Chapter Two: A Second Chance

Disclaimer: Again anything you know isn't mine

Inspiration song: "Gravity" Sara Bareilles

Something must be wrong with me _ talking about snow and thanksgiving when its summer…oh well it my twisted mind and I wouldn't trade it for the world. So read and review!

"Civilization is vastly overrated" Charles Cornick, On the Prowl

Isabelle walked down the stairs, softly humming some nameless song; she had never slept as deeply before last night. She stopped walking and frowned. It scared her that a dominate werewolf that wasn't even an Alpha was able to control her as Samuel did last night. She shook her head and headed out of the house to the small town where she was told there was a mall. Time to make sure she didn't have Michele shopping for her.

Samuel stood with his younger brother watching Charles's mate Anna try to calm down the raging wolf that was in hotel room one. "If he can be calmed, are you willing to let him stay in Aspen Creek?" Bran asked Michael, both standing next to Samuel and Charles listening to Anna talk about a camping trip that she went on with her family before becoming a were.

"If it will keep him alive…this doesn't make any sense" Michael muttered. Bran, Samuel and Charles kept their silence, waiting for the other Alpha to continue. "I've lived for almost as long as you Bran and helped older wolves end their misery in my time, often enough to see the signs of an attack. We never saw this coming…" his phone rang interrupting any continuing thought as he answered without looking at the caller ID. "Hello Rebecka"

"Hello love how is everything going in Montana?" Rebecka asked. A faint cry "I wanna talk to Daddy, Momma!"

"It could be worse, how is everything in Mafia?"

"The town was quickly rebuilt and the human's memories removed, we are now safe and sound in Dallas at our villa, all accounted for and safe…Mabel, go see if Spencer will take you downtown…How's Will?"

Michael let out a heavy sigh and replied, "Not better but not worse."

"Well then it sounds like you are distracted so I will let you go. Oh and tell Izzy if she spends more money at the dance store than any other store I'm going to make Michele buy her clothes"

Michael winced at the threat remembering the last time Michele shopped for Isabelle, "I'll call and tell her, good bye love"

"Be safe love oh and hope everything is going well for you Marrok, Samuel and Charles. Oh and give my regards to young Anna for me please, adios." The line went dead before the three males could respond.

"I have to say Michael," Bran said as Michael put up his phone, "Your mate is certainly special"

Michael nodded and watched as Anna walked back towards them then focused on the metal door. Old he may be but, he wasn't planning on angering Charles, no matter how interesting it would turn out. The perks of being young and in love. Remembering the threat Rebecka made he pulled out his phone and punched in Isabelle's number.

"The joys of being young, eh Michael?" a calm voice called through the metal door, Michael paused looking up from his phone. "And the world at your fingertips. She must feel like a child around them."

"What are you talking about Will?" Michael asked, knowing that the other wolf could hear him.

"Why little Izzy of course. I remember you didn't get anywhere near her as she fought for her life, no matter how many times she called out to you…I wonder if she harbors any ill wishes towards you…witches eh?"

Michael crushed his phone in anger, his wolf howling to be released to attack the man he considered his friend, but the human maintained control as the other wolf continued to talk, "That's why you sent her to me, because you couldn't look at her and know that you were responsible for giving her eternal youth that she didn't even want."

Bran placed a hand on Michael's shoulder, feeling the wolf in the other man claw at the human side's restraint; it wouldn't help anybody if another wolf in Aspen Creek lost control. "Did you know that she had another dream last night? Must have been terrible since she left before eating. You know how she gets, if nobody reminded her she would run herself into the ground."

"Shut up," Michael growled, it was silent behind the door and in front of the door.

"I think it's time to know fully what happened six months ago" Bran said gently leading Michael away from the hotel back to his home.

Isabelle dropped out of the truck and looked at the Marrok's home. Tension and anger seeped out of the house coming from Michael. She grabbed her bags and slowly opened the door, knowing it was pointless to try sneak past werewolves. Isabelle wondered what happened earlier that made Michael angry in the first place. Seeing solemn expression on Michael's face and a bored look on the Marrok's she couldn't help but ask, "So how did you day go?"

