CHAPTER 10

~~~ DAMIAN ~~~

I glared at my watch, irked at Jules for not arriving at the private party soon. My brother Aiden was out again, and his absence considerably worsened my mood. Since yesterday, it had been getting harder and harder for me to keep in control, especially after I snapped at Jules and attacked him.

That had never happened before. I had never lost my control in that manner. Sure, I had bashed Jules in the past more than a dozen times because he fucked up something important, but that had always been deliberate on my part. In all those situations, I was always in control. I always knew what I was doing, but last night's event had planted some worry in my mind.

It was true that I hadn't been in my right mind for a while now, especially with my wolf pacing inside me and keeping me awake at night. I couldn't help but watch the people around me with contempt. They were enjoying it tonight, but me? I was miserable.

Partying wasn't my thing. Aiden was more into such things, but me? I loved working hard, kicking ass, and always ensuring I was ten steps ahead of everyone. That was where I derived most of my fun, and while I tried to remind myself that this was all a work thing, especially this party, I still felt aggravated by everything around me.

Tonight, I drank more than I usually do at parties.

That was the only thing helping me calm my senses to some extent so I could sit there without trying to kill anyone.

I kept looking for Jules again and again, wondering where the fuck he was.

Was he fucking the girl he was supposed to bring tonight? If so, then I'd need to give him more shit for wasting my time.

Instead of sitting there and waiting, I could've productively used my time to go out and do some independent investigation because, given how my men were treating this as a vacation, I knew I had to be the serious one to get things done.

I was already considering leaving the party and meeting some local contacts when I was informed of Jules' arrival. Immediately, my wolf was alert and pacing as if something important was supposed to happen, which worsened my mood.

My wolf needed to be the last thing to trouble me in that situation, but I guess I could never catch a break.

I left the private booth where I had been sulking most of the evening. I had been drinking alone while watching people through the one-way glass.

Although it was a good vantage point for observing people, I felt the need to step out and take matters into my own hands.

"He's getting her loosened up. Give him a couple of

minutes," Rory told me, nodding towards the main bar. I was tempted to return to my private booth, but I went to the bar instead and ordered a strong drink.

Even though I had been drinking for most of the evening, I was still annoyingly sober. I might as well have been drinking water all this time because my wolf's sudden over-activeness was making it harder for me to get drunk.

As soon as I sat at the bar, I looked around for Jules. I didn't have to search for long; I found him instantly, occupying a table in a less-crowded corner of the room. But it wasn't Jules who caught my attention.

No.

It was the woman with him. As soon as I saw her, all my senses amplified. It felt like I was slowly stirring awake from an eternal slumber, like I was surfacing after being underwater for my whole life, like all my senses had suddenly unlocked all the new sensations.

I watched the woman from afar, laughing with Jules. I was too far from the table for her to notice me, but I couldn't find the urge to look away after seeing her.

She was breathtaking, life-altering, and wolf-stirring. I could hear my heart pounding in my chest irrationally as I stared at her. The more I looked at her, the more I became perpetually aware of the emptiness inside me that had lingered under the surface for years, yet I had always ignored it.

She made me feel like I had been a corpse all this time, but the sight of her had just breathed a new form of life force inside me. But I didn't like that she was with Jules.

No, she should've been with me. Her whole attention should've been on me. She should've been with me. She was mine. That was decided in that instant. My chest vibrated with a growl as my wolf agreed with me.

She was ours. She was my mate. I have finally found the woman I wanted to mate, mark, knot, and breed. She was meant for me.

I straightened up and headed for Jules’ spot without much thought. I needed to be by her side, to talk to her, to know her name, to know everything about her, and having any space between us already felt like torment.

I felt drawn to her, like an invisible rope pulling me toward her. My legs moved faster. She straightened and snapped her head toward me when I was close enough for her to feel my presence. By then, I was already at their table.

Her beautiful doe eyes widened as soon as she saw me. When our eyes locked, I felt all the anxiety and annoyance drain out of my body until the only thing left was the aching need for her. I didn't know I had been craving her until I saw her.

I heard the chair scraping and footsteps hurrying away, but I couldn't care less. At that moment, all that mattered to me was her.

"Hello, mate," I greeted.

