Chapter 4 CHAPTER
"We got her."
Matteo's voice came through the phone like a jolt to my chest.
They found Isadora. I didn’t expect her to be living among humans. It’s been eight years. The past eight years have been filled with frustration and longing. Her brothers gave up. Her dad gave up. Even Giada, her twin, stopped searching. But her mother and I? We never did.
She was out there. We could feel it. I had to believe she didn’t just disappear for good.
"Lorenzo?"
"Yeah, I'm here."
"Just giving you a heads-up. She would rather not come with us. We had to tell her about Giada. That’s the only reason she agreed. She’s only coming for the funeral."
He paused, probably hoping I wouldn't react. But I did.
"That’s not an option," I growled. My wolf snarled right alongside me. "She’s coming back. And she’s staying."
"Damn it, Lorenzo! You can't just trap her here! She’s not some object you can lock up. You rejected her, remember?"
I clenched my jaw so tight it hurt. I should’ve never told Matteo about the mate bond. That night I was drunk, spiraling, missing her more than I could handle.
He wasn’t done. "You rejected her for her sister. You humiliated her in front of everyone. You humiliated her, making the whole Luna Nera Clan think Giada was your mate. And now you expect her to return and play with a happy family?"
"Her family is here."
Silence. A long, tired sigh followed.
"I hope you know what you’re doing, man. Isadora was always stronger than Giada. But I don’t think she can take more pain. She’s not the same girl who left."
Click.
I stared at the phone for a while, like it would spit out the right answer.
How the hell was I supposed to respond to that?
He was right.
I was the one who shattered her. I pushed her away. No… I broke her.
I told myself it was fate’s mistake. That the bond was wrong. I had already fallen in love with Giada. She was everything to me.
So when that night came—when I turned eighteen and felt the mate bond spark alive—I refused to believe what I saw.
The beach air was cool. Salty. Familiar. The scent drew me in, causing my chest to ache and my skin to buzz. I knew it had to be Giada. My heart said so. My memories said so.
But it wasn’t Giada.
It was Isadora.
She stood there, barefoot on the sand, moonlight in her hair. Our eyes locked, and I froze. My body wanted to run to her, claim her, and bury my face in her neck. Every part of me screamed to make her mine.
But I couldn’t. This is especially true when Giada is included in the picture. Not after everything.
So I did the unthinkable.
I rejected her.
I tore her apart with my words. I informed her that the bond was a mistake. My wolf went feral inside me, thrashing and howling like a beast in a trap.
And I walked away.
She never said a word. Just watch me go.
Even after that, she stayed. Didn’t run. She stayed through every humiliation. Through every moment I spent with Giada. Through every whisper behind her back.
Could she feel what I did with Giada? Did she know how far I went?
Her eyes dimmed slowly over time, like the light in her soul was fading. But she never told anyone. She never fought back.
Then, she left.
That night, the pain struck with intensity. I jumped out of bed, heart racing. I knew. I knew she was gone.
I ran to her family’s house, screaming her name.
Her mother stood at the door, eyes red, clutching a letter.
Giada collapsed into me, sobbing.
"I can’t feel her," she cried. "She’s gone."
Gone.
I told myself I had to bring her back. This was for the sake of her family. For Giada.
But deep down?
I wanted her back for me.
I didn’t want to admit it then. I still don’t. But the truth has been weighing on my mind ever since she left.
She didn’t just walk away. She ran. And I gave her every reason to.
I messed up. Big time.
Even now, I can picture her face that night. That blank look. There was a sense of calm before the storm.
I deserved worse.
"Are you going to stand there all day or actually make a plan?"
Enzo stepped into my office, raising an eyebrow.
"She agreed to come," I muttered.
"And?"
"She doesn’t plan to stay."
"Wow. Shocking. Are you suggesting she might not want to return to a place where she felt betrayed by everyone?
"Cut it out."
"No, seriously. Who wouldn’t be excited to return to a pack that tossed her aside like garbage?"
I shot him a glare.
He raised his hands. "Hey, I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking. What’s your plan, Capo Ricci? Lock her in her room until she loves you again?"
I didn’t answer.
"Oh god," he groaned. "You do have a plan. That worsens it."
"It’s not like that."
"Right. Sure. Because dragging her back from Bellavista to a funeral for her twin, who stole everything from her, sounds like a healthy move."
I turned my back to him. I would rather not hear any more.
"You know what she told Matteo when he found her?" Enzo continued. "She said, 'I’ll come back, but don’t expect anything from me.'"
I clenched my fists.
"She also said this place was a graveyard. This was not solely for Giada's benefit. For herself too."
My wolf whimpered at that.
"What would you have done if you were in that situation?" Enzo asked. "What would you feel if the person you trusted most looked you in the face and chose your sister instead of you?"
I didn’t know.
He shook his head. "You better figure it out. She's not the same girl who departed. And if you hurt her again, I swear to the moon, even your title won’t protect you."
He left me alone in the room. All that was left was my guilt.
And the ghost of a bond I tried to destroy.