Ari breathed a small sigh of relief when she saw me enter the living room before the smile turned into a frown when she saw Isen behind me, even though I wasn't able to see him. "What's going on?" she asked and looked at him before she looked at me, furrowing her brows.

"Isen was checking in on me and then got mad at me because I did not like him bugging me," I said. I rolled my eyes and scowled, pressing my lips into a thin line. "Apparently, me ignoring him isn't good enough for him to go away..." I lifted my chin just a tad, and I knew that it looked weird because I was talking to "thin air," even though I knew Ari could see him.

Ari looked behind me, and a small smile appeared on her face before she looked at me again. "He says that he will not leave until he gets a straight answer from you about something. He's folding his arms across his chest and pouting, but a smile seems to be wanting to take over that pout."

I rolled my eyes and scowled. "Of course he is," I grumbled while I started to walk over to my mate, who was sitting on the couch with an open spot beside him. "Are you able to see him?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I looked at my mate. "Or is it just Ari this time?"

"Well, Ari and me," Ethan said, and I paused and looked at him, pressing my lips into a thin line. He bit back a small smile and tucked his head closer to his chest while I stared at him. "I can see and hear him, so Ari isn't alone in this."

"While I am not able to see or hear him," Lorcian said and patted the seat beside him with a small shake of his head, and I looked at him. "Now, come here, Jo. How are you feeling?" He cocked his head and stared at me with a concerned look on his face, and his brows were furrowed. "Are you feeling better?"

I bit back a small sigh and slowly nodded, pressing my lips into a thin line. "I'm fine," I said while I glanced at Ethan, and Ethan looked at Isen before he looked at me, and he frowned and looked very unconvinced. "I am, Ethan," I said and narrowed my eyes with a small scowl on my face. "I am fine."

Ethan shook his head and bit back a small sigh. "I do not believe you, Jo, and neither does Isen." He gestured toward Isen, and I rolled my eyes and bit the inside of my lip, not saying a word.

My Second sighed and cocked his head while he studied me, raising an eyebrow in question and worry flashed through his eyes. "Does this have to do with you leaving the dirty dishes on the table after dinner, or... is it something else?"

I bit back an annoyed sigh and shook my head, moving a hand through my hair and across my face. "Did you have to bring that up?" I grumbled, and Ethan bit back a small smile and shrugged.

"Yes," he said and nodded in confirmation. "Now, go ahead and go to your mate, Jo. Isen, go ahead and show yourself to everyone and not just Ari and I. I do not know why you are only showing yourself to us, but I think it would be for the best that everyone sees you while we talk."

"Leave him be," I said while I walked the rest of the way over to my mate and sat down beside him, closing my eyes just a tad while my mate pulled me into his arms and placed a small kiss on my forehead. "If he wants to be a pain in the butt, then let him be a pain in the butt."

"Hey, now," Isen whined, appearing in front of us. He folded his arms across his chest and pouted, but there was an amused look in his eyes while he stared at me. "Why are you being mean to me?"

"I am not," I said and shook my head. "Why do you think that I am?" I raised an eyebrow in question while I cocked my head and stared at him.

Isen shrugged, and his pout seemed to grow deeper. "Because you are, Jo," he said with a small sniffle, and he wiped a fake tear away from his eyes, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and set my jaw. "So I am wondering why you are."

I shook my head and bit back an annoyed sigh before I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Do you want me to call Anastasia and tell her that you are being annoying?"

"No," Isen said and shook his head. He walked over to a chair and sat down with a small groan and sprawled his legs out in front of him. "I am still going to bug you even if you don't want me to, Jo Jo." He winked, teasingly, and I held back an eye roll while I pressed my lips into a thin line because I knew that he would continue to bug me.

"Why are you here anyway, Isen?" Lorcian asked and raised an eyebrow in question, pulling me closer to him. "Were you checking on Jo?"

"Yes," Isen said and nodded in confirmation. "I was making sure that she was good and settling in nicely." He cocked his head while he stared at me with wide innocent eyes. "So, are you settling in nicely?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

I bit back an annoyed sigh and moved a hand through my hair, pursing my lips in annoyance. "I am," I said and nodded in confirmation before I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. "How's Anastasia?" I asked, changing the subject while I cocked my head and studied him with a small frown on my face. "Is she ok?"

Isen bit back a small grimace and shrugged, growing serious. "They will be leaving the castle to go to the pack soon," he said. "Anastasia is getting mentally prepared to go to the pack, and I can not help but be a little worried about her."

I slowly nodded and pressed my lips into a thin line because I was worried about her as well. "Hopefully there will be no more children until they decide that they want to do this and be together," I grumbled while I folded my arms across my chest and pressed my lips into a thin line. "And for her to get marked by him if she wants to be."

"Well, that is the plan," Isen said and nodded. He bit back a small sigh and shook his head, moving a hand through his blonde hair. "However, there is still a chance that she will not be able to have more kids, especially since she has my blood coursing through her veins. Hell, her having Alexandria was a miracle in itself."

I cleared my throat and shifted on my seat, and my heart started to ache and became filled with pain while I looked at him, not knowing what to say or what to do and prayed that my cousin would stay safe.

Isen bit back a small sigh and moved a hand through his hair, his blonde hair sticking up ever so slightly. "I can keep you updated on her well-being, if you would like," he said, softly, offering me a tight smile while he raised an eyebrow in question.

Oh thank Goddess...

"Please," I said and nodded, breathing a small sigh of relief, grateful that he would do that for me. I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. "Do you even know how she set up a mental block so that I can't hear anything from her or her wolf?" I asked and cocked my head to the side while I studied him, asking him a question that I had been meaning to ask him but never had the chance to do it.

Isen's smile grew sadder, and he shook his head. "Unfortunately, I do not," he said apologetically. "I am still able to go into her mind and hear and read what she is thinking," he said before he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. "I can ask her and then try to figure it out if you would like."

I hesitated and shook my head, my heart aching and becoming filled with pain and grief because I knew that it wouldn't be a good idea to do it. "Unfortunately, I do not think that will be a good idea, Isen," I said, saying what I was thinking out loud. "I would like to know everything that is happening and have it changed until I can hear her, but..." I shrugged and grimaced, feeling guilty, even though I hadn't done anything yet.

Isen bit back a sad smile and slowly nodded as if he knew what I was thinking. "I understand," he said. He cleared his throat, and his eyes flashed to a different color and a small frown appeared on his face. "Welp, my mom and beloved are yelling at me to come home so that is what I am going to do before I get my ass handed to me. Bye."

And with that, he disappeared into thin air, not letting us say another word.

Oh, Goddess help him...