Chapter 8

Isolde’s POV

Morning sunlight peeked through the curtains and stabbed my eyes.

I forced myself to sit up. The deep, tearing ache between my legs was still there.

Every tiny movement sent a dull throb straight to my core.

The bite mark on the back of my neck was barely hidden by my collar, still burning with every heartbeat.

When I washed my face, the mirror showed a pale girl with dark circles under her eyes and swollen lips.

I put on a loose, long dress to hide the mess, and slowly made my way downstairs.

The smell of coffee and toast filled the dining room.

Mia was in the kitchen, wearing an apron.

The second she saw me, her face lit up with a huge smile.

“Isolde! You’re finally up! Dad said the treatment went perfectly last night. You must be feeling so much better today, right?”

My throat squeezed tight. All I could do was nod.

Silas was sitting at the head of the table reading a newspaper.

He looked totally relaxed, but that heavy Alpha pressure was still rolling off him.

He glanced up at me for a second. His eyes were calm, but they carried a silent, terrifying warning.

“Come sit down.”

As I walked over to my chair, his hand shot under my skirt in one fast, hidden move.

He shoved a smooth crystal ball right inside me. It was already humming with a steady pulse of Alpha energy.

My whole body froze.

My knees almost buckled, but I didn't dare make a sound.

He pulled his hand back like absolutely nothing had happened and went back to his paper.

“Sit.”

The crystal started vibrating softly.

It was a low hum, but it pressed exactly against my most sensitive spot inside. It pulsed with a steady, ruthless rhythm.

I ground my teeth together, lowered myself into the chair as carefully as I could, and squeezed my thighs tight.

I was terrified it would slip out, and even more terrified I would moan.

Mia brought a plate of food over and sat across from me, smiling brightly.

“You look so flushed today, Izzy,” she said, tilting her head. “Dad’s treatment really did the trick, huh? You look way more alive than yesterday!”

The vibration suddenly got stronger.

I could feel Silas staring at me from the end of the table. His eyes were dark and unblinking.

The crystal pulsed harder, sending waves of raw heat straight to my lower belly.

My palms started to sweat.

I grabbed the silk fabric of my skirt and twisted it into tight knots, my nails digging into my own skin.

“Yeah…” I forced the word out, trying so hard to sound normal. “Alpha Silas’s treatment… it was really intense.”

Mia nodded happily and started eating.

“That’s great! Dad is the strongest Alpha in the pack. When he handles things himself, you know it’s gonna work. Oh—we’re doing a movie night tonight. You have to watch with us!”

I just nodded again.

Without warning, the crystal buzzed violently, shooting sharp sparks of energy right against the bruised, tender walls he had stretched so hard last night.

My breath hitched. I ducked my head and took a long drink of water, using the glass to hide my trembling lips.

Silas casually turned the page of his newspaper. His voice was perfectly smooth.

“Eat your food. You need your strength to recover.”

Under the table, the tip of his shoe brushed lightly against my calf.

A reminder. A warning.

I picked up a piece of toast, but it tasted like ashes.

The toy kept humming deep inside me, a constant, sickening reminder that my old, normal life was officially over.