Chapter 17

(Isabella’s POV)

Santiago looks at me up and down. Under his gaze, my whole body heats up. I feel my face flush.

Then he tells me to take off my clothes. Why? Is he planning to do something?

If I’m honest, part of me hopes so. My wolf certainly hopes so.

The last thing I expect is for him to hand me an evening gown. “Go change,” he says softly.

The dress is a deep emerald green. The bodice is form fitting with a sweetheart neckline and lace cap sleeves. I hang it on the hook over my closet to study it.

Absentmindedly, I run my fingers down the sheer satin fabric. It’s adorned with an intricate embossed embroidery that starts at the neckline of the bodice and follows through the full A-line skirt. It has a simple green belt that is just a slightly darker shade of green.

I quickly change. The belt cinches my waist. The skirt is floor length with a high slit that stops at mid-thigh.

I decide that my hair will look better down, so I pull the bobby pins out of my French twist updo and let my curly hair fall. I part it off to the side so that my hair can fully frame my face and give myself one last look in the full-length mirror before heading back downstairs to Santiago.

I come back downstairs after changing. Santiago’s eyes stay fixed on me. I can feel my face starting to burn again.

As he stares at me, all I can think about is how undeniably handsome he is. He’s wearing a navy-blue suit with a white button-down shirt with the first couple of buttons left undone and the jacket open.

His rugged hairstyle still allows for some to fall over his eyes, but he has the rest moused back.

I feel my thin lace panties beginning to soak through.

He continues to stare at me intently. I quickly look away thinking he’s picked up the scent of my arousal, expecting him to warn me again.

But he doesn’t. Instead, he says, “You look sexy as hell. The dress suits you.”

I tell him thank you, but I’m confused as I don’t know what he means by that.

“Did you get a concussion in that attack?” my wolf asks incredulously.

“No, why?”

“Because dumbass, he meant you look sexy as hell. He wants you.”

“Shut up,” I tell her.

I decide I want to dig a little deeper, test his attitude toward sex and keeping mistresses.

Before I can ask him anything, Santiago has already walked out and gotten in the car, so I follow him.

In the car I decide to just deliberately ask him outright. “Do you have a mistress?”

I have way expect him to blow me off or blow up that its none of my business, which he’d be right –it is none of my business.

“No. I would never have a mistress. I would only have sex with my fated mate.”

My lips purse and I nod, thinking over his answer. Wow, he’s not just indifferent when it comes to marriage, but he’s also cold when it comes to sex.

Santiago drives fast, getting us to our dinner date with his father at 8:00 PM sharp.

His father greets us in the foyer as we enter the pack house.

Santiago’s father is handsome, arguably an older version of Santiago. He has the same dark hair, skin tone, and build as Santiago.

His suit is identical in style to the one Santiago is wearing, except, his is black.

His hair grays at the temple and he has small wrinkles near his eyes. He looks angry. His only expression seems to be a scowl, and his pupils are so enlarged that his eyes look black.

I’m not sure what color his eyes are.

I wonder who Santiago got his icy blue eyes from…his mother or father?

Santiago introduces us. “Father, I’d like to introduce you to my beautiful mate, Isabella Costa, Alpha of Caladrius Moon Pack. Bella, my love, this is my father, Karan Morales –former Alpha of Veridian Shadow Pack.”

I offer a small head bow to show respect and extend my arm for a handshake. “Alpha Karan,” I say. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

He ignores my hand. His eyes bear into me like two hot coals. “Bella, a female Alpha. I knew your father. It’s a pity he didn’t have a son to leave the pack to.”

Santiago’s jaw ticks. He stares at his father with contempt in his eyes.

I stand straight with my head held high and look him boldly in the eye.

“It’s Isabella, sir. Only my wolf and our mate may call me Bella. It’s funny, Alpha Karan. My father always said he was proud to leave the pack to a highly skilled daughter. He said it reassured him to know I’d love and nurture like a Luna, while being fully capable of ripping the throats out of enemies to protect my pack as their Alpha.”

I glance over at Santiago to assess how angry he is with my responding disrespectfully to his father. My eyes widen slightly when he’s staring at me with a smile. A real smile.

When I look at him, he winks.

“He’s proud of you,” my wolf says. “And so am I.”

My heart swells for just a moment.

At dinner, Santiago treats me vastly differently from how he usually does. First, he offers his arm for me to hold as we walk into the dining room.

When we get to the table, he pulls my chair out to seat me, unfolds my napkin for my lap, and goes as far as to even help me cut my steak.

His father barely speaks. He does not look away from me or down at his plate, merely cuts his food, stabs bites with his fork, brings said fork to his lips, takes bite, and chews…all while staring me down.

Santiago and I both attempt to keep conversation moving. We discuss casual topics over the course of dinner.

Our pack differences, strengths, trade, and trade routes, as well as the weather and how in just three weeks Autumn will give way to winter are all topics that we attempt to make small talk about.

To say it was unsuccessful is an understatement. When Karan speaks, his tone is flat, only offering short and direct answers sporadically.

Suddenly, Santiago’s father narrows his eyes on me, furrows his brows, and clenches his jaw.

“Tell us Isabella, how have you managed to seduce my son?”

He sits back, with a rigid uptight posture and crosses his arms over his chest as he waits for some sort of answer.

If his hostility toward me wasn’t clear before…it most certainly is now.

So, I match his hostility with narrowed eyes, clenched jaw, tightened lips, and a death stare that invites him to eat dirt.

“I’m Santiago’s mate. There is no such thing as seduction.”

Santiago’s father frowns. “You should stay away from Santiago.”

Before I can respond to Karan’s threat, Santiago speaks for me.

“It’s my decision father, and you should not interfere. Insulting my mate is unacceptable. It ends now.”

Santiago’s father slams his hands on the table. “A mate affects the entire pack. You are an Alpha! The strongest Alpha in our region. You shouldn’t have chosen Isabella. She isn’t a suitable match and is not good enough to be Luna!”

Santiago stands up and looks his father deadpan in the face. “What is between us has nothing to do with anyone else!”

Then, he turns to me. The tension around his eyes ease, erasing the small creases as his gaze softens when it meets mine.

I look at him, with tears brimming my lower eyelids and his gaze softens a bit more.

“Bella, leave the room.”