~~~ ISABELLE ~~~

I met Jules at our usual spot, and from there, he took me to the venue. He talked the whole time while driving. I tuned in and out of the

conversation, mainly focusing on my wolf, who had been acting strange all day.

I couldn't communicate with her to figure out why; she constantly blocked me out.

I was soon going to enter the enemy's domain, and I needed to be focused on everything; otherwise, I'd be walking right into trouble. Well, I was already doing that, but I didn't want to do it stupidly. I was going there with plans for a possible ambush, to collect information, and to see my enemies up close.

Focus Belle. I kept telling myself repeatedly.

"We're here," Jules announced, stopping at the hotel's grand doors. He helped me get out of the car before tossing the keys to the valet and leading me inside.

I acted as if I was interested in the place, as if it was my first time there.

I smiled and batted my eyes innocently at him, and that was enough for him to drool over me, disarming himself. I had also worn my unique black dress that hugged my body in all the right places and gloriously highlighted my assets — my perky breasts and my round ass.

I had spent far more time working on them not to show them off on such an important night.

I knew it was working better than anything because I caught Jules staring at me hungrily whenever he thought I wasn't paying attention.

The tent he had pitched in his pants also didn't go unnoticed by me.

He dreamed of getting laid tonight, and he didn't hesitate to suggest it numerous times.

I couldn't help but laugh at his face every time, knowing how things would soon turn out for both of us.

Yet despite all this, I reminded myself that I was partly there to have fun, too, so I was alive to all kinds of possibilities.

I led him on with sweet words and encouraging smiles, only to turn him away firmly whenever he tried to get too close. I wasn't going to allow that, no matter what. Two serious, broken relationships had given me enough heartache to last a lifetime.

However, I hadn't seen any of the brothers, which was disappointing. I laughed at Jules and focused on him, listening to his discussion. He was very chatty this evening, and I couldn't help but wonder why. I wasn't complaining, though. The more he talked, the more I knew.

There was an unmistakable enthusiasm in his eyes that was hard to ignore. Man, he had his hopes high for getting laid. I laughed at his face again, sipping from my drink, careful not to drink too much.

"Anyway, as I said, my boss is throwing this party because I closed an important deal for the company. He's deeply pleased by me this time," he said, with a hint of irony.

I asked him casually, "What did you say your work was again?" even though I knew all about him.

"Oh, I manage the real estate-" He stopped abruptly, and his eyes drifted behind me. His face blanched, and his body tensed, leaving me puzzled.

Before I could turn around, I felt an unmistakably influential presence behind me. Whoever it was, they had a strong aura that always commanded everyone's attention.

It made my wolf oddly alert and tensed. I could almost guess who it could be, but I turned around.

It was none other than Damian Crown.

The eldest of the Alpha brothers. Of course, his presence was so fucking overwhelming, so fucking focus-consuming, that I felt intensely aware of everything around me, especially his presence and how he was watching me as he closed the distance between us.

My mouth dried up as I looked into his fierce brown eyes, which captivated me instantly. I forgot all about Jules. I thought I heard him leaving, but I didn't pay attention to him.

My eyes were glued to Damian Crown, and his powerfully charged aura triggered a wave of emotions inside me. The intensity of the emotions shook me up from the inside.

I forgot to breathe or blink as I watched him move with the swiftness and ease of a predator. Even under his clothes, I could see his muscles flexing, making me want to rip everything to shreds so I could see every inch of him. I needed to see every inch of him, especially due to how he looked at me.

My heart was aimlessly beating in my chest, and my wolf howled in my chest with joy and enthusiasm. As he moved to take the seat beside me, I felt spirals of heat between my legs due to how close he was. His intoxicating scent hit my nose, making me salivate.

I wanted to taste him to see if he was as delicious as he looked and smelled.

"Hello, mate," He greeted me with a possessiveness to his voice.

AUTHOR’S REVIEW: What do you think about Isabelle so far? I'm eager to read your comments.