Mated to My Intended's Enemy novel Chapter 190

Chapter 190: Chapter 190 The Call That Didn’t Come

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Back at the Shadow Pack house, time crept toward nine. Isabella had bathed, brushed her hair, and changed into her pajamas, but her mother still hadn’t returned. The night pressed in close around the windows, and every creak of the old wooden floors made her ears twitch.

Her wolf hearing was sharp; every car that passed outside made her heart leap—until it didn’t stop, and she realized it wasn’t her mother.

At ten o’clock, she finally heard the sound she’d been waiting for: an engine pulling up outside. Her face lit up, joy bursting through her as she ran down the stairs. "Mama!"

But when the door opened, it wasn’t her mother.

It was Silvano.

Her smile faltered instantly, hope crumbling into confusion and disappointment. "Dad?"

He handed his coat to the butler, his sharp gaze immediately catching her expression. "What’s wrong?"he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"I thought it was Mama..."she whispered.

Silvano’s expression softened, the corners of his mouth easing into something between patience and quiet resignation. "She’s probably busy. Didn’t she promise to take you to school tomorrow morning? Go to bed early—you’ll see her then."

The reminder worked like a gentle leash on her restless wolf. Isabella nodded slowly, her spirit lifting a little. "Okay,"she murmured, and padded upstairs.

Silvano watched her go, then turned toward his study. The night stretched long as he buried himself in pack business—reports, alliances, decisions only an Alpha could make. By the time he looked up, midnight had come and gone.

He rose from his desk, expecting to find the house quiet but complete—his Luna finally home. Instead, the master bedroom was empty, the sheets untouched.

A flicker of unease stirred his wolf. Something about the silence felt wrong, though his reason told him otherwise.

He stood there for a long moment, the moonlight filtering across the floorboards, before sighing quietly and heading for the shower. The Alpha of the Shadow Pack, formidable to the world, looked a little smaller in that solitary light.

--

The next morning dawned crisp and clear over Shadow Pack territory. Freya woke early in her apartment, knowing she needed to take Isabella to school. Selene, her wolf spirit, stretched lazily within her consciousness as Freya prepared for the day ahead.

The butler noticed her arrival and quickly emerged from the grand entrance. "Luna, you’ve returned," he greeted with the traditional respect afforded to an Alpha’s mate.

Freya paused at the formal address, the title now feeling ill-fitting, but ultimately decided not to correct him. The mating bond between her and Silvano technically remained intact, even if their relationship had fractured. "Where’s Isabella?" she asked, keeping her voice steady.

"Miss Isabella should still be asleep," the butler replied with a slight bow.

It was almost time to leave, and if Isabella didn’t come down for breakfast soon, they would be late. Rather than venturing upstairs herself—into the private spaces she had once shared with Silvano—Freya asked Aunt Sara to wake her daughter.

The butler gestured toward the dining room. "Have you eaten, Luna? Breakfast is ready if you’d care to join—"

"No need," Freya interrupted with a faint smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "I’ve already eaten."

"I understand," the butler nodded, respecting her boundaries.

At that moment, heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs, and Silvano appeared, his powerful presence immediately filling the entrance hall. His dark hair was still slightly damp from his shower, and his woodsy scent—always so intoxicating to Freya’s wolf—drifted through the air.

Freya merely looked at him, offering nothing but a faint nod of acknowledgment.

Isabella perked up, recognizing the tone. In her young memory, her father only ever showed this kind of tenderness when talking to Aurora. For a moment, she forgot that Freya was there, her excitement overriding her caution. "Daddy, is that Aunt Aurora on the phone?" she asked eagerly.

"Yes," Silvano answered calmly, his eyes still watching Freya’s reaction.

Isabella was about to ask if she could speak to Aurora as well, but then remembered that her mother didn’t like the other woman. The words caught in her throat.

Her good mood deflated like a punctured balloon. She furrowed her little brows, thinking to herself, *If only Mommy and Aunt Aurora could get along like real pack-mates should.*

On the other end of the line, Aurora seemed to say something that caused immediate concern. Silvano’s expression darkened, his protective Alpha instincts visibly engaging. He didn’t even finish his breakfast before rising from the table with purpose.

"I’ll be right there," he said into the phone before ending the call. To Freya and Isabella, he merely nodded. "I need to go." Without further explanation, he strode from the room, his wolf’s agitation evident in his hurried movements.

Seeing him leave in such a rush, Isabella also grew worried. She suddenly lost her appetite and tugged at Freya’s sleeve. "Mom, I’m done eating. Let’s go, hurry!" Her tone betrayed her eagerness to follow her father, to find out what was happening with Aurora.

Although Isabella said nothing explicit, Freya noticed all of her reactions. After years of raising her daughter, she understood that Isabella was desperate to leave so she could investigate what was wrong with Aurora. The realization stung more than she wanted to admit—her own child choosing the other woman over her.

But Freya said nothing about this obvious preference. Instead, she replied with maternal concern, "You’ve barely touched your food, Isabella. Take something with you in the car."

"No, I’m not hungry anymore," Isabella insisted, already sliding from her chair.

Freya paused, sensing the futility of pushing the issue. Selene sighed within her.

She didn’t insist.