ISABELLA’S POVThe silence between us stretched longer than it should have.Luca and I both stared at my healed hand, neither of us daring to speak about what had just happened.Because it wasn’t normal.It wasn’t possible.I was human.Humans didn’t heal like that. Not in seconds.Luca’s jaw tensed, his expression unreadable. His sharp gaze flicked from my hand to my face, searching for something, maybe an answer I didn’t have.I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look away. “What happened to you?” I asked, my voice softer than I intended.Luca hesitated for a fraction of a second before responding, “Rogue attack.” His voice was low, gruff. “I was on my way back from a meeting when they ambushed us.”I frowned. Rogues? I had heard that term before, but I didn’t know much about them. “Were they after you?”“They were after something,” he muttered. “Maybe someone sent them. Maybe they were just desperate.”I could hear the exhaustion in his tone, the weight of responsibility pressing
POV: IsabellaThe weight of the pen in my hand felt like a chain, chaining me to some otherworldly future I never wanted. My fingers had shaken while staring at the crisp, black letters on the contract before me, each word pulsating as if it mocked me with its cold finality: Property of Luca RomanoI forced myself to look at Father, desperation etching his face into a hundred deep lines. He didn't meet my gaze but kept his eyes fixed on the paper, as if staring at the contract would will me on to signing my freedom away, easing the weight from his shoulders."Bella, sign it," he pleaded, his voice trembling just enough to show the fear behind his words. "Please, If you don't…I took a deep, shaking breath. My voice was barely above a whisper. "Is there really no other way to pay him back? We can't ask anyone else? Another family?"He shook his head, cold and resolute. "Nobody crosses Luca Romano and walks away unscathed. He controls every family, every business, every favor. You're…yo
POV: IsabellaThe car ride to Luca’s estate was a study in silent tension, thick and unyielding. The driver didn’t glance my way as he navigated through winding, narrow streets that gave way to open countryside, where sprawling hills and towering trees lined the road like sentries. Each mile that passed only solidified the reality of what I’d done.We reached Romano estate—a tall, fortified mansion perched on a hill overlooking the city—the daylight had softened to a dull, moody gray. Massive iron gates swung open slowly, revealing manicured gardens and fountains that dotted the grounds like pieces on a chessboard. Everything was immaculately maintained, yet the beauty felt oppressive, like a gilded cage meant to trap me.The driver opened my door, and I stepped out, feeling the weight of my suitcase handle in my hand. This was my life now, every moment dictated by a man I didn’t know, by rules I hadn’t agreed to. And yet, as I crossed the threshold, I felt the strange weight of invis
Bella’s POVMy heart hammered as I lay back, the shock of what I'd witnessed shaking my whole body. 'No, no, no,' I rasped, my voice a gauze thread, panic rising. I needed to get away from here—anywhere but here. Instead I turned and fled down the hall on the force of fear, my legs moving faster than they ever had. I walked into my room and slammed the door behind me, leaning against it, taking breaths, the frantic thud of my heart beneath my palm.Luca had told my parents I wasn’t allowed to have any electronics with me—no way to reach the outside world, no one to call for help. But I’d hidden the phone away in my suitcase. It was my only link, my only chance of survival in whatever nightmare I'd stumbled into.I opened up my suitcase, shaking hands, and I ran my fingers through the clothes until I felt the phone. My fingers shook as I dialed the number of the only person I trusted, someone who could help me—if he’d even answer.The phone just rang, and with every ring, my desperati
Isabella's Escape.The message that flashed across my phone screen made my fingers shake as I read it: "Meet me near the back gate at midnight." An automobile will be waiting for me. A flood of relief swept over her. At last, I had a strategy, a means of leaving Luca's estate. I could still clearly recall the horrifying incident in the corridor, including Luca's icy rage and the vicious blow that left the poor man sprawled on the ground. And it had been worse than any nightmare the way he looked at me afterwards, like though he was daring me to question him. My nerves pricked as the hours passed slowly, my mind whirling with hope and anxiety. I was aware that I could not afford to make any errors. I would need to be quick, quiet.The home froze at last. Every minute seemed to drag on into eternity as midnight approached. my heart thumping, I reached for my phone, slipped it into my pocket, and walked carefully to my bedroom door. As I slowly opened the door and looked into the dim
Isabella’s POVAs Luca's eyes hardened, my fear turned into a panic I had never known before. His face contorted, his eyes darkening, and a weird, animal-like growl erupted from the depth of his chest. I stepped back, my heart pounding so loudly that I seemed to hear it in my ears.‘Do you really think you can run from me?’ he snarled with an undertone of something wild, almost primal in his voice.I pressed against the cold stone wall, breathing shallowly. I wanted to look away, to close my eyes, but there was something in Luca's expression that kept me unwillingly unable to look away. His eyes shone with an extraordinary light and his whole frame seemed to quiver with rage barely controlled.And then, right before me, his body started to change: his muscles rippled and stretched, his frame growing larger than any human should; his hands twisted and elongated, nails extending into claws that shimmered in the torch's dim light. A thick fur erupted along his arms, shoulders, and face
