Isaldora was walking down the corridor with Kaelith at her side. She'd finally given in to his endless nagging about lunch, so now here they were, headed to the dining hall.
But the walk wasn't exactly peaceful. She could feel his continuous stare burning into her skin, giving her a strange tingling sensation. The kind of stare that he was surely not even trying to hide, as if he wanted her to know that he was staring. So she turned, locking eyes with him, meeting them head-on. Two could play the game now.
Their little moment wouldn't have been shattered if a loud squeal through the hall hadn't cut in.
"Kaelith!"
Isaldora saw some girl come flying toward them in like a damn missile, latching onto his arm like it was her plush toy. She stood frozen looking at the girl. Her chest burned with something sharp and ugly.
"Lira," She heard Kaelith groan, like he'd been through this a hundred times. "How many times do I have to tell you? Stop running. You're not a kid anymore."
Lira. So that was her name.
Isaldora's eyes narrowed, already sizing the girl up. The way she clung to him. The nerve. She scoffed, lightly.
Kaelith turned back towards her, and caught her looking at the girl attached to him with what looked like a threatening look, and his lips curved into a knowing smirk. "She's my sister," he said, eyes full of mischief. "Lira Bane."
Isaldora felt a heat rising her spine, cursing herself she gave a firm nod, "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Isla Aether."
Lira's eyes went wide. "Wait—you're Isla Aether?" she gasped, bouncing in place. "Oh my god, I know you!"
Isaldora just blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the girl's excitement like she was high on sugar. She's weird. Before she could answer, a scream ripped down the hall.
Her head whipped toward it instantly. She knew that voice.
Damn it. Renna.
Without another word, she bolted toward the sound.
Turning the corner, she spotted Renna running straight toward her. Her face was pale, streaked with fear, breath ragged as she stumbled to her.
"Hu—huhh—he… he's a—" Renna's words tumbled out between frantic breaths.
Isaldora caught her by the arms, steadying her. "Renna. Look at me. Breathe." Her voice was sharp. Renna did as she said, but her wide eyes still screamed fear.
Then she saw Xavier coming into view behind her, panting, panic, worry and guilt written all over his face. His pace slowed as if unsure whether to approach or not.
What the hell did he do? Isaldora thought as she narrowed her eyes at him.
Kaelith and Lira had come up behind them. He looked at the women, one clearly shaken up and then his eyes settled on his beta, who looked messed up. His jaw ticked as he mindlinked his beta. 'What did you do?'
'I—I didn't mean to, man. Fuck.' Xavier's voice came strained over the link.
Kaelith's eyes darkened. Xavier.
She's my fucking mate, Xavier finally muttered, defeated.
And did the fact shocked Kaelith, what the hell? But this wasn't the moment to ponder over that. His gaze cut to Isaldora—who was practically shielding Renna with her body cutting out his beta's view. 'Oh no,'
Isaldora asked Xavier who was trying his best to sneak a peek at his mate.
"What the hell did you do?" Isaldora demanded, her voice was low, venomous. She was trying her best to contain her anger.
"I—I didn't mean—Renna?" Xavier stammered as he moved a bit closer, trying to look at Renna, who Isaldora was blocking with her form.
"Don't you dare take a step any closer," Isaldora said, gritting her teeth. She heard him growl at that, clearly, he didn't like her blocking his way to his mate but go to hell with that.
Isaldora was about to tear into him again when Kaelith's deep voice cut through the air from beside her.
"Mate."
That single word rumbled from his chest.
Her head snapped towards him, and irritation flickered in her expression as she saw him looking straight at her, intently, oggling with a haze—like she was the only-begotten thing in the world that mattered.
And then in an instant, he was in front of her, arms wrapping tightly around her.
"Hey—what the hell are you—" Isaldora squirmed in his grip but his hold only tightened, and a deep growl vibrated against her as he buried his face in her hair. "Mate," he growled again, his voice getting heavier.
Isaldora went still, breath caught in her throat. The air seemed to vanish. That single word knocked into her like a blow, and suddenly… everything lined up.
The pull she'd felt toward him since the moment they met. The strange warmth that crawled over her skin when he got too close. The tingles every time touched her. The way her pulse betrayed her whenever his eyes locked on her.
It all snapped into place with brutal clarity.
Her chest tightened. No. No, it couldn't be.
Then another realization hit her like ice water down her spine. Her birthday.
Her eyes widened, lips parting. Shit. Today. She had turned nineteen today.
She wasn't ready for this. Not him. Not now.
