Masuk104Isabella I stared at the glowing screen of the phone, my fingers gripping the edge of the passenger seat so hard my knuckles turned white. One million dollars. A literal bounty on Rohan's head, broadcasted to every desperate, bloodthirsty rogue within a fifty-mile radius."Rohan," I whispered, my voice cracking under the weight of the sudden terror. "Look at this. We have to hide. We can't go back to the main roads."Rohan didn't even flinch. His face turned completely to stone as he snatched the phone from my hand. His thumbs flew across the screen with aggressive, sharp taps. I leaned over his shoulder, watching the words appear in the chat box to Bellamy.*Tell them I'm not scared. Tell them they should try.*"Are you insane?" I yelled, my voice ringing loudly inside the cramped space of the SUV. I grabbed his arm, violently shaking it to get him to look at me. "Rohan, stop! This isn't a joke! You can't just dare them to kill you. Anyone could be after you now. Every single gu
103"Stop it! Rose, let go of her!" I screamed inside my own head, throwing the entire weight of my consciousness against the stone wall she had built around my brain.But Rose completely ignored me. She used my arms to squeeze the seer's throat even tighter, her cold, arrogant laughter echoing in the back of my mind. The old woman's clawing movements were getting weaker, her face turning a terrifying shade of purple.I couldn't just sit back and watch her murder someone to keep her dirty secrets safe. A sudden, wild panic surged through me, and I grabbed onto that raw emotion, using it like a battering ram. I fought for control with everything I had, slamming into her grip, forcing my fingers to loosen molecule by molecule. It felt like trying to lift a brick wall with my bare hands, but I refused to let her make me a murderer. With a final, desperate shove, I broke through.My fingers snapped open. The seer dropped heavily to the dirt floor of the hut, collapsing in a heap as she dr
102ISABELLA102ISABELLAI didn’t expect the seer’s spell to literally dump me straight inside the witch's head like this. But honestly, it felt like a total breath of fresh air to be the one on the inside looking out for a change, instead of constantly fighting her off from the driver's seat of my own mind.I stood off to the side, completely invisible, watching Rose’s memories unfold like a movie. This wasn't a modern pack layout. It was an old-day pack from decades ago, but the house infrastructure was incredibly extravagant. The walls were lined with expensive dark wood panels, and massive crystal chandeliers hung from high ceilings. “Did I do good nanny?” The woman who had just walked in and called her Rose was her nanny.It was weird hearing her voice, soft and innocent.The lady in my head had changed drastically from who this sweet little girl was. I wondered why this memory was shown and soon the answer revealed itself when another woman stepped in.“You are spoiling my chi
101Isabella "You should keep your pathetic little visions to yourself, old woman," the witch spat through my lips, tightening her jaw. She had taken over my p "Mind your own business before I burn that shawl right off your back."The words felt like they were being forced down my throat, and the violation made anger surge through me. I fought back, slamming my mental weight against her presence, forcing my own consciousness back to the front. I ripped my wrist out of the seer’s tight grip and took a massive, shaking step backward, gasping for a clean breath of air."I'm sorry," I panted, rubbing my wrist where her bony fingers had left deep red marks. "I'm so sorry. That wasn't me. I didn't mean to say that."The seer didn't look shocked or offended. Her expression remained completely professional and calm, her milky eyes tracking the frantic movement of my hands. She adjusted her grey shawl over her thin shoulders, looking at me with a heavy, deeply suspicious gaze. "You don't need
100ISABELLA A knock on the heavy oak door startled me out of a restless sleep. I sat up quickly on the edge of the mattress, my breath catching in my throat as my heart started to hammer against my ribs. Ever since the hospital fire, I had been so completely cautious that I wouldn't even close my eyes without sliding the heavy iron deadbolt into place.I quietly slipped out of the bed, my bare feet making no sound on the cold stone floor as I crept toward the entrance. I pressed my eye against the small brass peephole. Relief washed over me when I saw the familiar, anxious face of Lila standing in the dim light of the corridor.I quickly unlocked the door and pulled her inside, slamming it shut behind her and locking it once more. "Lila, what’s going on?"Lila looked at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of pity and exhaustion. "The packhouse is a complete mess right now, Lady Isabella," she whispered, setting down a basket of clean linens and oils. "Everyone is running around makin
9ISABELLA The hallway outside the study felt long and cold, the heavy stone walls trapping the tense silence that followed Rohan’s final words to his brother. He still had his fingers wrapped around my wrist, his grip firm but completely gentle as he pulled me down the carpeted corridor. I could feel the microscopic tremors in his hand, the sheer force of his restraint vibrating through his skin."Rohan, stop for a second," I said, my voice barely above a whisper as I dug my heels into the floor.He paused, his large shoulders dropping as he let out a long, ragged breath. He turned around to face me, his dark eyes still clouded with that dangerous, amber spark from the confrontation inside. He looked completely drained, the weight of his brother's betrayal settling deep into the lines around his mouth."Are you okay?" I asked softly, looking up at him.Rohan let out a short, bitter breath, his hand sliding down from my wrist to lace his fingers with mine. "I'm fine. I just... I need
19ISABELLA“We… shouldn't be doing this.” I muttered in between biting and sucking tentatively on his lips.A part of my mind knew what we were doing was wrong but here, in the dark with only him on me… the rest of my mind was satisfied with the outcome.And when his tongue settled at the back of
9ISABELLA In the silence, my anger wavered leaving my chest hollow. I believed it resonated with the fact there was some sense in what he said. Anyone with his view would have the same cruel words and there I was again feeling bile rise at the back of my throat.My body was coated in shame and t
20ISABELLA For a second the world came to a halt at his words.The dark haired lady smiled at me before she wrapped her arms on Rohan again, she leaned in to kiss him but he swiveled holding her back for a moment."Why did you come here?" Rohan questioned.While my heart sunk down to my knees.I
10- Teach me.ISABELLAMy eyes scanned Derek’s face searching for a trace of humour but he was dead serious.The irony was suffocating.I stepped in to confess my sins, plead that it would never happen again and promise to stay away from him but he was asking me to do the opposite.To bond with a ma







