CHAPTER 40

Isla's POV

After a heavy discussion about the herbs and the murders and learning more about both the herbs from Lucas, I knew Nightspire Bloom wouldn't be easy to investigate. But Mandrake... that was the center of it all. Well, that should be our primary focus.

"Mandrake. Let's start by finding out who has been buying these secretly. Maybe then, we can have our answers..." I sighed.

He gave me a small, tired smile. "Just... be careful. You know how dangerous this can be. Whoever is behind this seems to have their eyes on you now."

I nodded, knowing the weight of the situation. Honestly, if I hadn't been dragged into this situation, perhaps I would have stayed in the corner like always. But now, I had to go to the bottom of all of this to clear my name.

That's when my eyes darted outside the window, and I realized I had been there for a while now.

I stood up, feeling a little uneasy. "I will visit again soon. And I will update you on everything. Just focus on recovering."

I was about to leave, when he grabbed my hand, pulling me back on my chair beside his bed. Lucas’s expression shifted slightly, and something gleamed in his eyes. I wasn't sure why he was looking like that at me, like he couldn't bear the distance between us.

“I may be gone for a bit. I have to return to West Fall Pack to settle some issues.” He suddenly dropped a bomb, making me flinch for a second.

The air between us suddenly felt heavier. His eyes were unusually serious, a tension I hadn’t seen before. I frowned, confusion swirling in my mind. “What do you mean?” I asked, pulling my hand away gently. "How long are you planning to go?"

His gaze softened for a moment. But there was still a lingering tension in his expression. “I wouldn't go if this was avoidable. You know that, right?" He pressed his hand on me as if assuring me, or perhaps himself. I didn't know what to make out of it, but I was equally bothered by his untimely departure. He had just come, and we had just become friends. So losing an ally at this point could be fatal for my investigation.

"I could be gone for a few days, maybe more. I will try to be quick.” He added, his tone dropping low.

I forced a smile, trying to brush off the weight of his words and my selfishness. “Of course. Handle your pack’s business. I will be fine here.”

But the truth was, I wasn’t sure how fine I would be. Lucas was one of the few people I felt I could lean on. The idea of him leaving left me feeling… alone.

His eyes narrowed, studying me intently. "Isla, they are targeting you. And you have found out too much already. So that couldn't be good. So promise me that you will be careful.”

My heart pounded at that. The way he was looking at me was slightly confusing. But I quickly brushed it off. Maybe he was genuinely concerned about my safety after everything that had happened.

"I will be safe, Lucas. I promise," I forced a smile, hiding my confusion behind a light laugh.

"Isla," his voice softened, "wait for me to come back."

My heart skipped a beat at the weight of his words. His eyes went small as if feeling a heavy loss, even remorse. I could tell he didn't want to go. I quickly hid my opinion behind a light laugh, trying to ease the tension. "I will. Don’t worry, my good friend. Handle your pack affairs well." I teased, tapping him lightly on the head before slipping my hand away.

But as I left, I couldn’t shake the feeling something had shifted in Lucas, and I wasn’t sure what it meant.

As I approached my neighborhood, I noticed the disturbance before I even got there. My heart sank when I saw a group of patrol guards gathered near the corner of the street, their faces grim. That was Stefan's house! I ran towards the commotion. Alarm bells rang in my mind as I quickened my pace.

Something was wrong.

As I got closer, I saw two guards dragging Stefan, bound and beaten. He had several bruises all over his face, and he was shivering with fear. My heart lurched. “What are you doing?” I shouted, rushing towards them. “Stop! What’s going on?” I protested, trying to pull them away from Stefan.

That's when someone pulled me away and their onslaught on Stefan increased.

"Stefan! Why are you doing this to him?" I yelled, pleading with my eyes.

"Isla, leave!" Stefan grunted in pain, but he was still worried about me. It only made me feel guiltier.

The guards didn’t even glance in my direction. And that’s when I saw Adrian. His eyes radiated with hatred and anger, his presence commanding and dangerous as always.

“What are you doing to him?” I demanded, my voice trembling. I looked at Stefan’s bruised face, the rawness of the ropes cutting into his wrists. “Adrian, please ask them to stop!”

His eyes, though, were what froze me in place. Dark, cold, and full of anger that terrified me. His gaze burned as it locked onto mine. His wolf was close to the surface, barely restrained.

"Adrian, this isn't right!"

He didn’t answer me right away. Instead, he stared, his lips curling slightly. His silence felt more threatening than any words.

“He is being taken in for questioning,” Adrian finally said, his voice low and dangerous.

“What?” My breath caught, disbelief rushing over me. “You can’t be serious.”

He took a step closer, his eyes locking onto mine, unwavering. “Do I look like I am joking?”

And then, with a flick of his hand, Adrian signaled the guards to take Stefan away.

In a desperate attempt to stop, I ran towards them, extending both of my hands in front of them. I knew pleading with them was going to be futile. So I looked at Adrian, my eyes reflecting his coldness.

"Stop, this nonsense! You can't take him away for no reason!"