ISABEL

TWENTY FOUR

Dylan raced downstairs while putting on a T-shirt to look the least decent. Isabel had left the house with Xavi and Fernando by the time he rushed out of the study, so he was left with no choice but to search out their whereabouts. He didn't bother using their scents. That would only slow him down and wear him out. He decided to drive to the main pack house or better still, look out for a large crowd, because he could feel it that his mate was going to make a big fuss about this issue. Tightening his grip on the steering wheel, while anxiously looking out the window, Dylan hoped to get to his mate on time, to steer her away from taking a grave action.

After fifteen excruciatingly long minutes of driving, Dylan caught sight of a large crowd in the distance. This was at the pack's main square. Without turning off the engine, he jumped out of the car, pushing his way through the crowd inorder to get to the front. On reaching the front row, every word Dylan had memorized to say to Isabel got caught in his throat as he saw his mate angrily lash at Carlos' back with a whip. The latter, who was on all fours gave a grunt of pain when the whip came in contact with his skin. His flesh was already broken from Isabel's brutal lashing. Dylan's eyes widened in shock as his mate whipped Carlos ten times straight without breaking a sweat. He couldn't tell for how long she began her assault on her beta, but he could tell she didn't have plans to end it soon.

"Has anyone got something to say?" She boomed in a deep voice that wasn't hers.

Isabel's eyes whipped towards his direction and he couldn't help but stumble back in fear. This wasn't his mate, neither was it her wolf. This was something else in control. She was in a half shift, but there was something off about her. Her eyes weren't gold as they ought to, to signify her wolf's presence, but red. Her eyes were fucking red. Shivers ran through his spine as he wondered what kind of a person he was mated to. No one dared to reply to her question, and Dylan had no option but to remain silent. He realized only now that he doesn't have the faintest idea who or he'll rather say what his mate is. It was moments like this that makes him hate the fact that he was mated to a werewolf from a different pack as he was helpless in this situation. He couldn't talk to her through the mind-link, and there's no way he's stepping in to try to stop her in the presence of this crowd. If it were just Xavi and Fernando around, he would forget about the grudge he holds against Carlos and help him, damning the consequences. But that wasn't the case now. He doesn't know who or what is in control at the moment, and how to get through to it.

Glancing around the crowd, hoping to spot Xavi somewhere and convince him to talk to his cousin through the mind-link on his behalf, Dylan saw nothing but pure terror on the faces of the silent crowd. They all looked extra scared, which was different from what he had witnessed before. Not even Xavi dared to look at the scene before him. A sneer of satisfaction crossed Isabel's face as she lashed at Carlos, her eyes never moved away from a particular direction. Dylan followed her eyes, and noticed an older male werewolf staring back at her while grinding his teeth. Dylan could feel the anger emanating from the werewolf even from a distance, but he didn't utter a word or move an inch from his spot. Who could?

Looking closely at the older werewolf, he had a striking resemblance to Carlos. There was also a female werewolf beside him bawling her eyes out. He immediately figured they were Carlos' parents. Dylan's shoulders shook with each sound Isabel's whip made. He snapped his eyes shut as he couldn't watch such inhumane treatment from someone he called his mate, his world.

Just when Dylan thought the assault wasn't going to end, he stopped hearing the sound of Isabel's whip. He then opened his eyes. Carlos was lying on the floor in sheer pains while Isabel circled around him.

"From henceforth, Carlos is stripped of his title... He is to vacate his place of residence before sunset today"

She unapologetically dug her heels deep into his torn skin, earning a heart breaking scream from Carlos. Satisfied with the punishment she has inflicted on her subordinate, Isabel vanished without a trace.

Dylan recovered from his dazed state, and shifted into his wolf, running back to the house. The house was eerily quiet when Dylan arrived. Isabel couldn't have gone anywhere else, he thought to himself as he took careful steps upstairs. The deep sound of heavy breathing was all Dylan could hear coming from their bedroom. The room was in a mess.

He wasn't given the chance to wonder what had happened as he was lifted off the ground and pinned to the wall by his ferocious mate. Her claws sank into his skin, causing blood to trickle down his neck. Dylan was trembling before Isabel, whose blood red enraged eyes bore into his almost lifeless ones.

"Don't you ever challenge my authority in the presence of my subordinates. Do I make myself clear?!" She growled, strangling him tighter.

Dylan slapped Isabel's hand so she would let go of his neck, but his action didn't yield any result. His vision started to blur as his strength slowly left him. She suddenly flung him to the ground with so much force, not caring where he landed.

"Get out!" He heard her yell while struggling to stay conscious.

With the little strength left in him, Dylan scurried out of the room.