CHAPTER 23

Adrian's POV

I felt restless, as if I had no control over myself, as my thoughts kept spiraling back to Isla; the way she tried to blend in, the vulnerability in her eyes, the sparring match, her strength and speed, her knowledge of herbs and then our little encounter in the empty corridor. I never even spent more than a few seconds on her. But the entire day was about her. Only her.

I couldn’t stop thinking about her. No matter how hard I tried, her image kept invading my mind. Her assertiveness, her defiance, and her resolve made my chest feel tightened. No. It wasn’t just out of anger. There was something else I refused to name.

I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated. This isn't right. I shouldn't be feeling anything for her, not right after the death of the woman I had loved for years. Elara was gone. And Isla? She was just a constant reminder of that loss. I tried to remind myself again that the similarity of their faces was what was confusing me. She was just a shadow of her sister, nothing more. I loved Elara. I had only loved her. More than anything. How could I possibly be drawn to her sister?

Not now. Not ever.

But my wolf wasn’t buying it. If we could talk face to face, maybe he would even roll his eyes and scoff at me for playing dumb. He had been restless ever since we crossed paths with the she-wolf that night.

"Accept it! You are drawn to her," he growled, his voice echoing through my thoughts. "The one that you feel for is not Elara. It’s her. Isla."

"Shut up," I snapped back, my chest constricting. "I don’t feel anything for her."

"Liar," my wolf taunted. "You can’t stop thinking about her."

I grunted for him to step back, but he came back wilder. "Why did you make her obey you? Why do you keep watching her? Why are you everywhere where she is?"

I clenched my fists, puffing. But the weight of my wolf’s words pressed down on me. "You know she is hiding things from us. She is definitely involved in something. You saw how good she is with potions, and we know what we smelled in the woods. I need to find out what her truth is. That’s the only reason I am keeping her close."

But even as I gave him an elaborate explanation, deep down I wasn't convinced myself. The words that came out of my mouth felt like lies.

My wolf let out a low growl. "Is it? Stop lying!", he hissed, "You want her. You are just afraid to admit it because you have a set notion against her. But deep down, you know the truth."

I gritted my teeth, my heart pounding in my chest. No. I couldn’t. I absolutely wouldn’t let myself fall for Isla. The prime suspect. Not after Elara. Not when I still didn’t know what had really happened that night. And Isla... wouldn't even tell where she was or what she was doing. I wouldn't falter no matter how much my wolf tried to convince me otherwise.

But my wolf was back again, relentless, bringing out the conflicting emotions that I wanted to push back. "You felt it too, didn’t you?" my wolf pressed. "The scent. She is not just anyone, Adrian. She is the wolf from the waterfall."

My chest tightened at the thought and the pull of mate bond began to gnaw at me again. That night... the scent had been so distinct, so intoxicating. It drew me towards it as I had chased the white wolf. It was sweet, like the smell of fresh rain falling on the ground and mingled with the scent of wildflowers. And now, I feel that same essence in Isla.

Could it really be her? Had she shifted already? If she had, why would she hide it from us?

"There are so many secrets she is keeping from everyone, from me," I muttered, my mind racing. "And I will find out what it is."

Isla's POV:

When I got home, the house felt heavier than usual, the air was thick with grief. The usual hustle and bustle with Elara's lively laughter filling the space was roaring off the void she had left in our lives as silence engulfed our home.

Perhaps, Ryan had already finished dinner and was holed up in his room. My father sat at the dining table, staring at the food as if he couldn't swallow it without Elara sitting next to him. My mother, on the other hand, had completely shut herself away in Elara’s room, overwhelmed by grief.

"How was your day?" My father asked, his voice tired and distant, making me stunned.

I forced a smile, not that he was really looking at me. "It was fine. Everything went smoothly." I lied, as I always did. There was no point in telling him the truth. It wouldn’t change anything. And he wouldn't bother even if he knew. He would support Adrian's ways anyway.

He nodded, already distracted, and with a sigh. He rose from the table mumbling about checking on my mother. "Make sure you clean up after dinner," he muttered as he left.

As I looked at the used dishes and the dining table, a bitter laugh escaped my lips. It had always been this way. Even before Elara’s death. I was the one they didn’t expect to come home, or maybe they never felt the need to wait for me to return. Even if we were twins, even if we were in the same class, she never played with me. She never let me get along with anyone or make friends. Today was the first time I touched her belongings. I had never even got the chance to touch her spare toy.

She would return with her friends or Ryan. Sometimes even my parents picked her up. But I mostly came alone after school, and the only one who ever accompanied me was Stefan. And for a change, we had one more person joining us. Lucas.

As I sat down to eat, the loneliness pressed down harder. The chair across from me, the one Elara used to sit in, felt like a gaping hole, a reminder that I would never be enough. I was the invisible one, the unwanted one. Elara had always been their pride and joy, the perfect daughter. She was the one who brought light and laughter into this house. And I was just a shadow who never quite fit in.

After I finished dinner, I quickly cleaned up, washed the dishes, and headed to my room to change. I didn’t want to linger in this house any longer than I had to. This place was beginning to close on me, suffocating me.

I threw on some casual clothes, gulping hard, solidifying my resolve. My wolf stirred inside me, her voice soft yet firm in my mind. "They don’t see you, but I do."

I swallowed hard, blinking back the bitterness that threatened to spill over. My eyes almost watered, tears threatening to fall. Who wouldn't want their family to adore them? So no amount of love or people could ever fill that hole.

"I know," I replied, feeling the familiar ache settle in my chest.

To my relief, I saw my phone buzz with a notification. Stefan had been fast enough to create a chat group. They had already left.

I sighed, shaking my head to clear my mind. I couldn't dwell on my sorrows any longer. I had a mission tonight.

After quickly slipping out of the house, I met up with Stefan and Lucas at the edge of the woods. Together we went to the place where Elara had last been seen. The weight of the night pressed down on me as we stood there, the dark trees towering above us like silent sentinels. The place was still covered with soot, screaming about the wildfire that had caused Elara's death.

After searching for some time together, I felt the need to speed up the process. We had to cover more ground and sticking together wasn't helping at all. Also, I wanted to use my wolf's abilities to scan the area.

"I think we should split up," I suggested, my voice firm despite the nervousness twisting in my stomach.

Stefan gave me a worried look, but nodded. "Alright, but don’t go too far." Lucas too agreed.

I nodded, heading west, my wolf’s senses heightening as we ventured deeper into the woods. The further I went, the more restless she became, her voice a low growl in the back of my mind. "Something’s wrong. I can smell it."

"What is it?" I asked, my heart is starting to race.

"We are being watched," she warned, her tone urgent.