The Alpha I was Forced to Betray

Chapter 13 Isla

The door shut behind me.

And something inside me snapped.

Not loudly. Not all at once.

Just enough.

Enough to make it impossible to stand still anymore.

I paced once. Twice. Then again, my thoughts refusing to settle, circling the same truth over and over until it pressed too hard to ignore.

You’re trapped.

My chest tightened.

No.

I wasn’t.

I refused to be.

The room felt smaller than it had before—not physically, but in the way the air pressed in, the way the silence settled too thick against my skin.

I moved toward the window without thinking, my fingers tightening as I reached for the latch.

Locked.

Of course it was.

A sharp breath left me, frustration spiking fast, something reckless slipping through before I could stop it.

He thought this would stop me?

He thought I would just stay here?

The pressure under my skin snapped.

Before I could second guess it, I grabbed the nearest object and slammed it into the glass.

The sound cracked through the room, sharp and violent, the window splintering before breaking apart completely.

For a second—

Everything stilled.

Then pain hit.

Sharp. Immediate.

I sucked in a breath, jerking my hand back as blood welled quickly along my palm, dripping faster than I expected.

“Damn it—”

The metallic scent filled the air, grounding me in what I had just done.

The door slammed open.

Hard.

I flinched, turning just as Nico stepped into the room, his presence hitting just as fast as the sound had.

His gaze moved immediately—window, then me, then the blood.

And something in him shifted.

Not loud.

Not obvious.

But there.

“What the hell are you doing?”

His voice was sharper now, still controlled, but edged with something darker.

“I’m leaving.”

The words came out tight, even as I moved toward the broken window again, ignoring the pain, ignoring the mess, focusing only on the opening.

His hand caught my wrist before I made it two steps.

Firm. Immediate.

“Stop.”

I pulled back.

“Let go.”

“No.”

The word didn’t move.

I pushed harder, adrenaline dulling the sting in my hand.

“I’m not staying here, Nico.”

“You’re not climbing out a window like this either.”

His grip tightened slightly—not enough to hurt, just enough to hold.

“I don’t need your help.”

“I’m not asking.”

Before I could react, he shifted his hold, turning my wrist to see the cut properly.

I tried to pull back again.

He didn’t let me.

“Hold still.”

“I said I don’t need—”

“You’re bleeding all over the floor, Isla.”

The words cut through everything else.

Not loud.

Just real.

I stilled.

Only for a second.

But it was enough.

He moved me back toward the bed, controlled and unyielding, until I was forced to sit. He stepped away briefly, returning with a small kit before taking my hand again.

I tensed.

“Nico—”

“Stop.”

Quieter this time.

Closer.

His movements were precise, steady as he cleaned the cut. The antiseptic burned, sharp enough to make me flinch, but I didn’t pull away.

Not when I was watching him.

The focus.

The control.

The way he didn’t rush it.

Didn’t make it worse than it had to be.

“It’ll close fast,” he muttered, almost to himself. “Doesn’t mean I’m letting you bleed everywhere.”

My throat tightened.

None of this made sense.

“You can hate me all you want,” I said, my voice quieter now, strained. “But this doesn’t change anything.”

“Correct.”

Flat.

Then—

“It doesn’t change what you did.”

There it was.

The reminder.

My chest tightened.

“Then reject me,” I said quickly, sharper now. “End it. Stop dragging this out—”

“I said no.”

“That’s not your decision—”

“I, Isla Quinn—”

His hand was over my mouth before I could finish.

Faster this time.

More certain.

My breath hit against his palm as I pushed against him, frustration spiking again.

“You try that again,” he said quietly, his gaze locked on mine, something darker sitting just beneath the control, “and we’re going to have a different problem.”

Something in his voice settled deeper than the words themselves.

Not louder.

Just… real.

He held it there for a second longer before pulling back.

I shoved at him immediately.

Harder this time.

“I’m not staying.”

I turned and moved for the window again.

I didn’t care about the height.

Didn’t care about anything except getting out.

My foot hit the edge—

And then I wasn’t moving.

His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back instantly, lifting me just enough to take away any leverage.

The movement was faster this time.

Less restrained.

“No.”

The word was sharper.

Closer.

I twisted in his hold, pushing back against him.

“Let me go!”

“No, Isla.”

His voice dropped, heavier now.

Final.

“We are mates for a reason.I won't let you run anymore.”

I didn't trust myself to respond.