Chapter 202 CHAPTER 202
Isabel took longer than usual in the bathroom that morning.
It wasn’t because she needed more time to get ready. Her routine was simple, familiar, something she could do without thinking. But today, she lingered in front of the mirror longer than she should have, her fingers resting lightly on the edge of the sink as she stared at her reflection.
Her eyes looked different.
Not in a way anyone else might immediately notice, but she saw it. There was a dullness there, a quiet heaviness that hadn’t been present before. Even when she tried to soften her expression, to lift her lips into something that resembled her usual smile, it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
She exhaled slowly and reached for the water, splashing her face gently as if she could wash away the remnants of the night before. The memory came back anyway, uninvited, sharp in its quietness.
Ethan’s voice.
The way he had told her to leave.
Her chest tightened faintly, and she straightened quickly, pushing the thought away before it could settle again.
“Stop it,” she murmured under her breath.
She dried her face, adjusted her clothes, and forced herself to move.
By the time she stepped out of the room, Lisa was already waiting.
“Ready?” Lisa asked gently, her gaze flicking over Isabel’s face for a brief second longer than usual.
Isabel nodded quickly, offering a small smile that came easier now that she wasn’t looking at herself.
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
They walked downstairs together, their footsteps echoing softly along the hallway. Isabel kept her pace steady, her expression composed, but there was a quietness about her that had not been there before. Normally, she would have filled the silence with something - an observation, a joke, a comment about the day ahead - but this time she said nothing.
Lisa noticed.
She didn’t say anything about it.
When they reached the dining hall, the long table was already laid out with food, just as it always was. Plates of fresh bread, fruits, warm dishes, and drinks were arranged neatly, the abundance almost overwhelming in its consistency.
But something was missing.
Isabel’s eyes moved instinctively to the head of the table.
The seat was empty.
Her steps slowed almost imperceptibly as the realization settled in. A small part of her, the part she had tried very hard to silence, had expected Ethan to be there. She had told herself not to expect anything, had reminded herself of the boundaries she needed to keep, but somewhere beneath all of that, she had still hoped.
Just seeing him would have been enough.
Just knowing that things were not completely broken.
But he wasn’t there.
And the emptiness of that seat felt louder than it should have.
Isabel moved to her place and sat down quietly, her hands resting in her lap for a moment before she reached for her spoon. She picked at the food on her plate without really looking at it, moving pieces around absentmindedly, her appetite nowhere to be found.
Across from her, Lisa watched for a few seconds before speaking.
“It must be serious.”
Isabel blinked, her head lifting slightly.
“What?”
Lisa leaned back slightly in her chair, her tone light, almost teasing.
“Whatever is going on in that head of yours,” she said, gesturing toward Isabel’s plate, “it must be really bad if you can’t even eat. You’re avoiding breakfast. That’s not normal.”
Isabel let out a small, forced laugh and immediately picked up her fork, scooping a piece of food and bringing it to her mouth.
“What are you talking about?” she said quickly, chewing even though she barely tasted anything. “I’m eating.”
Lisa raised an eyebrow but didn’t push further.
Isabel kept her gaze on her plate, focusing on the simple act of eating as if it required all her attention. She swallowed, took another bite, and forced herself to keep going, even though every movement felt mechanical.
After a while, they finished.
The silence between them remained unspoken, but not uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence that carried awareness, the kind that didn’t need to be filled.
When they stepped outside, the morning air was cool and fresh, carrying the soft sounds of the palace grounds waking up. The car was already waiting, but before they reached it, something caught Isabel’s attention.
Her gaze shifted.
And then it stopped.
Ethan sat on one of the garden benches, the morning light falling softly around him. Beside him sat Celine.
They were talking.
Not just talking - laughing.
There was ease in their posture, a kind of familiarity that made the moment feel natural, unforced. Ethan’s expression was relaxed in a way Isabel had not seen the night before, his shoulders no longer tense, his voice - though she couldn’t hear it - clearly lighter.
Celine leaned slightly toward him as she spoke, her smile bright, her presence effortless.
For a second, Isabel couldn’t move.
The scene settled into her chest like something heavy, something she hadn’t prepared herself for.
Her mind moved quickly, trying to make sense of it, trying to protect itself.
