ISABELLA

SEBASTIAN

I wasn’t expecting the serum to actually work. I stayed these three days at the castle with Mother and with Isabella. Her name was Isabella and her beauty was out of this world. She was the sweetest melody in my eyes and ears and it lost me in her charm. During all this time, she hasn’t spoken to me, only fleeting glances here and there. I just loved the way her cheeks colored in pink every time she caught me staring at her.

What I felt for her was not love, but pure desire. I knew it sounded rough, but I didn’t mean to dishonor her. True love is the unity of two soulmates and as far as I was concerned, as an Alpha, Bella was not my mate. But she was someone very enjoyable, lovely to look at. I just wished she were more talkative. She was silent and when she was around me; she was as shy as a flower that closes itself at night.

One evening, Mother was in the kitchen giving orders for dinner. She asked me to go get Isabella down to the dining table. That was the biggest mistake ever. Just one glance at her enormous eyes, like candles sparkling in the night, and all went wild. I surprised her dressed in a white, almost transparent fabric that was covering…well just about nothing. 

Her full breasts gently pierced the fabric. My eyes traveled to them, admiring all of their lavishness. It was a view to kill for. The garment hugged her delicate figure flawlessly. My imagination ran wild, thinking how responsive they might be under my daring touch.

I didn’t linger too much there, and I raised my gaze to her half-parted lips, biting them slowly enough for me to spot a little teasing smile on her perfect face. Oh, don’t you go there Bella! Don’t!

Wrapping my arms around her waist, I pulled her close to me, feeling the heat of her body against mine. She was delicate, like an angel’s feather yet strong as a wolf. Sparks of passion burst from her eyes and practically she was inviting me to feast on her.

But I stopped. This wasn’t doing me any justice. I wouldn't harm defenseless women, even if they were wolves. And especially for not being my mate, but the desire between us was tangible.

“Dinner is ready. Mother wants us to join her,” I said to her in a strangled, muffled voice.

I hated myself right there for how much I wanted her. My wolf was restless, but I could control it. Only around a Luna, he became uncontrollable, but what I was feeling was lust. Lust might be fun, but it's pointless without love. It consumed one inwardly and leaves only ashes, then a breeze carries them to unrecoverable places..

What was the purpose? I asked my sinful conscience again.

“Then we should not let her wait!” Her melodious voice was soft as a cloud. I was still close to her body, my nostrils still sniffing her vanilla scent that went straight to my brain. I found myself captivated once more, this time by a simple, everyday scent. The corner of my mouth rose into a meaningful smile, right when all of my pores took her in, and I was getting hard in places where lust jiggles freely. I had to push Bella away from me, or I was going to make her mine right there glued to that wall.

"I'll wait downstairs," I said, wanting to leave quickly. 

She nodded briefly, and I was on my way, still baffled by her beauty. Mother was already at the table when I came down, contemplative, and lost in some distant thoughts. Father’s death must still affect her. Her gown was like the one I remember in childhood, but her smile was not. Now it was bitter, meaningless, and ghostly. 

I seriously thought about taking her to work with me at the company. Staying here would only make her feel worse. Under my wings, I could keep an eye on her. I just loved those wrinkles that time left over her gentle face, but she remained fragile and my duty was to protect her. Moreover, I promised Vicky before she left the pack that I would take care of her at any price, even my life.

“Welcome my son, come and join me for dinner!” she said.

Raising a hand, she pointed to a chair near her for me to sit on. I obeyed, sustaining her fatigued gaze, marked by the ages that had passed over her. But with all of this, she was still a strong woman, capable of maintaining order in the pack while I was at the company. 

In my future plans, I intended to go beyond the reality of the castle, and actually, it was about time to set them in motion. I took advantage that Bella was still not with us to have an open conversation with her.

“Mother, I have a proposition to make, and I want you to listen carefully. I don’t need an answer right now, but soon, it will be fine.” 

As I exposed my reasons, Mother’s eyes got bigger in bewilderment, just like she was expecting every one of my moves. Still, I had a long way to convince her that my decision would be for the best, and in our interest.

“I am listening, son…” she whispered, cautiously sipping from her soup with a grace I only saw in her. “But make it quick, please, I am so tired and I just want to retire to my chambers to get some rest,” 

I could feel she was a little eager to listen to me, and at the same time, she avoided my gaze characteristically when she felt that something was not quite right.

“Ok, fair enough; I want you to work with me at the company and also move in with me to Bellingham,” I said in one breath.

This felt like a bomb in Mother’s ears, as I knew she did not like detours. “And I will not take no for an answer.” I continued in the same tone.

And it was like she fell into a trance, speechless, motionless, and breathless. She was still in the room, but only physically. Her mouth was half-opened and a small vein struggled at her temple. Her consternation got the best of her and after she tried to muffle something, she lowered in her chair as if she got defeated. Finally, when maybe the shock passed, she spoke.

“You want me to work at GenetiX Inc.? And have you thought about what I would do there? Holding the tubes, maybe?” She mocked me and I smiled involuntarily. “No way are you going to lock me into an immense building with enormous windows, watching all day your fellow doctors rocket science and smell those chemical syringes with liquids never tested before!” Mother muttered in one breath holding up my eyes as defying them. 

And just when I thought I had the answers to everything, the nymph came, with her swaying slow walk as if seductive, trying to trap me again in those nets impossible to break free. Or just maybe I didn’t want to.

“This conversation is not over yet, Mother!” I whispered almost to her ear as I was rising from the chair, towering over this fragile being and inviting her to join us.