Chapter 21 An Unexpected Offering
Isabella’s POV
I exhale slowly, trying to get myself to calm down, but my hands won’t stop trembling. How was I supposed to calm down? My fingers grip the edge of the kitchen counter, curling around it tight, my knuckles turning white.
My mind is still reeling from Landon’s new rules. He moved me to a bigger room right next to his, and now my door is locked from the outside. Every time I want to step out, I have to knock like a prisoner and wait for the two guards to decide whether to let me through.
Does he think I’m as cold-hearted as him that I’ll hurt my own baby?
For a second, I try to force myself to forget everything right now, but then, my gaze flickers toward the kitchen doorway, landing on the two guards standing outside.
Their eyes are always fixed on me every damn second, tracking every little movement I make, like I’m dangerous. Like I might shatter their precious Alpha’s plans at any second.
“I’m okay,” I mutter more to myself than anyone, though the words feel like a lie. “We’ll be okay, baby.”
Immediately, my hands drift to my stomach, resting there in a soft, protective way. I reach for the kettle anyway, pouring hot water into the cup, watching the steam curl upward, and for a terrifying minute, I try to pretend everything is normal.
Just making tea for the baby and me.
Not—
“You shouldn’t be standing for too long.”
The sound of a familiar voice echoing behind me shatters through my thoughts. I don’t turn around right away, because I already know who it is.
Slowly, I glance over my shoulder to see Clara as she stands by the doorway entrance of the kitchen. She looks calm…too calm for someone like her.
Her movements are slow, measured as she steps further inside, her gaze settling on me with something that almost resembles concern.
What the fuck is happening right now?!
I…I didn’t hear you come in,” I say quickly, trying to force my voice steady even though I’m literally trembling at her gaze.
“I didn’t want to startle you.” She steps closer now, close enough that I can feel her breathing on my skin, “The truth is that I came to talk with you.” She says after a moment.
I don’t utter a word in response immediately, instead, I quickly turn back to face the counter, picking up the spoon and stirring the tea even though it doesn’t need stirring.
“A…about what?” I ask, keeping my voice neutral.
For a moment, she says nothing, but I can feel her stare burning behind me even though I can’t see it right now.
“To apologize.”
My hand stills.
Holy shit!
This must be some kind of dream!
Clara? Apologize to me?
Slowly, I turn back to face her fully this time, and Clara’s expression is still calm, almost too calm, like she isn’t forcing any of it.
“I shouldn’t have acted the way I did earlier,” she continues, her voice firm. “I…I admit that I’ve been treating you very badly since the day you came here.
I study her face as she speaks, looking for something…anything to show that this is all a stupid joke. But, nothing.
And that makes it worse.
“I was frustrated,” her voice snaps me back to reality, then her eyes drop briefly to my stomach, lingering there a little bit longer before returning to mine. “You’re carrying my brother’s child for fucks sake, so whether I like it or not…that changes things.”
There it is.
The real reason why she was pretending to be good to me all of a sudden, wasn't even about me or all the wicked things she had done to me.
“I don’t want to keep being that evil person to you again,” she continues. “It’s unnecessary, and it’s not good for you especially now.”
For me?
Or the baby, she means.
I glance down at my tea, watching the faint ripples on the surface slowly settle, because some part of me wants to believe her, that maybe…this is real.
But another part of me—
Remembers every ill-mannered thing she’s done to me since the first day I stepped foot in this house.
“What are you thinking about, Isabella?” Clara’s voice cuts through the silence, almost as if she can hear my thoughts. “I’m not asking you to trust me right away, just… accept that I’m trying to make things better.”
“I…I don’t want problems with you either,” I say finally, forcing the words out even though I didn’t want to. I’m too tired for this constant fear, bracing myself for the worst every time she steps into my room.
For a moment, neither of us speaks, then Clara’s gaze drifts to the tea mug in my hand. “To be honest,” she says, a faint smile touching her lips, “you don’t look well.”
“I’m fine,”
“You’re not,” she shoots back.
Before I can open my mouth to respond, she moves past me toward the other side of the kitchen. “I made something for you earlier as a token of my apology.”
I turn, watching as she brings out a glass from the counter—one I didn’t even notice before. There’s a liquid inside, it’s a soft amber color catching the light faintly.
“W…what is this?” I ask.
“A tonic,” Clara replies quickly, “It’s going to help with your strength. Especially during early pregnancy.”
My fingers tighten slightly around the tea mug I’m holding, because nothing about all this seems right.
“I don’t—”
“Trust me, it’s safe,” she cuts in gently. “I wouldn’t give you something harmful or do you think I’d do such a thing?”
My eyes are still on her as she begins to take a step toward me, extending the glass. I hesitate, just for a second, then I set my tea aside and take the glass from her.
I bring it closer slightly, and the faint scent fills my nose instantly with an unpleasant smell, something herbal and unfamiliar.
“It’s from one of the pack’s traditional blends,” Clara says, as if sensing the slight irritation on my face the moment I smell it. “I give you my word, you’ll surely feel better after drinking it.”
I don’t drink it immediately.
Instead, I just stand there.
My eyes lifted to meet hers to see that eyes were still watching me.
“Go on,” she says softly.
Without thinking about it twice, I raise the glass slightly, just a little more to gulp down every ounce of the liquid inside.
And then—
“The Alpha—!”
The scream cuts through the air so suddenly that I flinch.
“The Alpha has been badly injured!”
Another voice follows, much louder this time. For a terrifying moment, I can breathe, everything inside me freezes.
“What?” Clara breathes out beside me.
“He’s bleeding!” One of the guard’s voices echoes from outside the kitchen. “Get the healer to come…immediately!”
My entire world begins to blur around the edges, but I don’t even realize it until—
CRASH!
The sharp sound of the glass cup slipping from my hand cracks through the room as it shatters, and the liquid spills across the floor, spreading quickly over the tiles.
All I can do is stand there, staring at the broken pieces, then back to Clara.