Of course.
Of course that’s why.
The thought came quietly, but it settled deep.
No wonder he had pushed her away.
No wonder he didn’t want her there.
He had already settled on someone.
Someone who belonged in his world.
Someone who didn’t have to question her place.
Isabel swallowed slowly, her fingers tightening slightly at her sides.
You promised yourself, she reminded herself.
You said you wouldn’t expect anything more.
Her gaze lingered for a moment longer, her chest tightening in a way she couldn’t quite control.
Then she looked away.
Lisa noticed the look in Isabel’s face but didn’t say anything. She nudged her gently.
“Come on,” she said softly.
Isabel nodded, forcing her feet to move as they made their way to the car. She didn’t look back again, even though a part of her wanted to.
The ride was quiet at first.
Isabel stared out of the window, watching the scenery pass by without really seeing it. Her thoughts moved restlessly, circling the same questions, the same feelings, the same quiet ache that refused to settle.
After a few minutes, she spoke.
“Do you think it was a bad idea?”
Lisa turned slightly.
“What was?”
“Coming here,” Isabel said, her voice softer now. “Going to Lunaris.”
Lisa frowned slightly.
“Where is that coming from?”
Isabel let out a small breath, her gaze still fixed on the window.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I just feel like… ever since I came to Mooncrest, I forgot who I was.”
Lisa remained quiet, listening.
“I’ve been trying so hard to fit in,” Isabel continued, her voice steady but quieter than usual. “To become like one of you. To act like I belong here.”
Her fingers curled slightly in her lap.
“But I don’t.”
Lisa’s expression softened.
“Isabel….”
“I’m human,” she said simply. “I don’t have a wolf. I don’t have powers. I wasn’t born into this world.”
Her voice didn’t break, but there was a weight behind it that made the words feel heavier than they sounded.
“And going to Lunaris…” she added, “it just makes it worse. It feels like I’m feeding this idea in my head that one day I might actually belong here.”
She shook her head slightly.
“But I won’t.”
Lisa studied her carefully.
“Maybe I should go back,” Isabel said after a moment. “To a human school.”
Lisa blinked.
“Back?”
“Yeah,” Isabel nodded. “So I don’t forget. So I always remember where I belong.”
She finally turned to look at Lisa.
“So that when I come back here… I know I’m just a guest.”
Lisa’s chest tightened slightly at the words.
“Isa…Did something happen last night?” she asked gently.
Isabel’s gaze shifted away immediately.
“No. Nothing.”
Lisa didn’t look convinced.
“You were crying,” she said softly. “I saw you. You were crying in your sleep when I came in.”
It was a careful lie, spoken with quiet intention. She didn’t see Isabel crying but she could tell she had been crying.
Isabel hesitated.
Then she shook her head.
“I don’t know,” she said lightly. “Something probably got into my eyes.”
She forced a small smile.
“Are you interrogating me or something?”
Lisa let out a small breath, shaking her head.
“No,” she said gently. “I just care about you.”
Her voice softened further.
“You’re like a little sister to me, Isabel.”
Isabel’s expression flickered.
“You might be human,” Lisa continued, “and you might not have a wolf, but that doesn’t mean you don’t belong here.”
She held her gaze.
“You are not a guest.”
The words settled quietly between them.
“You didn’t make a mistake coming to Lunaris,” Lisa added. “And you didn’t make a mistake coming here.”
The car began to slow.
The gates of Lunaris came into view.
“And if something is bothering you,” Lisa said softly, “I’m here. Whenever you’re ready.”
The car came to a stop.
For a second, Isabel didn’t move.
Then suddenly, before she could stop herself, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Lisa.
The movement was quick, instinctive, almost desperate.
Lisa froze for a fraction of a second before returning the embrace, her hand resting gently on Isabel’s back.
“I know,” Isabel whispered softly. “I know.”
Her voice was steady, but her eyes burned again, tears threatening to rise despite everything she had tried to hold together.
She pulled back after a moment, forcing a small smile as she reached for the door.
“Come on,” she said lightly. “We’re going to be late.”
But as she stepped out of the car and into Lunaris, one truth lingered quietly beneath everything else.
She was still trying to convince herself that she knew where she belonged.