(Isabella’s POV)Not having anywhere else to go, I return to Ariana’s house. She looks to have just woken up with messy hair and sipping on a cup of coffee.She looks me up and down, clearly noticing I’m wearing a man’s shirt. Suddenly she’s perky…wiggling her eyebrows at me she says, “Okay, who’s the new man in your life? What’s his name?”“It’s Santiago,” I say. “He’s my mate.”Ariana’s eyes widen. “Santiago?”I nod, “Yes.”Ariana pats the chair next to her. “Come, sit.”I do as she asks.“You know, Isabella, his reputation is…well, I mean…he’s kinda indifferent when it comes to marriage. Even when he appeared with Layla, their relationship seemed…well, distant.”I feel my forehead scrunch as I think about how to reply to that, but before I can say anything…“Or is that just what the news shows?” she asks, scooting her chair closer to me.“There are plenty of rumors,” she continues “that the reason they divorced was because he couldn’t stand being in a cold, emotionless marriage,” s
(Isabella’s POV)Santiago sinks his teeth into my neck and won’t let go. The pain sears straight through. Fear rises in my chest and panic leaves me starving for air.I try to push him away, but Santiago is too strong. He holds me down to the bed tightly by my wrists.His eyes seem unfocussed with dilated pupils. This isn’t him. His mind is clearly gone. It’s like his body is going through the motions without thought…all impulse.He doesn’t speak.Oh sure, his wolf will never hurt me. I need to be here because I calm him. Bullshit. Arrogant prick. How can he lose control like this and not have safety measures in place!He moans into my neck. I feel his cock press against my leg. It’s at full attention against my thigh.Dammit, I can’t break free! He’s too fucking strong. I’ve never seen a feral wolf before. I can’t make him stop. I don’t know how to!“Be prepared to shift,” I tell my wolf. “If we need to, we fight back to shake him off.”Suddenly, he lets me go.Blood trickles from th
(Isabella’s POV)Every muscle in my body tightens. “I’m sorry, you want me to what?” I ask with widened eyes. “I’ll remind you that our contract clearly states there will be no sex. This is non-negotiable, Santiago. We must stick to the agreement. You can make other requests, but…not this one. I’m not a prostitute.”Santiago looks down on the ground.I can’t help but notice that his face is ever so slightly red.“Look, it’s not about sex. Ever since Layla and I divorced, my wolf…he goes feral.”I didn’t anticipate this response. “Feral?” I ask with furrowed eyebrows. “I don’t understand, I’ve never heard of this before.”“Without the comfort of a mate, a werewolf can go feral. It’s blinding, all consuming rage. The wolf loses himself, takes over. I shift, It’s dangerous for everyone around me. I need your help to suppress it.” His gaze remains downward as his eyes dart side to side while he explains.I sit down and try to process what he has said and what he needs from me. “How can ha
(Isabella’s POV)I’m speechless. My eyes widen as my mouth opens and shuts at his words. Why would he say such a thing, just to help me? What is this emotion I feel when I’m close to this man? My knees are weak, the butterflies in my stomach flap wildly. When he called me his second chance, my pulse felt like I just shifted back to my human form after a marathon run in the forest. Instinctively, I reach for his arm, pausing for a heartbeat before looking straight at Layla.Why would she have ever given him up…for Jesse? Even through this shirt, my fingers feel the definition of his carefully crafted muscles. A Greek god, I muse. My eyes flutter closed for just a second as I take in his sandalwood scent. The sensation in my belly escalates from butterflies to what feels like my wolf prancing around and wagging her tail. Layla’s face contorts into a snarl and turns blood red. She grabs Santiago’s sleeve and tries to pull him away from me. He doesn’t budge. When that doesn’t w
(Isabella’s POV)“I’ve drawn up the contract,” Santiago says “I went ahead and signed in the appropriate places for my part. The paperwork is at my place. Are you comfortable going there and signing?” Santiago asks me. I agree and he drives us there…fast. Contractors are busy working while furniture is being delivered.“I have an office we can do this in, not near as loud,” he says nonchalantly.“Sure, okay,” I say. “So, you’re renovating?”“Sort of,” he says. I sat down on a leather couch, and he hands me the contract. I saw that he did indeed sign in all the places he is meant to.My eyes trace the lines of his signature. They are sharp, just like him.Lines flow and weave together making decisive maneuvers, indicating he signed with no incessant starts and stops, just made up his mind and signed with no hesitation…It doesn’t look like he lifted the pen to contemplate, not once.I carefully read through the terms of the contract. Word for word, it’s exactly what we agreed to, so…w
(Santiago’s POV)When Bella exited my car, my wolf howled. It was all I could do to keep my hands on the wheel and get the hell out before he changed my mind. When I got home, I drank until sleep overtook me. Trapped in this dream is worse than my wolf driving me feral. I’m sweating…tossing and turning. I feel my heart retching inside my fucking throat. Mom! I see her as if she is alive and in the room with me. But, she’s not. She’s about to die and there’s not a damn thing I can do to stop it. She’s in the fetal position alone on the sky-blue tile floor in her bathroom. The tile is cold to her flushed skin. She’s crying, begging the Moon Goddess to stop it. Dad is with a she-wolf and Mom can feel everything they are doing. Her wolf screams in her head. Blood pours from Mom’s eyes and ears… I wake up writhing, dripping in sweat, and throw the covers off me. I grab for my phone. It’s 2:00 AM. My wolf paces and howls in my mind. I call Bella “Come to my place. Now.” I call Levi n