Chapter 373
Chapter 373:
Isabelle’s POV
The moment my feet hit the forest floor, I knew I was running from more than Enzo. I was running from the unbearable truth of who he was to me—my mate.
My breath came in ragged gasps as I weaved through the trees, my heart pounding so loudly it drowned out the sound of my footsteps. Panic twisted in my chest, tangled with something I didn’t want to name. Excitement? Hope?
“Stop running,” Zora growled in my mind, her voice laced with exasperation.
“He’s our mate, Isabelle. You can’t run from him p>
“I can and I am,” I snapped, though I wasn’t sure if I was talking to her or myself.
“You’re being a coward,” Zora said, the words cutting deep. “You’ve waited for him your whole life. Now he’s here, and you’re running? He’s not going to hurt you p>
The truth of her words only made the ache in my chest worse. How could she be so calm? So sure? My mate was the one man who had every reason to despise me, the brother of the woman I had wronged so deeply.
Zora didn’t answer, but I could feel her frustration simmering beneath the surface. She wanted to go back, to throw herself into his arms and claim him as ours. But I wasn’t ready. Not yet.
The sound of footsteps behind me sent a jolt of adrenaline through my veins. He was following me.
Enzo.
His name echoed in my mind, and I stumbled slightly, my pulse spiking. He was getting closer.
“Run faster!” I thought, but my body betrayed me, slowing instead of speeding up. It was as if my heart, my wolf, and every fiber of my being were conspiring against me.
“Isabelle!” His voice cut through the air like a command, deep and rough, tinged with something I couldn’t place.
Desperation? Concern?
The sound of it sent a shiver down my spine, and I faltered again, my legs turning to jelly. He was so close now, his presence like a magnetic pull I couldn’t resist.
Suddenly, a hand closed around my wrist, and I was spun around with such force that I collided with a hard, unyielding chest. The impact knocked the breath out of me, and I gasped, my hands instinctively gripping his arms to steady myself.
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“Stop,” Enzo said, his voice low and firm.
I looked up, and the sight of him so close stole whatever words I’d been about to say. His eyes burned with intensity, his chest rising and falling as if he’d run just as hard as I had.
He was beautiful in a way that made my stomach twist and my heart race even faster. Dark hair fell in disarray over his forehead, and his jaw was clenched, a muscle ticking as he stared down at me.
“Why are you running?” he demanded, his grip on my wrist firm but not painful.
“Because,” I said, my voice trembling, “I don’t know how to face this p>
“This?” he echoed, his brows drawing together.
“You’re my mate, Enzo. Do you have any idea what that means? Who I am? What I’ve done p>