Dominic wanted her.
He wouldn't say it aloud. Hell, he wouldn't even admit it to himself, but the truth sang beneath his skin every time she was near. Isla Del Cruz was a paradox he couldn't ignore: innocent and wild, vulnerable yet furious. And yet, she was his enemy's daughter. She was supposed to be untouchable and forbidden.
Isla was horrified. He saw it in her wide, glassy green eyes. And there was fear beneath her fire. She tried to hide it behind a mask of cold defiance, her jaw clenched, her shoulders squared. Still, he could see right through her facades and it only made him want her more.
"You're insane," she hissed, her voice laced with menace.
Dominic smirked, thoroughly entertained. "Oh, darling. You have no idea."
Her fear gave way to fury, the shift in her expression as striking as lightning. Rage made her beautiful, untamed and fierce. He wanted more of her.
"I was stupid. I shouldn't have gotten myself involved with you," she said, her voice quaking despite her attempt to sound strong.
"It doesn't matter now, you see?" Dominic replied smoothly, his gaze unreadable. "You're stuck with me."
She paled. "There's no wedding yet. I don't want this. I'm not going to let you use me."
He clenched his jaw, irritation rising in his chest. "Really? And what's your brilliant plan for dealing with your ex-fiancé then? Got a genius escape route for that?"
Her eyes darkened with malice and suddenly, they started to glow a bright red rimmed with gold.
They reminded him of the colour of his eyes whenever his wolf took control.
Dominic had never seen anyone like her before.
Was she aware of it?
He stared at her, unsure of what was going on.
While he thought about this, he felt a sudden tug in his being and his wolf growled in his head as he was forcefully pushed to the surface by a force he couldn't identify.
'Ours' his wolf growled and Dominic turned away from Isla even though it physically hurt to do so.
His ears were buzzing and his vision had gone blurry. He hadn't felt like this before. Therefore, he didn't know how to deal with it.
Dominic didn't realize that Isla had stepped closer to him until he felt the warmth of a hand on his bare back.
In that split second, his discomfort vanished and he could finally breathe again.
When he straightened, his gaze met with hers. Her eyes had reverted to their normal state and she had a frown on her face. More like she was concerned.
"What the hell just happened?" She said and he swallowed hard, letting out an exhale.
"That was me trying to distract you," he lied.
Her frown deepened. She didn't seem convinced. "Really? I thought you were having a stroke."
"Were you concerned about me?" he teased, sensing her vulnerability.
Her cheeks flushed. She looked away. "I wasn't."
"You're so gullible," he drawled.
"Fuck you, Dominic Argento," she snapped and spun around, stalking off.
"With pleasure, Isla Argento!" he called after her.
She didn't look back. But the ache in his chest surprised him.
He was tempted to go after her but he knew he'd riled her up enough.
As he stared at her retreating figure, a realization hit him.
He didn't want her to hate him.
Perhaps, it was because she was once his childhood friend.
Even so, he had a feeling that it was more than that.
He wondered what she would do now that she knew what his motive was.
Dominic had a feeling that she would try to fight back.
And he was soon proven right.
....
Dominic was alerted by a knock in his office two nights later.
"Come in," he said, sensing the presence of his beta.
Enzo walked in and shut the door behind him.
"What is it?" Dominic asked, his gaze fixed on the computer he was working on.
His beta awkwardly cleared his throat and he looked up at him, puzzled.
"I just thought you should know about your wife's whereabouts," he said, moving towards his alpha.
Enzo hesitated, then he handed over his iPad. "It's about your wife."
Dominic's attention snapped to the screen. Isla was dancing on a table in a crowded club, dressed in black and laughing like she owned the world.
"Damnit," he muttered, bolting to his feet.
"What are you going to do?" Enzo asked.
"Cancel my meetings," Dominic growled, throwing on his coat
...
The music in the club was annoyingly loud. It was even more bothersome pushing his way through the mass of bodies dancing like they had no trouble.
With his senses all activated, Dominic was becoming crankier by the second.
"Where the hell is she?" He muttered, dialling Isla's number.
The moment he brought his phone to his ear, he was alerted by a sudden loud cheering.
Instantly, he sought after the source of this new commotion and to his chagrin, he was greeted by the sight of a red haired woman dancing on a table, dressed in a skimpy black dress.
It was Isla.
She seemed to be having way too much fun.
Letting out a sigh, he moved closer to the gathering crowd.
When he was close enough, he froze. Dominic could finally see her so clearly. Her flushed face. Her smudged red lipstick. The dimple on her chin.
For a moment, he was enthralled by the giant smile on her face and the way her long hair bounced.
She was clearly drunk out of her mind. But, she was fucking glamorous.
He'd never been so dazed. Every annoyance he'd felt towards her melted away like it never existed and all he could do was stare in awe.
However, this experience ended the moment one of the onlookers tried to touch her.
All he could think of in that instant, was how to snap the trespasser's hand in half without anyone else noticing.
But before he could do what he desired, Isla's gaze met his and the smile fell off her face. From the look on her face, she was planning to run.
He'd be damned if I let her.
Pushing the groper away from the table, he grabbed Isla by her legs and brought a hand to her waist. Then he lifted her off the table and hauled her over his shoulder.
"Put me down!" She screamed and Dominic quietly moved away from the gathering. No one tried to stop him. They clearly knew better.
Once they were out of the building, he gently set her down on her feet.
"What? Are you ashamed?" She commented, her voice tinged with mockery.
"On the contrary no. I quite enjoyed the show. However, I don't enjoy seeing others touch what belongs to me," he said and she smirked, trying not to show how badly his statement flustered her. So, she decided to bite back.
"I...belong to you?" She drawled, reducing the distance between them. Dominic raised a brow as she trailed a finger down his chest, a sultry look in her eyes.
"You heard me," he said and she smirked. Then she leaned up on her tiptoes. With her lips mere inches from his, she went still, silently teasing him.
Their gazes locked and she sucked in a sharp breath.
Slowly, she pulled away from him.
"I'm not your property," she stated and he flexed his jaw, amused.
She was such a feisty little kitten.
"You shouldn't be here, Isla. It's dangerous to go to a club all on your own," he said, grabbing her hand.
"You can't tell me what to do," she retorted.
Without a word, he steered her away from the exit of the building.
"Let go of me," she snapped but he ignored her and continued to head towards his car.
"Are you deaf?! I'm not going anywhere with you!" She screamed at him and he halted, turning to look at her with his eyes narrowed.
She swallowed hard and he released his grip on her hand.
"Is this your act of rebellion towards me? It's pathetic," he hissed and she blinked at him with a blank look on her face.
"You could've avoided this. If you'd simply cancelled the contract, I wouldn't have to do any of this," Isla said.
"Do you really hate being married to me?" he demanded. "It's only been two days."
"I won't let you use me against my father," she snapped.
He chuckled, darkly. Confusion flared in her green eyes.
He reached for her, cupping her chin as he pulled her close. "We're fated mates. Have you forgotten?"
"That doesn't matter. I'll reject you if I have to—"
She'd barely finished her statement when he pressed a finger against her plump limps. Her eyes bulged in their sockets, mirroring her surprise in the process. Gazing at her right then, he made a resolution.
He'd given her so many chances to walk away and now, she was trapped with him for as long as she lived.
"I, Dominic Argento, accept you, Isla Ellen Del Cruz as my fated mate," he said, taking his finger off her lips.
"N...no.." Isla croaked, tears filling her eyes.
In that instant, Dominic noticed a discreet figure heading towards them with a gun in his hand. And right then, there was a loud gunshot.