Chapter 3

Issabella’s POV

I didn't think. I grabbed my phone and stood frozen in the middle of the room, listening to the engine cut off outside.

Footsteps pounded up the stairs, the door opened and Killian stepped in, shutting it behind him. He has gone pale. 

"Get into the closet," he said. "Now."

"Killian, I….”

"Now Isabella!”

He pulled the closet door open and pushed me inside, between his coats and his shirts. It smelled like him in there, and I hated that it still made my chest ache. He looked at me for one second, and for that second he didn't look cold at all. He looked scared.

"Don't make a sound," he whispered. Then the door closed and everything went dark.

I pressed my back against the wall. Through the thin wood I heard him cross the room, open the bedroom door, and walk downstairs. A moment later the front door opened.

""You look like hell," my brother said.

I put my hand over my mouth. 

"Long night," Killian said. His voice was perfectly calm. I didn't know how he did that. "What are you doing here so early?"

"I need to talk to you about something. It can't wait."

"Is it the guys?"

"Yeah. Coach wants to switch the lines before the next game, and half the team is already complaining. I figured you'd have an idea how to handle it."

I let out a tiny breath, It wasn't about me, he didn't know anything, a soft breath escaped my lips again. 

I heard them walk into the living room. Their voices got lower, then louder. Daniel complained about someone who never passed the puck, and Killian answered in short, steady sentences. For a minute, it almost sounded like any other morning. I started to believe I might get out of this.

"Weird," I suddenly heard Daniel’s voice.  

"What is?"

"It smells like Isabella in here."

My nails dug into my palms, I  stopped breathing completely.

There was a grave silent for a brief moment. 

"Does it?" Killian finally said.

"Yeah. Her scenery is really strong here, like she was just here."

"She comes by sometimes. You know that."

"Not this strong."

I heard the couch creak. Daniel was standing up, walking slowly around like he’d find me hiding under the couch. 

"Maybe you just miss her," Killian said.

"What?"

"You've been worried about her for weeks. You told me she's been quiet lately. You're thinking about her, so you smell her everywhere. It happens."

Another pause. Then Daniel let out a short laugh, tired and a little embarrassed.

"Maybe," he said. "Yeah. Maybe I do."

"See?"

"She's a headache, man. Honestly. She doesn't talk to me anymore, she acts like I'm the enemy." He sighed. "But she's still my little sister."

My eyes stung. I pressed my forehead against the wall.

"I'll stop by her dorm this evening," Daniel went on. "Bring her food. She never eats properly when she's stressed."

"That's a good idea."

"Anyway." I heard him clap his hands together. "Back to the lines. What do I tell the new guy?"

They talked for another twenty minutes. I counted every one of them. When Daniel finally said he had to go, Killian walked him to the door, and I heard the car start and fade down the street.

The closet door opened.

Killian stood there, looking at me. For a second, neither of us said anything. His face was still pale, and there was something in his eyes I couldn't read.

"He's gone," he said.

I stepped out without looking at him. I picked up my phone from the bed and walked straight past him toward the stairs.

"Isabella."

"He's coming to my dorm tonight," I said. My voice was flat. "I need to be there."

"Wait-"

"You said it was a mistake." I didn't turn around. "Then let it be one."

I left through the front door and didn't look back.

The walk to campus took forty minutes. I don't remember any of it. I only remember the sound of my own feet and the words repeating in my head. ‘Sorry for you. One night. Mistake.’ By the time I reached my building, my legs felt heavy. All I wanted was to crawl under my blanket and disappear.

I pushed the door open, Serena was standing in the middle of our room, barefoot, holding a mug of tea.

She was wearing a hockey jersey with a black number on the back. When she turned toward me, I saw it was a nine.

The whole room tilted.

I had watched that video three times. I had never seen her face. All I'd seen was a back, blonde bouncy hair, and that jersey. But I never got the chance to see the face properly because it wasn’t shown. 

"Isabella." Her eyes went wide. "Where were you? I was so worried……”

"Take it off."

She blinked. "What?"

"The jersey." My voice didn't sound like mine. "Take it off. Right now."

