Chapter 172

Isabella I shrugged,suddenly feeling like I'd said too much. "I just heard Uncle Adrian mention it to Uncle Levi." Dad and Aurora exchanged a look I couldn't decipher. Then Dad sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair—a gesture so like my mother's that it made my chest ache. "Isabella,it's getting late," he said finally. "Why don't you head up to bed? We can talk more in the morning." "Can I stay here tonight?" I asked,glancing at Auntie Aurora. "Auntie Aurora said I could,but only if you said it was okay." Again,that strange tension filled the room. Dad looked at Auntie Aurora for a long moment before turning back to me. "Not tonight," he said firmly. "You have your studies tomorrow,and your things are at home." "But—" "No arguments,Isabella." His voice carried the slightest hint of Alpha command—not directed at me fully,but enough to make my wolf pup whimper in submission. I gathered my drawings silently,disappointment heavy in my chest. I'd hoped to spend the evening with Auntie