Chapter 30 CHAPTER 30
The door creaked as Isabel pushed it open, balancing her schoolbag on one shoulder.
She froze in the doorway.
The room - their room - looked nothing like it had that morning.
Boxes of groceries were stacked near the wall; new utensils gleamed beside the sink.
A small table stood in the corner with two chairs, and a soft bed replaced the thin mattress they used to share. A delicate lamp cast a warm light across the now-cluttered space.
For a moment, Isabel blinked, stepped out, closed the door… then opened it again.
“Okay,” she said, half-laughing. “Did I walk into the wrong house?”
Cindy turned from the stove, her apron dusted with flour, and grinned. “No, you didn’t. Come in before someone else claims it.”
“What in the world, Cindy!” Isabel’s eyes widened as she surveyed the space. “Where did all this come from? Did you… rob someone?”
Cindy laughed, shaking her head. “No crimes committed today, I promise.”
Isabel dropped her bag and plopped down on the new chair, still staring. “Then what happened? You left this morning half-dying from whatever that thing was - and now you’re here, cooking stew with meat, and the place looks like heaven’s pantry.”
Cindy smiled faintly. “A lot happened today. A lot.”
She stirred the pot and let the aroma of simmering meat fill the air. “To sum it up, I met my brother.”
Isabel’s mouth fell open. “You what?”
“My brother,” Cindy repeated softly. “He found me. Turns out he’s the king of my kind.”
Isabel blinked rapidly, trying to process it. “You mean your wolf kind?”
Cindy nodded. “Yes. He’s the King of the Lycans. His name is Ethan Ashvale.”
For a heartbeat, the room went silent except for the bubbling stew. Then Isabel let out a squeal, jumped up, and threw her arms around Cindy.
“You’re serious? You’re an actual princess?”
Cindy chuckled, hugging her back. “Apparently.”
“Apparently?” Isabel pulled away, eyes sparkling. “Girl, if that were me, I’d be shouting from the rooftop. Wait, what did he say? Did he know who you were right away?”
Cindy leaned against the counter, her gaze softening. “He did. Or rather, his wolf did. He called me Lisa the moment he saw me. Said that’s my real name. He says my wolf’s name is Celia, not Lisa like I thought.”
Isabel frowned. “Now I’m confused. So you’re Lisa, but your wolf is Celia?”
“Exactly,” Cindy said, shaking her head with a small laugh. “It’s a lot to take in. Even for me.”
“Wow…” Isabel sat back down, still stunned. “So what happens now? Do you go live in a castle somewhere?”
“He wanted me to go with him to their court,” Cindy admitted, stirring the pot slowly. “But I told him I couldn’t - not yet.”
“Why not?” Isabel asked. “You are royalty! If it were me, I’d already be halfway there.”
Cindy turned, meeting her gaze. “Because of you.”
“Me?”
Cindy smiled. “Yes. I told him I can’t leave without my sister.”
Isabel blinked. “I’m your sister now?”
“You’ve felt like one since the day I met you,” Cindy said simply. “I don’t want to go there alone. If you come with me, I’ll feel like I’m home.”
Isabel’s eyes softened, but she looked down at her hands. “I… I don’t know, Cindy.”
“Why?”
“It’s just… I’m human, and also… there’s something I never told you.” Her voice lowered. “My dad died when I was twelve. My mum didn’t handle it well. She… changed. She tried to keep it together for me, but one day, when I came home from school, she was just… gone.” Isabel’s lip trembled. “I think she’s still out there somewhere, maybe not okay, maybe lost in her mind. I keep hoping she’ll come back for me. So if I leave, what if she returns and I’m not here?”
Cindy’s chest tightened. She reached for Isabel’s hand. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
Isabel shook her head. “You couldn’t have.”
Cindy squeezed gently. “Then maybe we will find her together one day. But I still think you should come with me. I already told Ethan, and he said they can make sure someone drops you at school every morning. You wouldn’t have to work at the café anymore.”
Isabel gave a small, watery laugh. “You mean my days of washing mugs and eating leftovers at Pauline’s cafe are over?”