"Did you get something to eat?" Michael asked, ignoring her question.

Isabelle flinched slightly, feeling anger rolling off him in waves. Apparently whatever happened early this afternoon was still bugging him. "Yes, I got something at the mall." She shifted her weight debating whether to ask about William or not.

"It's not looking good for William, he continues to fall further into his madness," Bran said tilting his seat back on two legs, reminding her of teenage boys showing off. "It now depends on if Michael wants to do the deed or if he wants Charles or I to do it."

Michael's shoulders tensed up when Bran finished talking. "But," Bran said, noticing the despair in Isabelle's eyes "we will see what happens in several days"

Isabelle slowly nodded and whispered, "I'm going to bed, my sides still hurt."

"We will get Samuel to take a closer look at it tomorrow if they still hurt," Bran said, casting a smile at Isabelle that terrified her more than comforted her. She nodded and walked up the stairs, fighting the urge to run to her room.

Bran watched Isabelle make a retreat away from him and Michael. "You need to work on your smile's more." Michael muttered, not looking up from his now cold coffee. "Izzy has a knack for seeing through fake smiles and stories, even before she was turned into a wolf."

"You can't change the past, what's done is done, you of all wolves should know that," Bran said going back to his small balancing act.

"I know, I know," Michael sighed and stood up, nodding to Bran he walked up the stairs to his own room.

After waiting for several minutes Bran pulled out his cell and dialed his eldest son's number and waited for his son to pick up, "Something wrong Da?" Samuel's voice asked after the first two rings.

"What happened?" Bran asked, knowing that Samuel also knew what he was talking about. He heard a sigh but continued to remain silent waiting for an answer.

"The truth? None of them made me feel as I do whenever she's around me" Samuel said meaning his previous wives. "It's like nothing else matters when she's around, but I don't get it, is she an Omega?"

"Michael though that was the case until she boosted his strength when subduing William, get some sleep Samuel you need to check her ribs tomorrow morning."

"Okay, night Da," the line went dead as Samuel hung up the phone; Bran stood up and stretched before quietly walking up the stairs.

"No es como yo quiero que mis poderes de vuelta,"1 Isabelle's voice whispered Bran paused letting the sound of well practiced Spanish reach him.

"¿De verdad quiere perder la última conexión que tienes a tu madre?"2 a voice asked sounding gargled.

Who would she be talking to at this time of the night? Bran pondered but was curious about Isabelle's statement about her powers.

"No, no pero yo estoy cansado de siempre tener que mirar por encima del hombro de una amenaza invisible que no está allí."3 Isabelle responded she didn't stop talking when she heard Bran stop at her bedroom door. If he understood Spanish then he would know that she wasn't a "witch" but no doubt he would have questions for her.

"¿No somos todos ... usted debe haber estado con el aquelarre no con los hombres lobo" 4

"Es gracias a ellos yo no soy una bruja delirando! Estoy contento con mi vida y no quieres que las brujas para la ruina, incluso si son brujas blancas…I got to go, good night"5 Isabelle hung up her phone before the other person could respond, taking a deep breath and holding it for seven counts before letting out the trapped oxygen. She then turned to the door and opened it, revealing Bran who was leaning against the wall. Without a word he turned and walked back down to the kitchen with Isabelle following like a lost puppy.

"Most werewolves don't remember their transformation since they are unconscious," Isabelle stated as Bran placed a cup of coco in front of her. It was strange seeing the Marrok doing something that was so normal for someone else.

"In some cases they don't even remember being attacked," Bran agreed sitting down in front of her and took a sip of the scalding liquid as he waited like the patient hunter that he was.

"I remember though…I remember every rip and tear as they tossed me back and forth to each other like a jumbo chew toy that they took delight in tearing apart" Isabelle gripped her left shoulder before gripping the mug again, using it to anchor her to the present as she dived into the deep, dark, dangerous pool of her past. "It was the after that I started going in and out of consciousness, I remember Andy hovering over me urging me to fight. Then nothing, no pain, no smells nothing but this bright light that was a candle flame."