Serena looked down at herself. I watched her face change. First confusion, then fear. Then something slowly, ugly, and calm.

She put the mug down. "So you know."

"Tell me it's not you."

"You already know it is." She crossed her arms, she wasn't even crying. "Do you want me to say it?"

"Since when?"

She tilted her head, almost curious. "Does it matter?"

"Since when, Serena?!”

"The night you two became mates." She said it like she was telling me what she'd had for lunch. "You went back to your room, all glowing and stupid, and he texted me an hour later. He told me he'd only done it because you were forcing yourself on him. He said he wanted someone real."

I couldn't feel my hands.

"For months," she went on. "I was in his bed while you were in your classes. You told me everything, you know. Every time he kissed you. Every time he said something sweet. We laughed about it."

"You laughed?"

"He didn't love you, Isabella. Nobody did." Her lip curled. "Honestly, you made it easy to fuck you up."

I don't remember leaving. I only remember the door slamming, the stairs, and the wind hitting my face. I remember thinking, very clearly, I am going to see him one more time. And this time I am going to make him say it to my face.

I found him outside the arena, leaning against the rail with his friends, laughing at something on a phone. He saw me walking toward him and his smile turned into something worse. Bored. Irritated.

"Seriously?" he said. "You're back?"

"Did you sleep with Serena?"

His friends started laughing. One of them clapped. "Oh, she's here for round two."

"I told you yesterday," Jace said. "I rejected you. It's done. You don't get to chase me around campus like a stray."

"For months," I said. My voice shook, and I hated it. "While I was your mate. While you were saying you loved me."

"I said what you needed to hear." He pushed off the rail and stepped close, close enough that I had to look up at him. People had stopped in the parking lot. A group of girls by the entrance were watching us openly. "Do you want everyone to hear what I think? Fine. I'll say it. You were practicing, Isabella. A name I could put on a list until I found someone worth showing off."

Someone gasped behind us. I looked behind and saw three people already recording the scene. 

"And if you open your mouth about this to anyone," he continued, softer now, so only I could hear, "if you tell the Alpha, or your brother, or anyone, I will make sure everyone knows what your family really is. Every ugly thing. I'll make sure you can't walk on this campus without people spitting at you. You're an omega from a cursed bloodline. Who do you think they'll believe?"

My throat closed. I couldn't speak. Everyone was watching me, and I was shrinking, feeling smaller with every second. My eyes burned. I looked for the ground, for anything to stare at except his face.

"Do you understand me?" he said.

I nodded. I couldn't help it. I hated myself for it.

"Good girl."

Then something hit him.

It happened so fast I only heard it. A crack, loud and sharp, and Jace was suddenly on the ground with blood coming out of his nose. A shadow moved over me, and I smelled rain and cedar.

"Killian…”

He didn't hear me. He had Jace by the collar and he hit him again. And again. The phones were still up, but nobody laughed now. Jace's friends backed away with their hands raised. Nobody tried to stop him.

"You touched her," Killian said. His voice was low and shaking with rage. "You mocked her. You threatened her."

"Killian, stop!" Jace choked. "I'm the future Beta….”

"Say that again."

Killian dragged him up and slammed him against the rail. Jace's face was a mess. His eyes rolled to me, then back to Killian, and for the first time I saw real fear there.

"I'm the Alpha son," Killian said, every word cold and slow. "My father decides who takes the Beta title. One word from me and your family loses it. Your father. Your name. Everything you've been bragging about will come crashing down."

"You wouldn't," Jace whispered.

"Try me."

For a moment nobody moved. The wind blew across the parking lot. My heart was pounding so hard it hurt.

Then Jace's knees gave out.

He dropped to the ground in front of everyone, blood on his shirt, shaking. "Please," he said. "Please, Killian. I'm sorry. Don't."

Killian let go of him. He stood over Jace, breathing hard, his knuckles split and red.

Then he turned and looked at me.

His eyes were wild, as though he'd run all the way here. As though he hadn't spent the whole morning telling me I was nothing.

"Isabella," he said.