CHAPTER 34

Isla's POV

I rushed to Adrian’s side, tearing a strip of cloth from my shirt to wrap around his leg. Blood soaked through the makeshift bandage immediately, but I had to do something. I had already given away my only medicine to Lucas.

I could feel his eyes on me the whole time, watching me closely. I didn’t dare to meet his gaze.

"Why did you rush like that?" I muttered, "Why didn’t you wait for backup?"

He groaned as I wrapped his leg. "Didn’t think I would need it."

I shot him a glare. "Well, clearly not considering..."

 But before I could finish, Adrian’s hand grabbed mine, stopping me.

"Why were you out here with Lucas at night?" His voice was sharp, barely containing his anger. His eyes burned into mine, demanding an answer.

I stiffened, trying to pull my hand free. But his grip only tightened. "I wasn’t with him. I was chasing the shadow," I replied, frustration rising.

His gaze didn’t soften. "So how was Lucas with you? Do you think I am stupid, Isla?"

I shot him a look. "Maybe. You are acting like one."

The way Adrian looked at me with pain, made me flinch. "Isla, I need to know," he said, his voice softer now, almost pleading. "Why Lucas? Why didn’t you come to me?"

"Stop it, Adrian. Lucas risked his life for me. You should be thanking him instead of—"

“Thanking him? For what? For being close to you? For being there for you instead of me?" He scoffed, not trying to hide his displeasure. "You didn’t listen to me,” he snapped. “You acted on your own and didn’t even tell me. But you had time to inform him.”

"What are you even talking about? I didn't even call you. But you are here!" I sighed, tired of his accusations.

"? Do I have to rely on anonymous notes to save you?" His eyes widened, as he grunted.

"What note?" I asked, ignoring his anger.

"Someone left a note outside my room asking me to save you?" For the first time, he spoke softly.

"And you don't know who? Don’t you find it unsettling that they knew where I was, in what situation I was… Maybe they didn’t ask you to save me, Adrian. It was a trap to lure you in so that they could kill us both!" I sighed, my mind reeling with who would have informed Adrian. I couldn’t help but wonder if more than one was involved in this conspiracy, and maybe someone from our pack was also behind them all.

"I don't care. If you had informed me…, " None of this would have happened" He whined.

I ignored his complaints. If he could bother about these trivial matters, then I should better focus on the important ones and not worry about his wound so much.

"The shadow," I muttered, trying to change the subject. "Did you see where it went?"

He shook his head. "It slipped away before I could catch up. I lost it somewhere near the borders. But it wore a black coat and had this strange smell."

My breath caught. For a second I wondered if I should tell him about Nightspire Bloom, but I couldn't find any reason to hide it from him. “Did it smell like the Nightspire Bloom, a rare plant unique to the West Fall Pack?”

His eyes flickered with surprise, and he grabbed my arm, forcing me to look at him. “How do you know about it? What are you not telling me? I told you to report everything back to me!”

“Adrian!" I screamed a little, tired of his childishness and jealousy. "I had just found it after I extracted the scent from Elara's belongings,” I replied, my voice calm but firm. “I think the person who killed Betty, killed Ela..." I stopped, unsure how he would react. But when he didn't even bat his eyes for some reason, I continued, "Some have been watching us, Adrian. Watching me.”

"Watching you?" He scanned my body, looking for any visible wounds. When he didn't see anything major, he sighed with relief.

"It was outside my window when I was experimenting," I replied honestly.

"It was outside your room?" His eyes narrowed, darkening with worry. "Why don't you tell me anything, Isla! You really trust him, don’t you? A stranger?! Don't you see, he is the main suspect?" He whined, shaking his head.

I pulled my arm free, glaring at him. He always rushed and made baseless accusations on the easiest target. “Just like how I am the main suspect in Elara's murder?" I puffed into the air, feeling rage build inside me.

"You know what, I shouldn't have told you about it. Lucas is injured protecting me. And I left him to check on you!" I hissed, trying to calm myself.

But when I couldn't, I continued ranting at Adrian. "And you think he is some killer? He was right there with us when the shadow moved past us!”

Adrian’s jaw clenched, his fury bubbling over. “You have known him for a few days, and you trust him more than me?” His voice was thick with jealousy, and now he wasn't even trying to hide his frustration and dislike for Lucas.

I didn't know how to respond, especially when he was asking me to trust him. How could I trust him? When did he do anything to earn that? But a part of him felt guilty for not trusting my mate.

"He is the only one from that pack who came to ours unexpectedly. And you have been spending all your time with him, trusting him!" He spat, letting out a deep breath.

"Adrian, it's not like what you think. He is a friend. He is helping me." I tried to make him understand, but he wasn't in the mood.

"Friend! Am I your enemy? Because otherwise why are you keeping so many secrets from me?" He frowned, grabbing my hand, and looking deep into my eyes as if searching for truths I had hidden from him. I looked away, not wanting to meet his gaze, nervous.

"And what about your shift?" Adrian’s voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, the question hanging between us like a blade. "You have already completed your first transformation, haven’t you? That silver wolf by the waterfall... that was you, wasn’t it?"

I froze. My heart pounded in my chest. His eyes locked onto mine, a sharp accusation gleaming in them. “What else are you hiding from me, Isla?”

Adrian's POV

Isla's belief in Lucas only fueled my jealousy. My fists clenched involuntarily as I watched the way she defended him, her eyes filled with conviction and trust. Trust she didn’t extend to me.

How could she so easily side with a stranger while deceiving me all this time? The thought of them together, her smile for him, with her relying on him... and only for him, fueled the fire burning inside me.

And she didn't even tell me about the scent or the shadow, but relied on Lucas!

 "Why don't you tell me anything, Isla! You really trust him, don’t you? A stranger?! Don't you see, he is the main suspect?" I finally said, the words dripping with venom.

She kept brewing nonsense after nonsense, her trust in Lucas rock solid. It only triggered the storm inside me. I remembered the way they had looked at each other. And she was still wearing his shirt! The way she had tended to his wounds without a second thought.

And how she had hidden her wolf from me.

"And what about your shift?" I growled, my wolf pacing restlessly inside me. "You have already completed your first transformation, haven’t you? That silver wolf by the waterfall... that was you, wasn’t it?"

Her lips parted as if she were about to speak another lie. I couldn’t stop myself. I stepped closer, my voice lowering as the anger and hurt twisted into something darker.

"Don’t think you can just find happiness with him... My Elara didn't even get to live to have that chance," I spat, the mention of Elara sending a fresh surge of bitterness through me. "You want to lie to me? Hide things from me? Fine. But you’re not getting off that easily. You won’t forget what you owe me."

Her eyes widened, shock flickering across her face, but it was too late. I couldn’t let her go. Not after everything. If she was openly choosing Lucas over me, then I would make sure she suffered just like I had.

She would feel the same pain.