Isla's POVI locked the door behind me the moment I entered my room. I gasped for air, looking at the familiar space of my room around me. My only comfort. I leaned on the door, drawing another shaky breath. I needed this solitude more than I needed anything else. But even then, my mind wouldn’t stop racing.My heart ached, tangled in guilt and frustration. I shouldn’t have been caught up in the feelings I had for Adrian, feelings that never should have bloomed in the first place.He was Elara’s. He had always been. He will always be. I reminded myself bitterly.My wolf’s voice whispered through my mind, calm and soothing. “It’s okay. You don’t have to punish yourself. Everything that happened can be forgotten... can be changed. Time will wash it away.”I didn’t believe her. How could I? The pain was too raw. It was too real. I had let myself fall for him, even though I never admitted it. But now, with Elara back, everything felt like it was slipping through my fingers. The jealousy
Adrian's POVThe past few days blurred into a whirlwind of responsibility and decisions. Or maybe I was trying to hide myself, running away from the situation.I had announced Elara's return to the Pack, declaring it a moment of celebration. After all, her survival was a beacon of hope after a long episode of despair. She was loved by the entire pack. So her survival brought happiness to the pack. At the same time, I listed Chloe as a top wanted criminal. Only if we could find her, could we get some lead to find the real mastermind of the recent incidents.A letter had been dispatched to the new Alpha of the West Fall Pack, inviting him to the celebration. I included details of Elara's supposed ordeal. I also mentioned Chloe's relationship with the West Fall pack and her involvement in the recent incidents, requesting their cooperation in the investigation.Even though I was publicly celebrating Elara's return, continuing my investigation as the future alpha of the pack, and seemingl
Isla's POVThe celebration was everything I expected it to be, or perhaps even more. It was a grand affair, lavish and meticulously organized by Adrian to the finest details in the royal estate. The celebration of Elara's miraculous return included the pack members and other important members of the werewolf community. The entire banquet reflected the joy radiating from the pack and him.Adrian indeed went all out for Elara.Elara shimmered in an exquisite gown, her face glowing with joy and attention. The dress clung to her, showing her otherworldly beauty as her hair tumbled in polished waves as she smiled brightly. Indeed, she looked like she was the center of it all.I knew my place. I didn’t want to steal attention, nor did I deserve it. So, I wore a plain white dress, simple and demure. I blended into the background like a ghost, a fitting role for someone who had always been just out of focus, forever standing in her sister’s shadow.The royal estate buzzed with excitement and
Isla's POVElara tugged Adrian away before either of them could speak, her pride visibly wounded by Lucas' biting remark. As she mingled with other people with Adrian close to her, she cleverly masked her discomfort with a bright smile.The moment they disappeared into the crowd, Lucas's eyes now turned softly toward me, cutting through the haze of conversation. I could immediately feel the warmth between us, as if he was the same guy I had befriended and not the new commanding alpha of the West Fall pack.He made his way toward me with steady, purposeful strides, his eyes twinkling and his smile widening at me. It sent a strange warmth through my chest. Suddenly, I didn't feel alone and hideous anymore.I felt seen and acknowledged."Long time no see," he said, his voice carrying a hint of satisfaction reflecting my own. "I told you I would come back."For a moment, I could only gape at him, unable to form any words. "I can’t believe you are the Alpha of the West Fall Pack now!" I fi
Adrian's POV As I watched Isla and Lucas from the shadows, every muscle in my body coiled tight. Only I knew how I was continuing with the facade. Probably because Elara held me tight as she moved from one guest to another.But my eyes drifted back to them now and then. Every smile they exchanged, every word I couldn’t hear, was making me more and more restless. My heart pounded erratically, a volatile mixture of anger, confusion, and raw jealousy. I wanted to tear them apart and take her away. But I couldn't.When Elara slipped away to the bathroom, I finally had an opening. The restraint I had been holding onto crumbled. I moved closer, catching their conversation. His voice, low and confident, cut through the noise of the party, each word like a slow-acting poison.“… I can take you away from all this. Just let me know when you are ready to leave.” Lucas said in a possessive voice, his gaze fixed on Isla. Take her away? My heart slammed against my ribs. It was infuriatingly irrat
Isla's POVThe ride home was quiet, but a heavy weight continued to press down on my chest. I stared out the window, lost in my thoughts. Lucas's offer to leave with him played on a loop in my mind."I can take you away from all this..." His voice had been calm, certain. And maybe he was right. Leaving seemed like the only way to untangle myself from this mess. But agreeing to his plan was another thing. My chest constricted, and the words wouldn't leave my path. It felt like I was cutting off a part of myself. Adrian’s reaction earlier had surprised me. The possessiveness in his voice had sent my heart fluttering for a split second. A part of me wanted to believe it meant he cared. But I couldn’t fool myself any longer. The truth was his protectiveness wasn’t love. His feelings are just an illusion cast by the mate bond. Once I was gone, it would fade.It had to. How could I ever measure up to Elara?"You know," Elara's voice sliced through my thoughts, snapping me back to the pres
