Chapter 24

(Isabella’s POV)

My eyes flutter open slowly, trying to focus on where I am, but my eyelids feel heavy. It’s as if I am sitting in a thick fog.

I can’t find a focal point in the room as all the images appear distorted, especially the sharp edges and corners of furniture and walls. They blur into oblivion.

The further away from sleep my brain gets, the more aware I become of the throbbing sensation behind my eyes. It radiates to the bones behind my ringing ears.

What happened? Where am I?

I can’t sense my wolf. Moon Goddess, we’ve been drugged.

Finally, my eyes and brain sync up. My eyes jolt wide open and survey the room…until my gaze lands on Jesse.

He walks toward me, grabs a chair, turns it backwards directly in front of me and straddles it, leaning his arms on the back.

“Good morning,” he says with a smirk.

“What the fuck is this, Jesse?”

“Well, you and your new mate have been very busy, you naughty little wolf. Collecting evidence for the Elder Council on me. I know you can prove your innocence and that I framed you. I also know that your private investigator is working on some other angles that paint me in a sour light…so, you forced me to act.”

All I can do is stare and blink at him. He’s fucking crazy.

“Why can’t I sense my wolf?”

“Oh, she’s fine. We’ll get to her in a minute. Just couldn’t have you trying to shift or anything, you understand.”

“Yeah, I understand that you’re fucked up in the head.” A smirk plays at my lips “And that when Santiago learns you have me here; he’s going to rip your throat out. I hope my wolf is awake by then, she’ll enjoy the show.”

Jesse shoots up out of the chair, sending it flying behind him and slaps me hard across the face. His face turned blood red and contorted into a snarl. I thought for a minute he might shift but he didn’t.

I yank my arm up only to realize he has my feet and hands bound to a chair.

“I don’t know how you ended up with him, but speak his name to me again and I will make you even sorrier than you are now,” he spat.

I opt to nod.

“Jesse, what did you do to my wolf?” I whisper.

He stoops down in front of me, resting his hands on my upper thighs. His lips all but graze mine as he whispers.

“Stop worrying about your fucking wolf, she’s fine…she’ll just sleep for a while, okay?”

I nod my understanding.

Jesse picks up his chair and resumes his spot, but closer to me than before.

“Now, I need to find this evidence you and that prick have gathered against me. You have two choices here, Love. Option A, you can cooperate and tell me where the evidence is. Then give me the location of the healing gem or Option B…I can force you to give me the information.”

I close my eyes to stave off the tears building up. I try to center myself, take deep breaths, and weigh my options. My mind drifts to Santiago, squeezing my hand before we parted.

Merely thinking about him calms my racing thoughts. I feel my pulse slow down, and my sweaty palms even dry a little bit.

Jesse could kill me. They were right – the private investigator and Santiago. Suddenly, I hear my wolf. She howls. I don’t know if it's from pain or wanting Santiago.

“The chloroform contained wolfsbane,” she tells me. “This is how he subdued me! We need Santiago, Bella. I believe he is our second chance mate!”

“No,” I tell her. “He’s handsome and has a softer side to him, but he is not ours…no matter how much we may want him to be.”

“Bella Costa! Listen to me. If you would both just let your guard down, you can explore the possibilities!”

“Perhaps, we could discuss those possibilities, when you aren’t weak from wolfsbane and I am not tied to a fucking chair.”

I open my eyes and look at Jesse deadpan. “I demand to know where I am. Release me now, and I will let you live.”

Jesse laughs menacingly. He raises his hand like he’s going to hit me again, but I focus and don’t give him the satisfaction of flinching. Instead of hitting me, he softly runs his hand down my cheek.

“Pretty little Alpha. You are in one of my soundproofed emergency shelters. No one can hear you. And you may be a strong Alpha, but, you’re still physically smaller than me, and I can kill you…but that’ll be after forcing you to give me…What. I. Want.”

“You know who is a pretty little Alpha compared to Santiago…you. He’s bigger and stronger than you, Jesse…and definitely not impotent.” Why did I just say that!

This time he lunged forward and punched me with his full fist.

“What’s the matter Jesse? You’re not really jealous that he’s with me, are you?” I laugh hysterically. “I mean, it must burn you up that he can both get one of your she-wolves pregnant while finally satisfying the other.”

“What are you doing!” my wolf shrieks.

“I have no idea,” I tell her.

This time, he punches me so hard he knocks the chair over.

He sits me and the chair back up. “Easy way or hard way,” he spits through gritted teeth.

Blood pours from my mouth. “Hard.”

He nods, “Okay, Isabella.”

He walks over to a table with different-sized bowls, cups, beakers, vials, mixing utensils, and liquids of varying colors – purple, green, blue, orange, clear, and one that looks like it might be blood.

He begins mixing the vials. “Have I told you about my new hobby?”

Tears begin pouring. They sting as they drip past the bruising, swollen eye that received the brunt of Jesse’s punch.

“No?” Jesse says with a tsk. “Alchemy. So, just like what you received at the hotel the night of our anniversary party…I can make you do whatever I want.”

I shake my head violently. “No!”

“You chose the hard way. Would you like to change your mind?”

My eyes widen.

He smiles. “Well, I thought not.”

“You can’t force me to tell you anything, Jesse.”

Jesse pulls the orange, blue, and green liquid vials. “Do you know what happens when these liquids mix together?”

“A pretty color,” I say sarcastically, hoping to drag this out until I can find a way out of here.

He chuckles, “Cute. Care to try again?”

“I don’t, are you going to bake us some cookies?”

“Baking isn’t really my thing….no…a truth serum, so what do you think of that?”

“I think you’re full of shit. I am an Alpha. Everything you have done is a direct further violation of the code that we follow. The Elders will have no choice but to reinstate me and banish you!”

His jaw clenches and I think he may rush me again. I brace for impact but he speaks instead.

“Bitch. I can also make a potion to render you unconscious and cause short-term amnesia.” He then mixes more of his colorful concoctions.

My eyes go wide, and my pulse throbs so hard it rattles my teeth. I shake my head, “No, I won’t drink it!”

He leaves the vial he said would knock me out and cause amnesia. Everything happens so fast.

He walks over, grabs my hair, and pulls it so my head flies backwards. He kisses me hard. I shake my head and try to pull away, but he won’t let me.

Suddenly, he pulls back and pours the cocktail he made down my throat.

He covers my mouth with one hand, squeezes my cheeks, and rubs my throat to make me swallow it all.

He releases me and steps back.

“Now, we will wait a few minutes for the effects to set in.”