Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

IZZY

" Y ou don't have to talk to him, angel." Cain glances between Bishop and me with a frown.

"I know, but it's better to get this conversation out of the way. Thanks for bringing me here. It helped." It wasn't playing music that's made me feel better. It was Cain and his thoughtfulness.

These damn wolves are dangerous to my heart. They're considerate, sweet, and funny. Luca can still be demanding at times, but he's grown on me. Unfortunately.

Standing up, I put the guitar away before walking to Bishop. My steps drag as I desperately want to avoid this conversation. I know he's going to tell me I'm too much trouble and he's done dealing with me. It's the last thing my heart wants to hear while being exactly what my brain knows is necessary.

When I reach Bishop, he turns around and starts striding away. Walking away without a word is a great start to the conversation. Not.

Sighing, I follow Bishop as we wind through the wolves' ridiculous palace. There's no way this counts as a house. I knew they were wealthy, but this is just absurd. They have multiple ballrooms, dining rooms, and from what I can see, an absolutely colossal kitchen.

Bishop finally slows when we reach a room that has its door closed. He pushes the dark wood door open to a moderately sized sitting room. Three comfy-looking gray couches dominate the center of the room. Dark wood floors, light blue walls, and a massive TV give the room a casual vibe.

A wall of windows to my right overlooks the forest behind the house. From here, I can see a hint of a lake. I'm transfixed by the rippling surface for a moment. I wonder if the wolves will take me to their lake sometime.

I shake myself out of my perusal of the water and wander over to where Bishop is sitting down on one of the sofas. I stop a step away from his muscular legs.

He shoves one of his hands through his hair and blows out a breath. Bishop then looks up at me with his arresting baby blues. "I'm sorry," he tells me gruffly.

My stomach drops like I jumped off a cliff, and my heart feels like it splattered on the canyon floor after the fall. "It's okay. I understand." I do understand why he's done with me, but it still feels like someone is putting my heart through a shredder.

"You understand what?" Bishop stares at me with confusion in his gaze.

"That you're done with my shit. You lasted longer than I thought you would," I say, trying to joke. It falls flat as my voice cracks on the last word. I close my eyes, so I don't have to see the rejection in his.

"Fuck." Bishop surprises me by placing his warm hands on my waist and tugging me down onto his lap. My eyes pop open when my knees land on the plush sofa on either side of him. "I'm not fucking done with you, Isabel. Jesus, sweetheart. I'm sorry I lost my cool that badly that you thought I was leaving for good. Yelling at you was what I was trying to apologize for."

"You're not leaving?" I ask through the lump in my throat. My voice wobbles as I hesitantly meet his gaze with mine.

"No, sweetheart. I'm never fucking leaving you. You're it for me." Bishop crushes me to his hard chest. I always feel so safe in his strong arms.

"But you were so angry," I mumble into his neck.

"Yes, I was. I was and still am fucking livid that it's gotten so bad you've considered dying to escape it." This time, it's Bishop's voice that breaks. He clears his throat before continuing. "But I'm not mad at you. I'm just… fuck, I don't know what I am. Heartbroken? Terrified? Wanting to burn the world down because it hurt you?"

"Why are you terrified?" I know I shouldn't be snuggling him like this, but I don't want to stop. After feeling the utter heartbreak of thinking I was losing him, I need this comfort more than I need oxygen in my lungs or blood in my veins.

"Because I need you, Izzy. I won't survive losing you. Do you not understand how much you mean to me? You're my entire world, sweetheart. You have been since you crashed into me outside of Anya's shop eight years ago." I can hear the smile in Bishop's voice.

My mind briefly wanders to the day when I plowed straight into Bishop on my way to my first day of work. I was distracted with something and not looking where I was going. My arms tingled like crazy where Bishop gripped them to keep them steady. But I didn't know what that meant then. All I knew was that my heart was trying to beat its way out of my chest in excitement from seeing Bishop again after so long.

Pulling back, I sit upright so I can look at him. Bishop's eyes shine with so much emotion that I feel a little choked up. "You could do so much better than me."

Bishop growls at me, and I raise my eyebrows in surprise. He must be spending too much time with the canines. "No, Isabel, I couldn't do better than you, because there simply isn't anyone better. You're smart, kind, caring, incredibly funny, and the most gorgeous woman I've ever laid eyes on. Please, tell me, how I could ever do better than my amazing mate?"

It feels like I blush from the top of my head to my toes at Bishop's sweet declarations. I'm not used to getting compliments from people, and I don't know what to do with all the mushy feelings it stirs up. So, I just ignore them.

"You could find someone who doesn't put you in danger," I remind him.

"Jesus fucking Christ, woman. What don't you understand? I don't want to be safe if it means not having you!" Bishop tangles one hand in my hair and tugs me to him. His soft lips crash against mine, and his tongue demands entrance. When I part my lips, his tongue darts in to twirl with mine. I twine my arms around his neck and shove my fingers through his short hair.

