Chapter 31
She stopped by the fountain, bracing her hands on the marble rim, her shoulders were bowed for just a second and it was like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Vulnerable.
“Well, that was entertaining.” I said softly and she stiffened but she didn't turn to face me.
“Were you following me?” she asked and I smiled
“ You were running again?” I drawled, stepping out from behind a marble pillar.She spun around, her chest rising and falling, her eyes flashing.
“I didn’t run,” she snapped,
My smile curved lazily in amusement
“No? You left the Alpha King’s side in the middle of a banquet. That’s running in my book.”
“ How did you even find me” she hissed
“Did you really think you could slip away unnoticed? I’m always watching you all night, little Luna.” I drawled and she flinched
“Stop calling me that.” Her voice cracked, just a little. She looked tired. Raw.
“Do you always lurk in corridors, waiting to pounce?” she gritted
“Only when it’s interesting,” I said smoothly as my gaze raked over her,lingering far too long because she flushed bright red
“And you, little Luna, are very interesting.”My fists clenched at my sides.
“If you’re here to mock me, get it over with.”
“Mock you?” His brows lifted, feigning innocence.
“Why would I mock you, when you’re doing such a fine job pretending everything’s fine?” I stepped closer, the gravel crunching under my boots.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She shook her head, brushing past me toward the fountain at the center of the garden. The moonlight hit her hair, making her look untouchable and breakable all at once.
“Liar,” I said softly, she huffed
“ Maybe, but it's not your business either way”
“ Darling I've been watching you long enough that I have a clue “ I whispered leaning against the marble fountain rim next to her
“ Who was he “ I asked and she glanced up at me
“ Who was who “ she asked
“The man at the end of the table.” She froze, it was just for a second, but it was enough.
A slow smile spread across my face.
“Ah. So I’m right.”
“Please,” she whispered, her voice cracking again as she moved away from the table.
She wrapped her arms around herself, as though she could hold the pieces together.
“Please, Kieran. Leave me alone. I’m not in the mood for your games.”
I prowled closer, unable to stop myself. Something about her weakness called to me as much as her strength.
She wasn’t like Viviana, all polished charm and seductive ambition. Isla tried to hide her cracks, from.the rest of the world and fix them herself but I saw through them. In what I was sure was a perverse need I wanted to press my fingers against them until she shattered.
“No games,” I murmured, stopping just close enough to catch her scent until it curled around me, warm and maddening.
“I only want to know what he means to you. Because he isn’t nothing. I could have sworn I was the only one who gets under your skin like that” I whispered and her head snapped up, eyes blazing despite the sheen of unshed tears.
“ You cant be jealous “ she mumbled and I shrugged she scoffed
“ You're a lunatic” and I laughed
“ Not going to deny it “
“ It doesn't concern you though “ she replied
“Everything concerns me,” I said softly.
“Especially you.”
Her breath hitched. She took a step back, but I followed, keeping the space between us razor-thin.
“You should be careful, Isla. Secrets don’t stay buried long in this house. And if that man is one of yours…” I let the words trail off, savoring the way her face paled.
“You don’t know anything,” she hissed.
“Not yet,” I agreed.
“But I will.”
For a moment, we just stood there, the night heavy around us. Her wolf bristled beneath her skin, mine answered, and I felt the pull—sharp, undeniable, dangerous. I wanted to reach out, to touch her, to test the fire sparking between us that I was sure she could feel as well.
But then her voice broke the spell.
“You’re cruel.”
The words struck harder than they should have.
I chuckled, low and humorless, covering the sting.
“No, little Luna. I’m honest. Everyone else here will lie to your face, but me? I’ll tell you exactly how the game is played. Tristan will never be yours. My aunt wants you gone. The staff would rather see you fail than fetch your tea. And that man tonight? Well I'm still trying to find out what he is “
She flinched. Just slightly. But enough.
I leaned closer, my lips a breath from her ear.
“So the question is, Isla… will you let them break you, or will you fight back?”
Her hands trembled against the folds of her gown, but when she spoke, her voice was steady.
“I don’t need your advice. Or your warnings.”
Before I could answer her, a sharp voice cut through the corridor.
“Isla.”
It was Tristan.
He sounded far off but I saw when he saw us standing next to each other. I didn’t move.
But Isla pulled back, I studied her face. Strong,composed even when she was falling apart..
Goddess help me, she fascinated me.
“You’ll need me eventually,” I said softly.
“And when you do, I’ll be here.”
Her eyes burned into mine, a mix of fury and something else I couldn’t quite name. Then she turned sharply, her gown swirling as she stalked back toward the hall, leaving me standing in the garden, the ghost of her scent still clinging to me.
And for the first time in years, I didn’t know if I was the one hunting… or being hunted.
“What are you doing out here?” Tristan demanded,as she reached him, his eyes flicking between me and her.
“I needed air,” she said quickly, grabbing his arm and leading him away.