Then his gaze cut to Marcus, and his entire demeanor shifted. The awe in his eyes was quickly replaced with disdain as he sized up Marcus, his face turning into a hard scowl.
“And you are?” He looked at Marcus with an expression that promised violence.
“Marcus Wellington, CEO of Wellington Corp,” he extended his arm for a handshake, but Dimitri didn’t take it, not bothering to hide his apparent disdain.
Marcus went pale, withdrawing his arm. “You know what? I need to make a call. Excuse me.”
And just like that, my date fled.
I should have been annoyed. But I was too busy trying to control my own reaction, the fury and fear and unwanted attraction all warring inside me.
Dimitri’s eyes returned to my face. His gaze was softer now. Searching.
“Isabella,” he said my name, softly, like he used to all those years ago and that trip down memory lane I didn’t want to take? Well, something pulled me into it with a force that made my jaws clench. Who the hell told him he could say my name like that?
“That’s not my name,” I said through gritted teeth, my voice. “And you’re in my personal space. Kindly step back, Alpha Ravencrest.”
I watched his face contour into a grimace at the formality I used to speak his name. But thank goodness, he stepped back, allowing me to breathe in air rather than his damning intoxicating, mind boggling scent.
“Where have you been?” he deadpanned without any preamble, like he had a right to know, to ask me that question.
I jutted my chin forward. “I only grace my presence to those deserving of it.” The words came out sharp, venomous. “And you, Alpha Ravencrest, lost that privilege five years ago.”
Pain flickered across his face. Real, raw pain that he didn’t try to hide. His jaw clenched, his hands fisting at his sides.
“You look…” He paused, his eyes sweeping over me again. “You look incredible, Isabella.”
I suppressed a wince at the way he said my name again. I hated the way my wolf reacted to it. Even the way mybody did too.
“I’d say it was good to see again, but we both know that will be a lie,” I said.
His hand started to lift, like he wanted to touch me, to reach for me. The movement was automatic, unconscious.
I looked down at his hand with undisguised disdain, then back up at his face. “Don’t.”
He froze, his hand suspended between us.
The entire room was watching now. I could feel their eyes, curiosity flickering over me. Their gazes glinted with approval as they took in my dress and the way my jewelry shimmered in the light. Obviously, they didn’t recognize who I was. They were used to seeing Isabella Garrett in cheap clothing, scuffed shoes, and hand-me-downs.
“I need to explain,” Dimitri said quietly. “What happened that night…”
“What happened,” I interrupted, my voice pitched low so only he could hear, “is that you made your choice. You chose your duty over me. You chose your pack, your crown, your perfect political marriage over the Mate bond. Over us.” I leaned in slightly, close enough to see his pupils dilate. “And now you have to live with that choice. Just like I’ve had to.”
“Isabella—”
“My name is Estelle Crawford.” I stepped back, putting distance between us. “And you’re in my way.”
Confusion flickered in Dimitri’s expression, but I didn’t stay long enough to let him speak another word or read the regret flickering in his eyes.
I turned and walked away.
My heels struck the marble floor in a steady rhythm that almost masked the war inside me. My wolf stirred, restless and conflicted—her instinct to go back clashing with the steel of my resolve.
And in that moment, my thoughts went back to Adele’s words from earlier: “You look like Princess Belle from Beauty and the Beast.”
Funny. I’d laughed then.
But standing here now, with my pulse still thundering from hisnearness, I realized the irony. I had come dressed like Belle. Only I’d just met the beast I’d spent years trying to forget.
