he shouldn’t be imagining all the ways Miles had been wringing pleasure from Juno. Or what activities might have led to Juno’s juicy scent clinging so strongly to his face, chest and Isaac was certain if he shoved Miles’ boxers down, all over his—

Isaac stuffed his hand in his pocket to hide the way his fingers clenched up. “I need to go catch my flight. Everett will be around if you need anything.” He gave his shirt sleeve an unnecessary adjustment. “And how is Ollie? I’ve barely seen him since this started.”

Miles waved a dismissive hand. “He’s fine. He’s in his own version of la-la land, trust me.” Isaac supposed that must have been true with what he knew about alpha ruts. Luckily he didn’t have to worry about that.

Holding his breath, he pressed a chaste kiss to Miles’ forehead. “I love you. I’ll be back later tonight.”

“Short trip,” Miles commented, with a raised brow.

Isaac pushed a loaded plate of noodles towards Miles before he turned to leave. “Just a meeting that needed to be in person.”

* * *

It hadn’t taken long to find him. Isaac’s go-to private investigator was expensive for a reason. The additional time had been spent poring over the files, assessing whether there was any potential threat in making contact. In a rare decision, he did not bring it up for discussion with the others, taking it upon himself as the prime alpha to make a logical, informed decision unswayed by emotion.

Isaac stepped into the restaurant, purposefully chosen for its intimate seating and discreet staff. He had the meeting timed for the lull between lunch and dinner to minimise bystanders. His eyes immediately found his dining companion.

Julian Tsai.

Twenty-five, with a Bachelor of Information Technology and residing in a sharehouse. Kept a mundane routine of gym, work and a social life with a group that mostly consisted of other graduates from his course. Estranged from his family and had no romantic relationships that warranted a social media mention. He did have accounts on dating apps notorious for hook-ups, though they did not seem to get used during the time Isaac was having him tailed.

Oh, and he was once the employee of prime alpha Andrew, convicted-of-manslaughter Eric, and the deceased Vincent Zhao.

Juno’s former pack.

He had also been with his current company since he graduated and Isaac had hoped the lure of greener pastures would give him an in. It worked.

“Julian?” Isaac asked like he had not just refreshed himself on the beta’s entire life story on the plane. He came to a stop next to the table where Julian sat waiting nervously.

“Isaac, hi.” Julian looked relieved as he stood up to shake his hand. There was a whiff of pine, calming and fresh, the crunch of needles underfoot on a crisp morning.

They both sat as Julian thanked him profusely for seeking him out. Isaac saw no reason for the deception to continue any longer.

“This meeting is unfortunately not to discuss a job offer. I do not represent your competitor. I apologise for the subterfuge.” Isaac sipped his water and Julian mirrored him dutifully, clearly confused. “I’m here about Juno Liu.”

Julian’s entire demeanour changed. His hackles immediately rose, back snapping straight and hands curling into fists.

“I don’t know where she is,” he bit out savagely as he threw his napkin onto the table. “Who sent you? You know what, it doesn’t matter. I told my family, I told Pack Zhao years ago over and over that the last time I saw her was when they kicked me out. And that there was no way I was helping them find her. They had already destroyed any leverage they had on me.” Isaac didn’t like the cynical laugh that left his mouth. “If you organised this meeting to try again then you’ve wasted your time. I can honestly tell you that I have no idea.” Julian’s chair screeched harshly as he stood up. “Go fuck yourself.”

“Stop.”

Isaac spoke so urgently a fraction of his alpha dominance slipped in. Julian’s steps stuttered, his shoulders slumping as the command coursed through him.

“Fu-uck, you’re strong.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“Still not saying shit, though.”

Isaac gestured at Julian’s seat. “Sit down, please,” he asked in a much more measured tone.

Julian tried to hold his stare but failed miserably. “No, I really don’t want to,” he muttered sullenly at the floor.