Adrian's POVIt was suffocating at the dining table. We were hosting a dinner for the beta family and here I was again, battling between my responsibility and my desire. My father sat at the head, beaming with pride. Elara sat next to me, her hand occasionally brushing mine.But I... I couldn't help but steal glances at Isla now and then."Cheers to the union between Elara and Adrian!" Robert raised a glass, smiling ear to ear. The elders were happy as they clunked the glasses, unaware of the chaos inside me. I forced a smile, my thoughts consumed by Isla sitting across the table, her eyes colder than I had ever seen them. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to go horribly wrong.And then she spoke.“I would like to make an announcement.” Her voice was calm and steady, though her eyes shone with rebellion. All heads turned to her and me... I gulped hard, clenching the table, a wave of weary crushing inside me.“I am leaving Black Mountain Pack,” she continued, her w
Elara’s POV"You can’t be serious. He’s not your mate. I am!""Isla is my mate. She went through her first transformation weeks ago. I want her to be my partner."“You are my mate. And you know it. This isn’t just a bond you can walk away from.”I shattered a vase as I tried to block Adrian's words from the dinner in my head again and again. I growled, looking at my disheveled face in the mirror. The mascara was spilled, creating a dark shadow under my eyes from excessive crying, and my hair was completely messy. Earlier, Adrian would turn the world upside down, even if a single drop of tears escaped my eyes. And today... He didn't even spare a glance.And for Isla?I laughed maniacally, knowing I had to improvise. I had to marry Adrian at the earliest before everything faltered for me like a house of cards.The truth was, from the moment I returned, there was never any room left for mistakes. Marrying Adrian was the only outcome I could accept. No matter what it took.Well, the truth
Adrian's POVEvery step I took felt heavier than the last. I had searched endlessly, across the jagged peaks of the Stone Pack’s mountains, through the dense forests of West Fall, and along rivers, questioning anyone who might hold even the faintest knowledge of her."Isla," I murmured under my breath like a prayer, my voice lost to the wind.The name Isla meant nothing to them. But to me... it was my world now.I left no stone unturned, questioning anyone who might have known her. A healer in the West? A traveler in the North? Each time, the response was the same: blank stares and confused shrugs. My desperation grew.I even confronted Stefan, out of desperation. When I found him, his smug demeanor only fueled my fury.“Where is Isla? What have you done with her?” I snarled, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him against the stone walls of the Stone Pack’s hall Stefan shoved me off with a growl, his voice sharp. “Are you still clinging to that delusion? You wrote me and I repli
Isla's POVEvery day since I returned from the ancient forest, all I felt was emptiness. Vast and hollow. It was as if something had been torn from me. They told me I had lost my track while patrolling. But it didn't add up. How could I lose track? I couldn't help but wonder what it was that I was missing so dearly but couldn't remember.When I returned, every muscle ached as if I had been crushed under a mountain. My body bore no visible wounds, but I knew something profound had happened. The ache in my chest wasn’t just physical. There was something deeper, something I couldn’t place. An overwhelming urge gnawed at me. I felt like I needed to search for… someone. Someone important.But who? Why did I feel so empty?No matter how hard I tried to piece it together, the memory was always out of reach. I was beginning to wonder if I was going crazy.For everyone else, life in the Black Mountain pack moved forward as if nothing happened. And as their alpha, I spent the next few days buri
Isla's POVThe world around us stilled, the chaos of the Stone Pack fading as I opened my eyes. We were no longer in the bloodied hall but in the heart of a dense, ancient forest. The air was cool and crisp, carrying the faint scent of pine and wildflowers. Silver moonlight filtered through the towering trees, casting an ethereal glow on the ground.Adrian lay motionless in my arms, his skin pale, his breathing shallow. My heart twisted painfully at the sight of him like this. He was so close to slipping away.“No, no, no,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Adrian, you can’t leave me. Not like this.”As tears spilled down my cheeks, a voice deep within me stirred. But his breathing grew weaker, his body colder.A low, mournful howl rose in my chest, and my wolf’s voice echoed in my mind, strong and resolute. "You are more than what you think, Isla. The power to save him is within you. But it comes at a cost.""What cost?" I choked, desperation clawing at my throat."Everything."Befor
