Chapter 6 6

6

~ISABELLA'S POV~

"My original mate. Adrian Whitefang."

The air was still with tension, and a clingy wrapped us in her chilling embrace as a look of shock was plastered on the faces of every person within these four walls.

But I'm not looking at their faces. I'm staring into the pair of red eyes that are now as wide as dinner plates.

The sound of a throat being cleared broke what seemed like an eternal silence, but my eyes were still glued to Adrian's. It would take a colossal sized effort to turn away from him. An effort which I'm not willing to take.

"This is madness!" Jack slammed his palms against the table in front of him. Anger was prominent on his features and I nearly rolled my eyes at his antics.

Alpha Collin pinched the bridge of his nose and a sigh left his lips before he spoke in a stern voice.

"Jack, behave yourself."

"Father..."

"I said behave, child."

Jack sat on his seat with a look of anger so intense that I feared the vein protruding from behind his skin might pop.

The Alpha turned to me and his expression softened a tad but and spoke with a gentler voice.

"Do you know what you're saying, Isabella?"

"Yes I..."

"Well I think you don't!" A voice boomed from the other side of the room, and we all turned to stare at the form of Clinton, the head of the Bane family who had a menacing scowl on his lips. "Because no wolf in her right mind would reject a male for his brother and then want to go back to him once more. It's absurd!"

Shame filled me with the urge to cower away from the judgemental stares of the men and women beside me. I deserve their judgment. I deserve their disapproval. But hiding away and admitting defeat wouldn't change the fact I had made a mistake. A mistake which I intend to rectify.

So I narrowed my eyes at Clinton and spoke with my head held and a confident tone in my voice.

"Yes, Clinton. I admit it was foolish of me to reject my mate for his brother and then try to get back to him after almost marrying said brother. But I have learned my mistake and I plan on rectifying that mistake. No matter how long it takes."

I turned to Adrian just as his wide eyes grew wider in his sockets. The shock from my revelation still sat on his features and a shy smile covered my lips.

Clinton kissed his teeth and gave me a dirty look before sinking into his chair while the Alpha cleared his throat and spoke to me.

"Can you tell us why you suddenly changed your mind about marrying Jack?"

My tongue itched to tell them of all the wicked plans Jack has instored for the pack. My tongue itched to tell them all how Jack would do anything to get the throne for himself.

But I didn't. Instead I told them the closest thing that was the truth to me.

Alpha Collin nodded his head and turned to Adrian with a stern look on his face.

"Adrian, what do you have to say about this?"

Pairs of eyes turned to Adrian and he ran his eyes through the faces of every soul in the room before landing on me. The bewilderment on his face no longer existed and all I saw in his eyes was a rage that burned too deep to consume anyone who gets too close to it, including me.

"I have nothing to say, father. She rejected me and the love I was willing to give her, then went ahead and fell into the arms of my brother...I don't see a reason why she would want to accept me now and I also don't see a reason why I should accept her."

Adrian turned away from his father and stared into my eyes, the anger bored a hole into the depths of my spirit and I this time, I didn't hide the shame that I felt for losing a good man.

My wolf whimpered in my chest and regret sank into the marrow of my bones and my eyes stung from the unshed tears that brimmed behind them.

Jack smirked and a smug look sat in his eyes. But he wasn't the only one, Brenda also had a look of satisfaction on her face and she gave Jack a wink when she thought no one was looking causing a surge of anger to run through me.

My palms balled at my sides and the anger brewing within me was almost large enough to consume the sadness from Adrian's rejection.

Almost.

Collin's eyes softened at Adrian's words and I'm certain he could sense the pain his son tries so desperately to hide. But just as he was about to speak, Clinton laughed humorlessly and turned to me with mockery in his eyes.

"There you have it. Not even the devil wants you after the stunt you pulled. Maybe now you would stop jumping from one Prince to the other."

Devil?

Giggles from men and women present cut through the air and my blood boiled in my veins. My wolf growled in my mind at the nickname for Adrian but before I could utter an anger filled word from my lips, a bolt of lightning struck the table before Clinton and a shriek of shock fell from his lips.

Every pair of eyes in the courtroom turned to my father who glared daggers at Clinton with golden eyes and zero concern that he could have ended his life.

"Have you gone mad, Martin?! Don't you realize that you could have killed me?!"

"You should be thankful that my aim is not as good as it used to be."

"How dare..."

"You ever speak that way about my daughter and I guarantee you wouldn't be so lucky."

"Are you threatening me, Martin?!"

"Of course not! It's a promise."

A growl bounced against the walls of the room and every head bowed in submission. The air grew thick with tension and a chill crept up my spine.

"The both of you are acting like immature pups, in fact all of you are! I made a mistake including you all in this meeting. This meeting would be rescheduled for another time and I promise not to make the mistake of having a large crowd now you all get out of my sight."

Adrian was the first to make his exit and being the desperate she-wolf I was, I went after him. I held up my dress by the seams and quickened my steps, desperate to get to him in time

"Adrian. Adrian," ragged pants fell from my lips as I called out to him with a frantic voice.

"Adrian, please wait."

"I have no reason to be with you, Isabella."

"Adrian, please."

"Leave me alone, Isabella."

"Adri..."

"For fucksake, I said leave me alone, Isabella!" He turned away from his lath and marched towards me with an anger that mirrored in his steps.

My breath hitched in my throat when he stopped in front of me and his intoxicating scent reached my nostrils. It took all the willpower I had for my eyes not to get lost in the back of my head.

"Stay away from me, Isabella," Adrian whispered into my ear and walked away from me as quickly as he came, not once sparing me a second glance but this time I didn't go after him.

Going after him now would only add fuel to the fire of anger ignited within him.

He may have won the battle for today, but he definitely hadn't won the war. One day you will forgive me. One day, you will be mine.