Chapter 48

(Isabella’s POV)

I pace around my room, gathering all my stuff and packing. I would understand if Santiago saw the exchange with Jesse and felt angry or jealous. Goddess help me, part of me wants him to be jealous.

But, I’m nothing but a contract to him.

Santiago hasn’t spoken to me in almost a week. I suppose I have no choice but to leave. He basically told me outright to go back to Ariana’s.

I stop by my full-length mirror. I look terrible. Yoga pants, bare feet, baggy t-shirt, and messy hair pulled up in a bun. Some of the shorter curly strands fall out of the updo and sit against my cheeks.

My face is flush and my eyes are red and swollen. I can’t do this. It’s stupid to cry over losing something…someone I never even had.

“It’s not dumb,” my wolf says in a weary voice.

She’s been silent since the altercation with Jesse and Santiago’s reaction to it, or lack of reaction, I guess.

“He’s our second chance mate, Bella. I know it. I sense his wolf knows it too. The only ones fighting against what is meant to be our completion is you two human halves,” she says.

“Well, you heard what Santiago said. What am I supposed to do?”

“Fight for him.”

“He doesn’t want me.”

“Yes, he does. He was jealous and hurt. His response was just his way of protecting himself.”

Suddenly, Beta Levi bangs on the door, pulling me away from my conversation with my wolf. “Alpha Isabella, I need your help. Santiago needs you. It’s urgent!”

My pulse goes into hyperdrive. “What is it? Is he hurt?”

“He’s gone feral and lost control. He’s been saying his wolf is pissed and giving him the silent treatment. I shouldn’t be telling you this Isabella. But, his wolf is feeling nothing but emotional turmoil. He longs for you and Santiago…he’s…”

“Fighting it,” I say, finishing his sentence for him. “I know because my wolf has been feeling the same way. Take me to him.”

We get to his study, and the room is wrecked. Santiago is in his human form, but his claws and fangs are elongated. He’s broken most of the furniture.

Moon goddess, he’s still gorgeous. His icy blue eyes stare wildly at the random items he’s destroying. He’s wearing a crimson-colored dress shirt, untucked, with dark jeans.

Even concealed by fabric, his muscles flex underneath it.

“Leave and lock the door behind you,” I tell Levi.

He shakes his head. “I can’t do that Alpha Isabella. He could kill you.”

I turn and take his hand in mine and lock eyes with him. “He won’t hurt me. It’s okay. For your safety, please?”

Santiago turns and sees our hands intertwined. “Mine!” he growls.

“Go!” I scream while pushing Levi out the door. I have just enough time to lock it before Santiago lunges at my back.

I freeze.

He buries his head in the crook of my neck and inhales deeply. His hands rake down my body, shredding my clothes while his hands cup my breasts, then hips on their descent.

“Santiago,” I whisper.

He growls, foaming at the mouth.

“Am I speaking with Santiago or his wolf?”

He growls with so much intensity that I feel almost vulnerable enough to submit.

“I won’t submit to you. I’m not scared,” I tell him.

He pulls back like he’s going to slap or claw my face, but then turns and takes his rage out on a lamp instead. He throws it at the far wall.

It shatters into a million pieces.

“You need to take control back, Santiago. Your wolf needs a mate. We can fix this. I’m here.”

“Fuck you! Fuck the mate bond and all the trouble that comes with it!”

He pounces on top of me.

I let him push me over what is left of the couch. His breath is hot on my skin. I lean my head back over the arm of the couch, fully exposing my neck to him.

“I won’t submit to you,” I say softly. But you may have whatever you need.”

He buries his nose where my neck meets my hair and inhales deeply.

He lets my hair down and runs his fingers through it. I feel him sigh.

His manhood grows hard pressing against me.

He’s calming down.

“No idiot, he’s getting turned on.”

“Either way.”

Suddenly, he leaps off me, rips the blinds off his window, turns, and tears apart the bookcase.

“Stop!” I scream.

I jump to my feet and grab his arm before he trashes anything else.

He spins me around and presses me against the wall. His lips graze my ear as he whispers. “You need to get the fuck out of here, I’m not in control, and my wolf wants to fuck you.”

I feel his hard cock press up against me. I arch my back, pressing against him.

He moans in my ear, sending waves of heat through my core.

He reaches around me, sliding his hands under my shirt.

My pulse races. Through ragged breathing I tell him, “Maybe I need you to take me as bad as your wolf needs the release.”

“This is your last chance. Tell me to stop now, and I will,” he growls through gritted teeth.

I take him by surprise and flip myself to face him. His sandalwood scent overpowers me. I kiss him. The second his lips touch mine, electricity surges through my body.

I fumble with the buttons of his shirt as I hurriedly take it off his body.

He lifts my shirt over my head and leans me back against the wall.

He growls as his eyes rake over me. He unhooks my front-clasp bra with a snap of his fingers and peels the sheer material away from my breasts, down by my shoulders, and then throws it to the side.

He picks me up.

I wrap my legs around his waist.

He presses me up against the wall, kisses my earlobe, nips at my neck, and trails kisses to my breasts, then takes my nipple into his mouth.

I moan at the contact.

“You told me once you could smell my arousal,” I whisper.

He moans and whispers my name.

“I remember,” he says.

“Do you smell it now?” I ask, gasping for air as he holds me up with one arm, and slides the other hand down my stomach, into my yoga pants, and slides my soaked panties out of his way.

“I do,” he says as he slides two fingers inside me.

“More!” I beg him.

He pulls his fingers out and carries me to his desk, taking one hand to clear the top off before laying me down.

He pulls his own pants off as I shimmy out of mine and throw them to the side.

He rips my panties in half and throws them out of his way. The air in the room is cold to my swollen and soaked bud.

The next thing I know, he’s on top of me. Heat radiates from his pounding chest as he kisses me, gentler this time but with the same level of desire as before.

His tongue pulses into my mouth. I suck on it and offer him mine. Sweat beads form on his forehead and glisten on his muscles as they flex and ripple beneath my fingertips.

I feel the tip of his rock-hard, dripping cock at my opening, and in one smooth thrust, he plunges inside me. I feel every inch of him enter my body. I spread my hips wide to accept all of him as deep as possible.

He holds himself up by gripping the sides of the desk. I hear mahogany crack in his fists.

He finds that spot on my neck he likes so well and groans as his lips press into the spot where my neck and shoulder meet.

“Goddess, you feel amazing,” he whispers in my ear.

He adjusts himself to drive deeper inside me. I whimper and moan at every thrust. His calloused hands grip my hips, pulling me tighter against him until we both hit our release.

His seed fills my body and I arch my back, pushing up against him to accept every drop.

Still intertwined, we collapse into each other.

The next morning, I wake up in his arms under a blanket in his bed.

“How’d we get here?” I whisper.

He sits up and pulls me closer to him. “I moved us here. I wanted you to sleep well, and I didn’t want you to go back to your own room,” he admits.

I smile and lean into him.

“I’m sorry,” he says.

I turn to face him. “Why?”

“I shouldn’t have been cold. And if you regret last night or hate me, I understand.”

“Look, Santiago. There is nothing between Jesse and me. And, we didn’t do anything I didn’t want last night.”

“Understood,” he says. “I want you to stay here…please.”