“Yes,” Cindy said, smiling. “Remember when I told you that once I make it big, you’ll stop working at the café and focus on school? Well… I think I just made it big.”
That earned a genuine laugh from Isabel. “You’re unbelievable.”
Cindy ladled stew into two bowls and handed one to her. They sat down together at the little table, steam rising between them.
But just as Cindy lifted her spoon, a strange warmth bloomed low in her stomach.
It spread quickly, rippling through her veins like fire made of silk.
She gasped softly.
“Cindy?” Isabel frowned. “What’s wrong?”
Cindy pressed her palm against her chest. Her skin felt too hot, her breath catching. “I… I don’t know. It’s like heat… everywhere.”
Isabel jumped up. “Not again! You’re not burning, are you?”
“No… no, it’s different this time.” Cindy’s voice was shaky, her pupils dilated. “It doesn’t hurt. It feels…” she stopped, unsure how to say it, her face flushing scarlet. “It feels good. Too good.”
Isabel blinked, clearly confused. “Good?”
Cindy gripped the edge of the table as another wave of warmth rolled through her, her breath unsteady. Somewhere, faint and distant, she could almost hear a man’s groan - deep, low, familiar. Her nipples hardened as the feeling of a tongue gently licking her right breast overcame her. She could feel a hand fondling with her other breast and it felt so good.
Her eyes widened. “Oh no…” she put her hand over her mouth as she gasped. A low growl escaped her - Lisa - she was feeling it too.
“What? What is it?” Isabel asked, panic in her voice.
Cindy’s breath came faster. “It’s the bond… he’s…. he’s with her again.”
Realization dawned on Isabel’s face. “The alpha from Silverpine? The one who rejected you?”
Cindy nodded, trembling slightly. “Yes. Every time he’s with her, I feel it. But before, it used to burn, it was agony. This time it’s…” she trailed off, her words dissolving into a soft gasp.
The sensation was now in her groin; she could feel hands gently caressing her. The pleasure was like nothing she had ever felt in her life. But she was embarrassed it was happening right in front of Isabel. She put her hands on her pelvic, trying to stop the pulsing heat that was coming from her core. But it was too much – too new for her. She could see the confusion in Isabel’s eyes as she watched her, but word failed to come out of her mouth.
She tightened her grip as something slid in her womanhood, hard and painful at first. Then she felt it, as the movements inside her quickened, engulfing her in a fire her body had never felt. Her breath came in short gasps as she hardened her grip on the table, as another low growl rose from deep within her, echoing through her chest like thunder and mingling with her own breathless grasp. For a heartbeat, their instincts fused, pain melting into a wild, startling rush of power that neither could resist. Cindy found herself subconsciously bending over as if welcoming an invisible guest to the center of her being.
“What’s happening? Are you in pain? What changed? What were you telling me Cindy?” Isabel asked, stepping closer, alarmed.
Cindy reached up and touched the small pendant resting against her collarbone, a delicate silver charm that shimmered faintly in the lamplight. “Celestine,” she whispered. “The priestess. She gave me this.”
“That?” Isabel stared at it. “What is it and what does it do?”
“She said it wouldn’t break the bond,” Cindy said, her voice trembling. “But it would change how I feel it. She said… if my mate finds pleasure with another, I’ll feel exactly what she feels. Every touch, every sound, every…”
“Oh my god,” Isabel breathed. “So instead of pain, you’re…”
“Sharing his pleasure.” Cindy’s voice cracked on the words. “It’s not supposed to hurt anymore, but…” she looked down, tears of confusion gathering in her eyes, “this… this hurts in a different way.”
Isabel moved closer, crouching beside her. “Cindy, breathe. Just breathe.”
Cindy nodded weakly, clutching the pendant. The waves of sensation began to fade, leaving her trembling and flushed, her heart thudding painfully against her ribs.
When the room finally fell quiet again, Cindy gave a small, breathless laugh. “I guess pleasure can hurt just as much as pain.”
Isabel exhaled shakily, brushing a hand through her hair. “Remind me to thank that priestess later,” she muttered dryly.