Chapter 0074

"You don't know anything about me."

She scoffs. "Why would I want to? Just look at you."

"GENEVIEVE!" Isabella rushes toward us. "Stay the hell away from my brother's mate!"

"Isabella," she sneers, "I was merely introducing myself."

"Weren't you ordered to keep your distance?" Isabella snarls.

"I simply wanted to meet our Alpha's chosen mate."

"You mean you wanted to size her up. Alexander doesn't want you. How many times must you be told?"

Genevieve clenches her jaw and glares at Isabella. "You don't frighten me. You tried that before, remember how that ended? Perhaps Alexander needs reminding how troublesome his little sister can be."

"Ladies?" Beta Sebastian approaches us. "Is there a problem here?"

"No." Isabella snaps. "Genevieve was just leaving!"

"For now." Genevieve smiles sweetly at Beta Sebastian. As she turns, she tells him she's sorry to hear about him and his mate.

"Just go." He dismisses her as I search for Alpha Alexander. He must have felt my panic. Why hadn't he come? Did he send Beta Sebastian instead?

"Genevieve started it." Isabella mutters while glaring at Beta Sebastian.

"I don't doubt that." He shrugs as I scan the area for any sign of Alpha Alexander. "Alexander is with Theodore, doing research."

"Okay." I whisper softly.

"Shall we go inside?"

Isabella grabs my arm before I can answer. She pulls me through the back door, muttering about how Genevieve is a piece of work and that Alpha Alexander should have dealt with her years ago.

"Are you alright?" Beta Sebastian asks as he fills a glass with water and sets it before me.

"That stupid cow needs to learn her place!" Isabella grumbles as she collapses into a chair.

"I agree, but perhaps you should rise above it, Isabella. Alexander has made her position clear. And you know she won't be the last to throw herself at him. Learn to ignore it." He tells Isabella. "You're better than this."

"She was mocking Athena."

"Haven't you noticed she does that when she's jealous? She has to, otherwise she'd sound desperate. As much as I despise her, she's digging her own grave. Let her continue."

"What do you mean?" Isabella asks.

Beta Sebastian's eyes lock on me. "He has made his decision quite clear."

It was supposed to be easier here. Simpler. That's what Alpha Alexander had promised. But everywhere I turned lately, there was another problem.

"Why don't you go," I hear Beta Sebastian tell Isabella. "I can sit with Athena for a while, keep her company."

"Are you sure?"

"The boys are with their grandparents tonight. I have nowhere else to be."

"I can stay if you need me to." Isabella whispers to me.

"I'm okay." I whisper back, offering a small smile.

"If you need me, I'll be at the hospital."

She leaves as Beta Sebastian takes her seat. "You're a terrible liar."

"I know." I mumble quietly.

"Why didn't you tell her you weren't okay?"

"Too many people are already involved in this mess."

"If Alexander had an issue with you being a Lycan, you wouldn't be sitting here talking to me."

"Am I dying?"

"Hopefully not." He winks. "Caleb has mentioned multiple times that there's something different about you. An anomaly."

"You believe him?"

"I believe what I see. When I first met you, I wondered how you were even alive. You were nothing but skin and bones. Your face was gaunt, like someone in their final days. Your arms were like twigs, looking ready to snap at any moment. Even your heartbeat was so slow, barely there, like you were hanging on by the thinnest thread."