When Luke kept harassing me, I decided to meet with Jimuel, and we talked about Luke. I also informed him about my plan to leave Pembroke temporarily. He was startled at my decision, and furrowed his brow.
"I am leaving Pembroke, Jim," I confessed. Jim had always been kind to me since the day we met, and I believed he deserved to know the truth.
"I know," he said. "You don't have to tell me all the details, but I can see through you, Isabella. You're quite transparent, you know. What are your plans? Any ideas?"

"To be honest, I don't know yet. I want to leave as soon as possible, but I am worried about my parents.”
“Why don’t you just accept his proposal to become his Luna? It would be great to rise to a powerful position,” he said.
"No way," I said, without elaborating on the reasons why I couldn't return to my family.
"In that case, why don't you stay at my place for now?" he offered.
"Where?"
"It's in a quiet suburban area, and Luke doesn't know about it. You will be safe there," he explained.

"Are you serious?"
"I am serious," he said calmly, and when I looked at him, I wished he was like a brother to me. Jim had always been caring towards me, and despite his close relationship with Luke, he never brought up the issue. Not even once!
"Then, I will forever be grateful to you, Jim," I said, and he held my hands for a few seconds, giving them a reassuring squeeze. It made me feel safe and protected.
"I wish I had a brother like you, Jim," I voiced my inner thoughts, and I couldn't help but imagine having him as my brother. Surely, my father wouldn't be able to hurt me. My brother would protect me at all costs, right?

