Isla didn't need to see Dominic's face to know she had struck a nerve. The silence that followed her words was louder than any outburst. The air between them thickened with unspoken tension, but Dominic didn't argue or defend himself. He simply turned and walked away.
Only after he was gone did Isla feel her knees weaken. She crouched down slowly, letting out a shaky breath, realizing just how deeply his presence had affected her.
Bringing her phone to the line of her vision, Isla heaved a sigh. Archer had reached out to her, and in the process he'd told her about the reason why Dominic intended to use her. Apparently, he was presently incomplete because a huge portion of his essence was trapped in her body.
It was the reason why he had a phantom wolf instead of an actual wolf.
It was strange, though. If he was already so powerful while he was incomplete, how much more would his power grow if he happened to recover his lost essence?
The thought of it sent shivers down her spine.
She was still lost in her thoughts when she heard someone clear his throat. She turned around with a start and found Gael standing by the fridge with a glass of water in his hand.
She straightened immediately, unable to wrap her head around how he'd sneaked past her.
"When did you get here?" she asked.
"A few minutes ago," he replied, placing the empty glass on the counter.
"But I didn't sense you."
"You're not supposed to," he replied simply. "Only two people can."
"One is Dominic. Who's the other? Your mate?" Isla guessed.
He blinked at her, his face blank. "I don't have a mate."
"Oh. I just thought—"
"The other person is Casino. You've probably met him. He's the tall blonde with an eye patch," he said to her.
Isla nodded slowly, recalling the bright, talkative man who had introduced himself right after Enzo.
Gael's eyes moved to the tray near her. "Are you going to eat that?" he asked, pointing at the charred chicken.
She grimaced. "I'm not sure."
He sat on one of the stools at the counter. "Casino would. He eats anything."
As if on cue, a loud voice called out, "Did someone say my name?"
Casino strolled in, cheerful as ever, with Maia by his side.
"Luna!" Maia beamed and rushed over to hug Isla.
"I'm so sorry I haven't had time to hang out with you. You must've been bored."
Isla laughed softly. Maia was warm and friendly, so different from her twin, Enzo. They shared the same features, but not the same energy.
"What happened to this poor chicken?" Casino asked, frowning dramatically.
"It died," Gael deadpanned.
"More like murdered." Casino sniffed the tray. "Will you be eating this, Luna?"
Isla shook her head.
"You should join me, Gael. It smells great," he said, and Gael looked away from him.
They seemed to have quite a funny relationship.
Maia nudged Isla, her brown eyes twinkling with curiosity.
"Did you have a fight with Dom?" She asked, and Isla frowned.
"How did you know that?" She asked, and Maia exchanged bewildered glances with Casino, who was just about to dig into the chicken.
"We can feel it. When our alpha is upset, we can sense it," she responded.
"I don't want to talk about it," Isla mumbled.
Maia didn't ask any more questions, and neither did the others.
Eventually, Isla retired to her room. As she lay down in bed, she closed her eyes.
Her phone vibrated, and she picked it up to see a message from Dominic.
He'd never done this before. She didn't know what to think. It read:
'You really didn't have to push my buttons, Lily. Thank you for smacking me in the face with my reality.'
For some reason, she felt uneasy after reading the message. So she decided to ignore it and pretend that she wasn't bothered by it.
She tossed and turned in bed that night, unable to sleep. She couldn't shake off the feeling of foreboding weighing heavily on her. She couldn't help but doubt her decision to marry Dominic.
Was she really ready for how far it would take her?
What about her father? Why wasn't he doing anything yet?
Was he really that afraid of Dominic?
Her phone rang out, and she grabbed it, surprised to see that her father was calling.
Hope flickered in her chest, a smile ghosting over her lips.
Picking up the call, she brought the phone to her ear.
She answered quickly, her voice trembling. "Dad."
"Are you doing okay?" he asked.
Tears welled up in her eyes. She'd been pretending she was fine. She wasn't.
"Don't you want to come home?" he asked.
"I do. But I can't marry Mikael. Anyone but him."
Her father grunted, tiredly.
"You think you're safe with Dominic? He's a monster."
"Then do something," Isla said, her voice cracking. "You're my father. They're both monsters. Why won't you—"
"I'm sorry," he interrupted.
Her heart dropped.
"What's the point of all your power if you won't save me?" She cried.
"Dominic has your brother. I don't know where he is. Until we do, you need to stay with him and watch."
"You're okay with me marrying him? Really?" she asked, barely able to speak.
"It's the only option for now. I'm sorry," his voice was laced with defeat.
The line ended, and Isla curled up into a fetal position, bringing her hands to her mouth as sobs racked her body.
Ridden by grief, Isla ended up crying herself to sleep.
....
It was her wedding day, and Isla was sitting in the backroom in front of a full-length mirror. Her red hair was perfectly done, and her dress looked tremendously expensive. For a wedding that was merely a cover-up, a lot of money had gone into the preparation.
"Are you nervous?" Maia asked her, bringing her hands to her slim shoulders.
She was standing behind her, a smile on her face.
"I think so," Isla replied, and she chuckled.
"That's normal, you're a bride after all," she pointed out, and Isla groaned.
"I wonder if Dominic feels nervous too," she blurted out.
"Oh, definitely," Maia giggled. "He's not as cold as you think. He's just… guarded."
"I don't know what to believe anymore," Isla said in a small voice.
Maia squeezed her shoulder once more. "In two minutes, open that door. Elder Ren will be waiting."
When Maia left, Isla let out a long breath. Her hands gripped the expensive fabric of her dress.
Isla stared at the antique wooden wall clock, swallowing hard.
She'd known that it would eventually come to this. Even so, she wasn't prepared.
Her stomach was squirming from nervousness.
This wedding was fake. But her emotions were still all over the place.
In less than three minutes, she would be standing alongside her groom in front of the priest, and her contract marriage with Dominic would be sealed for three years.
Her trail of thoughts came to a halt at the sound of the doorknob of the back door being jerked.
The door opened, and she shot to her feet, staring wide-eyed at the familiar intruder.
She looked a lot different from the last time Isla had seen her. There was no makeup on her face. The dark circles under her sunken eyes stood out starkly against her pale face. Her lips were pale and cracked. She appeared to be underweight. Her green dress hung loosely over her thin frame, and her hair was tied up in a messy bun.
"Carina?"
"You make such a pretty bride," Carina said softly.
"What are you doing here?" Isla asked, not moving.
Carina dropped to her knees, tears filling her eyes.
"Please… don't do this."
Isla's stomach twisted. The feeling of foreboding she'd felt earlier thickened as she observed her. She had a feeling what this was about, but she didn't want to believe it.
"Do what?"
"I love him," Carina whispered, her voice breaking. "Please, don't take him from me. Don't marry him."
She reached for Isla's hand with trembling fingers, sobbing.
"I can't lose him. Help me…"
Isla stood frozen, her heart hammering in her chest. The ache in Carina's voice and the desperation in her eyes made it all feel like the ground beneath her had cracked wide open.
And she was falling.