Chapter 22: Dangerous Request.

**Isabella**

I paced around the room anxiously, feeling my heart heaving heavily. I've been waiting for Razor for the past thirty minutes, my heart seemingly ready to burst from my chest. Dean is suffering downstairs because of my mistake, and the fear of what Razor will do to me when he gets back has me feeling utterly screwed.

I froze instantly at the sound of the living room door opening before the all too familiar scent of Razor mesmerized the air. He's here!

My legs moved back on their own, anticipating his dreadful presence. Instead, I heard his harsh voice calling for his brother, Cross. Now what? I couldn't hear a thing, and this was all because I was wolfless from that damn pack. Being wolfless, my ability to grab sounds from afar was not at its peak and was limited. I'll just have to do it my way.

I walked to the door and planted my ears there to grasp anything.

"Answer me, Cross, why couldn't I get you on the phone?" Razor was asking his little brother who was stuttering, probably because I had the fucking phone with me!

I screamed internally, feeling my body trembling with fear. What am I supposed to do in this situation?

"Go bring your phone now," Razor's voice was calm but it sent chills down my spine.

I heard the door of Cross's room probably close, making me wonder if he had another phone. I used the opportunity and rushed inside the closet to bring the phone from where I had hidden it inside my jacket. I placed it inside my pants pocket before returning to the door. After a few seconds, Cross returned, and from Razor's tone, I could tell he came back with nothing.

I trailed off from my thoughts when the harsh sound of a slap echoed aloud.

"He slapped him," I gasped fearfully, feeling dread build up.

I quickly stepped away from the door, unsure of what to do.

"I'm... so sorry, brother. I... lost it," came Cross's trembling voice. "Please, I'm sorry."

Before I knew it, Cross broke into tears, his pleas sounding more urgent. Screw it, I have to help him. I reached for the door and went straight to the living room. I must have lost my mind. Oh yes, the cold look Razor sent my way made me regret coming out instantly.

I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat when I noticed the syringe in Razor's right hand. Cross, who was kneeling in front of Razor, wasn't even bothered by my presence; his fearful eyes were fixed on that damn syringe. Again, what is that thing?

"Why are you here, Isabella?" Razor asked sharply.

"I... I..." Why the heck am I stuttering right now? I shivered when his eyes narrowed darkly at me before blurting out, "I have the phone with me."

Razor's brows furrowed at me, his eyes darting from me to Cross before finally settling on me. "And why's that, wife? What are you doing with my little brother's phone?"

"I... I... uh..."

"I forgot it at the kitchen counter yesterday when I came to find Felicia," Cross thankfully cut in, saving me from dying of fear.

"And you couldn't tell Felicia to bring it for you?"

Cross had no answer to that, preferring to fix his eyes on the floor.

"Give it to me," Razor stretched out his hand to me. I took the phone out of my pocket and quickly gave it to him.

Cross looked on fearfully as Razor switched on the phone, visibly hyperventilating, probably thinking Razor might see his sex chats with his little friend.

After a minute or so, Razor scoffed before fixing a hard stare on me. "Why didn't you tell me you had my brother's phone?"

Oh God, please, why won't he just let it go?

"I didn't know it was his," I lied smoothly, but I could tell he didn't buy it. I swear Razor could hear my heart beating violently.

"Really," he chuckled amusedly before his demeanor suddenly changed, his eyes turning a bright shade of red. "What did I tell you about lying to me?"

I was stunned into silence, cold sweat breaking out of my forehead. I might as well just prepare to die, but thankfully the door swung open with Chris hurrying inside, tightening his face in a frown.

He knelt in front of his alpha, bowing his head slightly. "Boss, we've managed to track the bastards. They're at a club downtown."

"Then we shouldn't keep them waiting," Razor joked, though it was not a joke from the coldness in his eyes.

"Take this," he handed the phone to Cross, who was still kneeling. "The next time I try to call you and don't get you, I'll kill you."

"Yes, sir."

He pointed at me, his eyes still fixed on Cross. "Take care of her, and don't let anyone inside here except Felicia."

"Yes, sir."