Kissing Bishop is even better than I imagined. I've been thinking about kissing the boy for eight years, and the real thing somehow manages to top every fantasy I've had about it. His lips are softer, warmer, and more skilled than I dreamed they would be.

As we kiss, my hips start moving back and forth on his lap, grinding my center over his hard-on. While Bishop leaves one hand gripping my hair, he moves his other to my hip. He helps me move back and forth on him, driving me closer and closer to climaxing.

Before I can, Bishop rips his mouth from mine and stills my hips with his hand. "If you don't want your first time to be hard and fast on this couch, we need to stop, sweetheart." Bishop pants like he just ran a marathon. His chest rises and falls rapidly as he stares at me with hunger in his eyes.

My horny self is all for the hard and fast part. I'll take Bishop any way I can get him. The two brain cells that are still online shriek about how horrible of an idea it is. Fucking Bishop is almost guaranteed to form the mate bond.

"Stopping's probably a good idea." My voice comes out breathy as I try to slow my heart rate and even out my breathing. The rest of what Bishop said eventually registers. "Wait. How do you know it would be my first time?"

Bishop chuckles, the sound vibrating through where we touch. "I knew you hadn't slept with anyone before we reconnected. I also know exactly the type of person you are, Iz, so I know you haven't fucked anyone since, either."

"I guess I won't have to kill Aiden or Rhys for telling you." Aiden loves to tease me about still being a virgin, so I wouldn't put it past him to tell Bishop about it. With Aiden's loud mouth, Rhys knows, too, as much as I wish he didn't.

"Your brothers didn't spill your secrets. Speaking of secrets, we need to talk about what's been going on, Izzy. You're so focused on making sure everyone else is safe that you forget how much we all need you.

"You think your mom would ever mend her broken heart from losing her only daughter? You think your dad, who only took the council position to abolish the spirit mage law, would get over your death? You think your older brothers, one of whom started an entire security company to keep you safe, would simply move on if you died? If you think your death wouldn't shatter your family, you don't know them very well, Izzy."

By the time Bishop finishes speaking, my mouth is hanging open in surprise. "I didn't know any of that. I thought Dad wanted to be on the council like his dad, and I thought you and Rhys just liked security work."

I guess I never really thought about how it would impact my family if I died. That makes me sound really selfish, but all I've been able to see is the ways I put them in danger. In my head, I figured that my family would just go on about their lives. It never occurred to me that they'd miss me or anything. After all, I'm a little shit, so I kind of thought they'd be glad to get rid of me.

"Sweetheart, your dad hates the council. He never wanted to be on it. Neither Rhys nor I really had any idea what we wanted to do. We bonded our last year in college over our worry for you. That's what led us to start Elemental with Logan and Dec. Aiden learned everything he could about technology to protect you too."

I lean my forehead on Bishop's shoulder as I take a moment to process everything. My thoughts are whirling frantically in my head as I realize a flaw in my plan. All I want is for everyone I care about to be happy. If I lost any one of my family or my mates, I don't know that I'd ever be truly happy again. But I expect them not to give a rat's ass about losing me.

"What am I supposed to do?" I ask him quietly. I've spent so long focused on keeping everyone else safe, I don't have the first clue how to survive this.

My five-year plan has always been simple. Step one: keep my family safe. Step two: die healing ghosts. It's easy and mess free, other than the whole dying part. Without step two, my whole plan has gone to shit, and I don't know how to make a new one.

"I don't have all the answers right now, Izzy, but I know we need to work together. I know we'll figure out something. You can't be running off, trying to handle everything yourself, sweetheart. Let us help you. Please." Bishop's blue eyes glisten with unshed tears as he begs me to let him help, and it guts me. He's so strong and unyielding. Nothing should be able to make Bishop cry, certainly not me.

"I can try," I breathe, willing to do anything to make my mage feel better.

"That's a start for now." Bishop glances at my watch before looking back at me. "Your family is going to be here soon. As much as I enjoy holding you, we need to get up."

"What? Why is my family coming here? How do they even know I'm here?"

"I called Rhys once I woke up after giving you magic. Before anyone could freak out that you were missing, I let them know where you were and what you had been doing." One of Bishop's hands is still in my hair, running gently through the strands. All of my mates seem to love playing with my hair, and I'm here for it. I'll take free head massages any day of the week.

"You snitch," I tell Bishop, without any real heat behind it.

Bishop calling Rhys is better than my mom and dad launching a city-wide manhunt for me. Although, they're still going to be absolutely furious with me, especially my mom. The thought makes me wilt against Bishop. My mom is a force of nature when she wants to be.

"I wouldn't have had to snitch if you told them in the first place or didn't overdo it." Bishop makes logical points. I hate it when he's all sensible and shit. It makes it hard to argue with him.

"But my mom's gonna be sooo mad at me," I whine. Bishop snorts and has zero sympathy for me, the asshole.

"Damn right, I am, Isabel Magnolia Gallagher."