CHAPTER 21

Isla's POV

Adrian’s towering form blocked my way, our closeness making it difficult for me to concentrate on what he was saying. I saw his lips moving. But that's that. I was trapped between the cold wall and his rigid body. My heart raced, every inch of me on high alert. His piercing eyes bore into mine, sending a shiver down my spine. His hand shot up to grab my chin, tilting my head, so I had no choice but to meet his fierce gaze.

“You still haven’t explained where you went that night?"  His voice was low, and he was not trying to restrain his anger. "Tell me, whom did you meet?"  One of his hands went on to grab my hand holding Elara's belongings and he laughed bitterly. "Who said you have any right to take Elara’s belongings?” He demanded his voice low and threatening.

The way he spat her name stung as if, even in death, she held a higher place in his heart than I ever could. The pressure of his grip made my skin tingle with discomfort and something I didn't want to feel. But I refused to let him see me falter.

 His closeness, the heat radiating off him and the intensity with which he looked at me, was overwhelming, suffocating almost. I could feel his breath against my skin, and the mate bond stirred within me, confusing my senses. The contrasting whirlwind of emotions rampaged my insides, leaving me confused. But I tried hard to push that feeling down, ignoring the flutter in my chest. This was Adrian. Elara's boyfriend, the one who hated me. I shouldn't be feeling anything for him.

My wolf stirred inside me, her voice calm and steady. “Don’t be afraid, Isla. You have done nothing wrong. He is just trying to intimidate you.”

But how could I stand firm when his breath was on my skin, his touch igniting something within me that I wasn’t ready to confront?

Adrian’s eyes flared with rage at my words. But before I could brace myself, he slammed me harder against the wall. His hand tightened around my throat, but enough for me to keep breathing. The sudden pressure made my eyes redden. My heart raced in fear, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me break.

Yet, I swallowed hard, gathering the strength to meet his fierce gaze. “I don’t owe you any explanations about my whereabouts,” I managed, my voice sounding more confident and defiant than I felt inside.

My hands clenched at my sides, nails digging into my palms as I fought the pull, the way his proximity messed with my head. The bond was there, undeniable, but so were the accusations. His hate. His suspicions.

“Say that again,” he growled, his voice low, filled with a threat that sent a chill down my spine. “No one dares to defy me like this.”

His grip tightened around my neck, firm and relentless. I gasped, struggling for air this time as my vision blurred. I was on the edge of passing out, wondering if this was how I would die. In the hands of my mate. The world around me started to fade when suddenly he released me and stepped back. I stumbled forward, coughing as I tried to fill my lungs with air, my chest heaving. My hands flew to my neck, still feeling the imprint of his fingers. Adrian stood there, satisfied, watching me with a wicked smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“I can let you go,” he said, his tone almost mocking, “but from now on, you must obey me unconditionally. Report every single thing you do, every lead you find.” He leaned in closer, his voice getting dangerously low. “And if you disobey me, Isla, I will make sure you regret it.”

I stared at him, my heart pounding, my hands trembling slightly. I felt disgusted at the moment. His threat was as real as the mate bond I could feel pulling at us both. But what choice did I have? He wasn’t going to stop until he got what he wanted. I swallowed, hating the words I was about to say.

“Fine,” I spat, “I will do what you want.”

A dark satisfaction spread across his lips, reaching to his eyes. He stepped back, giving me an opening to run. Without another word, I turned and ran, feeling his gaze burning into my back the entire time. My wolf growled in frustration, but I pushed her aside. There was no win against Adrian. Not yet.

Adrian’s POV

I watched her run like a timid lamb, her shoulders tense, her steps quick as if she couldn’t get away fast enough. I had expected her to fight more, to defy me further. But the moment she agreed, something inside me twisted. My wolf stirred restlessly, and a scent, that same scent from the waterfall, enthralled my nostrils. The mate bond tugged at me, stronger now, undeniable.

My wolf stirred restlessly inside me. “I smelled it! That scent… it’s her. She is the she-wolf we saw by the waterfall that night. She is our mate!”

“No,” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head. My heart pounded, and I clenched my fists at my sides. “She can’t be. She doesn’t even have a wolf.”

But even as I denied it, I felt the truth. That connection. No wonder I have been acting strangely since morning, always looking for Isla, my mind drifting to her.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to steady the storm inside me.

“She looks like Elara,” I reasoned with myself. “That’s why I am drawn to her,” I repeated in my head like a mantra.

I grunted, breathing heavily as I watched her retreating figure. I knew my denial wouldn't change the fact that the mate I had been waiting for was not Elara. The evil sister was my mate. A cruel joke.

But my wolf didn’t agree. “No. It’s her. You feel it, Adrian. You know it’s her. The pull. The way she makes you lose control.”

He scowled, a mixture of anger and confusion churning inside him. How could it be her? The one person he blamed for everything—the, the one he could never trust.

I gritted my teeth, the conflict in my chest threatening to consume me. I hated her. I could never trust her. She was the reason I lost Elara. The reason everything fell apart. And yet… I couldn’t stop thinking about her. It was so strong.

“Why her?” I muttered to myself. “Why does it have to be her?”