"Same thoughts, Isabella. Anyway, if you've decided to live in my humble abode, we should leave immediately. I don't know what's going on between you and Luke, but it seems like he's obsessed with you," he stated, stating a fact.
"Leaving immediately? When?" I asked, shocked by the suddenness of it all.
"In an hour," he announced, and I gasped in disbelief.
A few moments later, I found myself standing in front of a modest cottage, amazed by the cozy furnishings. It reminded me of the ones we had back home, and suddenly, memories of happy moments with my father flooded my mind.
Unfortunately, it was in a completely different location than I was used to. From the outside, Jim's house looked impressive. It was made of sturdy cypress wood and adorned with beautiful poplar wood. The tall, wide windows added to its overall charm.
But when I entered, I was shocked to see Luke standing there with his hands in his pocket as if he was waiting for me.Where was Jim? I looked around, searching for any sign of him, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Have you seen Jim?" I asked, but Luke seemed to miss the question.
“Why are you looking for Jim in my house?” he asked and my eyes widened in disbelief that Jim tricked me into meeting Luke.
“Your house? I thought this is Jim’s place!”
“It’s not. I talked to Jim to trick you.”
“And you are proud of it?”
“Why not? I think you need your clothes now. Go to our room and change,” he ordered, but he followed me into the bedroom and began undressing before I could even put on my stretchy sleeveless romper.
Luke handed me his shirt without hesitation, and I was surprised by his lack of reservations. I still wasn't used to seeing his bare upper body in broad daylight, so I quickly turned away to avoid staring at him.
"Luke, put it on!" I commanded, but he just chuckled at my silly remark and pulled me closer to him before I could object. "Are you sane, or what?" I questioned his motives when he grabbed my wrist, but I couldn't resist his charms.
I always found myself drawn to him. As soon as we entered the bathroom, he closed the door and undressed. I couldn't help but gasp in surprise as the water came crashing down on us.
"You'll need to remove these before you can take a bath." After he finished undressing me, we stood under the shower and kissed. We both stared at each other in disbelief as he whispered, "I've imagined us doing this in the shower over and over again."
In response, I pinched his side, and upon his reaction, I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a passionate kiss. "You and your naughty thoughts."
"You're right," he said.
I couldn't help but smile as he kissed me back. After a few seconds, I realized that he had something else on his mind. "We don't have time for this," I told him. The look on his face made me pucker my lips before nodding. "Fine, but just once, okay?" I asked, questioning if it was appropriate to do it in the bathroom.
"Why not? We'll just do it standing up," he suggested.
Even though I didn't like men who asked before making love, the thought of his hardness inside me made my heart flutter with desire. Making love was all that mattered, and we forgot about our promise to only do it once. Once wasn't enough, and we both craved more.
The exhaustion I felt after a few rounds of lovemaking convinced me that he felt the same way. His stamina seemed endless it didn't even tire him out. After he carried me to his bed, he whispered, "Promises are made to be broken."
“Where are you going? You tricked me to come here and yet you are leaving me alone here,” I complained.
Before I could protest, he was gone. I lay there, waiting for his return, but instead, the door swung open and a fierce, beautiful woman entered. She stared at me with anger in her eyes, and before I could react, her hand came crashing down on my face. I yelped in pain, holding my cheek where she had struck me.
Confusion and fear filled my mind as I tried to comprehend the situation. Who was this woman, and why was she so furious? I glanced around, searching for Luke, but he was nowhere to be found. Panic started to rise within me.
The woman's expression turned even more menacing as she lunged towards me. In an instant, she transformed into a large, white wolf, her fangs bared and ready to attack. I screamed for help, my voice echoing through the room, but it seemed as though nobody could hear me.
As the wolf closed in on me, ready to strike, a sudden burst of movement caught my attention. Jim, my dear friend, appeared out of nowhere, standing between me and the ferocious creature. He bravely faced the wolf, his eyes filled with determination.
"Stop!" Jim commanded, his voice filled with authority. "Leave Isabella alone!"
To my surprise, the wolf hesitated, its gaze shifting between Jim and me. There was a moment of tense silence before the wolf slowly backed away, retreating towards the door. It seemed as though Jim's presence had somehow diffused the situation.
Once the wolf had disappeared, Jim turned to me with concern in his eyes. He rushed to my side, checking if I was hurt. I could feel his genuine care and protection, and it brought a sense of relief amidst the chaos.
"Are you alright, Isabella?" Jim asked, his voice filled with worry.
I nodded, still in shock from the encounter. "Thank you, Jim. You saved me."
He gave me a reassuring smile. "I will always protect you, Isabella. You're like family to me."
Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized the depth of Jim's friendship and support. In that moment, I felt a sense of gratitude and comfort knowing that I had someone like him by my side.
As we stood there, trying to process what had just happened, Jim suggested that we leave immediately. He explained that it wasn't safe for us to stay any longer. I trusted his judgment and agreed to follow him.
Within a short time, we found ourselves outside, standing in front of Jim's car. I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions—relief, fear, and uncertainty. But above all, I felt a sense of gratitude towards Jim for his unwavering support and protection.
As we drove away from that place, leaving behind the chaos and danger, I couldn't help but wonder what the future held for me. But with Jim by my side, I knew that I had someone I could rely on, someone who would always be there for me.
In that moment, I made a silent promise to myself. I would face whatever challenges lay ahead with courage and determination. And with Jim's friendship and support, I knew that I had the strength to overcome any obstacle that came my way.
“Jim, what about Luke?” I asked.
“Luke? What are you talking about, Isabella? Were you dreaming of him again?”
Dreaming? Was I just dreaming?
“What’s with your expression, Isabella? I was just kidding! Luke was waiting for us somewhere else.”
“What about the wolf earlier? How did it know I was there at the house?”
Jim shrugged his shoulders because he also didn’t know, but then, why should I be surprised? Since I was favored by the Moon Goddess, there were several groups who wanted to kill me. Fortunately, Jim came on time.
He delivered me to another place, and he was telling the truth. Luke was waiting for me. Jim informed Luke about what happened in the cottage, and Luke clenched his jaw in anger. Well, he was really mad.
“It was probably Aric,” he mumbled.
“Or Isabella,” I added.
“That’s why I scolded Jim for suggesting going to that place! You know you are in danger Isabella, and yet you keep on going to places as if you don’t care about your own life!” He scolded me, but when I cried in front of him, he immediately changed his tone.
Should I start depending on him?
The following day, when he tried to flatter me with fancy words, I just rolled my eyes. Did he really think that would impress me? As if I would fall for his charm again. When I couldn't find the right words to put him in his place.
"Stop staring at me, or you'll fall for me again."
He grinned and placed some bite-sized steak on my plate. He replied, "I already did."
To avoid getting too caught up in the moment, I chewed my food slowly and thoroughly. After wiping my mouth with a napkin, I stood up and declared, "I'm done."
"Behave and take a seat!" he commanded, reminding me of my supposed impoliteness. "It's rude to leave while I'm still eating."
I stared at him in disbelief for a few seconds. "Do you mean rude?" I sarcastically laughed and furrowed my brow at him. If he didn't want to hear an earful, he shouldn't lecture me about being impolite. With that, I stormed out of the dining room.
Everything was his fault!
I glared at the door when I heard a knock, knowing it was Luke outside. After a moment of hesitation, I secured my hair into a ponytail and made my way to the door.
"Hello," he said when I opened the door.
I scowled and narrowed my eyes at him, even though he smelled really good! I wished he would take a few steps back because his familiar scent overwhelmed my senses, which was unsettling. "What do you want to say?" I questioned.
"I thought you were tired, Isabella, so I'm not sure why you're wearing makeup," he said.
I informed him, "Well, I'm glad you came to see me now because I have something to tell you."