He then turned and left hurriedly, with Chris following behind.

I drew in a relieved sigh, collapsing on the couch beside me, not a bit surprised to see Cross do the same.

I noticed the red handprint on Cross's cheek and bloodied lips from the slap. It must have stung like a bitch.

"Oh my, are you okay?" He turned confused eyes toward me, prompting me to point at his bloodied lips.

"Oh, that. Yeah, I'm fine."

"Your brother is one scary person," I said to Cross. When I didn't get a reply, I turned to face him. He was glancing through his phone, his brows knitted together in confusion.

"I deleted those texts, and you should be glad your friend didn't call or send any new ones. Thank God the phone wasn't locked also."

"Thank you so much, you saved my ass," he relaxed against the couch, glancing at the ceiling. "He would have killed me if he had seen those texts."

"Yup, they were cringe as fuck. Let's call it even for saving me yesterday in the kitchen. Again, those texts were, hmm," I shrugged my shoulders, causing him to chuckle.

"Yeah, but I'm not doing anything abnormal. I mean, my brother seems to think I'm still a kid."

I met his gaze, trying to figure out his age from his appearance. And as if reading my mind, he said, "I'm nineteen and just got through with college."

19 years old? Still a bit young though.

My lips formed an "O," and I nodded in agreement. "But maybe he thinks you're still young."

"Yes, the only way he's going to allow me to have a girlfriend is when I meet my mate and he approves of her."

"Typical Razor," my eyes rolled, and Cross's smile deepened.

Cross reached for the remote on the table and switched on the television, and a medical TV series was on. The syringe from earlier flashed in my mind.

"What was that syringe?"

"What?" He gasped, staring at me for a second before sighing. "It's a torture device for werewolves, but I have no idea what liquid is inside it. Once injected inside your body, it causes unimaginable pain, as though your whole body is on fire."

I nodded, following through. "And how do you stop the pain?"

"Only the blood of an alpha can end it," he continued while flicking through channels. "Once injected, that syringe weakens your wolf and makes you unable to shift."

I cringed internally at the fact that Dean was enduring that much pain because of my fucking mistake.

"And has he used it on you before?" I wanted to know.

He turned his attention from the television to me with a hilarious expression before focusing back on the television.

His silence told me all I fucking needed to know.

"Your brother is so fucking cruel!" I exclaimed, terrified.

"It got worse after she betrayed him and left," he mumbled to himself.

"Who betrayed him?"

He placed the remote on the table, raising his hand. "Forget I said that it was nothing, okay?"

From the fear in his eyes, I could tell he had overstepped and said what he shouldn't have to me. I decided to take pity on him and let it go. I had more pressing worries. I noticed he was on his phone, probably chatting as indicated by the smile on his face, and hoped to the moon goddess he wasn't sexting with the same girl.

"What are you doing right now?" I wondered aloud, sending him an incredulous look. "You're back to sexting, right?"

He chuckled slightly, nodding in agreement. "We're only talking, Luna."

"You can call me Isabella."

"And have my brother fucki..." he trailed off, wrangling a hand dramatically in the air as if he had said something wrong. "I'm so sorry for the language."

I threw my head back slightly, It was my turn to chuckle. "It's no big deal, Razor's not even here."

"You had better stop cussing in general because you might slip one day in his presence. He whipped the f-word out of me."

I scoffed at him. "You're more afraid of getting caught cussing than sexting?"

"I'm not sexting," he smiled amusedly. "I better delete these chats. I don't wanna die."

I tried to relax as I glanced absentmindedly at the TV, but my mind kept straying to Razor and what he was going to do to me when he got back.

Cross got up, stretching his long legs, before fixing his eyes softly at me. "Look, I know you're worried about what he's going to do to you when he gets back. I wish I could help, but there's nothing I can do. And besides, my brother doesn't show mercy on any occasion no matter how much you beg or how sorry you are." He sighed in defeat. "I'm so sorry."

He was fucking right. Razor was unbearable like that.

I exhaled sharply, getting up on my feet as well. "But you can help me." Cross furrowed a brow at my teary eyes, confused. "Please, help me escape."

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