Chapter 7

ISABELLA'S POV ~

Cindy's laughter cut through the air as she cackled, her finger pointed menacingly in my direction. Every eye in the room turned to us, curious whispers filling the air as they waited to see what would happen next. My face flushed with embarrassment and anger, but I tried to hold my ground.

 "Oh look, the disgraced reject has put on her best dress and mascara," she snarled. "But no amount of makeup can hide the fact that you're a useless outcast, expelled from school and too pathetic to shift into a wolf. You may be the center of attention now, but soon everyone will see you for what you really are - a weak, unworthy imposter."

The crowd gasped, and their eyes wide with shock. My cheeks burned hot with humiliation, and I clenched my dress in my fists, trying to control my anger. I glared at Cindy, rage boiling inside me like a volcano ready to erupt. There was nothing I wanted that much but to lunge forward, to deal mercilessly with the bitch.

Cindy shrugged nonchalantly before scoffing arrogantly. "What? Are you going to deny it? Say it to my face you liar!" she sneered.

I met her gaze with an unwavering smile, my lips curved into a taunting smirk that caught her off guard. Her confident façade faltered for a moment, replaced by a look of confusion that was quickly masked by an angry glare.

"You dare speak of weakness when you, a supposed 'wolf,' are so devoid of strength that you had to steal my work to succeed? You're not a wolf, you're a flea, feeding off of others' achievements. And trust me, in the end, every flea gets squashed," I spat back.

A hush fell over the room, all eyes were locked onto us, awaiting Cindy's response. Her face contorted in rage, her amber eyes blazing with fury as her lips peeled back, baring her teeth like a rabid animal.

"HOW DARE YOU, BITCH?!" Cindy shrieked, the veins in her neck bulging with pure anger.

I remained unmoved, my mocking smile fixed in place, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing me rattled.

As I watched Cindy stomp towards me, the smirk on my face vanished as alarm bells began ringing in my head. This bitch was crazy, and I knew it. She was more concerned about her image than doing the right thing, and I could already feel the tension in the room thickening like fog.

She came to a halt in front of me, fuming like an angry bull, her nostrils flared and her eyes blazing. I half-expected smoke to start pouring out of her ears. The thought made me want to laugh, but I quickly suppressed the urge, knowing that it would only make the situation worse.

"Don't delude yourself, 'wolf-less'. You're an outcast for a reason. Your inability to shift is a symbol of your failure as a wolf, and the fact that you got expelled is proof of your uselessness. You can wear the trappings of a wolf all you want, but you'll always be a weak, pathetic excuse for one." Cindy hissed, her long painted nails pointing at me like daggers.

I let out a bored sigh, rolling my eyes so hard that I was surprised they didn't fall out of my head.

"You may have taken what was mine, but all you've proven is that you're a scavenger of scraps. You're so pathetic that the only way you can get what you want is by taking someone else's leftovers. My ex? He's just a weak-willed puppet, easily swayed by any conniving, power-hungry harpy like you. And my work? You're so incompetent that you need to steal from others just to get by. Just give it some more time dear, everyone is going to know you're nothing but a worthless, pathetic, spineless rat." I sharply retorted.

Cindy's eyes turned red, but not the fierce, angry red of before. This was a different kind of red. The kind of red you see in a kid's face right before they burst into tears because they didn't get the toy they wanted. I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the sight of her, this fierce, powerful woman brought low by my words.

Before either of us could utter another word, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the room, followed by a loud throat-clearing.

"Cindy, that's enough!" a voice boomed from the doorway.

We both whipped our heads around to find Noah standing there, his face a thundercloud of displeasure, his eyes trained on Cindy.

Cindy's haughty demeanor crumbled in an instant, her face paling entirely.

I watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow, arms folded over my chest in a show of casual indifference. But as Noah's gaze shifted from Cindy to me, I couldn't help but feel the hairs on my neck stand up.

His expression softened, his eyes lingering on me in a way that made my stomach do somersaults. I wasn't sure what game he was playing.

"Isabella" he said, his voice smooth, "Are you okay?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Yes.”

I stared at Noah, my jaw slightly agape as he outstretched his hand, offering me a dance. "May I have this dance, please?" The corners of his mouth quirking up in a slight smirk.

My hands unfolded of their own accord, the smaller part of me wanted to say something venomous while the stronger part wanted to slap it away. I saw Cindy's face contort in rage, her fists clenched so tightly I feared she might break a nail, her teeth grinding like she was planning my murder in her head.

