Chapter 4
The middle of the night was shattered by the violent yank that dragged me out of bed. A freezing bucket of water was thrown over me, soaking me from head to toe. As I blinked the water from my eyes, I saw Brady Carpenter’s face, twisted with fury.
“Emmy Sullivan, you’ve really outdone yourself this time!” he snarled, his Alpha tone reverberating through the room. “The entire pack is rallying behind you, calling Isabela a homewrecker for daring to show up at the mark ceremony. Do you have any idea what this is doing to her? A werewolf’s scent and reputation are everything, and you’re trying to destroy hers!”
His hand struck my face with a force that made my ears ring. I stumbled back, dazed.
“I didn’t do it,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
“Don’t lie to me!” Brady roared, his aura flaring with anger. “Your caretaker, Shelby, was the one behind it. You’re telling me you had nothing to do with it?”
My heart sank. Isabela was Brady’s and Ashton’s most treasured person, protected and cherished as if she were made of glass. The thought of what Ashton would do to Shelby if he found out terrified me.
Tears streamed down my face as I fell to my knees. “Brother, Shelby’s old. It’s all my fault. Please, don’t involve her. I’ll take the blame. Just let her go.”
I sobbed uncontrollably. My parents were long gone, and Brady had always been harsh with me, his attention solely focused on Isabela. Shelby was the only family I had left.
“Please, brother,” I begged, my forehead pressed to the floor. “Spare her life. I’ll do anything you want. It was all me. Shelby had nothing to do with it. Please, if you don’t help her, Ashton will kill her!”
Brady stood unmoved, his expression cold and dismissive. He watched as I repeatedly knocked my head against the ground until my forehead was raw and bleeding. The sight only seemed to disgust him further, reinforcing his belief that I was nothing compared to Isabela’s grace and composure.
Then, with a deafening crash, the door to my room was kicked open.
Ashton Sullivan strode in, flanked by a group of warriors. He wore a dark suit, the hem of his jacket stained with fresh blood. In his right hand, he held a knife; in his left, he carried Shelby’s severed head.
His lips curled into a cruel smirk as he looked down at me. “You wanted to save her? Too late.”
His voice was cold, laced with venom. “I warned you, Emmy. Touch Isabela, and I’ll make sure you suffer.”
My mind went blank, a wave of horror and despair crashing over me. I stared at Ashton, tears frozen on my face, my voice barely a whisper. “You killed her… you killed her…”
He stepped closer, his towering frame casting a shadow over me. His face, once so handsome, now filled me with dread. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “You’re truly despicable, Emmy. I was going to mark you as my mate, but now? You’re not even worth that.”
“Ashton…” I murmured, my voice trembling.
For a moment, he seemed to falter, but then his expression hardened. He slapped me across the face, the force of it sending me sprawling to the floor.
Ashton had always loved someone else—Isabela. For nine years, he had dreamed of her, protected her, and finally, after years of waiting, she had returned to him. His dream was within reach.
But something about me unsettled him. Ever since the mark ceremony, every time we were together, he felt a strange familiarity, as if I were someone he should know. He hated it. He hated how I seemed to mimic Isabela, how I could make him forget her, even for a moment.
“Shut up!” he snarled. “You’re still trying to imitate her? You think you’re worthy of that?”
I lay on the floor, my tears dripping onto my hands. Slowly, I pushed myself up, my eyes tracing the contours of his face. I had always been too shy to look at him directly, content to sketch his features in my mind. Now, I studied him in detail, engraving every detail so I could carve him out of my heart.
“Ashton,” I said, my voice steady despite the tears. “I regret it. I don’t want to be your mate anymore.”
He laughed, a cold, bitter sound. “You think you ever had a chance? Isabela is the only one who deserves that title.”
I looked up at him, my heart breaking. Ten years. The boy I had loved for so long had become a stranger, his soul rotting from within.
“I don’t want to see you anymore,” I said, my voice shaking but firm.
Ashton’s eyes met mine, an unreadable emotion flickering in their depths. For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, finally, he spoke.
“Fine. Then you’ll be marked by someone else.”
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