His father’s voice came firm and steady. “Are you going to stay off your brother?”
“Just get off me,” Luke snarled again, bracing himself. With sheer force and strength, he pushed up against their hold. If Maddis had been present, Luke thought, they’d all be nursing injuries by now.
Reluctantly, they released him, one by one. His father was the last to let go, and his mother immediately stepped in, placing herself squarely between Luke and Robyn. Her stance was protective, a silent warning.
Luke’s icy gaze locked onto his brother. “You’d better not have screwed this up,” he snarled, his tone dripping with venom. “Or I swear, you’ll suffer the same fate.”
A collective gasp rippled through the room at his words. The implication was clear: if Luke lost his mate, Robyn would lose his.
Robyn’s face paled, his eyes wide with fear. He knew better than to dismiss the threat as empty. Maddis would kill him the moment he found out what had happened, and for now, Luke wouldn’t lift a finger to stop him. If anything, he’d let Maddis satisfy his bloodlust.
“I’m sorry,” Robyn stammered, his voice trembling. “I just wanted to get Dani back. I wasn’t thinking.”
“No, you didn’t think!” Luke snapped, his voice cutting like a blade. “How would you like it if I marched over and threatened your mate?”
“I’m sorry,” Robyn pleaded again, desperation in his tone. “I didn’t know what else to do. There was no one else who could get to Dani.”
Luke’s fury didn’t waver. “I don’t care, you a*****e! If you make her worse, you’ll suffer an eternity of pain. And I’ll hand you over to Maddis myself.”
His rage was spiraling out of control, unchecked and wild. He felt the raw power of his alpha blood boiling in his veins, surging through him like fire. Was this how Maddis felt in his rages? If so, Luke now understood his beast better than ever.
The need to destroy something, anything, consumed him. His eyes locked onto the coffee table next to him, and with a swift kick, he sent it flying across the room. It smashed into the wall near his mother and Robyn, exploding into a storm of shattered wood and glass. The destruction barely dented his fury, which continued to build, threatening to overwhelm him entirely.
Then, a sharp sting in his arm pulled his focus. He glanced down, eyes narrowing at the sight of a syringe embedded deep in his skin. Liquid burned its way into his veins. His head snapped up to meet his father’s apologetic gaze, and realization dawned just as his vision began to blur.
“Wolfsbane…” he muttered, his voice slurring as darkness crept in. His strength faltered, and his body collapsed to the ground, unconscious before he hit the floor.
Later that night, when the household had finally settled into sleep, Bella stirred. She listened carefully with her heightened wolf senses, ensuring no one was awake. Satisfied by the quiet sounds of slumber, she slipped silently out the back door. Moving with purpose, she disappeared into the shadows at the edge of the property.
Using Tyler’s wolf strength and agility, Bella leaped up and grabbed the top of the ten-foot wall surrounding the property. With ease, she hauled herself over and dropped down into the natural reserve of bushland behind the house.
The reserve wasn’t large, just five acres by seven, but it was enough for Tyler to shift into her wolf form and stretch her legs. Bella stripped off her clothes, feeling the excitement bubbling within Tyler. The first crack and snap of her bones signaled the shift, and Bella relinquished control entirely, allowing Tyler to run free.
Tyler reveled in the open space, chasing a few small animals for fun but never with the intent to kill. It was the thrill of the hunt she enjoyed—the playful game of pursuit. She prowled, stalked, pounced, and ran for hours, savoring the freedom she hadn’t experienced in months.
Occasionally, she clawed at trees, marking them as her own. When the moon emerged from behind the clouds, she let out a mighty howl, her voice echoing through the reserve. Thankfully, no other wolves responded—no threats, no rivals, just the quiet solace of the night.
Under the moonlight, Tyler lay still, listening to the nocturnal symphony of critters moving through the reserve. Bella allowed her wolf this time, watching from within as Tyler embraced the moment. Over the past six years, Tyler had grown significantly. Bella noted how her paw prints were nearly twice the size they had been when she lived with the pack.
Once a small silver wolf, Tyler was now a large, imposing one—probably comparable in size to Macky’s wolf, Rafe, Bella mused. Being smaller in the past had helped Tyler stay hidden, but her larger form now offered strength, speed, and the ability to fight fiercely if necessary. Bella couldn’t help but wonder how Tyler would fare on a pack run with the Winter Moon Pack. She was certain Tyler would outrun every wolf except, perhaps, the Alpha. That thought brought a faint smile to her face—she knew Tyler’s speed was impressive.
As dawn approached, Tyler reluctantly yielded control back to Bella. They dressed and climbed back over the wall, slipping quietly into the house. Bella sighed, remembering she had court today but realizing she hadn’t brought any suitable clothes with her. She briefly considered borrowing something from Nina or Dani, but the thought of returning to her apartment lingered in the back of her mind. She didn’t want to risk going back, not after everything that had happened.
Truthfully, she didn’t even want to attend court today. The weekend had been exhausting, and she felt drained. Perhaps a sick day was in order. Another lawyer could step in, or the case could be postponed. She decided she’d call Jordan and let him know she was unwell, taking a few days to recover.
Sitting in Nina’s kitchen with a cup of coffee and a plate of hot toast, Bella felt a small moment of peace. The quiet morning was interrupted by the sharp ring of her phone. She glanced at the clock—it was only 6 a.m. She frowned. Few people would call her at this hour, especially since the ones likely to do so were in the house with her.
Maybe it was Benzy again, though she couldn’t fathom how he’d gotten her number. She checked the caller ID and frowned deeper. The number looked familiar. After a moment of thought, she realized it was her parents’ home pack number. But how had they gotten her unlisted number? Only Benzy had it, and perhaps now his entire unit. Had someone from the pack passed it along to her parents?
Bella answered hesitantly, weariness in her voice. “Hello?”
“Bella, it’s Brad. How are you, little sister?”