Luca’s POVThe moment Isabella uttered those words— You are my mate—something in me clenched. Not out of joy or acceptance, but frustration.This was a mistake. It had to be.I turned away from her, my jaw tightening as I forced my wolf back. It had been howling since the moment I laid eyes on her, clawing at the walls of my control. My wolf recognized her before I did, and that terrified me more than anything else.She’s weak. She’s human. She’s a liability.That’s what my pack would say. What they probably already said.No one has guts to say it to my faceI exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through my hair. The weight of leadership, of power, of expectations, bore down on me like it always did. I couldn’t afford this distraction."Rest, Isabella," I said, my voice coming out rougher than I intended. "We'll talk later."Her eyes searched mine, filled with hesitation, confusion—hope. She might actually be thinking I'd let her leave.It was that last one that made me turn my back on
Luca’s POVI walked away from her and left for the office, leaving her back there, I can't deal with this right now.I went into my other study. I needed to think because the weight of my decisions sat heavy on my shoulders, pressing down like a man strangling my throat...Isabella Rossi.My mate.I should have rejected her the moment my wolf stirred for her. I should have forced the words out, broken the bond before it became something deeper—something I couldn’t control.But my wolf refused.Every time I even thought about saying it, I felt like I was suffocating.And now, my pack—the people I swore to protect, to lead—were restless. The Council was requesting a meeting and my mate, the woman I had brought into this chaos, had no idea what kind of war she had stepped into. What kind of war she was deciding to fight…A sharp knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.Lorenzo.“They’re waiting for you,” he said. His face was unreadable, but I knew him too well. He didn’t agree
ISABELLA’S POVThe silence between us stretched longer than it should have.Luca and I both stared at my healed hand, neither of us daring to speak about what had just happened.Because it wasn’t normal.It wasn’t possible.I was human.Humans didn’t heal like that. Not in seconds.Luca’s jaw tensed, his expression unreadable. His sharp gaze flicked from my hand to my face, searching for something, maybe an answer I didn’t have.I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look away. “What happened to you?” I asked, my voice softer than I intended.Luca hesitated for a fraction of a second before responding, “Rogue attack.” His voice was low, gruff. “I was on my way back from a meeting when they ambushed us.”I frowned. Rogues? I had heard that term before, but I didn’t know much about them. “Were they after you?”“They were after something,” he muttered. “Maybe someone sent them. Maybe they were just desperate.”I could hear the exhaustion in his tone, the weight of responsibility pressing
ISABELLA’S POVThe night was eerily quiet, the only sound coming from the soft crackling of the fireplace in my room. I had finally regained control of myself after the strange trance I had fallen into earlier in the garden. The freezing shower had helped, grounding me back to reality, but something inside me still felt… off.Like a storm inside me.I paced my side of the wing, unable to sleep. There was this energy inside me, something unfamiliar yet powerful, pulsing in my veins.Then—A loud boom echoed through the villa.The entire building trembled.I froze.A door had blasted open.Heavy footsteps pounded against the marble floor, fast and frantic.Something was wrong.I rushed toward the sound without hesitation, my heartbeat spiking. As I reached the main hall, my breath hitched.Luca.He was covered in blood.His once powerful frame now staggered, his body riddled with deep slashes, puncture wounds, and—bites?His breathing was ragged, his usually sharp eyes dulled over wi
ISABELLA’S POVThe dreams were getting worse.Or maybe… they were becoming more real.Each time I closed my eyes, I was pulled into a world that didn’t belong to me, yet felt so familiar.This time was no different.I was running.Again.The scent of damp earth and pine needles filled my lungs, but it wasn’t suffocating—it was invigorating, wild, free. My bare feet barely made a sound as they hit the forest floor, moving in perfect rhythm with the others beside me.I could hear them—wolves.Large, powerful, running beside me as if they belonged to me.As if I belonged to them.A full moon hung above us, casting the world in silver light. The sky was endless, the trees whispering secrets as the wind howled through their branches.But I wasn’t afraid.No, I felt alive.Faster.Stronger.My limbs burned, but it was a pleasurable ache, like I was meant for this—meant to run, to chase, to hunt.I could hear something up ahead. A heartbeat. Quick and frantic.Prey.I didn’t question why I k
