Secrets unraveling

Isabella's POV 

Right from a tender age, I had a knack for acting like nothing happened and so it was easy for me to maneuver through this but still I was worried. 

Was I thinking things? 

Is it really the mate bond? 

I had a lot of questions to ask but there was no one to answer them apart from the moon goddess. 

“I will help you." Darcy offered, snapping me from my revive.

“I'm fine." I flashed him a smile instead. I didn't want to get involved just yet as this felt so surreal to me. 

“I'm Darcy Slade." He introduced, “It's nice meeting you in person Isabella." He smacked his lips while I just nodded. 

I wanted to yell at myself for acting clumsy, instead I facepalmed myself, biting the side of my cheek.

The journey to the Moon Crest Pack was long, silent, and unsettling. I sat in the back seat next to my mother, clutching my backpack like a life jacket.

At intervals, mother would cast me a glance in concern but she said no words. She must have attributed this to my action in rejecting Cain but it was something else. 

I was mated to my step brother just after rejecting my fated mate. 

Since Darcy climbed behind the steering wheel, he hasn't said a word but I could feel his eyes on me through the rear mirror.

His scent which filled the car clouded my mind, placing me on the edge. 

Each time I lifted my head and locked gaze with him through the rear mirror, my stomach flipped. 

Not again. — I repeated this to myself several times. 

No matter how much I tried, I just couldn't accept this new discovery. 

The Moon Goddess can’t be this cruel. 

After what happened with Cain, after what I had done; no way. 

I don’t deserve this. 

I don't deserve another bond. 

I don't deserve another mate. 

But my wolf disagreed. 

Each time Darcy looks my way, it howled. It was thrilled and yearning for a connection. 

Finally, the car engine died and for the first time, I poked my head out of the window. We had just arrived at the Moon Crest Pack House. 

I allowed my eyes to run all over the looming mansion that looked like a fortress. It was modern but it was a sharp contrast to that in Blood Moon Pack.

Tall trees surrounded the estate, and guards were flanked on both sides of the wrought-iron gates that parted for us on arrival. 

“Hey, I will help you." Darcy spoke, extending his hand to me as he yanked the door open. 

Reluctantly, I received his hand and almost immediately, the bond snapped again. 

This time it was harder and fierce than the last time. 

I felt it ripple through me, clearer than before, louder than before. It was now clear that this wasn’t just a trick of my mind. 

It was the handiwork of the Moon Goddess. 

Mate.

My body stiffened as my breath caught in my throat. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to silence the urge to bond. 

This can’t be happening.

No.

“Thank you." I pulled away from Darcy the moment I stepped down, slinging my backpack over my shoulder. 

Trailing behind mother and Darcy, I fed my eyes with the beautiful sight of my new home and at the same time, tried to ignore the tug. 

“Honey, I will leave you with Darcy." My mother broke the silence and immediately, my eyes grew wide. 

“Are you alright?" She asked, rubbing my shoulder tenderly. 

“Yeah, just that I was startled." I laughed awkwardly, watching the smile on her lips getting broad. 

While mother disappeared to the west wing of the pack house, Darcy led me to the main building. 

The moment we stepped in, the sound of approaching footsteps climbing down the spiral staircase filtered into my ear and immediately, I snapped my head upwards. 

One of the boys exuded an icy aura. He was tall, broad shoulders and had steely gray eyes that screamed danger. His shirt clung to his body like it was a part of his skin and his dark hair was tousled. 

The other had a more approachable aura. He had lighter features and an easy smile. His golden hair and warm hazel gaze was a sharp contrast to his brother’s demeanor.

They stopped halfway down the stairs as I locked gaze with the first.

Time came to a halt.

Snap.

Again.

No. 

Not possible.

My wolf let out a cry of recognition. 

Another mate? 

The bond pulsed underneath my skin. It was fierce and undeniable.

My heart slammed against my chest furiously as my eyes drifted to the third figure, the one with the golden smile. 

And as soon as our eyes met, the bond snapped into place. 

My knees nearly buckled. 

Three mates!

My breath caught in my throat as the realization struck like lightning: I was mated to all three of them.

“Darcy…” The icy one growled, making me flinch slightly. “What the hell is this?”

“Meet Isabella, our new stepsister.” Darcy said with a mild tone.

“Is that why the bond snapped?” The golden-haired one muttered under his breath, staring at me like I was a ghost.

The tension in the air became suffocating.

I shook my head slowly as my lips trembled. 

“This… this is a mistake. It can’t be. I already rejected a mate. This isn’t supposed to happen again… let alone with three of you.” I ratted out. 

The icy one practically flew the remaining stairs and the next second, he was standing right in front of me. 

“You’re joking,” He snarled, voice low and dangerous. “You’re the girl from Ridgecrest High? Isabella Leigh?”

“You know me?” I asked, blinking rapidly as my heart thumped against my chest in fury. 

“We went to high school together, dumbass,” he spat. “You beat me in every competition. Every class. You were the thorn in my side for two years.”

Trenton Slade. — The name hit me like a bolt.

I remembered him now. He was always arrogant and competitive. And angry that I came first in everything. 

And now… he is my mate?

“No,” He yelled, shaking his head. “Hell no. I don’t care what the Moon Goddess wants. I’m not doing this. I’ll reject you. I swear to the Goddess, I will.”

“Trent, calm down,” Darcy muttered, stepping between them.

“I am calm,” Trenton snapped. “But she’s not going to play the poor rejected girl here and mess up everything. I’ll reject her the moment father finishes the paperwork and this mess is done.”

I turned my back on him before he could see the crack forming in my composure. His words shouldn’t hurt, but they did. I didn’t want the mate bond either but at the same time, I don't deserve to be hated for something I didn’t choose.

The golden-haired one, Oliver, if I remembered correctly stepped forward. He looked more curious than hostile. 

“You felt it too, didn’t you?” He asked gently.

“All three times.” I nodded slowly, hands folded in front of me. 

“We need to talk about this.” Darcy said with a low sigh. 

“No, we don’t.” Trenton cut in coldly. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

With that, he turned around and disappeared down the hall, his footsteps heavy like someone going to a battled

I just stood there, numbed to my brain. 

Three mates. 

Three stepbrothers. 

I wanted to scream my lungs out but instead, I ran up the stairs, choosing the first guest room and locking myself inside.