Isabella's POV.

I stressed every single word that came out of my mouth, making sure Nathan could hear the determination behind each syllable. "Get out, Nathan." I repeated it over and over again, feeling like a broken record, but I needed him to understand that I meant it. "Get out. Get out. GET OUT!"

The ache in my chest was getting worse with each word, like someone was squeezing my heart with an iron fist. I couldn't hold myself straight anymore. My legs felt like they were made of jelly, and I was losing the ability to breathe properly. It was like I was drowning on dry land, like I was going to lose consciousness right there in my tiny servant's room.

"Isabella, please, let me explain—" Nathan started, taking a step toward me.

"No!" I shouted, my voice cracking with emotion. "There's nothing to explain! I saw you with her, Nathan. I saw you making love to your wife while I was standing there like some kind of fool!"

"That's not what happened—"

"I don't want to hear it!" I insisted, even though every fiber of my being was screaming at me to listen, to give him a chance. But I couldn't. I wouldn't. I opened the door with shaking hands and pointed down the hallway. "Leave. Now."

Nathan stared at me for what felt like an eternity, his green eyes filled with pain and frustration. His mouth opened and closed several times like he wanted to say something, but no words came out. Finally, he ran his hands through his dark hair and walked past me without saying a single word.

I slammed the door behind him so hard that the whole room seemed to shake. Then I slid down to my knees, crying heavily, my whole body wracking with sobs as I tried to get back to normal breathing. But it felt impossible. My lungs felt blocked, like there wasn't enough air in the entire castle to fill them.

"This is what you get," I whispered to myself through my tears. "This is what you get for falling for someone who's already taken."

But even as I said it, I knew it wasn't that simple. Losing Nathan wasn't just hard – it was devastating. He was my real mate, I was sure of it now. Every day that passed, every moment I spent near him, I became more certain that we were meant to be together. Like two halves of one heart, one body – that was supposed to be the meaning of the mating bond.

"But he's so high up," I sobbed, wiping my nose with the back of my hand. "And I'm so far down. Can the ground ever reach the sky? Obviously not."

I knew I needed fresh air, needed to get out of this suffocating room before I completely lost my mind. I dragged my feet off the floor, wiped my tears with my sleeve, and made my way out of the servants' quarters. The castle was quiet at this hour – it had to be well past midnight.

I rushed toward the small lake that Marcus had shown me earlier, the one where servants were allowed to swim after midnight. No one was there, at least I didn't spot anyone. It was dark outside, almost freezing, with only the moon providing any light.

"Perfect," I muttered to myself. "Just what I need."

Without thinking twice, I started taking off all my clothes, piece by piece. The cold air hit my skin like tiny needles, but I didn't care. I needed to feel something other than the crushing pain in my chest. I needed to wash away the memory of seeing Nathan with Lily, needed to cleanse myself of the hope I'd been foolish enough to carry.

I jumped into the lake with a splash that seemed to echo across the water. The cold was shocking, like being hit by lightning, but I welcomed it. I stayed under the water for what felt like minutes, until my lungs were screaming for air, until I felt like there was no oxygen left in my body.

When I finally raised my head out of the water, gasping and choking, I felt a warm and familiar hand touching my shoulder.

"Nathan!" I swear I blurted out his name with gasps mixed with excitement, like my soul had just returned to my body. My heart started beating so fast I thought it might explode.

He was standing waist-deep in the water beside me, completely naked, his eyes intense and focused solely on me. He moved his finger softly across my cheek, water droplets falling from his hand, and he was looking at me with such love and passion that it took my breath away all over again.

"I love you, Isabella," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "I swear to God, I love you more than I've ever loved anyone in my entire life."

"But—" I tried to reject him, tried to remember why I was supposed to be angry, but everything in me wanted him. Everything in me was crying out to be closer to him.

"But nothing," he said firmly. "Listen to me, please. What you saw today – that wasn't what you think it was."

I stared at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I was asleep, Isabella. I was dead asleep when you walked into that room. Lily... she pushed herself onto me right as you entered. It was like she planned it, like she wanted you to see it."

The sincerity in his voice was undeniable. I could hear his heart beating rapidly, could feel the tremors in his strong hands. This was pure love, raw emotion, and it was stronger than my ability to decline it.

"Why would she do that?" I whispered.

"I don't know yet," Nathan admitted, pulling me into a tight hug that made our freezing bodies suddenly feel warm like we were standing next to a fire. "But I'm going to find out. Isabella, please, I need you to give me a chance to prove myself to you. I need time to figure out what's really going on here."

I pulled back slightly and stared at him, searching his face for any sign of deception. "Nathan, what are you saying exactly?"

He looked worried, uncertain. "What do you mean? Don't you believe me?"

I sighed deeply and shook my head, not in disagreement but in amazement. "I don't believe myself."

He narrowed his eyes, blinking in confusion, clearly curious about what I meant. "What do you mean by that, Isabella? You don't believe yourself about what?"

I wrapped my arms around his neck, feeling bold and vulnerable at the same time. "I can't believe that I'm so in love with you that it makes me want to surrender completely. I can't believe that I'd rather be with you as your mistress than not be with you at all."

Nathan sighed in relief, a huge grin spreading across his face. He leaned close to my face, breathing deeply, his warm breath fanning across my skin. "I want you too, Isabella. I want you so badly it's driving me crazy. I will do everything in my power to keep you in my life."

We brushed our noses together, both of us wanting to go further but afraid to cross that line. I suddenly noticed that he was completely naked too, just like me. He didn't seem to care if anyone caught us like this. He didn't seem to care if his Luna saw us. At least now he seemed sure that I was his real mate.

Unable to resist any longer, I pressed my lips against his. It wasn't just a kiss – it was something beyond belief, beyond description. He kissed me back hungrily, wanting more, digging his tongue inside my mouth like he'd been waiting his whole life to do exactly this.

"Isabella," he groaned against my lips. "God, you taste like heaven."

In less than a minute, he lifted me between his strong arms and helped me wrap my legs around his waist. He walked us deeper into one of the corners of the lake, where the water was chest-deep and we were hidden by overhanging tree branches. He pressed my back against the smooth rock edge of the lake and looked into my eyes with an intensity that made me shiver.

"I want you," he said, his voice husky with desire. "Isabella, could you please let me have you? Let me make love to you properly?"

My heart was racing so fast I thought it might burst out of my chest. "Yes," I whispered. "But on one condition."

He nodded immediately, his eyes never leaving mine. "Yes, anything. Whatever you want."

I looked directly into his eyes, emphasizing each word so there could be no misunderstanding. "Me or her, Nathan. You have to choose. I won't be anyone's secret. I won't be the other woman."