Isla's POVAdrian lay limp in my arms, his breath shallow and strained. His blood soaked into my white gown, and my trembling hands couldn’t stop the warmth from slipping away from his body. He was barely awake, and I couldn't help but keep jerking him to keep him awake.“Adrian…” I whispered, my voice cracking as tears streamed down my cheeks. “Stay with me. Please, stay with me.”His once-brilliant twinkling eyes flickered weakly, breaking something inside me. His gaze focused on me for a fleeting moment as he forced a goodbye smile.“I-Isla…” he murmured, his voice a broken whisper. But his grip on my hand was faltering, his warmth fading.This time when he called me Isla... something stirred inside me. At that moment, everything came rushing back, as if a dam had burst and memories came flooding in, overwhelming my senses.I remembered the cliff.The way Elara, no, my twin, had pushed me with a malicious smile on her face. I knew she never liked me. But we were still sisters. I ne
Isla's POVStefan let out a sharp laugh, his smirk taunting, as he eyed Adrian with nothing but contempt.“You have some nerve, waltzing into my territory, sabotaging my wedding, disrespecting my bride, and demanding what isn't yours,” Stefan mocked, his voice dripping with arrogance. "This is Stone Pack’s territory, Adrian. And you? You’re just a trespasser. Did you think I would just let you take her?”With a single flick of his wrist, a squad of guards stepped forward, forming a strong barrier between Adrian and me. Their golden brown eyes gleamed as they shifted slightly, their claws elongating, ready to strike.A few of his own men stepped beside him, growling lowly, their muscles tensed as if ready to completely shift at a moment’s notice. The tension was suffocating. The guests were frozen, uncertain of whether to stay or run.Adrian didn’t flinch. I knew that look in his eyes. They were blazing with determination, fury, an unshakable will. His stance was unyielding, muscles ta
Isla's POVThe corner of Stefan’s lips curled as he met my gaze. “Nothing has changed.”He said it so effortlessly. But I felt the lie beneath them like a blade pressed against my throat. For a second I wondered if he was the same boy with whom I grew up, the one who had always been by my side, who had laughed with me and cried with me. It was as if those memories had never existed at all.I wanted to believe him. I wanted to reach out and grasp onto something familiar, something that could anchor me in the storm of confusion and pain swirling inside me. But I knew better.Everything had changed.This wasn’t the Stefan I had known. He was gone. This man before me was different: colder, obsessed, and dangerous. His eyes did not give the same vibe of affection but were filled with something I could barely recognize.Hatred. My heart ached, not just for what had been taken from me, but for him too. For the part of him that had been lost to whatever darkness had consumed him.And now, he
Isla's POVAs I crushed the herbs I had been secretly gathering since my captivity with my trembling hands, my heart pounded with anticipation. I mixed them carefully, crafting the sleeping draught. Every step felt perilous, but desperation sharpened my focus. I needed to escape. Now or never.When the maid came over, I threw the powder substance in her face, taking her by surprise. She soon fell unconscious, confirming the effectiveness. I seized the opportunity, grabbing the keys from her. Something primal stirred within me, urging caution.Sliding into the hallways, I pressed myself against the cold walls, my breath shallow. The air was heavy with tension as I tried to move past the guards without getting caught. Every footstep was deliberate, measured. Freedom was just ahead. I could almost feel the night air beckoning me like a promise waiting outside the large wooden door in front of me.But fate, as cruel as ever, had other plans.“Stop her!”The guards’ shouts tore through the
Stefan’s POVThe flickering torchlight in the cavernous chamber made the shadows dance eerily on the stone walls. “She’s still resistant,” I admitted, my tone laced with frustration. “Even after all this time, she won’t submit. She’s regaining her memory, and it’s making her defiant.”Marcus tilted his head, his lips curling into a faint, sinister smile. “Ah, but resistance is merely a symptom of a will unbroken. This will help.”As I paced along the room, the weight of my plan pressing heavily on my mind. Tomorrow, everything will fall into place. Isla would become mine in name and bond, and Adrian... Adrian would meet the end he deserved.The memory of my exile still burned in my chest, a constant reminder of the humiliation Adrian had caused me. He had taken everything away from me. My status, my pack, my pride. Even Isla. My parents died for the Black Mountain pack and in return all I got was suffering. Now, I would take everything away from him. Once he is dead, the pack will st
Adrian’s POVThe tent was stifling, even if it was a cold morning. My fists clenched at my sides, the crumpled wedding invitation lying discarded on the table, a cruel reminder that everything was going awfully according to his plan. The thought of Isla, trapped and manipulated, was a rage I couldn’t contain. "I am going to kill Stefan. How dare he think that he can marry Isla in front of me!" I growled, my voice low and dangerous. “Adrian,” Ryan began cautiously, his voice full of reasoning, “you need to think this through. Stefan is not just inviting you out of arrogance or showing you that he was the one who finally had Isla. This invitation... it’s a bait. He wants you to come. He has probably already planned for every move you might make.”I spun to face him, my chest heaving with restrained fury. “I don’t care if it’s a trap,” I snapped. “I won’t let him marry her. I won’t let him use Isla like some pawn.”“And if she’s there willingly?” Ryan’s question sliced through me, but