THE CONTRACT (The Chosen Series #2)

BLACK HOLE

My time driving with Isla turns out to be both confusing and surprisingly comforting. Despite her quietness, which might normally unsettle me, I find myself feeling oddly reassured once my emotions settle down from the turmoil surrounding Liam.

As my thoughts settle, I seize the moment to connect with my sister and delve deeper into the details of the incident involving the red jacket and the attack. While Ava and I have pieced together some aspects, such as one of them violating her and forcing her into heat, the full extent of what happened remains shrouded in mystery. Ava attempted to coax more information from her, but both Griffin and his sister remained tight-lipped about it.

Clearing her throat, Isla sighs and maintains her gaze ahead. "I'm fine, sister," she remarks, her tone devoid of emotion. "They're gone now."

"Isla," I gasp, taken aback by her unexpected response.

"I'm fine, sister," Isla reassures me. "They broke pack law. They were punished. It's done." Her words are delivered with a lack of emotion.

I find myself blinking, trying to process her calm demeanor. My little sister is urging me to accept her rape as something that's okay. It's an utterly surreal experience. I feel like I've entered the twilight zone. Clearly, I need to seek therapy from Angela as soon as possible.

"How can you be so accepting of this?" I inquire, struggling to understand her composure.

"Actions have consequences. They're dead. What more is there?" Isla responds matter-of-factly.

"Doesn't it affect you emotionally?" I press, still unable to grasp how she can remain so unaffected.

"They were punished. Why hold onto unnecessary hurt? It doesn't make things better."

"But doesn't it at least make you angry? They were monsters." Her logic astounds me, but in a twisted way, it makes perfect sense. But she must feel something, right?

Isla tilts her head to the side, a slight frown appearing on her face. After a moment's silence, she replies, her tone soft. "We're all monsters, sister."

We're all monsters! Oh, she's referring to Griffin... Her one constant, her protector.

Nodding, finally understanding where she is coming from, I remove one of my hands from the wheel and place it on her leg, squeezing gently. "You surprise me, Isla," I tell her, my words full of wonder. "For someone so young to have their shit together as you do, it's nothing short of a freaking miracle."

Shrugging but placing her smaller hand over mine, she squeezes back.

"So onto more fun subjects, what do you want to do when we get to the city?" I ask, actually curious as to what motivated her to come home with me.

"I want to dance."

Dancing, I did not think of that. Smirking to myself and knowing the perfect place to take Isla, I nod. "Anything else?"

Licking her lips, for the first time, I see something else in Isla other than her stoic demeanor. It looks almost hopeful. "I want to see..."

Before she can finish, my phone rings, Alexei's name coming up on the display. Groaning, I give Isla an apologetic look. She yawns in response and places her earphones in her ear. I answer. "You rang."

Manners, мой маленький спитфайр. Remember, you have company."

Rolling my eyes, I glance towards my companion and notice her tapping something on her wrist, the device resembling a smartwatch, before closing her eyes. I exhale through my nose. "Sorry. What's up?"