Chapter 54

Isla POV

My pulse drummed in my throat as I slipped into my boots and tugged my cloak tight.

Every creak of the floorboards felt like an alarm, but luckily for me, Tristan hadn’t come to bed.

I guess he was still busy with pack politics.

His side was cold and untouched, the blankets smooth as though he hadn’t lain there at all. That should’ve been enough to make me pause….wonder where he was, what he was doing. But instead, it only fueled my determination.

I needed answers, and Kieran was the only one reckless enough to give them.

The forest was alive with night sounds, the branches swaying gently under the cool breeze. My wolf stirred restlessly beneath my skin, warning me of danger, but I ignored her.

I found my way to the chamber where I suspected he was being held and luckily for me, the guards were on break.

I rushed in, pushing open the wooden door gently so I didn't make much noise, but Kieran's head snapped up almost immediately, as sharp as a fox.

Compared to how he was several hours ago, color had returned to his cheeks, and he generally looked much better.

His eyes flickered with surprise upon seeing me.

“You're not who I was expecting, but it's lovely to see you though.” Kieran drawled, his mouth curving into a dangerous smile. “Why, pray tell, are you here?”

I rolled my eyes, though my chest betrayed me with a hard thump. “You saved my life and got injured in the process. I had to come check up on how you're doing.”

“Is that all?” His gaze raked over me, intense and unflinching. “Or there's something wrong? Another reason perhaps why you're here?”

That stopped me. I should have said no.

I should have thrown his arrogance back at him.

But the word caught in my throat.

He pushed away from the wall, closing the distance between us with the kind of casual grace that only made my pulse race faster. “Tell me, Isla. Is it because you can't stop thinking about me the same way I can't stop thinking about you?”

“Kieran, stop!” The words sounded weak even to my ears. “I'm bonded with your brother.”

“I know but does the bond make you happy? Or does it feel like chains?”

My breath caught. “It’s not chains. It’s fate.”

“Fate,” he echoed, voice sharp with scorn. “Convenient little word. But I’ve seen the way you look at me. Fate doesn’t make your eyes burn like that. Fate doesn’t make you sneak away in the dead of night.”

I should have turned. I should have walked away. But when he stepped closer, the space between us sparking like tinder, something inside me shifted.

And then it happened.

A flicker.

A jarring emptiness where warmth should have been.

The mate bond…. Tristan’s presence in the back of my mind, the distant hum of connection I had always felt…. it felt shaky like there had been some interference. For the briefest heartbeat, it went out, leaving me hollow.

I staggered, clutching my chest as if I’d been struck.

Kieran’s eyes narrowed, all too knowing as they focused on my hand. “You’re starting to feel it, huh?”

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head even as terror rippled through me. I don't know what it means for me or Tristan if the bond starts to flicker “No, it’s not-”

“It’s breaking,” he said, stepping closer. “Or maybe it was never strong enough to begin with. Maybe what you feel with Tristan is nothing compared to what’s between us.”

His hand brushed mine…. just the faintest touch, but the bond wavered again, as if his nearness somehow severed Tristan’s hold on me.

My wolf growled low in protest, yet part of me leaned toward him, desperate for something I didn’t understand.

I yanked my hand back. “Stop it, Kieran.”

“Stop what? Showing you the truth?” His voice was a dark caress, his eyes gleaming with desire. “Tristan keeps you under him, Isla. He tells you to stay away from me because he knows…he knows….if you give yourself even a little, you’ll realize you were never his to begin with.”

The honeyed words dropping from his lips enticed me and pulled me closer.

But I can't.

I spun from him, my heart crashing against my ribs. “I shouldn’t have come.”

“But you did.” His voice chased me as I hurried towards the entrance. “And you’ll come again. Because fate isn’t chains… It’s a choice. And it seems like you’re already choosing me.”

I didn’t look back. I couldn’t.

The forest pressed heavier on my shoulders as I rushed toward the house, my steps uneven, my mind reeling.

The bond flickering, Kieran’s words, the hunger I couldn’t deny…it all tangled inside me like a knot I couldn’t tear free of.

And then I heard the voices.

I froze in the shadows near the courtyard, the scent of pine and damp stone grounding me as I strained to listen.

Tristan’s voice came through, low but taut with something I had rarely heard from him before….fear.

“She can’t know,” he was saying. “If Isla learns the truth, it’ll destroy everything we’ve built.”

Another voice answered, older, rougher… one of the elders, perhaps. “You can’t hide it forever, Tristan. Secrets rot in the dark. Sooner or later, she’ll stumble onto it.”

“Then I’ll make sure she doesn’t,” Tristan snapped. “The bond is already fragile. If she discovers what happened…. let's just say it won't be nice.” He broke off, his breath sharp. “She’ll turn on me. On all of us.”

My blood ran cold.

What is Tristan talking about?

The bond flickered again, faint and wavering, as though echoing his words.

I pressed myself deeper into the shadows, my nails biting into my palms.

Betrayal.

Once again.

Tristan’s voice softened, but it was laced with iron. “She can never know. Do you understand me? Not ever.”

My heart slammed against my ribs, louder than the night itself.

I didn’t breathe until footsteps retreated and silence dawned on the courtyard.

Even then, I stayed hidden, my mind racing.

Kieran’s temptation.

Tristan’s secrets.

The bond flickers like a dying light.

What does this all mean…?

I felt like I was standing on the edge of something dangerous, and the wrong move could tip me over the edge.

But one thing was certain.

Neither fate nor Tristan could keep me from finding out what really happened. Either between

Kieran and Tristan of something bigger.

And when I did, I had a strange feeling that nothing would ever be the same again.