Oh, fantastic! Nash and Ace are standing dead center in the courtyard like they own the entire damn school. Which, to be fair, they kind of do. The NAY boys always look like they walk out of a "how to be intimidatingly handso and emotionally unavailable" tutorial.
Ace is leaning against a bench, arms crossed, chewing gum like he is auditioning for Coolest Jerk Alive. Nash stands stiff, talking low with him, brows furrowed in that tense, brooding way that makes Isolde’s stomach flutter minutes before she realizes he is apparently allergic to respecting won.
Nash’s dark hair falls over his forehead the way it always does when he is irritated. He keeps pushing it back, only for it to fall again. Isolde’s stomach drops seeing him like that. Her wolf shifts uneasily inside her.
The boys are talking in low, serious voices. Their heads are bent together too. Whatever they are discussing, it isn’t so casual morning bro chat.
Daphne makes a small squeak. "Oh, my God. He’s RIGHT THERE. Okay. Okay, Issy. It’s showti."
"Daph, no," Isolde hisses. "Not now. It’s too early... like literally too early. I haven’t even eaten!"
"Who cares?" Daphne hisses back, shoving her lightly forward. "The universe places Nash in your path at 8:07 a.m. and I, for one, respect destiny."
"Daphne."
"Girl. Walk."
Isolde scowls. Daphne scowls back harder.
Fine. Whatever. She can do this. Maybe. Hopefully. Possibly not without fainting, but she tries, Isolde decides.
"Co with ," she mutters to her sister for help.
Daphne rolls her eyes. "Obviously. I’m not letting you go alone, and maybe also because I want to witness this man get verbally assassinated."
Together, like two idiots marching into a lion’s den, they head toward the boys. The closer they get, the more the guys’ conversation becos audible.
Ace scratches his head. "Man, I’m telling you; Lucan doesn’t even pack his stuff. He just LEAVES."
Nash’s jaw clenches. "He wouldn’t just abandon the group for Eli, would he?"
"Well, he does, bro."
Isolde freezes at that. Lucan? Leaving the pack? Why would he when his sister is in such a critical condition?
Daphne gasps loudly, no subtlety anywhere. "WHAT?!"
Both boys whip around.
Ace blinks. "Oh—hey. Bellamy sisters. Your house must be on fire right now. Like... figuratively. News is flying everywhere."
Daphne instantly bares her teeth like a chihuahua. "Ace, shut up. I didn’t know you were a gossip too."
Ace grins. "Soone has to keep the pack entertained. Nice to know you’re still sassy at eight in the morning."
Then Nash turns and the first thing his eyes et are Isolde’s.
For a small, tragic, stupid mont, Isolde forgets everything. The cruel words she overhears. The humiliation. The sting of hearing he prefers Daphne. All of it blurs under the pull of the bond.
His mouth parts because the mate bond hits like a punch to the lungs. It always does. His pupils dilate. Auro lunges forward in Isolde’s mind, tail high, ears perked.
"Go to him," the wolf urges. "We need our mate!"
Absolutely not, Isolde snaps back ntally. Sit down.
The air thickens, electric and hazy, tugging her toward him like the world is made of magnets and she is the smaller one. But before anyone can drown in the tension,
Ace ruins it.
"So!" he says brightly. "Heard your ho turns into a whole episode of Prominent Brothers Gone Wrong."
"ACE." Daphne hisses.
He grins. Nash shifts his gaze to Daphne first. "Hey."
And that’s it... No greeting for Isolde. He doesn’t even acknowledge her presence. Just... hey, directed at the wrong sister for the second damn ti in his life.
Daphne’s eyes widen like she is witnessing a cri scene.
"Wow. Wow. The AUDACITY. You’re really gonna ignore your mate to say hi to ?"
Nash’s eyes snap fully open. He doesn’t expect her to know. Good. He deserves the shock. His eyes dart toward Isolde then away again like the sight physically hurts him.
"Wait—Daphne. I can explain..."
Great. Daphne is the one he wants to explain to, not her.
"Oh?? You wanna explain?" Daphne snaps. "Explain WHAT? Explain how you take out Friday night, flirt with , pay for my dinner, and give that stupid complint about my eyes while knowing you are fated to my sister? What exactly are you intending, Nash? To play tag-team with our emotions?"
Isolde goes cold.
Students overhearing start whispering. Heads turn. The courtyard shifts, bodies angling toward them like hungry gossip vultures.
Nash opens his mouth, unsettled. "Daphne, it isn’t—listen, it isn’t like that. I don’t know..."
"Don’t know?" Daphne scoffs. "So what? You are trying to play both sisters until the bond picks the prettier one? Huh?!"
"DAPHNE!" Isolde croaks, horrified.
Nash drags a hand down his face. "It is unexpected, alright?!"
"Unexpected?" Daphne repeats, eyes widening. "You know what’s unexpected? The Goddess pairing a gorgeous, smart, brilliant girl like my SISTER with a two-faced idiot. Now THAT is unexpected."
"I’m still processing..."
SLAP.
Daphne’s palm cracks across his cheek so loudly that even birds stop mid-chirp. Gasps explode around them.
Soone whispers, "OH MY GOD, THAT’S THE BETA’S HEIR!"
Another voice: "The Bellamys are wild."
Daphne flips her hair. "You know what’s unexpected? THAT’S unexpected, Nash. You filthy jerk. Get your shit together, man, and stop acting like a pussy!"
Isolde’s brain is lting.
She can’t move. Can’t breathe. Her skin burns with embarrassnt and sothing that feels like hurt pride and a weird, pathetic sting of wanting Nash to defend her harder.
Nash, blinking through the shock, slowly turns his gaze to Isolde.
He looks guilty. He should. She looks away first.
Daphne shakes her head. "I wish you strength, Issy," she declares dramatically. "Because dealing with this man? May the Moon Goddess bless you, babe."
Then she turns and struts away like a queen walking off stage after delivering the final fatal blow.
Ace stares sheepishly, horrified. "Okay... uh—so I’m gonna-uh-yeah-bye—Valentina!"
He sprints after a girl who is definitely NOT Valentina but moves fast enough to pretend.
And just like that, Isolde is alone with Nash.
Students scatter, pretending not to stare when they very much ARE staring. Isolde inhales, exhales, and inhales again. Wishes she could evaporate.
Then she forces herself to speak. "Um... sorry for the slap. Daphne... doesn’t do things halfway."
Nash chuckles humorlessly. "Yeah, I see that."
Isolde gulps.
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