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
Isla's POVThe news headline blared from my phone screen, each word piercing through my chest like a knife.Alpha Adrian Black announces his engagement to Elara Thorn.I stared at the photo beneath it. Elara’s hand rested possessively on Adrian’s arm, her eyes glittering triumphantly.Adrian’s face was unreadable. I wondered if he was happy or hurt. I laughed bitterly! Hurting! It was just my wishful thinking. Every beat of my heart ached under the weight of betrayal and regret.“It’s over, Isla.” My voice was barely a whisper, a painful admission to myself. No matter what bond Adrian and I once shared, he was no longer mine. He had chosen her. I didn’t belong in his world anymore.A sharp, broken sound escaped my lips, part laugh, part sob. I pressed my trembling hand to my mouth, trying to hold it together, but the cracks in my heart were too wide to hide.Lucas placed a steady hand on my shoulder. “You don’t need to stay here and watch this unfold. There’s nothing left for you in t
Adrian's POVI stood in the center of the room, my body rigid, my fists clenched so tightly that my knuckles ached. All I could feel was a fire coursing through my veins. I had lost Isla. My only lead, Chloe, was dead. And the woman I was engaged to, the one whom I thought I knew inside out, Elara, was shrouded with shadows and deceit.I didn’t know what to believe anymore.I fixed my gaze on Elara, searching for some hint of the truth behind those familiar eyes which no longer seemed to be familiar, strangely. She stood across from me, her face a mask of uncertainty and guilt. "Tell me the truth, Elara." My voice came out low, dangerous. "Why did you lie? Why did you say Chloe kidnapped you?"Her eyes darted around the room, avoiding my gaze, but she couldn’t hide the truth in the trembling of her hands."What the hell was this all about? What were you trying to do? What games are you trying to play with me, Elara? And since when?" She opened her mouth, hesitated, then closed it. T
Adrian's POVI had been searching for hours, the knot in my chest tightening with each passing minute. Lucas and I had split up to search for Isla. But the longer I searched, the more I felt the weight of everything. I was afraid. Afraid of what had happened to her. Afraid of what I was losing.Tired, exhausted, and carrying the last bit of hope, I rushed towards the waterfall where we had met a couple of times now.And then, through the trees, I saw her.Isla was slumped against a rock, near the waterfall. Her body was barely visible through the brush. Her breathing was shallow, labored. I could see the blood staining the ground beneath her. The sight of her, so broken and vulnerable, shattered something in me. Panic surged through me as I rushed forward, kneeling beside her."Isla!" I shouted, my voice raw with fear. I didn’t even care if I was being loud now. I just needed her to be okay.I carefully lifted her in my arms, trying not to hurt her further. I poured some water into he
Isla's POVMy heart pounded in my chest, as I looked at Adrian in shock. How could he be the stranger I had saved all those years ago? My mind couldn’t wrap itself around the idea. He was the injured and vulnerable boy who had stumbled into my little world by the waterfall, while I nursed him back to health?I stared at him, my eyes widening in disbelief. "You... you are the stranger?" My voice trembled, so faint I barely recognized it as my own.He nodded, his eyes searching mine, full of something I couldn’t quite name. Regret? Anger? Deceit? Pain? He seemed as shocked as me. "It was you, Isla. All this time... I thought it was..." He sighed heavily, shaking his head."Who?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.Did he think it was Elara? Of course, he did! Why would he believe something like that?I had long forgotten about it, but now, somehow, as I processed his revelation, a strange sense of guilt gnawed at me. Why had he never told me or asked me about this? Why would he conclu
Isla's POVBeing alone with Adrian was confusing, heartbreaking, and unsettling. I wanted to escape from this tension, to run away somewhere far where I wouldn't have to deal with these feelings I had developed for Adrian.So when I heard Lucas's voice, a wave of relief washed over me. "Let’s go," I said without wasting a second, my voice firmer now.Adrian's hand stopped from tending to my wounds, as he looked at us with gnawing jealousy when Lucas helped me up. Unexpectedly, Lucas lifted me into his arms, his touch gentle yet firm, ready to take me away. I clung to him momentarily, trying to steady my wavering resolve or perhaps hide the chaos in my mind. But as we moved, Adrian stepped into our way with such ferocity that it made my breath hitch. "You don’t have to do this, Isla," he said, his voice low but insistent.I swallowed the lump in my throat, my heart twisting at the raw emotion in his eyes. I met his gaze with as much determination as I could muster. "I want to go wit
Isla’s POVLucas knocked gently on the door of my hospital room, leaning casually against the frame. “Adrian wants to see you,” he said, his voice calm. But I knew he was against it. My stomach tightened at the mention of Adrian's name. I shook my head. “No, Lucas. Tell him I don’t want to see him.”Lucas frowned slightly, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. “You are sure about this? Maybe you should talk to him.”“No. I can't.” I said firmly, though my voice revealed the turmoil within my heart. I glanced away to avoid Lucas's prying eyes. “I want to leave already. When I leave, maybe all this chaos will leave with me. The Black Mountain Pack doesn’t need me here. It never did. My presence only endangers them and complicates things for everyone around me.”Lucas’s expression softened, as he sat beside me. He reached out for my hand and squeezed it gently. His presence had been reassuring and steady in this chaotic phase. “I am with you. You are making the right decision
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