“I’ll tell her the truth.” His hand cupped my face. “You’re my Fated Mate. The Moon Goddess herself chose you for me. She can’t argue with that.”
I wanted to believe him. God, I wanted to believe him so badly.
“And the pack?” Fear crept into my voice. “We’re technically step-siblings, Dimitri. And you will be engaged soon. The pack will see this as—”
“I don’t care what the pack thinks.” He tilted my face up, forcingme to meet his eyes. “You are mine, Isabella. The bond chose us. Nothing will change that. Do you understand? Nothing.”
But I could see the doubt flickering behind his eyes, and could feel the tension in his body despite his confident words.
People like me didn’t get to keep good things. We weren’t allowed happiness for long. Reality always came crashing back down.
And I was terrified that if I let myself believe, if I let myself get completely wrapped up in him, in this, I would get hurt.
“Listen to me.” He cupped my face in both hands, forcing me to focus. “I’m going to protect you. Against the pack, against my mother, against anyone who tries to come between us.” He kissed me softly, sealing the promise. “I swear it. On my life, on my honor as Alpha, on everything I am—I will never hurt you, Isabella.”
Tears blurred my vision, but I blinked them back and nodded. I wanted to believe him. My wolf certainly did—she was satisfied, content, trusting completely in our Mate.
Dimitri pulled a throw blanket over us, adjusting our position on the chaise so I was tucked against his side, my head on his chest.
“Sleep,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “I’ve got you.”
And despite everything—despite the fear and doubt and the little voice whispering that this couldn’t last—I let myself relax into his warmth. I allowed myself to hope.
In his arms, with his scent surrounding me, I fell asleep feeling safe. Complete.
Tomorrow would bring reality crashing back. Tomorrow would bring complications and consequences.
But tonight, he was mine and I was his, and nothing else mattered.
Chapter Four
Isabella’s POV
The next morning, I woke to find Dimitri standing by the window overlooking the gardens, wearing nothing but his shorts from last night. Even with his back turned to me, I sensed something was wrong. The easy warmth from last night had vanished, replaced by a tension so thick I could taste it.
“Dimitri?” My voice came out hesitant, uncertain.
His body went rigid, muscles locking before he turned to face me. The moment our eyes met, I saw it—the conflict warring in his gaze.
“We need to talk, Isabella.”
I sat up, pulling the blanket over my bare breasts. Dimitri’s eyes dropped to my chest, and desire flared in them, but when he looked up again, his expression had shuttered.
He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, making it stand on end. “Isabella, last night was—”
“A mistake?” The word escaped before I could stop it.
His gaze snapped to mine. “What? No.” He shook his head emphatically. “No, it wasn’t. You’re my Mate, Isabella. Last night was the rightest thing in the world.”
Relief flooded through me so intensely that my eyes burned withtears. I smiled, letting myself relax against the chaise. “Then what’s wrong?”
He crossed the room to sit beside me, taking my hand in both of his. His touch was warm, but his grip felt more like an anchor than a caress.
“What’s going to happen now?” I asked quietly. “With your engagement to Selene. Are you…” I bit my lip. “Are you going to call it off?”
He looked away. Just for a second, but it was long enough for me to see the answer written in the tension of his jaw, in the way hesitation flickered through his eyes.
The fire with which he’d made his promises last night—the conviction, the certainty—it wasn’t there anymore.
