Mated To My Fiancé’s Brother

CHAPTER 16

ISABEL'S POV

I was sinking deep into the water.

The water grabbed me, pulling me under, and no matter how much I tried to struggle, I couldn't get to the surface of the water.

I screamed, and water rushed into my lungs. My arms weak and my chest contracted at my every movement.

And for the life of me, I didn't know which was was up, side or down.

Then I felt pressure on the back of my neck, and someone pulled me out.

I sputtered, sucking in a handful of inhale.

Then my entire body went cold. I was suspended in the air as I processed the world around me in small bits.

My drenched clothes clinging to my skin.

The pool I'd been drowning in...the pool someone had tried to drown me in.

The secure hold on the back of my neck thay had kept me underneath the water...and had pulled me out.

And those hazel eyes that were colder than ice and watched me with a casual disgust.

"Miss me, little Isabel?"Ray Leonard smirked.

I bolted upright in my bed, completely drenched in sweat and painting, my chest still cold from my nightmare.

I sucked in a shaky breath. It made sense to me now that after Ray saved me, I'd have a dream like that to remind me why I had to remember what a devil he was.

The image of Ray tenderly seeing my injuries popped into my head involuntarily.

He'd had an almost caring expression on his face while he'd been taking care of me. He hadn't touched me inappropriately, not even by mistake. But it hadn't stopped my body from reacting to his touch...and his closeness.

The mating bond was a confusing thing, and it probably didn't help that he'd saved my life, further blurring the line between us.

The only reason I'd come to the hunt at all was because it was one of the social bonding activities in the pack.

After been secluded my entire life in Bloodmoon pack, I was excited to find my place here. But my fantasy was different from reality, and I'd found myself unable to talk to anyone since I arrived.

I'd called it a day and was heading back to the house when someone hit my head with a blunt object. When i woke up, I was pumped full of wolfsbane, unable to escape from the wolf who had captured me.

Ray was the last person I had expected to come for me. Maybe that was why I'd returned to check on him instead of running away after I'd broken free from my captor's hold.

Whatever the reason was it had enabled me to see yet another side of Ray that scared the hell out of me.

His deadly rage, his fast movement, the way he'd killed those wolves...how easily he'd torn them into pieces...

No. I didn't want to think about all of it.

Just like I didn't want to think about how Jonah contributed in saving my life, despite the fact that I'd chosen his brother over him.

I stepped out of my room, even though I was worried about seeing Ray. Would yesterday incident change things between us?

Ray's room was empty, and just as I was about to leave,the door opened and Mary entered with a tray of food.

"Mistress, you shouldn't be out of bed,"Mary said, her voice holding a soft tone of chastisement which made me remember Micah." Alpha Ray said you needed to get a lot of rest."

Mary had to be the only person that wasn't aware of the fact that Ray was no longer the alpha heir of this pack.

"All my injuries are already healed."I said, which was partly true.

Tye wounds had completely healed, leaving only a dull pain I'm my muscles. If not for tye wolfsbane I was given, I wouldn't have needed my wounds to be dressed.

"Where's my husband?"I asked.

"He left the pack on official business,"Mary said, inclining her head slightly, almost in an apologetical manner.

I let out a sigh of relief. That was very good.

I needed to get my wits about me before Ray returned. In my weakened state, I'd let myself be vulnerable around him and I couldn't let that happen ever again.

With my resolve strengthened, I ventured of Ray's house.

The hunt might not have gone according to everyone's plan, but I refuse to give up on my dream of finding my place and becoming familiar with my new pack.

I was on high alert as I made my way to the Throneblood pack's training hall. After what happened at the hunt yesterday, I felt tense and nervous.

I wondered what the consequences of the attack would be.

The Throneblood pack was known for their conquest, as well as the invulnerable nature of not just their own pack but also their associates.

If the news that multiple intruders entered and tried to abduct a pack member got out, the effects could be a disaster.

I pushed those negative thoughts from my head as I reached the training hall, following short directions from different pack members.

The training hall was very big, several times bigger than the one back at my father's pack.

It was also filled with wolves engaged in different types of combat training, from rapid hand to hand combat that I had a hard time following even with my supernatural sight to one on one fights with silver daggers that looked like a traditional dagger.

There were also coordinated group attacks that looked a bit messy up close, but also seemed to have a level of organization and plan.

Entranced, I moved between some wolves, my eyes drawn to the gun range to the far end of the training hall, then to the wolves rapidly shifting partially, their attacks non stop even when they shifted. There were even fighting rings with people cheering around them and rooting for their own picks.

It was crazy.

Did the Throneblood pack train like this every damn day? Were they planning on going for a war or something?

A fighting ring caught my attention, but it wasn't until the shirtless wolf turned around, his black hair plastered on his neck and his hazel eyes clouded over in concentration, that I recognized it was Jonah.

Jonah, who'd seemed like a complete different person as he watched Ray carry me away yesterday.

I looked away.

It would be best if I treated yesterday like it had been a dream, and leave everything that'd happened in the past, where it truly belonged.

I headed over to the friendly looking group of women who were talking amongst themselves as they watched two of their friends I suppose race to the end of the rope wall, making leaps that had me questioning my knowledge of gravity.

I approached the one with her hair packed up in a bun, who I overheard one of them call Lyla. She seemed to be the leader of their group.

"Hi,"I cleared my throat, feeling a bit awkward an doubt of place, especially when all four of the women all turned to look at me. "I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you. It's just that...I'm new here, and I was hoping to get some heads-up."

Lyla offered me a warm smile before holding out a hand to me.

"Of course, I will—"She began, only for a harsh voice to interrupt.

"So you survived and also look healthy."