Chapter 4

Chapter 4

ISOLDE

"Do not be foolish, Isolde. He will not let you go. Come home, and once the peace deal is signed, I will help. He is too strong right now."

"Come home? You are joking? I will never go back."

"Isolde, he will find you."

My hand moved to cover the mark on my neck, which showed I was mated. I had stayed in one place too long, but I could not run forever. Kane was right; I needed to go home to fix this.

"Tell your Alpha to expect me tomorrow and that I want a rejection. I will not be a second Luna! He will be lucky if I can stop Nova from killing him for what he did."

"He will not reject you. Not now, at least. Tomorrow, I have a meeting with the Dark Wolves' leader. Their Alpha is coming to talk about a peace treaty. Once that is signed, we will find a way to make Draven let you go. I promise I am on your side. We just need a few more days to make the South safe."

"He will have no choice but to reject me. I will make sure of it." I hung up on Kane and turned off my phone.

It felt selfish to think about my own pain, but the sadness was too much. Draven's betrayal made me determined; I needed this bond broken before his lies ruined me.

I kept moving, and my feet led me to a clothing store in the next town. I picked out a bright purple, low-cut dress that matched my eyes. It was a bold choice that showed I was ready to face Draven and make him feel the pain of rejection.

Leaving the shop, I walked into a lively bar with a dance club. Women were dancing on poles, a world I had never seen until now.

"You look lost," the bartender said, looking at me.

"Maybe I am," I said, sitting down. "Give me your strongest drink, a double."

"Sure," the bartender muttered as he made my drink.

I drank four shots of strong liquor, enjoying the burn and the tipsiness that helped my feelings.

"You smell great," a deep voice whispered in my ear, his nose brushing my hair and his hands grabbing my waist.

My first thought was to spin around and hit him, but my body felt relaxed at his touch. He felt safe even though he was rude, and I felt a strange attraction.

"I am not in the mood to be played with. Go find someone else," I said, trying to sound bored, even though my body felt differently.

"Excuse me?" He seemed confused, as if he had never been rejected before.

I looked at him, ready to tell him off, but his dark green eyes took my breath away. Even with his arrogance, something about him made me want to give in and forget the pain for a while.

"That is better." He smirked, knowing he had me. "You are mine all night, doll." He whispered, acting in a way that made me both angry and interested.

I followed him through a black curtain, knowing where it led. My body was ready to lose its sadness in a night of distraction.

I looked at myself in a full-length mirror. The purple dress hugged my body and made me feel beautiful.

A tall, strong man stood behind me in an expensive suit, and his hands were much larger than mine.

For a second, it felt like this was where I belonged. Nothing made sense anymore.

The man growled, looking at my neck. "What is this?"

My hand quickly covered the mark; Draven's mark suddenly felt like it was burning my skin. Tears came to my eyes as I realized I was truly lost.

I moved away from the man and turned from the mirror. I looked at him, wanting to give in to him. I wished he could take me away from my life. I was not naive enough to think this arrogant Alpha was my hero, though.

"It is a mark from my husband, but I am not his fated mate." I told him the truth, which made me feel sick.

"You are marked?" He almost roared.

"For now, but I am not his fated mate," I repeated, feeling sad. I was nothing now.

The man looked at me, his eyes cold and uncaring. It was clear I did not matter much to him.

He tilted his head. "You really do not know?" He spoke softly. His hand reached toward my face. He touched my cheek, then grabbed my hair.

"I do not know what?" I said, crying.

He just shook his head. "I would have liked you untouched, but it is probably better this way. I only want one taste before I ruin you."

His harsh words did not make sense, yet I still wanted him to touch me. It felt simpler this way. Surrendering to this man meant Draven would have to reject me when I went home smelling like someone else.

"Are you going to have sex with me or not?" I asked. I felt dirty that only Draven had known my body. He did not deserve that right anymore, and soon he would not have it.

The stranger's lips were close to mine, and his devious smile appeared. "I am going to do a lot more than that."

He kissed me, and I felt pleasure through my whole body. At first, he seemed to enjoy it with me.

Then his grip became painful, and he started making angry sounds.

He seemed frustrated by how much he liked my touch, and I did not care how that was possible. I only wanted one thing from him, and it was the only thing he wanted from me.

"You are mine all night." He kissed the corner of my mouth and moved his lips down my neck. "Then I am going to throw you away and never think about you again." His teeth scraped over my mark, cutting me and making me bleed.

"Ouch!" I cried. The pain made my muscles tense. I grabbed his neck with my nails.

"Your husband can feel that pain, too." He chuckled as he licked my mark to soothe the cut. "That is what you want, right? You want him to feel that you found someone else." His words made me cry again. It was the truth, and I did not care how it made me look.

I was acting like a child, no longer acting like a Luna. I felt used and like I was nobody. Draven's betrayal made me feel all these things, and I wanted to make him pay.

My whole life, I had never acted this way. I was the perfect wolf, warrior, Luna, and wife. Even with that, I was not perfect, and I was tired of pretending.

"Yes!" I said. Draven needed to suffer, just like he made me suffer.

"Then let us make him pay in the best ways possible." The man said with a mean tone. I was in deep, and I did not think I wanted it any other way.

The idea of cheating on Draven excited me, and I knew it was wrong. I was too hurt to care, though. He slept with that redheaded woman many times while I was alone in our bed. Tonight, Draven would feel how much he hurt me.