Heart of the Pride by Anaya Phoenix (freda ebook reader txt) 📖

siblings. Zena, because of her cute puffy hair and adorable freckles, got almost everything she looked at while in the vicinity of others. It seemed like people were drawn to Sasha and Amelia, wanting to talk  to them about anything. For Ferris it seemed to be the opposite, her brother was strong and deadly when he needed to be. Cameron was the only ones that stuck out, he was somewhere in the middle  of being deadly and sociable.

     Izzy and Bella were alike that they both radiated power and confidence. Bella was a jaguar, slick and smooth. She gained attention just by walking in a room and kept it for as long  as she wanted. Izzy was  a little different. She didn't capture  the attention by just walking in a room, no no. She moved with a grace that could almost be described as poise. Every step she took, she took with caution and purpose.

    No, Isabel McCreery wasn't a jaguar. She didn't have attention on the daily, but when she did she wanted it. She grabbed it and forbade anyone to ever look away, they were hers when she took it. Isabel McCreery was a tigress,a smooth delicate criminal  who would lick you just as soon as kill you. She ripped all the meat off the bones in one swift tug and put it her mouth, chewing it quickly before popping fries in her mouth.

 

     Timmy stood in the driveway, his hands tucked in his pants pockets. She gripped the wheel tightly in her hands as she slowly turned into , making sure not to look at him again.

"Isabel, baby-" her mother said softly, reaching over to grab her hand.

"Don't." She snarled and snatched her hand away before opening the door and hopping out.

"Isabel, you can't just ignore  him!" Her mother yelled, struggling  to get out and catch up with her daughter.

"I can do whatever the fuck  I want  to mother!" She growled not bothering  to look back.

"Isabel McCreery!!" Timmy boomed, cementing her feet to the ground. She took  a breath and clenched her fists.

"Apologize to your mother, right now, for disrespecting her." He said lethally, not moving from where he stood.

"Maybe you didn't hear what  I just fucking said, but I do what I want. I don't want to do that." She said through clenched teeth. A small part of her, a tiny little portion wanted to listen and apologize. Hell, that small part wanted to grovel at her mother's feet until it pleased Timmy enough. Oh yeah, fuck that.

"I heard what you said and acknowledged it to be rude and disrespectful. Something you should not be to your mother. Don't take your anger for me out on her." Her knuckles were white with the force she squeezed her fingers. She was forcing herself not to bend to his will, forcing those words not to slip and trickle out of her mouth.

"Fuck. You. Timmy." She snarled through her teeth and forces herself to move.

"Stop." That one word, a word spoken so nonchalantly with so much power stopped her.

"Apologize."

"Sorry for being rude." She said harshly, not turning around to look at her mother. She willed  her feet to move, one step in front of the other.

"Wait." His words cemented her feet to the floor again.

"What?" She growled between her teeth.

"I want to speak with you." Yeah ,no. Fight this, Izzy. She continued  to walk and with each step her power was restored to her.

"Stop." This time the word slid through her body like jelly, only to stop at her feet and slide onto the floor. She flipped him off and walked into the house, up the stairs, and into his room washere she slammed his door hard. Splinters flew out as the door creamed into the threshold. She didn't care, her skin felt  too tight; the rage that she normally wore like a second suit felt constricting. She tore at her clothes and ran her fingers through her hair as she stood pacing back and forth naked as the day she was born. She got on her knees and cradled her head as all the information, finally, settled in her mind. She was cursed to love  a monster, a tiger man monster at that. She would turn into the monster, incapable of making humane decisions.

     Just fucking peachy. She felt the tears begin to sting her eyes but she wouldn't allow them to come. She'd cried enough, she wouldn't - no, couldn't allow herself to cry anymore. Suddenly everything came in on her at once, as if her body had held the magnanimity of the situation for this occasion. She could hear her parents down there, could hear her father console her mother as she sobbed tears.She could smell the bar of Timmys soap from where she sat ten feet away. She could taste the chicken fingers she'd indulged herself with earlier. Her eyesight grew sharper, allowing her to latch on to a tiny little ant that appeared to be.minding its own business.

     The sounds and the smells were too much, too sudden and strong. They all came spiraling at her and the tears that she had forbidden from coming down flurried down her face. She heard the door open carefully, felt the air as it swished against her naked  body; she just didn't care to do anything about it.

"It will  go away. It won't be so intense. I promise." He whispered softly before kissing her hair softly.

