CHAPTER 17

Isla's POV

Perhaps today was the most nerve-wracking combat class in the history of the Black Mountain pack. Because the drama won't get over. I could still feel every pair of eyes on the ground locked on me, waiting for me to screw up, fall apart, or do something wrong so that they could get an excuse to belittle me again.

But it was Adrian who had my concern. His eyes followed me like a hawk, sharp and unrelenting. I could feel the weight of his attention pressing down on me, making it harder to breathe.

Stefan caught up to me as I tried to shake off the eerie feeling to ensure I was still in one piece. Before I could say anything, Lucas walked over, grinning like we were old friends.

"You have got some history with the pretty alpha boy, huh?" He winked at me, and his golden eyes playful.

I rolled my eyes, not wanting to explain anything.

Stefan, being Stefan, jumped in and sighed. "Lucas, don’t be nosy." He had always been protective of me like I was some fragile doll.

Before I could respond, Betty, one of Elara’s little followers, strolled over with that signature sneer of hers. Honestly, she was the last person I wanted to see right now. Her eyes locked on Lucas as if she was his well-wisher.

"Don't you know she caused her sister's death? Elara, our future Luna." she meddled, her voice dripping with venom.

Lucas's eyes widened, surprised by her words. But he didn't leave or respond to her.

I scoffed, but inside, my stomach churned. Betty had always been a bully. But today, she took it far. Maybe she felt jealous seeing Lucas talking to me. It wouldn’t be the first time one of Elara’s followers has tried to oppress me for breathing. But this? This was a new law, even for her.

Before I could even feel the need to correct her, Stefan stepped in again for me. "Don’t you dare accuse Isla of something you have no proof of, Betty? Jumping to conclusions without facts makes you look foolish." His voice was sharp, protective even.

Betty’s lip curled, and I could see she was about to snap back. I exhaled slowly, knowing it was pointless. But I had to step between them before things escalated. "Stefan, don’t bother. There’s no reasoning with people like her." My voice was calm, but inside, I was rattled. They all always believed whatever they wanted to talk about me.

As if summoned by my worst thoughts, Adrian appeared, with a dark and menacing expression. It was as if he wanted to burn me down with imaginary lasers beaming from his eyes.

"Whether you had anything to do with Elara’s death or not doesn’t matter to me," Adrian said, his voice low and dangerous. "I won’t let you off easily." His words were a knife, twisting in my gut.

I met his gaze, refusing to let him see how much his accusation stung. I had tried explaining myself to him before. But it was like talking to a brick wall. He didn’t want the truth. He wanted someone to blame. So I would be a fool to want to defend myself again in front of him.

I crossed my arms, but I said as softly as I could. "Those who don’t want to believe will never believe."

But he didn't flinch. The smug smile that stretched across his face made my blood boil.

Theo must have noticed the tension rising, because he ordered everyone to quiet down and get back to their training. Slowly, the crowd dispersed, but not before some of them shot me dirty looks.

Lucas, clearly not affected by the drama that folded in front of him, nudged me with a smirk. "Seems like you are pretty popular around here."

I sighed, shaking my head. "Popular? More like infamous."

Not wanting to continue this discussion, Stefan and I made our way toward the next class. But Lucas was persistent. He trailed behind us, still annoyingly friendly.

"You know, I don’t believe any of the rumors," he said casually, like it wasn’t a big deal. "I only trust what I see with my own eyes. And from what I have seen, you are not what they say you are. I see potential in you and I want to be friends."

I glanced at him, feeling gratitude and frustration but mostly out of surprise. Who was he? Even though he was a breath of fresh air, I still had to warn him about my situation.

"You have seen enough to know this isn’t something you want to get involved in. If you keep hanging around me, you will end up isolated like Stefan and me. You don’t deserve that, especially being the new guy." I explained to him as carefully as I could.

Lucas shrugged, completely unfazed. "Isolation doesn’t bother me. True friends are worth it."

His words made something warm flicker in my chest, but before I could respond, Theo called for the class to wrap up and immediately head to our elective class. And to my relief, it was the end of the most nerve-wracking combat training session. It brought me a smile on my face. I could finally attend the class I had been looking ahead to for a long time.

Stefan and Lucas headed off to Shifting Control, a class I wasn’t allowed in since I hadn’t shifted yet. To them. I waved them off and turned toward the healing and recovery class, eager to learn the skills that might help me feel useful. Healing was something I had an interest in early on in my life. It was one of the few things that actually brought me peace.

As I made my way across the training grounds, Betty’s voice echoed behind me. "Useless wolf who hasn’t even shifted yet!" she jeered, her laughter sharp in the air.

When I didn’t react, her tone got sharper, reflecting her rage. “One of the twins was bound to die… maybe the next one could be you. Because it should have been you, Isla.”

Even though her words pierced my heart, I ignored her. I was getting too good at that.

The healing and recovery class was small, mostly filled with wolves whose forms were flawed after shifting and those who couldn’t become warriors. As I stepped into the classroom, I felt a small sense of relief wash over me. At least here, I could focus on something I was passionate about.

But that relief was short-lived.

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest, and my fingers dug into my bag.

Adrian. He was there, standing just a few inches from me, his presence overpowering the small space. His intense eyes locked onto mine, and I could feel the mate bond's pull between us, making my skin tingle. My breath caught in my throat as I gulped hard, my eyes widening to process the situation.

Trouble. That’s what he was. Pure, unfiltered trouble.

My pulse quickened. "Why is he here?" I thought in alarm.