Chapter 40: The Man She Cannot Have

Isadora’s POV

Daylight found its way to my balcony, spilling a wash of soft, mocking gold over the cold stones.

I stood there, my fingers wrapped around a ceramic cup of coffee. I hadn’t taken a single sip. It was cold now, a thin skin forming on the surface, but I kept holding it just to have something to do with my hands. Behind me, the heavy oak door to my chambers creaked open. I didn’t have to look to know it was the servants. I heard the soft rustle of their tunics and the quiet clink of metal as they set down a tray. Fresh bread, still steaming. Sweet fruits, and dark honey.

They moved quietly, bowing to my back before slipping out. The door clicked shut, and once again, I was alone with the wind.

I stared out at the pack grounds. From up here, everything looked so small. Wolves moved along the dirt pathways like ants, and the tall pines swayed gently as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Down there, I was a queen. They called me "Lady Isadora" with voices full of practiced respect. They bowed low when I walked past. But as I watched the world below, a bitter taste filled my mouth.

Respect was a cold thing to sleep next to. I was starving for the one thing no title, no bloodline, and no amount of bowing could give me. I wanted to be chosen.

The air around me shifted.

It wasn’t a sound, but a feeling. A heavy, electric presence pressed against my skin, warm as the heat from a furnace. My heart gave a violent thud against my ribs, but I didn’t move nor did I flinch. I knew that scent anywhere, smoke, and old leather.

Just then a thick, powerful arm slipped around my waist. The heat of his skin soaked through my thin silk robe instantly. His palm, rough and calloused from years of holding a sword, settled flat against my stomach. He pulled me back until I was molded against him, my spine firm against the unyielding wall of his chest.

I closed my eyes, my breath hitching in my throat. I hated how my body reacted before I could even think. My knees felt like they were turning into water.

"What’s the Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack doing in my room?" I asked. My voice was a low whisper, trembling just enough to betray me.

He leaned down, his face pressing into the crook of my neck. I could feel the stubble on his jaw scratching my skin.

"Do you plan to ignore me forever, Isadora?"

The way he said my name... it wasn’t a question. It was a claim. He said it like he owned every breath I took. The vibration of his voice traveled through my skin, sending a deep, honey-like heat straight to my core. My breath came in short, jagged pulls. I hated him for it. I hated that he could walk in here and undo all my strength with a single touch.

I turned slowly in his arms, the silk of my robe hissing against his skin.

I forced myself to look up. Green eyes met amber. His face was built with beauty and hidden thoughts, beautiful and terrifying all at once. I reached down, my fingers trembling slightly as I took his hand from my waist. I did it gently, but I made sure he felt the resistance.

"The last time I remember," I said, forcing my voice to stay calm even though my heart was screaming, "you didn’t want me. You made that very clear."

He didn’t look away. He didn’t apologize. He just studied my face, his eyes roaming over my features as if he were trying to memorize them. Then, a small, rare smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. It was a beautiful sight, and it felt like a knife to my heart because I knew how seldom he gave it to anyone else.

"What do you want me to do to earn your forgiveness?" he asked, his voice dropping to a rough, intimate growl.

I tilted my head, my eyes searching for his. "Would you actually do it? Or are these just the words you tell a woman in the dark?"

He stepped closer, invading my space until I had to lean back against the balcony railing. "Try me, Dora."

I took a shaky breath, the scent of him filling my head until I couldn’t think straight. "Make me your Luna," I whispered. "Give me the seat beside you. And remove that... that woman living under your roof. The weak girl who doesn’t belong."

The air in the room suddenly turned freezing.

He froze. It was only for a split second, a tiny flicker in his amber eyes, but I saw it. His gaze dropped to the floor, and I felt his jaw tighten under my hand. The silence that followed was louder than any shout.

In that moment, the hope I’d been clutching onto shriveled up and died. He wasn’t going to say yes. He couldn’t even lie to me about it.

I exhaled a long, shaky breath and pushed against his chest. I felt like I was choking on my own pride.

"I knew it," I said, my voice thick with a mix of anger and sadness. "Please leave, Alpha Rhydor. Go back to your ’thing’ and your ’duties.’"