"The noises are everywhere and there are too many things to see; too many things that went unseen before are just there." She whispered softly, one step away from rocking back and forth in hysteria.

"I know, sweet little Izzy, it will get better. I am here and  I always will be." He kept his voice low and soft, for that she was grateful for. She heard her family leave and her heart crumpled more.

"Will they be back?" She asked, knowing he'd heard and understand what she  was talking about. He shrugged as he kicked off his sneakers and got more comfortable next to her. She leaned on his shoulder and sniffled, then wiped her face.

"Your feet are stinky, and you've got  to wash your hair." She said weakly, staring at the wall as the room grew darker. He chuckled softly and kissed her hair again.

"Yeah, I know."

 

Chapter 13

They fell asleep like that, her head on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around her. When she woke up she was in between his legs, her head rested on his upper thigh.  Soft little rumbling noises came from him, she looked up and smiled softly at what she saw. His face was smooth, a little smudged because his head had moved forward, and the most calm expression she'd ever seen on his face was there. She listened more and snuggled into his leg, loving how his hand went to her shoulder as if to comfort her in his sleep.

     He was purring softly, the rumbling in his chest soft and slightly subdued. She sighed and stretched before wrapping her body around his leg. She closed her eyes and with another soft sigh went back to sleep.

 

     When she awoke she was in a much more comfortable situation. Her head was propped up on a pillow and her body was surrounded in the softest, warmest cotton ever. A body was pressed against her, her head resting against his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, fast and young. She put a hand on her own heart and found that they beat in time. They did belong with each other, their drums would always beat with each other's. The thought made her smile, made her chest soar with happiness. It was abundant and damn near tangible. He took a deep breath and suddenly his eyes were open. Blue met green as happiness was linked together.

"Good morning." He murmured softly, kissing her head softly. She spurred softly and moved closer to his body. She felt braver, stronger, now that she had gotten through all the information and had lived. When his excitement poked her in the belly, she stayed there; her gaze not wavering from his.

"Good morning to you too." Her voice was haughty and hoarse, lust spiked through him, it showed through his deep blue eyes. His hands were on her waist, he didn't seem sure what to do with them; his fingers played with the edge of her short and the skin that was exposed under it.

"What's the matter, a player like you not sure what to do with the game?" She asked softly, arching into him and his hardness. In a flash he was out of the bed and was walking to the bathroom angrily.

"We're going out to eat this morning with Cassie and Darren." Was all he said before slamming the door closed. I know  I have morning breath but damn.  

     He came out with a towel around his waist and one ruffling up his hair, her confusion had turned  into anger quickly. She picked  up her own towel and stormed past him, making sure she didn't touch him. He said nothing. She took her sweet time taking a shower, the hot water working wonders for her aching back. She washed her hair and brushed her teeth, by the time she'd come out of the bathroom he was already dressed and waiting for her. Sneering at him she walked to where her clothes had been packed in one of her suitcases. She bent down to pick up some underwear when a smell hit her hard.

"Why are you irritated at me?" She asked, putting her hands  on her hips and turning  to face him.

"Are you planning on getting dressed in here?" He asked, his blue eyes sparking with anger.

"Uh... Yeah? Why wouldn't  I get dressed in here?"

"Because there's a boy in here." He said testily and she raised a brow.

"If I'm not mistaken aren't we going to be together for the rest of our lives? Shouldn't I get used  to changing and doing other private stuff in from of you? Tomorrow I wanted to try peeing in front of you." She asked before sliding  on her underwear.

"I'm so glad that you're making yourself comfortable and all, but don't you think you should slow down just  a bit?" He asked, anger still bright  and alive in his eyes. She smirked and tugged on  asport bra before putting her hands on her hips and looking  at him.

"Are you telling me that YOU'RE upset because you think I am going too fast?" She asked,amusement coating her voice thickly. His eyes flashed heavy bright anger.

"Is that wrong?"

"I mean, no. But it is kinda strange. Normally it's the girl begrudgingly denying the boy and not the other way around." She said and pulled on  a pair of jeans.

"Well, excuse  me for worrying about your innocence. If I hadn't stopped I have no doubt that you would've done something you'd have regretted." He grumbled, she cufurrowed her brow and pulled on an orange tank top.

"And... what? You think I wasn't worrying about my innocence?" She looked to him as she put on her deodorant and sprayed herself with perfume. She scrunched up her nose and moved away from the offensive smelling agent quickly.

"Ugh! What'd you