Isabelle
The day of my departure with my mother, I didn’t expect a visitor at all.
I froze the moment I smelled her. She didn’t belong here.
The heavy scent of gardenias and something acidic, a perfume designed to mask her true scent but not enough for a werewolf nose, lingered in the living room of our small den. I stepped inside slowly, barefoot against the cool wooden floor, my claws itching beneath my skin.
And there she was.
zA woman I had never seen before sat with perfect posture on our couch, legs crossed, her heels digging into the rug like she owned the place. Her dark hair was pulled into a sleek bun, and her lips curled into a fake smile the second our eyes met.
“Who the hell are you?” I growled, stepping closer. My wolf bristled beneath the surface, pacing with unease. “You don’t belong here. Get out of my home.”
Her gaze swept over me like I was a stain. “Tsk. That face…” She clicked her tongue, not even acknowledging my demand. “I see the Monstera Pack was generous in the looks department, but a little too generous with the mouth, perhaps.”
The insult stung sharper than it should have. But I didn’t flinch. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction.
“What do you want?” I snarled, lowering my stance. I didn’t care if she was human, witch, or wolf, I’d rip her throat out if she didn’t leave.
She finally turned to face me fully, crossing her arms like she was about to deliver a verdict. “I’m here on behalf of Alpha Nuel. You’ve been purchased.”
I blinked, heart halting mid-beat. “Purchased?”
Her smile widened. “Sold, darling. By your own pack. Your Alpha. Even your lovely friend ex-husband, Jason. All of them signed the deal.” Her words twisted like barbed wire around my ribs. “You’re to become Alpha Nuel’s companion. His other woman. Consider it… a trade alliance of sorts.”
I staggered back as if struck. My ears rang. “That can’t be legal. That’s not—”
“Oh, but it is.” She produced a scroll, ancient and marked with multiple seals, Monstera Pack, Alpha Council, even the old bastard Nuel’s. “All in accordance with werewolf trade laws. Especially for… tainted bloodlines.”
And just like that, the name sent bile to my throat.
“Alpha Nuel,” I whispered. “The same monster Samantha tried to defend in court? He assaulted a rogue girl, and she was a child!”
“Yes, yes,” she said with a casual wave of her hand. “But you know how these things go. The rogue was unclaimed. You, however… you’re a Monstera-born. Useful. Fertile. Attractive. And most importantly… available.”
Rage burst in my chest. I lunged. But she didn’t even blink. I was inches from her throat when I hit an invisible wall, no, not magic. Wolves.
Two guards, both huge and reeking of Alpha Nuel’s pack, had stepped between us. I snarled, fangs bared, but they didn’t move.
And then the front door opened again.
I whipped around. My heart dropped into my stomach.
Jason. And beside him, Samantha. And behind them, looming like the nightmare he was, Alpha Nuel himself.
My wolf growled so loudly in my head it made me dizzy.
“Ah,” Samantha said sweetly, stepping forward. Her tone was syrupy and cruel. “There she is. Our little trade token.” She turned to Jason. “Did you explain to her that her sister was the original bargain?”
My blood ran cold.
“What?”
“Your sister,” she repeated. “She was supposed to be the one sold. But she’s missing. Ran off with some rogue male, didn’t she?” She looked at me, eyes glinting with sadistic pleasure. “So now, it falls on you. Her taint makes her worthless. So congratulations, Isabelle. You’re the new sacrificial lamb.”
My throat went dry.
“I told you, she’s dead,” I whispered.
Jason flinched. Samantha didn’t even blink.
“You keep saying that,” she drawled. “But no body, no proof. For all we know, she’s warming another man’s bed, hiding in some forest with a baby on the way.”
That did it. I screamed and lunged again, but this time, Jason caught me.
He gripped my wrists tight, digging his fingers into my flesh. I searched his eyes for mercy, for the Jason I once loved.
All I saw was cowardice. “This is for the best,” he said flatly.
“You’re pushing me into this,” I hissed. “Don’t regret it.”
He shoved me into Alpha Nuel’s waiting arms. I nearly vomited from the scent, old blood, rot, and too many lives ruined.
“NO!” My mother’s voice ripped through the air, wild and full of pain. She darted forward, but the guards caught her.
I looked at her. Really looked. And I gave her a silent signal.
Trust me. Let me go.
Her lips quivered, but she nodded through her tears.
I dropped my resistance and went limp in Nuel’s grip. My wolf whimpered in protest, but I whispered to her, Not now. Soon.
They dragged me out to the armored car waiting outside. I took in every detail, the two guards in front, one behind. The child lock clicked the moment I was thrown inside. No windows that could open. No scent of wolfsbane. Good.
I sat quietly, head down, but my heart was counting.
One. Two. Three.
The trees blurred past. We were on the southern road, the one leading to Nuel’s estate. I knew these woods. I grew up with them. And I also knew where the turns became sharp.
Five. Six. Seven.
The moon peeked out through the clouds. I let my wolf rise slowly, inch by inch. Just enough to change my eyes, feel my claws beneath my skin.
Eight. Nine. Ten.
The guards were relaxed. Stupid.
Eleven.
We hit the bend.
Twelve.
I shifted mid-air.
My body exploded into fur and muscle, and with a snarl, I shattered the car door. The impact threw me into the trees like a ragdoll. Pain tore through my shoulder, ribs cracked, but I didn’t stop.
I ran.
The world was a blur of green and blood and wind. My paws hit dirt and stone, thorns slicing my legs, but I didn’t dare look back. Howls erupted behind me, the guards had shifted, too.
Let them come. These woods were mine.
They were just visitors.
I zigzagged through the narrow trails, dove under the thorned hedges only I could fit through, and leapt over the fallen log where I once carved my sister’s name. My chest burned, but adrenaline numbed the pain.
Faster.
I made it to the hollow tree, the old one with the den Dad used to use when we played hide and seek. I shifted back, blood oozing down my arm, and reached behind the roots.
My bag. Exactly where I left it three nights ago, when I first suspected betrayal.
Inside: a burner phone. Battery low but working.
A message was sent.
Meet me. Airport. Terminal 2. We leave tonight.