I turned my back on him, staring out at the trees again, waiting for the sound of his footsteps. I waited for the door to bang shut. I waited for him to give up on me.

But he didn’t move. Instead, I felt him step even closer, the heat of him radiating against my back.

"I plan to do it," he said quietly.

I didn’t turn around. I couldn’t. "But there are things I must handle first," I finished for him, my voice dripping with bitterness. "Always ’things,’ Rhydor. Always excuses."

I closed my eyes tight, trying to stop the sting of tears. "That’s not my concern anymore. When you’re finally done ’handling’ the world, then you can come back. Until then, stay away from me."

Silence stretched between us, thick and painful. Then, I felt his large hands on my shoulders. He turned me around slowly, his touch surprisingly gentle. I let him. I was too tired to fight him anymore.

His eyes searched mine, looking for a way back in. Then he leaned down, his face so close I could feel the warmth of his skin.

"You know I belong to you alone, Dora. Mmm?"

His lips brushed against the sensitive skin of my neck, right over my pulse point. It was the place he always kissed, the place he knew was my undoing. My head fell back instinctively, a long, shaky moan escaping my lips before I could stop it.

"Ahh...!"

The sound was desperate, full of all the hunger I’d been trying to hide. I felt the wet, searing heat of his mouth against my skin. He nibbled gently on the cord of my neck, his hands sliding down to grip my waist with a sudden, fierce possessiveness.

My body betrayed me completely. A heavy, pulsing wetness pooled between my legs, and my hands moved on their own, clutching his broad shoulders, my nails digging into the hard muscle there. I wanted to push him away, but I found myself pulling him closer, my fingers tangling in the long, dark hair that fell over his neck.

He kissed higher, trailing fire along my jawline until he reached my ear. I could hear his heavy breathing, ragged and fast.

"You’re mine," he whispered against my skin.

He pulled back just enough to look me in the eye. Our faces were so close our noses brushed. Then, he leaned in and kissed me. It wasn’t the kiss of a stranger; it was slow, heated, and painfully familiar. It tasted like wine and secrets.

I kissed him back with everything I had left. I let myself fall into the abyss, pretending for just one heartbeat that this meant something. I pretended that there was no rankless girl, no pack politics, and no walls between us. I let myself believe he was mine.

Suddenly, he stiffened.

His body went rigid against mine, and he pulled back so fast I almost stumbled. His eyes changed in a heartbeat, the heat vanished, replaced by a distant, sharp focus. I knew that look. Someone was talking to him through the mind-link.

I felt a surge of pure, hot rage. How dare they? How dare anyone interrupt us now?

He stepped back, putting a cold distance between us that made me want to scream. He reached out and kissed my forehead, a soft, quick gesture that felt more like a goodbye than a promise.

"I have to go," he said, his voice back to that clipped, Alpha tone. "I’ll come back later."

He didn’t wait for me to answer. He didn’t even look at me again. He turned, walked to the edge of the balcony, and simply jumped. I ran to the railing, my heart in my throat, watching as he landed effortlessly on the grass three stories below. He didn’t stumble. He didn’t look back.

He just walked away, his long brown hair flowing behind him in the wind like a silken banner. Strong. Powerful. Untouchable.

I stood there for a long time, watching his silhouette disappear into the trees.

My heart was still pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs, and my body was still aching, humming with the electricity he’d left behind. My mind was screaming at me to stop being a fool, to stop letting him treat me like a secret he could visit whenever he was bored.

He always left first. Always. And I always let him.

I turned away from the balcony, the morning air now feeling bitter and cold against my damp skin. I walked back into the room, past the untouched food, and sat down on the edge of my bed. I stared at the wall, my hands curling into tight fists until my nails drew blood from my palms.

I wanted him. I almost had him. But something, someone was in the way.

That thing living under his chambers, breathing his air, taking up the space that belonged to me. She was a shadow, a nothing, a girl who didn’t even have a wolf to her name. Yet she had somehow managed to get under his skin in a way I couldn’t understand. But she would be the easiest thing in the world to erase.

I took a deep, shaky breath, my eyes narrowing. I wanted my life back. I wanted my Alpha back. And I knew exactly who I had to get rid of to make that happen.