Chasing the rejected Luna

4.

Annie glanced out the wooden slats of the window, her eyes widening as she noticed the amber and purple hues bleeding across the evening sky.

"Good heavens," Annie gasped, the color draining from her cheeks in an instant. "The sun is setting already. I got so carried away..."

An immediate, suffocating trepidation crept into her voice as she scrambled up off the floorboards, smoothing her skirt with frantic, trembling hands. Her eyes darted toward the door like a trapped animal. "My mate is going to be furious... he'll be waiting for his dinner."

Isabella sat up on the edge of the bed, her brows drawing together in a sharp, dark line. "If he touches you, Annie, bite his d**k off. Simple."

Annie stuttered, her fingers clutching her collar. "H-he doesn't hit me, Isabella, it's not like that—"

Both of them knew she was lying. The faint, yellowing bruises on Annie’s neck whispered the truth loud enough.

But Isabella saw the sheer panic in her friend's eyes and knew pushing it right now would only hurt her more.

Suppressing a heavy, frustrated sigh, Isabella stood up, stepped forward, and wrapped Annie in a tight, brief hug. "Go on then. Get home safe."

She opened the door, watching Annie hurry down the dirt path until her small figure vanished into the dusk.

After Annie left, Isabella decided to lie back down and rest for a few minutes before tackling the stewed mutton on the stove.

She woke up with a sharp start, the golden morning sun hitting her directly in the face.

Isabella sat up, blinking in utter disbelief. She had slept through the entire night. Shocked that morning had already arrived, she immediately swung her legs out of bed and rushed into her father’s room to see if Santiago had returned. His cot was neatly made and empty. He wasn't back yet.

It wasn't entirely unusual, if the skirmish at the river had been severe, the wounded victims would have required all of his attention well through the night. Still, the quiet cabin left her thoughts buzzing with a dull, throbbing headache.

Attempting to shake off the grogginess, Isabella tended to the shop herbs, watering the rows of silver-leaf and blood-root sitting along the window sill. Once finished, she grabbed a rough towel and headed out toward the secluded riverbank to take a quick swim and cool her aching head.

The riverbank was completely empty when she arrived, bathed in the soft morning light. Wolves generally detested swimming or submerging themselves in deep water, preferring land and forest, which made the quiet stream her personal sanctuary.

Stripping off her linen dress, Isabella waded into the crisp, refreshing water, letting out a satisfied breath as she dived under, the cool current massaging her temples and soaking through her thick hair.

When she broke the surface, pushing wet strands back from her forehead, her heart nearly leaped straight out of her ribs.

Standing right at the edge of the bank, looking down at her, was no other being than a stupid handsome royal face.

"You know this is crossing into royal territory, right?" Rodrigo asked, looking straight into her eyes with a faint, maddening glint of amusement dancing in his dark gaze.

Isabella felt a surge of hot irritation flare through her veins. "Do you have nothing important to do on a busy morning as this?" she snapped, crossing her arms tightly over her bare chest under the water.

Rodrigo didn't appear fed off her sharp words at all. Instead, he leaned slightly against a thick oak tree, his broad shoulders filling out his dark leather tunic. "I am simply amazed. You walked two miles out here just to take a swim?" He paused, a wicked, mocking smirk curving his lips. "Ah, right. You cannot shift into a wolf, so I suppose you don't mind soaking like a drowned creature."

Exasperated, Isabella let out a harsh scoff and floated backward, using long, lazy strokes to put more distance between them as he sat himself down at the very edge of the water.

"I don't care if you're royalty or not," she called out, glaring at him. "Get lost!"

Rodrigo raised an eyebrow, entirely unfazed. "You should leave right away if you cannot show proper respect to your Prince. Besides, this water belongs to royal land."

"I would have left already," Isabella shot back, her voice dripping with venom, "if you weren't standing right there with your stupid, arrogant face and I happen to be completely naked!"

Rodrigo chuckled, a deep, rich sound that vibrated against the quiet riverbank. He raised both hands in mock surrender. "Fair point. I will turn around."

Isabella narrowed her eyes, considering his offer for a split second before letting out a sharp scoff. "I don't trust you for a second."

Rather than getting out, she turned and continued swimming further away from the bank, keeping her body submerged in the deep current.

"You have an awful amount of confidence for someone who is afraid of water," Isabella taunted, looking over her shoulder with a sly, dangerous grin. "Being a f*****g dog and all."

"I am not afraid of water," Rodrigo said smoothly, his eyes darkening as he tracked her movements.

To prove her point, Isabella scooped up a heavy handful of water and splashed it straight toward the bank, spraying droplets across his boots and the hem of his dark trousers.

Rodrigo froze, his gaze locking onto hers.

The playful air evaporated in an instant. Standing in the waist-deep current, Isabella was suddenly acutely aware of everything, the total silence of the surrounding woods, the fact that they were completely alone, and the heavy, intoxicating s****l attraction suddenly charging the air between them like static electricity.

Slowly, without breaking eye contact, Rodrigo reached down and unbuckled his leather harness. He reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head, revealing a chest sculpted like marble, crisscrossed with faint battle scars and raw masculine muscle.

Isabella’s breath hitched in her throat. She gasped in sheer horror as his hands moved to untie his pants, and she quickly jerked her face away, staring intently at the far tree line.

A loud, sudden splash echoed through the quiet river.

Isabella whirled back around, only to find Rodrigo already in the water, cutting through the current toward her with effortless, predatory power.