CHAPTER 28

Isla’s POV

"Isla, how dare you go against me?" Adrian's mouth rubbed against my neck, as he whispered possessively. The way he pressed me against the wall lovingly and passionately made me squirm.

"Adrian!" I finally gasped, grabbing his shirt.

"If you ever defy me, it won't be good!" His fangs graze over my soft skin, sending tingles over my body.

I closed my eyes, waiting for him to bite me again.

I knew this was a dream. A cruel one. But I couldn't wake up. I had no control over myself as I tossed and turned.

And finally, the alarm snoozed, waking me up from my dream, thankfully.

I shot up, breathing heavily. I slapped my face, wanting to dissipate the blood that had settled in my cheeks, darkening my blush. How could I dream about something like that? I felt disgusted.

I was glad I had made sure to set my alarm, determined not to repeat yesterday’s mistakes. But this came in handy. With this dream, I would surely have failed to make it in time. But now I wasn’t going to give Adrian any more excuses to corner me.

As I quickly got ready, my wolf stirred uneasily at the back of my mind.

 "Don't worry. We will ignore him today." I told my wolf, not believing it myself.

“Even if we don’t provoke him, he will come after us. I have a feeling he already knows I exist.” She warned me, making me feel helpless.

I swallowed hard, not really knowing how to deal with it. Adrian had been so impulsive last night. He was already suspecting I had shifted… But if he really got hold of the truth, I am not sure if I would be able to face his wrath.

As I descended the stairs, the smell of coffee briefly lifted my spirits. Finally, my mother was in the kitchen. Her shoulders slumped as she leaned over the counter for support, but at least she was out. I hesitated in the doorway, a flicker of hope sparking inside me. Maybe today will be different. Maybe she would see me and ask me something.

But when she turned around, her lips parted, and the name that spilled from them felt like a dagger to my heart.

“Elara?"

The words died on her lips as realization set in. Her eyes clouded over with grief again. She walked away back to Elara's room, leaving me alone. I stood frozen, the sharp ache in my chest spreading.

I clenched my fists at my sides, holding back my tears. I wasn’t her. I never would be. Maybe I was just a momentary replacement for Elara in their eyes. But that was that.

I couldn’t help but wonder if that was how everyone saw me. For some reason, I was now certain that Adrian's odd behavior was solely because he was searching for Elara in me. I was just a stand-in, her substitute. But not her.

 I sighed, making my resolve harder. I wasn’t going to fall into that trap. Adrian would never get the satisfaction of seeing me break or play with my emotions.

On the training ground, I spotted Adrian immediately. He stood near the edge, arms crossed, eyes locked on me the moment I arrived. The tension between us was palpable. But I looked away, refusing to acknowledge him.

Just then I felt his towering presence behind me. Did he run to me using his wolf's strength? Just to intimidate me?

“It seems you finally learned to be on time,” he remarked, his voice carrying a taunting edge.

I rolled my eyes, not bothering to respond. Instead, I made my way towards Lucas, who was already warming up.

“Morning,” I greeted him with a smile, forcing myself to act more normal than I was.

 "Morning!" Lucas flashed a wider, welcoming smile, lifting some weight from my shoulders. "You seem to be in a good mood, Isla.

 Only if he was true...

Behind me, I could still feel Adrian’s eyes burning into my back. I could imagine his stern gaze and his fists clenching.

 And just like I had thought, I heard him roar.

“Isla!” Adrian growled, his voice cutting through the noise of the training grounds.

 I didn't turn toward him. I didn't want to engage with him anymore for now.

"Isla! Get your training equipment now!" He groaned, almost commanding me.

I sighed helplessly, turning slowly, deliberately avoiding his furious gaze. "What?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady and calm as I walked towards him.

His lips curled into a snarl when he saw me walking towards him. "You should learn basic etiquette."

I raised my brow. "I will, once I am done here."

His fists clenched, his eyes dark and predatory. "How dare you ignore me?"

“I wasn’t ignoring you,” I shot back, meeting his glare with one of my own. “I didn’t hear you.”

The silence that followed was thick and heavy. For a second, I thought he might lunge at me right there, or ask me for another sparring match. But thankfully none of that happened.

He took a step forward, his presence looming. “Meet me at the back of the training field after class,” he ordered, his voice low but dangerous. “Alone. If you don’t show, you won’t like what happens next.”

I stood my ground, my jaw tightening. I knew this was not just a warning. He was really capable of doing something crazy. These days, he was using me as Elara's replacement and her murderer based purely on his mood.

"I have better things to do," I said, avoiding his cold gaze. "I don’t have time for whatever game you are playing."

But his eyes darkened further, and he smirked. “This isn’t a game, Isla. Be there, or else.”

He turned sharply, walking away before I could argue further, leaving me standing there with my heart racing and a pit forming in my stomach.

What the hell does he want now?