CHAPTER 2: ISADORA

I awoke with a gasp.

Every part of my body hurt: my sides, my lungs and my limbs. I couldn’t lift my arms.  I suppose it made sense, seeing as I’d fallen off a cliff. Memories of last night came rushing back to me and I cursed. I wish I’d died.

I couldn’t bring myself to open my eyes. A part of me wished it was all a dream, but I knew better. It was real, I’d fallen, I could feel the pain in the depths of my soul. Even my wolf was quiet, which was something she didn’t do often.

I had no idea how I’d face anyone anymore, especially Ethan- the bastard. I couldn’t do a thing to him because he was the Alpha’s son, but if he wasn’t.

I couldn’t bring myself to open my eyes. I had no idea if I was at home or in the pack hospital. Chances were that my father had already been alerted and he’d be here soon.

A knock on my door snapped me out of my thoughts and I remained still as someone walked into the room.

I didn’t recognize the scent, but I knew it was female. I felt her walk over to me and place something in the middle of my chest.

“How is she?” a strange male voice asked.

“She’s healing well. It’s been a week, I’m shocked as to why she isn’t awake right now.”

“Have you found out how she ended up there?”

“She was naked when we found her. How do you expect me to find that out? We’re lucky she’s even alive. If the Alpha hadn’t found her-”

A gasp left my lips before I could stop myself and the talking ceased.

I cursed myself for making a noise. I should’ve just remained silent. Now, they knew I was awake, now, my father would be on his way and I knew he wouldn’t fail to tell me how much of a slut I was.

“We know you’re awake,” the woman spoke, her voice soft and coaxing. “Can you open your eyes?”

It took a minute, but I slowly forced my eyes open.

I’d never seen the woman before in my life. She had greying hair and soft brown eyes. She wore a white doctor’s coat and had a stethoscope around her neck. It must’ve been what she placed on my chest earlier.

“Hi there, I’m Penny. How do you feel?” I didn’t respond, I just stared at her. “You’ve been out for a while. Do you need anything?”

“Just call in my dad already. I know he’s waiting.”

Her brows furrowed. “Your dad? Sweetie, I don’t know who your dad is.”

“He’s the Beta. Of course you know him.”

She gave me a small smile. “Oh, darling, we’re not in your pack. Our Alpha found you drifting in the water. What pack are you from?”

My first reaction to that was relief.

I’d almost died, I’d drifted in a river for goddess knows how long, and all I felt was relief because it meant I wouldn’t have to see Ethan. I wouldn’t have to face him for the things he did to me.

It was that moment that reality set in. The initial embarrassment faded away, and all I felt was an overwhelming wave of sadness and anger. It crashed into me like a freight train and tears I didn’t even realize that I was holding back began to fall down my cheeks.

“Sweetie,” Penny’s voice was soft as she handed me a box of tissues. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It’s not you,” I assured her. “I just-” I sniffled. “Can I have a minute?’

She hesitated for a moment before nodding. “I’ll be right outside.”

I waited until she shut the door behind her before finally turning to the one person I knew would have all the answers.

“We should be dead.”

My wolf was silent for a moment before sighing. “Yes, we should. I wish we were.”

“We’re safe now.”

“Are we?” she asked. Her voice was soft, almost exhausted. “He knows what he did to us. He’ll always assume that we ran because of it. He will forever be able to hold that against us.”

“He’s not in our life anymore.”

“What happens when we see him again?” she snapped. “What happens when we’ve moved on and he comes back? The past always has a way of haunting us, Isadora. Ethan and that video will always exist. How do you know he isn’t showing it to everyone by now? How do you know he isn’t tarnishing our good name?”

“He wouldn’t.”

She snorted. “He betrayed us, Isadora! He lied and he schemed and he did whatever he wanted because we were too stupid to know better. He is the worst kind of man and he deserves to pay for what he did.”

I could have sworn my entire world stopped spinning at that.

I didn’t know what to say in response to that. I didn’t think about it that way. I was so concerned about my embarrassment, that I hadn’t even felt the anger, the shame, the betrayal. He’d used me. He strung me along.

I couldn’t tell if what I felt was my anger or my wolf’s, but it threatened to swallow me whole.

“He’ll do it to someone else,” she continued.

“I know. So what do we do?”

“We need to stop him.”

“How?”

Before she could respond, I heard the doorknob turn. I heard Penny’s voice, along with a couple of others. Their scents hit me all at once, it was overwhelming, however, underneath it all, was a scent that was both familiar and new. It had my wolf stilling inside of me and letting out a small whine.

“What is it?” I asked but she didn’t respond.

“I’m sorry, but you have a visitor,” Penny whispered to me.

She’d barely finished speaking when someone walked in through the door.

The first thing I noticed was that he was so tall, he filled the entire doorway instantly. The very essence of him took up the entire room. He carried an aura of power that had my wolf fighting the urge to bow.

His hair was the color of the night and his eyes were as silver as the moon. His face was all rough edges and sharp lines and his hands carried eons of trauma in their scars and calluses. His scent- it had my wolf running circles inside my mind. She was speaking, but I pushed her words to the back.

I recognized him instantly. I’d seen his pictures in school.

Everyone who ever mentioned his name did so with equal parts reverence and fear, sometimes even jealousy.

Elias Hawthorne.

He was more of a myth than a man. He was the last living lycan, and it was the sole reason he was referred to as the strongest Alpha in the world. He ruled with an iron fist and people either hated him or wanted to be him.

What were the chances that the king was the one who found me.

“Alpha,” I bowed my head as low as possible. “It is an honor to-”

“Get out,” he said simply.

His voice was like soft like velvet, but rough at the same time. It sent shivers down my spine that I couldn’t explain.

“But-” Penny began and he turned to her with a sharp look.

“Now!” his voice held no room for argument. “I need a moment alone with my mate.”