Isaac dipped his head in acknowledgement before pulling a piece of paper out of his bag. He laid it down carefully on the table before sitting back so Julian could see. It was one of Juno’s drawings he had discreetly pilfered from her sketchbook — a photorealistic fox with a skull for a face. Julian went pale, conflicting emotions flickering across his face.

“This is hers, isn’t it? Where did you get this?”

“Just one thing before I say anything further.” Isaac folded his hands carefully in his lap, watching the trembling beta closely. “You pay a fortnightly stipend into your parents joint account but you seem to be quite careful in covering your tracks. Why?”

“How did you—” Julian shook his head, “Never mind, guess you alphas are just used to taking what you want and fuck the rest of us, right?”

Isaac let the insult slide. “I apologise for the violation but I promise you it’s important.”

“I don’t have a relationship with my parents after…everything. They blamed me for what happened, as they should.” Julian spoke so quietly, barely above a whisper, as his body folded in on itself protectively. “I know they barely keep afloat. Dad ended up finding work at a warehouse and Mum had to get a job as a cleaner. My grandparents are getting old and were already having health issues when I cut ties. I know my parents were expecting me to get a good job and help them out. I blocked them so they couldn’t hound me for more. But leaving them with nothing, especially when I was responsible…I couldn’t do it.” He was picking at the skin of his fingers anxiously and Isaac fought the urge to take his hand to get him to stop. “Maybe that makes me an idiot but—”

“It doesn’t.” Isaac had seen his Nanay go through something similar with her own family. Years of guilt-tripping and requests for money from extended family in the Philippines from the very moment they found out she had bonded three successful alphas. “Filial piety is quite the mindfuck.”

Julian looked surprised by his empathy, and perhaps even by his casual foul language. “Yeah, it really is.”

“Thank you for answering, Julian.” Isaac spun Juno’s drawing around to face him, pushing it towards him a touch. “She asked me to find you,” he said quietly.

Julian’s distress dissipated as quickly as it had flared, a hopeful kind of anguish twisting on his face “Is she ok? Please just tell me that, that’s all I need to know. Is she ok and is she happy? Ok, two things.”

Isaac was getting a strange feeling in his chest. A warm ache burrowing down, unsettling his stomach and burning behind his ribs.

“Yes, she’s doing well.”

Julian hovered between standing and sitting, like his body had malfunctioned while his brain was catching up. “You’re her alpha I assume?”

Isaac considered how much information to offer. “My pack is courting her.”

“That’s good.” Julian sank down in his chair, his eyes distant and wistful. “That’s really good. She deserves that.” He ran his fingertips almost reverently over the drawing, tracing the pencil strokes. His next words were almost inaudible, just to himself. “She’s gotten better.”

“You never tried to find her these past few years?” Isaac watched him, staring at those sentimental dark eyes and the slightly lifted corner of his full lips.

Julian’s forehead creased. “Of course not. There’s no way I would risk them coming after her through me. I’d heard through people who knew my family that Pack Zhao felt the bond break. I knew she was free. How could I jeopardise that?”

It was clear Julian wore his heart on his sleeve and exactly to whom it belonged. Just as Juno had loved him all this time, he had loved her too. Loved her still. The burden of Isaac’s next move weighed heavily on him. He wanted to reconnect them, to see Juno happy. And for some reason he also needed to see Julian’s debilitating remorse lifted too.

Unaware of the knowledge Isaac carried, Julian went back to outlining Juno’s drawing. “I can’t believe you’re here because of her. I didn’t think she would even think of me again after what I did.”

“And what did you do?”

“Failed her,” Julian whispered, exposing what he believed was his greatest crime, before hanging his head.

The whole purpose of this meeting was to make a clear and reasoned judgement on behalf of his pack. Was Julian a threat to their safety if he reconnected with Juno? He stared at the beta across from him, sitting there leaden with misplaced guilt he ached to heal. Hair hanging over his forehead begging to be grabbed and lips made for cock-sucking.

Isaac was in trouble.