Isabelle did what she knew best, and that was to do as she was told. She nodded back to Alex as a silent agreement to his proposal of taking her home, then started to walk out of the stables. The people she once tried to avoid were now parting like the Red Sea to get away from her and Alex, but for once, they were not moving from her as if she contained a contagious disease; they were moving out of fear of what would happen if Alex found out about how they treated her.
Waiting at the front of the pack house was a black SUV ready to take Isabelle home. The excitement of the whole situation was very quickly wearing off, and anxiety was taking over her body, especially at what she was going to do with Bulkoso. Clearly not noticing this, Alex opened one of the black doors and guided Isabelle into the leather seats, not caring about the dirt transferring from her clothes onto the seats.
Nobody said a word in the car Alex was itching to ask Isabelle everything; his head was buzzing with questions that he wanted to ask, but everyone in the car felt the blanket of awkwardness surrounding them, so he thought better of the 101-question interrogation... but surely one or two couldn't help, right?
"So... you have no parents then?" he questions, looking at his hands as if it were the least important question in the world, and yet as soon as the words left his lips, he was internally cursing at himself. Alex wasn't sure if he liked this new feeling that he got around Isabelle, it was nothing like he had ever felt before he second-guessed everything he wanted to say whereas before he never cared, he was the King after all and yet here was this girl who just one look at caused his heart to swell and break all at the same time.
Isabelle knew a question about her parents would come up eventually but her mouth dropped open at the personal question. Isabelle found that she couldn't look Alex in the eye; she felt shame rear its ugly head within her. The circumstances around her parents had always been a sore spot, but more so since Finn liked to use it as a torture device to remind her that her own parents didn't even want her.
"They left me on the doorstep of the pack house... no letter... no reason, I was just unwanted" Isabelle shrugs, pretending like that word didn't sting like the tears pooling in her eyes
"Unwanted", Alex repeats. He reaches out and takes Isabelle's small hand in his. At first, she flinches, making Alex furrow his eyebrows, but he chooses not to address it. Both could feel the heat and electricity passing through them but neither of them said a word about it.
"I'm used to it, I expect nothing else" Isabelle says trying to use a joking tone of voice but her voice wavers and Alex sees straight past the fake smile, he once again doesn't say anything but he squeezes Isabelle's hand slightly as a comforting gesture, he also brings up both of her hands to his mouth and kisses the point where they join, Isabelle can't help the gasp that escapes her lips at the intense sparks shooting through her hands.
"I want you", he whispers into her hands, but he looks straight in her eyes, every one of his feelings pouring out through them. So unused to this, Isabelle starts to panic and forcefully pulls her hands out of Alex's. Once they had finally gotten to the cottage, Isabelle's anxiety levels were through the roof. Isabelle led Alex straight through to the kitchen, where there was a tiny two-person table with chairs for him to sit at, as she found herself trying to clean up without him noticing. Nobody ever came here, so it never mattered what it looked like, and only now that Alex was here did Isabelle realise how, despite spending her life cleaning other people's homes, she had failed at keeping her own home tidy.
Isabelle also did a scan around their surroundings and found that Bulkoso was nowhere to be found. This was strange for Bulkoso because it was so unlike him not to greet her when she first came through the door, but he was smart and must've known that something was happening. Knowing that for now, Bulkoso was a secret, it felt like for the first time she could take an actual breath, she hadn't even realised she had been holding her breath. Despite this, she couldn't totally relax because she knew this topic would come up eventually, Isabelle wasn't going to abandon her best friend.
"Can you explain something for me?" Alex asks This is the first thing either of them has said since getting out of the car. Isabelle simply nods with her back to Alex as she is trying to compose herself as best as she can.
Finally turning around, Alex looks at her for a second before shifting to the side with an uncomfortable look on his face to reveal the most relaxed looking ginger cat, Bulkoso clearly didn't have a care in the world
"Bulkoso", Isabelle scolds, but Bulkoso simply looks up at her lazily. If cats could grin, he would've been doing it. Isabelle walks over to Bulkoso and picks him up and sits down with him on her lap, he instantly snuggles up into a ball while Alex just looks on shocked.
"I found him by chance one day and he was tiny with no mother so I started to care for him just until he could look after himself but then I fell in love and he's still here" Isabelle explains not taking her eyes off Bulkoso silently pleading with Alex to let her keep him
"You want to bring him, don't you?" Alex asks, anybody else there wouldn't even be a discussion about the cat, but just watching how utterly in love Isabelle was with Alex was enough for him to suck it up and accept the damn cat, even if he wished that was how she felt about him but he would have to wait for that.
"Oh, can I? Once you get to know him, you'll love him as much as I do," Isabelle says in a high-pitched, excited voice that Alex could only smile at.
"We'll see," Alex says apprehensively. Isabelle starts to scoot closer to Alex with Bulkoso in his arms, but Alex scoots further away, torn between wanting to be close to Isabelle and wanting to be away from Bulkoso. "Here, give me your hand" Isabelle says almost in a whisper, her voice alone is enough to put him in a trance-like state so he does what she says and puts his hand in hers allowing her to put his hand on Bulkoso back, she places hers on top and starts to slowly move their hands back and forth causing Bulkoso to purr happily.
"See... he likes you" she grins her eyes shining brighter than they had since Alex had met her
"I tell you what, one kiss on the
Cheek and you can bring him" Alex smirks, which instantly fills an almost relaxed Isabelle with fear and nerves, but she would do anything to Bulkoso, and this was her mate, after all, it wasn't like it was just some random guy...
"Just one kiss on the cheek?" she asks, she wasn't ready yet for anything other than a kiss on the cheek, she wanted everything to be perfect with her mate when the time was right
"Yes... That's all I request for payment" Alex grins turning his head, bending down slightly and gently tapping his cheek where he wanted the kiss
"Payment?" Isabelle scoffs... she didn't want to pay for the right for her beloved cat to live with her when it was happening right here
"I'm just fooling around Isabelle but you know you want to" he smiles, cheekily sticking his tongue out, continuing to tap his cheek
Although Alex had leaned down slightly, she still had to sit right up to reach his cheek until she managed to land a small kiss upon it, but before she knew it, Alex had gone back on what he had requested and turned his head to kiss her on the lips. The thing was... Isabelle was kissing him back.