She was so lost in her own head, she barely noticed Kaelith nuzzling down the line of her throat, inhaling her like he couldn't get enough. Her lack of resistance only made him bolder, as he nipped at her nape.
Only when Isaldora felt a wetness on her neck, she come back to her senses.
She shoved at him with everything she had and wrench herself free. Which was clearly because his grip loosened because she hadn't been fighting back.
Her eyes blazed. "Don't you ever touch me again."
She grabbed Renna's wrist and turned, ready to leave—but Kaelith and Xavier were already blocking the way.
"I'm sorry," Kaelith said, voice low, rough with restraint. "But I can't let you walk out of here."
Isaldora's jaw tightened. "Watch me."
She stepped forward to leave—only to be swept off her feet in one swift motion. Kaelith slung her over his shoulder, like she weighed nothing at all.
"Put me down, you psycho!" she thrashed, kicking and thrashing, fists pounding at his back.
He barely shifted under her blows. His hold was iron, unyielding, carrying her effortlessly into a room. He shut the door behind them, crossed the floor, and dropped her on the bed.
Isaldora shot up instantly, fury sparking in her eyes.
Kaelith was barely controlling himself as his chest rose and fell hard. "I know this doesn't make sense to you," he said as calmly as he could. "But you need to hear me out. Let me explain—"
"What?" she cut him off instead, "That you're a werewolf?"
He froze, blinking at her, stunned.
"How… how do you know that?"
Her lips curved into a cold smirk. "Did you really think everyone's blind to the monsters living among them?"
Kaelith was shocked—no, that word didn't even scratch the surface.
He wanted to demand how she knew, how a human could look him dead in the eye and throw the fact that they knew of werewolves so casually. But one look at her was enough. His mate was fuming, blazing like a furnace, her fury burning hotter than his questions. He needed her calm, not raging.
Not that he was calm himself. His wolf was tearing through him, howling, snarling, drunk on the faint scent of her. Mate. Ours. Take her. The beast clawed at the edges of his control, demanding he claim her, hold her, mark her.
Kaelith had long buried that hope years ago. He'd told himself his mate was gone, and that fate had skipped him altogether of this happiness. But the moment his wolf had growled the word aloud, his body had crashed and rebooted, every nerve alive, every breath sharper than the last.
And still, one question gnawed at him: if she was his mate, then why the hell hadn't he recognized her the first time they met? Why had the bond hidden from him until now?
His wolf didn't care. She's here. She's ours. Claim her now.
Kaelith forced it back with a growl of his own. Not like this.
His eyes locked on her again—his mate. Standing in front of him with fury radiating off her.
And God help him, even angry, she was the most breathtaking thing he'd ever seen.
Isaldora couldn't understand. How could she be mated to her enemy? To a werewolf of all things. In fact, how could she be mated at all?
Never—never in the history of Aetherwyn had anyone been tied to another faction, not even to another coven. Aetherwyns had always mated among themselves.
So how could fate dare tie her to him?
Her gaze flicked to Kaelith. He was watching her with a certain heat that made her chest tighten, a pull she despised. Damn the mate bond. Damn the way it made her body betray her.
"If you already know about werewolves," her jackass of a mate said smoothly, "then I believe you also know about mates."
Her jaw clenched. "I am not your mate. I don't accept it."
She stepped forward until she stood at his level, her eyes cold fire. Even though she was tall but Kaelith was huge.
She saw the way his jaw tightened. How would it feel when tighten around her? She thought and almost swooned before she caught herself. Her desires were thrashing like a broken dam. Focus, focus Isaldora, damn it.
"You don't have a say in it," his voice broke her thoughts; it was firm, neither harsh nor tender. "You've been chosen as my mate. There's no use denying it."
And stars help her, she knew he was right. The bond was already giving her those thoughts that she had never known of. And the annoying part? She couldn't sever it either. But would she bow to it? Hell no.
She glared at him and then darted for the door, but before she could even step closer, she was again in his damn arms. Yup, he caught her before she could reach it, pinning her against the wall with infuriating ease. He was faster. Of course he was. Damn his werewolf speed, she might be strong, but she couldn't match his strength and speed.
"I told you, you can't leave." His voice was rough, threaded with a growl.
"And I told you I won't stay," she snapped back, glaring up at him. "You can't trap me."
Kaelith was losing his control. A guttural growl ripped from his chest, his eyes flashing—his wolf was fighting to take control. He was pissed.
"I could mark you right now," he warned, voice roughened, layered with his beast's snarl. "And you'd never gonna run again."