Chapter 4

B: As he talked, she listened. She saw he had made tea and smiled as he set the mug down. She picked it up and drank from it slowly. When he mentioned her past, she stiffened a little but knew she must tell him since he did save her life. "Well, my dream was of my parents telling me to not give up on hunting demons. I mean that is the baseline of it." She said as she looked at Isaac. "As for how my mother and father passed..."She trailed off looking at her tea.

"It's was several years ago. My father and mother always took Seth and I out to our cabin for a small family getaway each season. It was starting to turn into autumn and the leaves were just beginning to change. Seth and I were excited to go up and be away from our training for the whole weekend. We got there and settled in and went out to gather firewood to have a small outside fire for the night. As Seth and I neared the house again we heard my mother scream and a thud on the ground." She paused for a moment and wiped tears away.

"I took off to find my mother with Seth slightly behind me. I saw the scene first. My father was torn to pieces and the werewolf was still ripping my mother apart. We were not sure if he was a loner or a pack wolf. I wanted to fight it, but Seth pushed us into the house and dragged me down to the hidden cellar with all the weapons. We hid down there for several hours. That's when Blane found us. At the time Blane was nothing more than a friend of my parents, but now he is like an uncle to Seth and I. Seeing what that wolf did to my parents changed something inside of me. I wanted nothing to do with this life...Until now." She finished her story and wiped away more tears and finished off her tea. She looked at Isaac with sad green eyes.

"I want you to train me to be good at fighting again." She said softly.

I: Isaac listened thoughtfully. He knew that everyone had a story, but he had no idea that Jess was battling such a horrific scene. When the story was over, he really had no words. He had been a real jerk to her, only seeing Jess as a weak run-away who hid from her true calling in the mundane world. Possibly it was laziness or wanting to simply be free of their duty to slaughter demons and make the world a better place. None of that was true. Jess was terrified of what she had seen, and it was people like Isaac who made her feel low because what she suffered was not a good enough excuse to quit. Isaac had no right to judge her.

She asked for him to train her, and he inhaled deeply and released a calm breath. He turned from her and swiped his mug and drank a deep warm gulp of it before answering her. "I was, insensitive." He attempted to apologize. "I had no idea you and Seth...well. That is the past. However, not a lot of Shadow Hunters can say they have suffered a fate such as yours and Seth's. I cannot allow you to be treated like you did something wrong. I do believe in second chances, so consider yourself lucky. Training will begin tomorrow. I will let the Institute know that you are back in, and that should save both you and Seth."

Isaac stood up and folded his arms. He peered down at her with seriousness on his face. "Tomorrow when training begins, there will be no more chances Jess so prepare yourself. That Werewolf that killed your Parents was horrific, terrifying, but remember how you felt? Scared, Alone." He walked closer to her and knelt on one knee and gently placed a hand on her leg for comfort. "Remember that feeling you had with Seth as it killed your parents? That feeling is what other mundanes will feel, what other hunters may feel if we don't save them. You must find the strength to go on. After tonight, I won't play nicely with you. I can't be nice, unless I want you to fail."

Isaac then stood to his feet and he gently grabbed her arms and stood her up. He held her at arm's length, but he could feel that she was much better than before. He looked into her eyes with a determined glance. "You have to listen to everything I say and do what I ask. Don't question it, or by the time you get an answer it will cost your life. I have sacrificed enough saving you and not turning you over, so don't make me regret it." He then gently placed a hand to her waist and pulled her closer to him. As he looked down at her, his eyes darkened with evil and there was a chill in his voice as he used his height to intimidate her. "If you dare to betray me Jess, I won't forgive you." He said the words but inside his heart he simply wanted to scare her. If he scared her enough, then maybe she won't leave to go back to the mundane world, and he will be able to protect her, and keep her safe.

"I will protect you Jess. But I need to be able to trust you." he gently pressed his forehead to hers and sighed. "Get some more rest." he instructed with a soft voice, and he released her. He probably would have kissed her, but he didn't want to scare her.

"Sleep in the bed. This home is yours until training is over. Fresh clothes in the closet, I'm sure you can find something suitable."

Isaac pointed to the corner of the simple loft to where his bed was, the covers thrown across it as if someone had slept in it. There was a closet beside it full of women's clothing and weapons. he never mentioned who the clothing belonged to, but it was enough for Jess to choose a good outfit.

Isaac sighed deeply as he slouched on the sofa, and he reached to his t-shirt and pulled it off of his body. The cold air touched his bare chest, the rune tattoos on his skin blended with the darkness. Isaac stretched out on the sofa, one arm behind his head.

He had to remain awake to watch over her and be sure she survived, and also be sure she didn't run away. Now he was exhausted, and he needed sleep. He closed his eyes to rest, but he was still listening to her shuffle around.