Chapter 3
1330 Words
Isabella's POV
I crashed into my room and rushed straight into the bathroom. With trembling hands, I filled the bathtub with water before stripping out of my dress and sinking into it. My body shook violently at the memory of what I had done.
I had slept with another man. A man who wasn't my husband.
Guilt devoured every part of me as I scrubbed desperately at my skin, trying to wash away every trace of his scent.
I was an adulterer.
The thought alone made my chest tighten painfully. Anger burned through me with every passing second as I scrubbed harder and rougher against my skin, but no matter how much I washed myself, his scent refused to disappear.
It clung to me like a second skin.
Oh God...
A sob tore from my throat as my chest heaved violently. My heartbeat thundered loudly in my ears.
If Silas ever found out what I had done, he would never forgive me.
No.
Forgiveness wouldn't even exist. He would definately kill me.
All the beatings I had endured from him before would become nothing compared to what he would do once he discovered this betrayal.
If only I hadn't left last night.
If only I had stayed in my right mind, none of this would have happened.
Maybe I could have resisted the temptation.
But the stranger's scent alone had been enough to make my knees weak. His voice had wrapped around me like fire, burning through every ounce of restraint I had left. And the worst part was that I couldn't stop thinking about him. Something about that man felt dangerous.
The way he touched me... like he already knew every part of me. Like he understood exactly how to make my body react. The memory alone sent heat crawling beneath my skin.
No.
This was wrong.
Completely wrong.
I shouldn't be thinking about him this way. I was supposed to feel guilty for what I had done, not crave the memory of it.
Then suddenly, the image of Silas and Sarah together flashed through my mind. My hands clenched tightly and heat rushed angrily to my face.
I wasn't the only one who betrayed someone. Silas betrayed me first. But another wave of guilt crashed over me almost immediately.
No.
I shouldn't think like that. Silas saved me. I owed him my life.
If not for him, I would have died years ago with the rest of my pack.
He gave me shelter when I had nowhere else to go.
Even if he loved another woman...
Even if she carried the son he always wanted...
Shouldn't I be happy for him?
I should—
“Isabella!” Silas's furious voice exploded through the room, followed by a violent bang against the door.
Fear shot through me instantly. I rushed out of the tub and wrapped a towel tightly around my naked body.
Before I could even leave the bathroom, the door burst open. He stormed inside and the moment his eyes landed on me, his expression darkened. Rage flickered dangerously across his face.
He grabbed my chin harshly, forcing my head upward. Pain shot through me instantly. “Where were you?” he demanded coldly.
His voice was dangerous enough to make my stomach twist with fear.
“Talk!” he roared when I stayed silent.
“I... I...” The words refused to come out.
His grip tightened painfully.
“Did you refuse to come home because of what happened last night?” he asked, his tone completely devoid of remorse. “I don't care where you go, Isabella, but there's one thing you should understand.” His eyes narrowed sharply. “You do not spend the night outside this house.”
Then he shoved my face away roughly and I stumbled backward, nearly losing my balance. Tears burned behind my eyes.
Why was he always so cruel?
Why couldn't he treat me like a person instead of something he owned?
“Do you even love me at all?” The question slipped out before I could stop myself.
Silas stared at me for a second before laughing mockingly. “Love you?” he repeated. The sound of his laughter hurt more than any slap.
“How else am I supposed to show my love?” he asked coldly. “I saved you when you should've died. I gave you shelter. I fed you. What do you call that if not love?”
A hollow ache spread through my chest. So that was what love meant to him. Ownership and control.
“No one else would ever want a broken, wolfless woman like you,” he continued mercilessly. “You owe me, Isabella. No matter what I do to you, you should be grateful.”
My heart felt like it was bleeding inside my chest. The tears I had been trying so hard to hold back finally slipped free.
Now I understood.
Silas had never seen me as his wife. Only as something that belonged to him. I was more a property to him than a person.
“Alpha,” the beta called as he entered the room before bowing respectfully.
“Yes?” Silas replied.
“He's here.” Silas's expression shifted slightly.
“Alright. I'll be down shortly.”
The beta nodded and left immediately.
Silas turned back toward me.
“Clean those tears and get dressed,” he ordered coldly. “You're meeting my brother.”
Then he walked out without another glance.
The moment the door shut behind him, my legs gave out beneath me. I collapsed onto the floor as fresh tears streamed down my cheeks.
Why?
Why did he always hurt me like this?
After several minutes of sobbing, I finally forced myself up.
If I didn't obey him, it would only earn me another beating.
Slowly, I walked into the bedroom and began dressing myself. But as I changed clothes, one thought kept circling endlessly in my mind.
His brother.
According to the rumors, Silas's older brother was mad, dangerous and violent. A man capable of killing his own father. People called him monster.
Once I finished dressing, I moved toward the mirror to check myself, then I froze when I saw what's on my neck.
My fingers slowly lifted toward the fresh bite mark on my neck.
My breathing stopped instantly. It wasn't Silas's mark. His old mark had faded years ago.
But this one... This one looked fresh and new. My eyes widened in horror as realization crashed into me. The stranger had marked me.
How could he do that?
If Silas saw this, he wouldn't just hurt me.
He would bury me alive.
Shakily, I pulled my hair forward to hide the mark beneath the strands.
No one could find out.
No one.
Taking a deep breath, I forced myself out of the room and headed downstairs.
But the moment I reached the last step, my step halted at the sight of the man I saw. His feature, his manly scent, his eyes, everything was exactly the same stranger from last night. The same man I had sinned with. The same man whose touch still haunted my skin. The same man who had marked me.
My breath caught painfully in my throat.
His eyes lifted toward me immediately and shock flashed across his face too. But it disappeared almost instantly, replaced by something darker and dangerous. Something possessive.
“Come here,” Silas ordered.
My legs moved weakly as I walked toward him. I stopped beside him, unable to tear my eyes away from the stranger.
“Meet Killian,” Silas said casually. Then his next words shattered the little composure I had left. “My brother.”
My entire body went cold immediately.
What?
His brother?
My heartbeat slammed violently against my ribs.
No.
No, this couldn't be happening.
Did I really spend the night with my husband's brother?
What had I done?
- Writer
