Page 25 of Polar Destiny
"I couldn't help it," Torben defends himself. "My bear tookover."
"You should have more control than that," Bertrand snarls. "You're an alpha, for heaven's sake! If you know you don't have enough control, don't get yourself into a situation like that." He pauses and I begin to think that he's done, but then he goes on again, rage colouring his voice. "And you, you shouldn't have left them alone. I know he's your alpha, but sometimes we make mistakes too. It's your responsibility to tell him when he's wrong. He may have messed up the poor girl's future, but you're all toblame."
I should probably be more affected by this, but all I can think of is that a panda is telling off a polar bear. I giggle and the men's voices go quiet. A moment later, a door opens down thecorridor.
"Isla? Are youawake?"
It's Torben. And he sounds very remorseful. Not to say,embarrassed.
"What did you do?" I ask, still in thedark.
"Look into the mirror," he says sadly and my heart sinks. This can't begood.
I go back into the bedroom, followed by Torben like a downtrodden cub. There's a mirror over the cupboard. Steeling myself, I look at myself and - what thefuck.
"What the fuck did you do to me?" I shout at Torben, pointing at my now bright blue eyes. "How did you change my fucking eyecolour?"
He doesn't even try to defend himself, he just stares at me with a strangelook.
"What?!"
"Yourhands."
I hold them up to my face and... this is a dream. I'm hallucinating. I'm definitely not seeing claws where my fingernails were a moment ago. Claws just like Torben's when he's in his bear form. And blue eyes just likehis.
No, this isn't happening. I refuse to acceptit.
"I'm not turning into one of you, forget it!" I yell, hiding my hands behind my back. If I can't see it, it doesn't exist. But the claws biting into my palms tell a differentstory.
"You're not." I look up at that. If not that, what is happening to me? But his grim expression is not goodnews.
"The effect was only ever supposed to be a mental bond, not a physical one..." He wrings his hands and I growl in frustration at his stalling. "I wasn't sure yet if we were ready for the bond to actually happen, so I didn't stopyou-"
"Wait, you're putting this on me?" I can't believeit.
"No...But..."
Torben the alpha has disappeared, leaving a scared young man behind who knows he's done something wrong. And I hate seeing him like that. But I hate even more that I have changed and I still don't know intowhat.
I hold my clawed hands out tohim.
"Get rid ofthem."
"Ican't."
"You made me have them, make them goaway."
Tears are pooling in my eyes and I try and blink them away. I can't fall apart now, not in front ofhim.
"I'm so sorry," he says quietly, drawing a hand through his hair. "This shouldn't have happened. But I will make it up to you, I swear Iwill."
I stop him with a single look of pure fury. I amlivid.
"Just tell me one thing. Did you know this couldhappen?"
He swallows hard, but saysnothing.
A tear runs down my cheek. I thought I was safe with them. I trusted them. Trusted him. But I was wrong. I should have learned from the past. Trust isdangerous.