I opened my mouth to refuse, determined not to fall for his charms again, but before I could utter a word, Noah's hand was on my back, guiding me towards the dance floor.

My cheeks flushed, both from embarrassment and the heat of the moment, as all eyes turned to us.

As Noah led me onto the dance floor, his hands snaking around my waist, my heart thudded like a prisoner banging against the walls of my chest. The nauseating sensation in my stomach rose, my skin prickling with revulsion as he pulled me closer, his body pressed against mine.

"You look good," he murmured, his breath fanning across my cheek, causing me to recoil in disgust. His eyes dimmed for a split second, his smile faltering before he forced it back into place.

"You don't look bad yourself. Seems you and Cindy indeed had a huge fall out. What a pity! Tch!" I clicked my teeth, a small smirk tugging at my lips as I watched his jaw twitch in irritation.

He said nothing, just nodded curtly, the silence between us heavy with unspoken words.

“Isabella," Noah breathed, his voice low and pleading, as if he were begging for something he knew he didn't deserve. "I've always wanted to tell you this for a long time. I hope you'll listen."

I raised an eyebrow at his words, irritation written plainly on my face.

He cleared his throat, sending my disinterest before continuing. "Isabella, you may have doubted my feelings for you but it was all just a test of your loyalty. A test to weed out the weak. And you, my love, you passed that test with flying colors. I know I hurt you," he said, his gaze softening as he leaned in closer, "but it was all to make us stronger, to prove that our love could withstand any trial. You see, I'm a man who always gets what he wants. And what I want most is you."

As I stared into those eyes, something inside me twisted, coiling like a venomous snake around my gut.

With a disgusted snort, I pulled away from him, the force of my movement causing him to stumble.

I could see the shock ripple across Noah's face, his eyes widening for a brief second before they dimmed, his eyebrows knotting together as if he couldn't comprehend the level of stupidity that had just poured from his lips.

"I swear I'm going to help you, Isabella," he said, the desperation evident in his voice, "I'll clear your name and restore your degree. I swear." He placed a palm on his chest, as if to show his sincerity, but I knew better. Even the devil would be envious of Noah's lying skills.

I let out a mocking laugh, shaking my head at his pathetic attempt to win me back.

"You know what's really pathetic? The fact that you still think I'd give you the time of day. You had your chance, and you blew it. I'm not some toy you can discard and pick up again at your leisure. You may have been a prince once, but now you're a peasant, and I'm a queen, with a king by my side."

His expression darkened, confusion and anger warring for control of his face.

"What do you mean by a king by your side?" His voice turned tight.

"Don't be dumb, Noah," I snapped back, my eyes flashing with barely-contained rage, "That's simple. It means I'm married. What don't you get?"

"YOU FUCKING LIAR!" Noah roared, his eyes flashing with fury as he took a menacing step towards me. I instinctively backed away, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Has he marked you yet? Show me!" His voice shook with fury.

I pushed my long hair away from my neck, revealing the mark that had been hidden from view. Noah's face paled as he took in the sight, his fingers twitching at his sides.

In that instant, it was as if a fuse had been lit, and the explosion of fury that followed was like a thunderclap in the silent room. Noah let out a roar, so loud that I was sure the entire banquet hall heard it. Without warning, he grabbed my wrists in an iron-like grip, his fingers digging painfully into my skin.

"Noah, stop," I cried, struggling against his grasp, but he pulled me with a force that made me stumble, my heels catching on the floor as he dragged me towards the exit.

"Fucking answer me Isabella!" Noah snarled, his face inches from mine as he shook me like a ragdoll, making the contents of my stomach roil dangerously. "Who did you throw yourself at? Who did you marry?"

I tried to pull away from his grasp, my voice barely a whisper as I pleaded with him to stop. "Noah, please, let go of me!"

But he only dug his claws deeper into my skin, his eyes gleaming with a murderous rage as he glared at me.

His lips parted as if to say something, but before a word could escape, a groan of pain burst from his throat as he was wrenched away from me with lightning speed. I stumbled, my heart racing as I watched in stunned silence as Ryan threw Noah to the ground, landing blow after blow on his face. The sound of bones cracking filled the air, and I shuddered at the sight of the bloody mess that was once Noah's face.

“FUCK YOU!" Was all I heard Noah say as he pulled away from Ryan, transforming into his gigantic wolf right before my eyes. My heart sank, my blood instantly chilling.