CHAPTER 15

Adrian's POV

"Isla!"

"The wolf... who could it have been?" I couldn’t get the image of the breathtaking white wolf out of my head. And what gnawed at me was that the mysterious she-wolf... there was something about her, something familiar. It's like I have known her my entire life. The way she moved, the scent... No!

Impossible. I shook my head, trying to get her out of my mind. It wasn't even a day, and I was thinking about someone else!

Elara was my mate. There couldn’t be anyone else.

Yet, the moment I woke up, my mind was heavy with thoughts of Isla, of all people.

"Isla! I will make you pay!" I reminded myself, preparing for the training grounds. I knew she would be there on her first day as a senior pack member. And I swore to make it hell for her.

But she was not there... She was late! My blood boiled at the thought that not only the girl was shameless, but she was also undisciplined. But despite that, I kept looking for her and when she didn't show up until 10 in the morning, my frustration blurred into worry.

I shook my head, feeling this impossible thing. Worry about her! Why would I ever care for someone like her?

"She has no discipline. No sense of responsibility." I repeated in my head, trying to rationalize this growing frustration inside me. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t just an annoyance that I felt for her. It was the way my pulse raced when I thought of her. When did I start caring? It irritated me even more.

It doesn’t make sense. I hate her. She’s everything wrong in my life, a reminder of Elara’s death. And yet... I wanted to see her, wanted to make things hard for her today. To remind myself and her exactly where we stood.

When she finally stumbled onto the training ground, I just knew she was here. I saw her trying to blend into the crowd, looking small and fragile in her oversized gear. But she couldn’t hide from me.

"She gets craftier!" I hissed, seeing red. She doesn’t deserve to be here. But this gives me a perfect opportunity to start my sweet revenge.

I stormed toward her. “Isla!” Her name left my lips like a curse, sharp and bitter. I wanted her to feel my anger, my confusion, all the emotions I couldn’t understand.

“Late on the first day? It seems you have no respect for anyone here.” I spat the words at her, daring her to offer some pathetic excuse.

And she did. Something about staying up late, as if that justified anything. I scoffed, letting the venom drip into my words.

“Why? What could possibly keep you awake? Were you up late mourning your sister’s death? Everyone knows how much you care about Elara.”

No! No! No! I regretted it the second it came out, and it bothered me how she flinched. For a second, I wondered if I was wrong, if she was really not the monster I thought she was. But it vanished when she made another excuse.

I was already too far gone, consumed by my own fury. I needed to get it out. I needed her to suffer. I needed her to feel as lost as I did.

I could see her tremble, but it wasn’t enough. Not for me. “Since you are late, I will be your sparring partner,” I declared, knowing full well what I was doing.

She was no match for me, and she knew it. But I didn’t care. I was in charge today, and I would never miss this chance.

Isla’s POV

Every nerve in my body screamed at me to run. But my feet stayed frozen, glued to the spot as I stared into Adrian’s stormy gaze. His eyes felt like a force, pulling every bit of courage I had left out of me, leaving me trembling in front of everyone on the training grounds.

"She is going to die!"

"She deserves this!"

The whispers from my classmates didn’t help. They felt like daggers in my back, slicing into me. I wanted to disappear, to be anywhere but here.

"Don't give them what they want! We have to survive this," I told myself. My hands trembled at my sides, my pulse pounding so loudly in my ears. And I was sure my enemy, my mate, Adrian, heard it too.

I tucked an anti-wolf spray into my pocket, just in case. Well, I have made this from herbs and plants from the woods and have been carrying them since I was twelve. After all, I couldn't shift and I had to be careful. And today, it just might save my life. My legs felt like jelly as I stepped onto the training mat, my heart pounding in my chest. Why him?

He stepped closer, his voice sharp as a blade, his eyes boring into mine. “Attack first,” he commanded, a cruel smile tugging at his lips. “I will defend.” He said that as if challenging me.

Adrian was the best. Strongest. Fastest. And me? I was... what? An eighteen-year-old girl who had barely shifted for the first time. I had no chance.

He was leagues above me in strength, in everything. But as I stood there, panic creeping into my bones, something stirred inside me. My wolf believed in me, and I believed in her.

"I am here with you," she whispered, her presence soothing the storm of my thoughts.

I swallowed hard, my hands shaking. But I shifted my stance, preparing to strike. My wolf urged me on, guiding my movements. I was not sure how and what happened, but before I knew it, I was moving faster than ever. My body felt lighter, quicker.

But he was better at everything.

But I was also relentless.

 I launched my first strike with a speed and grace I hadn’t expected. My limbs flowed like water, faster than I ever thought possible. I nearly hit Adrian. I almost got him.

I threw a punch, aiming for his chest, but Adrian blocked it with ease. There was a flicker of surprise in his eyes like he hadn’t expected this. Well, I hadn't either. That tiny sliver of hope gave me the courage to keep going, to try again. I almost landed another hit, but he dodged at the last second, his movements impossibly fluid.

“Did you see that? How is she so strong? So fast?”

“Isla’s actually keeping up with him. Is this for real?”

“Definitely she is using enhancements or drugs.”

The whispers around us grew louder. A few were surprised, and a few were already going ahead to see the bad in me like always.

Their voices barely registered. All I could focus on was the fact that no matter how much I had improved, it was never enough. Not when my opponent was Adrian. My muscles were burning, and my lungs screaming for air.

Adrian shifted his weight as if preparing for a strike. He chuckled as if warning me that he was done playing defense. His body coiled like a spring, ready to attack. I barely had time to react as he moved, closing the distance between us in the blink of an eye. His fist came hurtling toward my midsection.

I closed my eyes. I knew I wouldn’t be fast enough to block it.

Just as I braced for the impact, a voice cut through the air, sharp and commanding.

“Stop!” the command echoed, cutting through the tension like a knife.

I gasped, stumbling back, my heart racing, my eyes fixed on Adrian as he panted, his eyes blazing with something unreadable.

The combat instructor, the lead warrior of our pack, Theo, strode onto the field, his presence bringing some much needed relief for me. My limbs shook from the adrenaline, my breath coming in quick, shallow gasps. The crowd went silent, and Adrian froze mid-strike, his body still humming with pent-up rage.

Theo's eyes flickered between us, sensing the tension between us. “Is this how you instruct, Adrian?”