The room was dark but somehow Isabelle was able to see the small desk that held two candles, both lit. It looked like they were in a battle of having the grace of lighting the room. Black wax tried to snuff out the flame bore by the soft white candle that retaliated by its wax marring the black wax's wick.

"Three identities cannot live in one body." Isabelle tore her eyes away from the fighting candles and gasped. A man donned in a white robe stared sadly at the fighting candles, "A sacrifice must be made before the body realizes that it's time to go to the Father"

"You're a…" Isabelle trailed off as intense blue eyes stared at her.

"Isabelle Eve Conner, you must choose, be reborn into your new role and start anew. Or choose to keep what is close to you and die"

Isabelle slowly looked at the candles. She walked closer to the candles and was hit with the smell of rotten flesh and blood coming from the black candle but with the smell of death came the promise of power and control. She turned away from the black candle and studied the white candle. A gentle breeze played with stands of her hair, musk and the feel of soft earth beneath wolf paws, the peace the full moon and the stars and the togetherness of a pack.

Isabelle reached up towards her neck and pulled out a thin chain that carried a ring. It was a gift and a curse, a gift from her deceased mother a curse for it labeled and gave off an aura of witch. "I want my daughter to forge her own path and not conform to the paths set before her as a witch," her mother's voice softly whispered through her mind. She looked up towards the angel who smiled sadly at her.

"Our Father will always be there for you no matter what path you take."

Isabelle nodded and took off the chain and set the ring down next to the black candle and gently picked up the white candle, crooning softly as if she was comforting a small puppy. She looked up as the angel waved his hand over the black candle making it disappear. Suddenly the dark room vanished and was replaced with a forest, she looked down and saw that there was black wax still on the candle; ripping off a patch of her shirt she removed any traces of the bloody liquid.

A small yip reached her ears as she turned around she saw a light gray werewolf with ice blue eyes. She was couched down, tail wagging and mouth hanging open in a wolfish grin, a universal sign of play. Isabelle smiled at the were and walked towards the wolf who jumped up and took off stopping every once in a while to make sure that Isabelle was following. Feeling safe she looked back and saw the angel.

Then Andy was calling out to her to wake up.

WWW

Isabelle stared into her cup, a dark reflection staring right back at her with ice blue eyes and not her normal gray green eyes. Bran was silent for several minutes letting the information sink in and as he thought how to respond to her small story.

"So you gave up your witch powers to accept the werewolf within you?" Bran clarified.

"You make it sound like it was a bad thing," Isabelle said as her wolf whispered comforting words like the night she did for her. Glad that she and her wolf actually talked to one another instead of fighting she looked up and saw that the Marrok was studying her.

"On the contrary, you did what anybody would do, you chose life over death," Bran said leaning forward. "Giving up the last connection to your mother must have been hard."

"Not really," Isabelle said looking up, blue eyes flashing before fading back to gray green, "Anna told me what William said to Michael."

Bran remained neutral. "You don't harbor any ill to your foster father".

"No, he felt as if he failed to keep me safe. If given the chance I would do it again. He and his mate kept me from going insane and falling down the path of a black witch." she saw the small tightness of the Marrok's shoulders. So the stories are true Isabelle thought before continuing, "I hated my mother for taking a cowardly way out after my father was killed, Michael and Rebecka were nothing but warm and nice."

Bran smiled and stood up again for the second time that night. "It's time for us to go to bed, Samuel agreed to re-exam your ribs again to make sure nothing is wrong." Isabelle nodded and grabbed Bran's cup before he could and rinsed both cups out and placed them in the washer. When she came back he escorted her up to her room then headed to his. Feeling slightly better for talking about what happened that night she changed into a dark blue tank top and fleece pajama bottoms and crawled in between the soft mattress and the even softer comforter.

WWW

Isabelle exploded into the small building almost slamming into the wall fifteen feet away from the door. It was a small clinic that smelled of antiseptic and bleach.

"Can I help you dear?" a woman who looked around late forty or early fifties asked. She had a warm smile that Isabelle couldn't help but smile back.

