CHAPTER 30

Adrian's POV

Watching Isla smile at Lucas ignited irrational anger, jealousy eating at me from the inside out.

"Why the hell has she never smiled at me like that?" The thought gnawed at me, fueling the fire inside my heart. I didn't know why, but I couldn’t stand it, seeing her warm up to someone else so easily, while I stood on the sidelines.

I clenched my fists, calling her over restlessly. She ignored me at first, which only made it worse. When she finally turned, her defiance was clear in every step, every breath. She was deliberately testing my patience.

Later, when I was waiting for her to meet after the class at the designated spot, she came late. And I could feel the smell of that new guy lingering over her. My blood boiled. He had just come into my pack unannounced and had become friends with Isla already. Why was she trusting him so much and not me?

"Keep your distance from Lucas," I snapped, the words coming out harsher than I intended. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise before narrowing in defiance.

"What? Why? I told you he is my friend." Her tone was sharp, laced with challenge. And I felt my patience wearing out.

Before I could think, I grabbed her arm, yanking her closer. I hated how much I wanted her, my judgment clouded by my jealousy. I hated how seeing her with anyone else made my blood boil. I hated how she was affecting me right after Elara's death.

I planned to just intimidate her and leave her after giving a warning. But when she gulped hard, my eyes automatically settled on her lips. Oh, so plump and supple lips. They seemed so inviting and... luscious. They were so close, taunting me.

Something came over me and, without another thought, I crushed my mouth against hers. It wasn’t soft or gentle; it was possessive, demanding, needing. And when I thought she was going to finally respond, she shoved me back instead with strength that surprised me."

Are you insane?" she spat, her voice laced with fury. "Get it straight, Adrian. I am not Elara!"

Those words hit me like a punch to the gut, reminding me of my harsh reality. My chest tightened and something foreign rampaged through my insides. I had never felt such strong, powerful emotions cloud me. What I was feeling right now for Isla was bewildering. I hissed under my breath because of these surreal feelings for her! But I couldn't let her see that. Could I?

I quickly covered the sting with a sneer. "I know exactly who you are, Isla. You don’t have to remind me." I said as coldly as I could.

The pain in her eyes was immediate, and I almost regretted saying it. Almost. She turned on her heel, ready to storm off. I should have let her go, but I couldn't bear the thought of letting her go. And instinctively, I grabbed her wrist again. She said something about me treating her as a replacement and I had no idea from where she got that thought. She had no clue how she was affecting me, and it was on such a different level from how I had felt for Elara. And that made me feel even more guilty.

But when she looked at me with those hypnotizing eyes, I knew I couldn't let her know my raw emotions. So I quickly masked it with cold indifference. "Don't go ahead of yourself, Isla. You can never be my Elara."

She yanked her hand, wanting to go, hurt radiating from her eyes. I could tell she wanted to break free and keep some distance. Maybe run back to that Lucas, or Stefan. But I couldn't let that happen. So, I did what I could do the best to keep her with me a little longer.

"What did you discover yesterday?" I demanded, changing the subject, my grip firm. "You haven’t reported to me yet."

Isla's POV

It stung that he kissed me, treating me as Elara's replacement, but was now constantly humiliating me. I wanted to leave or disappear into the air. Everyone in this pack compared me to Elara, but hearing it from him? It was like a knife to the chest.

I yanked my arm free from Adrian's grip, my rage rising in my chest. But his grip was firm and unyielding.

But just then, something flickered in his eyes and, after a long pause, he changed the subject as if nothing before that had ever happened. I wanted to snap at him, but I knew it was better to let it go before he flipped back again.

"What did you discover yesterday? You haven’t reported to me yet," he demanded.

This was a more urgent matter that needed to be addressed. So, I suppressed my anger and decided to let him know only the necessary details.

"I suspect there is a connection between Elara's and Betty's death," I said confidently.

His gaze sharpened, eyes narrowing at me like I was his prey. "Maybe, but that doesn't clear your name, Isla. You were the last person to see Elara. And everyone knows about Betty and your fight earlier." he accused, his voice dripping with suspicion. "You are far from innocent in this."

"You were with me when she died!" I snapped, feeling the anger surge again.

"What about the night when Elara was supposed to meet you and died?" He probed, his eyes burning holes in me.

I shot him a glare, the warning clear in my voice as I hissed, "I never saw her that night."

"Then where were you, Isla?" Adrian pressed, his voice hard, pushing and prying like he always did.

I clenched my fists, biting back my immediate retort. I couldn’t tell him. Not now. Not yet.

His eyes scanned my face, his guard high as he looked for something to blame me again. But I held steady. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

He finally backed off, his frustration palpable. "I will uncover what you are hiding, Isla," he vowed, the threat clear in his voice. "You can’t keep it from me forever."

I don't care. I wanted to say it. But I stayed silent, watching him leave, as I stood there glued. A storm was brewing inside my chest.

On my way back home after leaving the hillside, my wolf stirred restlessly.

"Why do you let him get to you?" she growled in my head. "You are stronger than this."

"I know," I whispered, rubbing the back of my neck. "But he is not going to stop." I paused for a moment, considering my next words. "Do you think I should tell him about the transformation?"

My wolf was silent for a moment before responding. Not yet. There is too much at stake. Someone’s bound to slip up soon. Let them make the first move."

I nodded, agreeing with her. It wasn’t the time to reveal everything. Not yet.

Later that night, I sat in my room, Elara’s belongings spread out before me. The mandrake flower I had found near her accident site lay wilted, but something about it still felt off. I used an extraction technique I had learned from some ancient books in the archive room of the library. I gently pressed the petals against the vial. The liquid that dripped into the container shimmered faintly.

What is this?

When I examined the substance more closely, I noted that besides the strength-enhancing potion, there was another more elusive component mixed in. It was faint, almost undetectable, but it was there. Perhaps it dissipated with time, leaving almost no trace.

After hours of researching, I finally found a match. The unknown substance was sap from a rare plant, Nightspire Bloom, that only grew in one place: the West Fall Pack. My heart skipped a beat.

Isn’t that Lucas’ former Pack?

I grabbed my phone and immediately texted Lucas, my fingers trembling slightly.

"Do you know anything about Nightspire Bloom that grows in your old Pack?" I hit send, hoping for a quick response.

A few moments later, his reply came through: "I am coming over. I need to explain in person. Be careful."

My breath caught in my throat. Before I could process what he meant, a dark shadow flickered outside my window. My wolf bristled, growling lowly. Someone was watching us.

I whipped my head toward the window, my heart pounding in my chest.

Who the hell was out there?