30- The Edge of Control

I slammed the door behind her, the sound echoing through the empty hallway. My chest heaved with anger, my mind spinning as the memory of Isabella’s tear-streaked face burned itself into my thoughts. I shouldn’t care. I couldn’t care. But no matter how much I tried to ignore it, the bond pulled at me, forcing me to feel what I didn’t want to feel.

I stormed across the room, my fists clenched at my sides, fury bubbling just beneath the surface. Every time I closed my eyes, the memory of her lips against mine—of that kiss—flashed before me. It had been raw, possessive, a loss of control that I never should have allowed.

How had I let it happen? How had I let her get so close?

With a frustrated growl, I reached for the bottle of wine on the table, yanking the cork out with more force than necessary. My hands trembled as I poured the dark liquid into the glass, but it didn’t matter. I needed something, anything, to drown out the chaos in my mind.

But the moment I raised the glass to my l