"Yes I'm supposed to meet Dr. Cornick, I'm sorta late…"

"Ah Isabelle right on time" Samuel said walking out behind the swinging doors with a smile, "Let's head back and check your ribs."

Isabelle smiled at the woman before following the older werewolf, shedding her heavy coat; her ribs were making themselves heard since she decided to run from Bran's house into town. Aside from the pain she enjoyed the rush of trees blurring together as she used her speed to run into town. Her wolf also enjoyed the change of scenery, feeling the call of the forest after seeing nothing but flat dry land.

Samuel opened a door and stood to the side, letting Isabelle go in first. It looked like an ordinary doctor's office where the patients sat or lied down, "If you can remove your shirt, you can keep the under shirt on, and just lay down for me then we can get the worse part over with." He grinned again as her stomach decided now was the time to remind Isabelle that it wasn't fed this morning. "Then we can get something to eat then visit William."

Isabelle took off her shirt, thankful that she thought of throwing on a light blue camie at the last minute. She set her coat and shirt on a chair then hopped up onto the padded table and hesitated, her wolf strongly protested exposing her stomach for anybody, even if it was her mate. Wait mate? Where did that notion come from? Isabelle thought.

Samuel saw her hesitate then shock rolled off her body. He turned around and fiddled with some papers to give her some time. Dominate enough to protest about exposing her stomach, but there are few if any that had the dominance to feel that threat, he thought excluding Anna since she didn't fall into pack rank like the rest of the wolves.

He heard her take a deep breath then nothing for seven heart beats and a slow exhale. He turned around and saw that she was stiffly lying on her back having an internal fight with her wolf. "I'm going to put some pressure on your ribs, tell me when it hurts." He slowly moved towards Isabelle knowing that moving too fast would result in her wolf taking over and getting Isabelle out of the clinic.

Isabelle nodded, staring intently at the ceiling as Samuel place light pressure then slowly moved up. Closer to the young woman now he smelled black berries and vanilla. He gently pressed again which earned a whimper from Isabelle. That's where she hit the door frame, Samuel frowned. Isabelle closed her eyes, trying to keep her wolf in check. It angered Samuel's wolf that someone hurt what was his.

Samuel's eyes widened, hearing his wolf claim Isabelle as his, then pain filled his heart knowing that she wouldn't accept an old wolf as her mate.

Isabelle stopped arguing with her wolf when she sensed pain coming from Samuel. She opened her eyes and saw the pain carefully tucked away behind a stoic mask. He moved away and her wolf cried at losing his touch. What the heck is wrong with you? Isabelle demanded to her wolf though she already knew the answer: her wolf wanted Samuel. She glanced at a mirror that was hanging in the room and saw that her eyes were ice blue again.

"There is some bruising where you hit the door frame the other day, so it will go away by this evening unless you do something that involves you flying into steel door frames again" Samuel said his back still facing Isabelle.

"So all I have to do it make sure I don't take any unplanned flights, sounds plausible to me" Isabelle said trying to make the heavy atmosphere disappear.

Samuel turned around and smiled "Sounds like a plan, now how about we get something to eat?"

Well now…this is turning into something interesting ;) anyways this is a little bit longer than my first chapter, now for the people out there that are reading this and wondering "Where the heck is Leah?" don't worry she makes an appearance in the next chapter. So yea, oh and at the beginning of the chapter it's just something to let you know what I was listening to the most when I was working on this chapter. I listened to other songs but I kept going back to Gravity, such a sad but sweet song.

P.S. if there are any fluent Spanish speakers out there, if I messed up on anything please let me know so I can fix it, only one good year of Spanish AP class, so here are the basic translation for anybody who doesn't know Spanish :)

Translations:
1"It's not like I want my powers back"
2"Do you really want to lose the last connection that you have to your mother?"
3"No I don't but I'm tired of constantly having to look over my shoulder for an invisible threat that isn't even there."
4"Aren't we all…you should have been in the coven not with the werewolves"
5"It's because of them I'm not a raving witch! I am happy with my life and I don't want any witches to ruin it, even if they are white witches…"

Don't forget to R&R!