As a child, Isla had always believed she'd outgrow her fear of the dark.
But now, with the cave consumed in an oppressive blackness and the torches snuffed out without warning, her breath caught in her throat. The shadows pressed in from all sides, thick and suffocating. She could hear her pulse pounding in her ears and feel the prickle of terror crawling up her spine.
She didn't want Dominic to see this side of her. Not the trembling, helpless girl who was severely afraid of the dark.
Still, her terror spiked when a deafening rumble echoed from the cave's entrance.
"Did you hear that?" she whispered, her voice laced with fear.
Dominic's voice was calm, almost too calm. "We're trapped in here."
The words slammed into her like a sucker punch. She was trapped in a cave with him.
For how long? An hour? A day? Longer?
She whimpered despite herself.
Before she could steady her breath, a piercing chorus of screeches erupted from deeper within the cave. They were dozens, maybe hundreds and they were followed by the manic flapping of wings.
"Get down," Dominic growled, yanking her towards the ground. His body covered hers, shielding her as leathery wings swept past them.
She clung to him instinctively, her limbs rigid beneath his weight. She could barely breathe and her heart was pounding like a war drum inside her chest.
Silence returned, but her panic did not fade.
Dominic slowly pulled back, his grey eyes glinting faintly in the dark as he studied her face. A twisted smirk curled at the edge of his mouth. "You're pale," he murmured. "You must've been horrified."
Isla blinked at him, unable to conjure a witty retort. The darkness behind him warped and shifted, her imagination conjuring horrors just outside her line of sight. She could hardly make out his features, but his presence grounded her to her reality.
"I didn't think you were capable of making that expression," he murmured softly.
Isla stayed silent, trying to calm her racing heart.
Then he whispered her name. His voice was rougher and it was laced with concern.
"Isla."
He cupped her face, and she only then realized how cold she was. His hands which were rough from combat and survival, radiated a comforting kind of heat. Without meaning to, she leaned into his touch, desperate for warmth.
She didn't care how dangerous he was. Not right now. Not when her fear made her feel like she was slipping away. She pressed against him, her face finding the space between his shoulder and neck. His scent made her stomach flip and despite her prejudice towards him, she couldn't pull away.
"You're still afraid of the dark?" he murmured near her ear.
The words sent a ripple of confusion through her. The way he said it made her feel as if he knew her from way before.
But how?
She tried to shake off the thought. "Go ahead. Tease me."
"I could," he muttered. "But I won't."
His voice dropped even lower and he whispered under his breath. "I get to hold you like this."
They stayed like that in silence for a while. The intimacy of the moment was undeniable. Her body molded into his and her eyes remained shut, unwilling to face whatever waited in the dark. And yet, his presence wrapped around her like a cocoon, warding off the fear.
"I have a weakness," Dominic said suddenly.
She stiffened. "What kind of weakness?"
"There's a time bomb on my body. When it detonates, I die."
Her breath hitched. "You're serious?"
"It's not something I lie about."
A strange ache bloomed in her chest. "Why do you have a time bomb on you?"
"That's a story for another day."
She hesitated. Then, with a barely audible breath, she said, "Can I... touch it?"
He didn't answer right away. Then his fingers brushed hers. "You sure?"
"Yes... I want to see it. But it's too dark in here."
"It's on my spine. You can touch it"
He took her hand and guided it beneath his shirt, to the ridge of his spine. Her fingertips brushed against his skin. As she traced them along his back, she felt them. They were strange designs that were embedded into him like scars.
The further she explored, the hotter the skin became. At one point, Dominic sucked in a breath, his muscles locking beneath her touch.
"Open your eyes, peach," he whispered with a rough voice.
"I... I can't."
"You can."
Swallowing hard, she slowly opened her eyes and found him staring at her with eyes that shone like the fiercest of flames. It was beautiful and breathtaking. She'd never seen anything like it.
It made her wonder just who he really was.
Slowly, he brought her to her feet and gave her a smile. It was strange how the light in his eyes seemed to illuminate the whole place.
Butterflies swarmed Isla's stomach and her heart thundered wildly as he drew closer. She could tell from the look on his face. He wanted to kiss her.
And when he leaned in to kiss her, she didn't pull away.
They kissed slowly, like a slow dance in the clouds.
When they pulled away, he planted a kiss to her forehead, sending her heart into overdrive.
Isla took a trembling step back, flustered. The moment had felt too overwhelming.
He had reduced her to a mushy mess and she suddenly felt awkward in front of him. Her brain screamed at her about how wrong this was.
She'd let herself get swayed and now, it was time to snap out of it.
Clearing her throat, she ran her fingers through her hair.
"What are we going to do now?" Isla asked.
"We have to find the exit. It's the only way," Dominic responded and she gulped.
"Do you know where it is?"
"I've never been in here. But we'll find it."
"What about the ceremony?"
"It's done. Just follow me," he said. "Can you do that?"
She nodded.
Together, they headed further into the cave.
---
An hour later...
"You made it!" Maia beamed, rushing towards Isla the moment they stepped out of the cave.
Isla was relieved to finally smell the fresh air. A few of the pack's officials had been waiting for them outside the cave.
"Did something happen between the two of you in there? The tension between the both of you is crackling," Maia added, her green eyes twinkling.
"Nothing happened," Isla mumbled, brushing past her. But her cheeks burned.
"Honey, I don't believe that for a second. Oh, he's coming. I'll leave you to it," Maia teased, vanishing.
Dominic approached, slowly . For once, he looked... hesitant.
"Isla. Earlier, I—"
"It was a mistake," she said quickly.
His brow furrowed, his piercing eyes narrowing.
"What?"
"The kiss...it was a mistake. From this point on, we can't touch each or attempt to be intimate."
His expression darkened. "Why?"
She stared at the ground. She was worried that if she looked into those eyes again, her resolve would shatter.
"We are only bound by a contract, Dominic. That's where it ends. We are both using each other. It can't get any more complicated than that."
Dominic grabbed her wrist to prevent her from leaving but she kept her head turned away from him, sinking her teeth into her bottom lip.
"Can you really handle that?" He asked.
Her chest tightened.
"It's my burden," she said, yanking her hand out of his grip.
Her wolf whimpered inside her mind, aching as she increased the distance between herself and her mate. Her heart did too.
But this was the truth she had to accept. Dominic Argento was dangerous. He was her father's enemy. And she was just a pawn in his game.
---
Later, in her room, Isla slipped into the bath. The water was warm and fragrant, laced with lavender oil. Steam curled around her, making her relax.
She must've fallen asleep.
In her dream, she was still in the bath, and Dominic entered the bathroom. Wordless, he knelt beside her, pressing soft kisses along the curve of her neck. A moan escaped her lips and when he stepped into the tub, his grey eyes met hers.
She jolted awake, her heart thundering madly.
What the hell was wrong with her?
It was annoying how she'd dreamt of Dominic even after setting up boundaries between them. Could the mate bond be responsible for it?
It had her wondering if she could really handle it.
Her train of thoughts came to an abrupt halt at the sound of movements in the room.
Her head snapped toward the door. "Who's there?"
Silence greeted her.
She climbed out of the bath and wrapped herself in a towel, her heart racing.
Cautiously, she stepped out, scanning the room.
It was empty .
But something wasn't right. She knew she'd heard something.
Just then, a pair of blades came hurtling through the air, heading straight for her.