Chapter 148

ISABELLA

I barely slept last night, though I tried. After the boys told me about Dominic, I couldn't bear to be around them. The weight of their confession settled deep in my chest, making it hard to breathe. I spent the entire night curled up in the armchair in Luca’s room, watching him sleep peacefully in his crib, his soft breaths the only thing that kept me from completely unraveling.

How could they have done that? Taken someone’s life, even someone like Dominic, without telling me? Without even giving me the chance to decide? I couldn’t wrap my mind around it, and the more I thought about it, the more trapped I felt.

The next morning, I avoided them completely. I couldn't face the guilt in their eyes, the regret I knew they would try to soften with comforting words. Words wouldn’t fix this. Words couldn’t undo what they'd done.

I dressed Luca in silence, my heart heavy, my mind swirling with too many emotions to name. As I gathered his things, preparing to drop him off at Maggie’s for the day, I avoided looking at the boys. I felt their eyes on me, felt the tension filling the house like a fog, but I kept my distance. I wasn’t ready to talk. I wasn’t ready to forgive.

Not yet.

Maggie didn’t ask any questions when I handed Luca over, though her eyes searched mine for answers I wasn’t ready to give. I forced a smile, kissed my son goodbye, and quickly left her house, my mind racing as I walked through the pack's territory.

I needed space. I needed time to think. To breathe.

As I walked, I replayed everything in my head — Dominic’s manipulations, how he made me feel small and insignificant, how he chipped away at my confidence until I was a shell of myself. But did that warrant death? Did he really deserve that?

I had been relieved when Dominic was gone, but this... knowing that the boys had taken matters into their own hands, that they’d killed him for me without a second thought, felt like a betrayal. It felt like they didn’t trust me enough to make my own decisions.

Lost in thought, I almost didn’t notice Spencer until he appeared in front of me.

"Isabella?" His voice was gentle, concerned, and I looked up to see his brow furrowed, his eyes scanning my face. "You okay?"

I opened my mouth, but no words came. My throat felt tight, and for a moment, I thought I might break down right there. But Spencer had always been a steady presence, someone I could rely on, and I found myself telling him everything.

“They killed Dominic,” I whispered, my voice barely above a breath. “They killed him without telling me. Without giving me a choice. I don’t know if I can ever forgive them.”

Spencer’s expression darkened slightly, but not in the way I expected. He wasn’t shocked or appalled like I thought he’d be. He didn’t react like a human would.

“You have to understand something, Isa,” he said, his voice calm and measured. “The Black brothers aren’t like humans. They’re werewolves. They’re wired differently. Their instincts... they’re hard to control when it comes to protecting those they love. They’ll make decisions that seem irrational or even extreme to you, but in their world, it’s survival. It’s protection.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling the weight of his words but still unable to fully accept them. “But I didn’t need them to kill him for me. I didn’t need that kind of protection.”

Spencer nodded slowly, his eyes softening. “I know. And I don’t think they meant to hurt you by keeping it from you. But in their eyes, Dominic was a threat. Not just to you, but to their pack, their family. They did what they thought was right.”

I shook my head, the knot in my chest tightening. “How am I supposed to live with that? Knowing they killed someone for me?”

Spencer sighed, placing a hand gently on my shoulder. “That’s something you’ll have to figure out in your own time. No one can tell you how to feel or what to do. But I do know this — they love you, Isa. They would do anything for you. And while that doesn’t excuse their actions, it explains them. They’re werewolves, and that means their sense of loyalty and protection runs deeper than you can imagine.”

I stared at the ground, my mind swirling. I could hear what he was saying, and I could even understand it on some level. But understanding didn’t mean forgiving. I wasn’t sure if I could ever forgive them for this.

Spencer gave me a soft, understanding smile. “Take your time. You don’t have to make any decisions right now.”

I nodded, my heart heavy with uncertainty. As much as I loved them, as much as I understood that they were driven by instincts I couldn’t fully comprehend, I wasn’t sure if I could ever look at them the same way again.

And that terrified me.