ISABELLA’S POVI hurried out of Luca’s room like my life depended on it, shutting the door behind me with trembling hands. Damn. Here is so hot.My heart was racing, beating wildly against my ribs as if it wanted to escape my chest.What the hell just happened?I swallowed hard, rushing down the hall toward my own room, feeling the heat of his gaze still lingering on my skin. The moment I reached my door, I pushed it open, stepped inside, and slammed it shut behind me.My back hit the door, and I slid down, my wobbly knees weak beneath me.I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to calm my erratic breathing, but nothing seemed to work.Luca.He had been so close.So dangerously, sinfully close.I could still feel his breath ghosting over my skin, the heat of his body surrounding me, caging me in. The memory of his wet, tattooed torso, glistening with water droplets, flashed before my eyes, and I sucked in a sharp breath.Fuck.I tilted my head back against the door and squeezed my eye
LUCA’S POVThe moment I stepped out of the bathroom, the scent of fresh citrus and steam clinging to my skin, I felt a presence.My eyes immediately locked onto her.Isabella.Standing in the middle of my bedroom, staring at me like she had never seen a man before.Her lips were slightly parted, her chest rising and falling in an uneven rhythm.I hadn’t seen her in over a week.And now she was here.In my space.Uninvited.I let my gaze roam over her, taking in her disheveled hair, the oversized shirt she wore that hung off one shoulder, revealing a hint of smooth skin.Something inside me coiled tight.I growled low in my throat, taking a slow, deliberate step toward her.“What are you doing here?” My voice came out rough, edged with something dark and unrestrained.She flinched slightly but didn’t step back.Brave.Or foolish.I watched the way she swallowed hard, her throat working as if she were trying to find words but couldn’t.That only made me more interested.She had invaded
ISABELLA’S POVThe walls were beginning to feel like they were closing in on me.It had been at least a week since I’d last seen Luca. A week of nothing but silence, the only interaction I had being with the maid who brought my meals three times a day. She never spoke, never!Never acknowledged me beyond bringing the tray into the room and walking out.A goddamn prisoner I am indeed.At first, I had tried to be polite."Good morning." I greeted her the first time she brought breakfast, offering a small smile despite my frustration with this entire situation.No response.Just great!She placed the tray on the table, turned on her heel, and left without so much as a glance in my direction.I had tried again at lunch."Hey, uhm… could you tell me where I am exactly?" I asked, hoping to get something—anything—from her.Silence.Sad enough.Dinner arrived, and I decided to be more persistent."Look, I get it. You probably have rules. You’re not allowed to talk to me, right?" I tested. "
ISABELLA'S POVLuca’s grip on my arm was too tight it could possibly rip through my soft flesh. I could even see my skin turning purple, his fingers warm but firm against my skin as he all but dragged me through the hallways of his massive villa.The encounter with the older man—Eliazer, if I could remember what Luca called him—still lingered in my mind, the way his eyes had narrowed at me, as if I were some stray animal that had wandered into a place I didn’t belong. But what shook me even more was Luca’s reaction—his annoyed look, the cold command in his voice, the quiet fury radiating from him even now as he yanked me along without a word.I tried to keep up, my heart pounding with the mixture of adrenaline and irritation.“Hey!” I tugged at my arm, but he didn’t slow down. “Would you slow the hell down? I have legs, you know! I can walk just fine without being manhandled like a damn rag doll!”Still, he ignored me.I grit my teeth. Oh, so he was back to this again? Acting like I
ISABELLA'S POVI was going insane.Okay, maybe not clinically insane, but I was damn close.For the past few days, I’d been stuck in this ridiculously fancy room with no one but my own thoughts to keep me company.No phone. No internet. No books. Just an oversized bed, expensive furniture, and windows that led to a view of more rooms.All thanks to fucking Luca RomanoThe place was huge! It was like a damn palace—except I wasn’t a princess.I was a prisoner.A prisoner in silk sheets, sure, but a prisoner nonetheless.At least both words start with P-R-I…And Luca? The man who owned this place? The man who had bought me like some ancient relic to settle a debt I'm not even sure my parents owed?Nowhere to be seen. Fucker!I hadn’t set eyes on him since I met him in his balcony that night. Earlier, he had told me he wanted to let me go but has been avoiding me using 'my need to rest' as an excuse, and despite knowing I should be relieved that he wouldn't harm me, I wasn’t.Although, as
Luca’s POVI walked away from her and left for the office, leaving her back there, I can't deal with this right now.I went into my other study. I needed to think because the weight of my decisions sat heavy on my shoulders, pressing down like a man strangling my throat...Isabella Rossi.My mate.I should have rejected her the moment my wolf stirred for her. I should have forced the words out, broken the bond before it became something deeper—something I couldn’t control.But my wolf refused.Every time I even thought about saying it, I felt like I was suffocating.And now, my pack—the people I swore to protect, to lead—were restless. The Council was requesting a meeting and my mate, the woman I had brought into this chaos, had no idea what kind of war she had stepped into. What kind of war she was deciding to fight…A sharp knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.Lorenzo.“They’re waiting for you,” he said. His face was unreadable, but I knew him too well. He didn’t agree