Luke sat on a plush couch alongside his parents. Opposite them, Matt and Nina sat in matching chairs with an antique coffee table between them. Robyn and Dani stood across the room, keeping their distance. Luke’s gaze locked onto Robyn the moment he entered, his eyes dark with anger. Maddis looked out through Luke’s eyes as well, letting Robyn know that his Alpha was present and watching.
Robyn paled slightly and clutched Dani’s hand, pulling her to the far end of the room. Dani looked confused but followed him without question. Luke guessed that this family didn’t know what Robyn had done to Bella—how he had threatened her while her triplets had been just meters away.
They probably haven’t been told, Luke thought bitterly. He suspected his parents and Robyn had kept it quiet to avoid hindering the mate bond process. If Matt and Nina knew, it would surely complicate things.
Still, Luke couldn’t shake his anger. Robyn’s actions had already caused so much harm. Keeping his distance was wise, but it didn’t make Luke’s frustration any easier to suppress. Maddis growled low in his mind, eager to confront his brother but holding back—for now.
Matt and Nina watched the interaction between Luke and Robyn with keen interest, their eyes flicking between the two brothers. Luke didn’t know what to expect from this visit, but he knew one thing for certain: Bella had been here earlier that day and had been taken away by Benzy and his unit around 8 a.m. It was now 3 p.m., and he was playing catch-up.
Being unconscious for nearly a day and a half, until almost 2 p.m., annoyed him to no end. But, for the first time in weeks, he felt well-rested. Ever since Bella had run from him, defying him at every turn, he had barely been sleeping.
We’ll see her tonight, Maddis chortled in his mind, pleased at the thought of being reunited with their mate. Late at night, after midnight maybe, but still… our mate and pups are there. We’ll finally fix this mess.
Luke shared Maddis’s hope, though he knew it wouldn’t be easy. The situation Bella found herself in at the pack was delicate, and he could only hope she wouldn’t hold him responsible for it.
Taking his mother’s advice, Luke had cleaned himself up—showered, shaved, styled his hair, and dressed in a black suit. He had decided against wearing the jacket to avoid looking overly formal. Instead, he wore a light grey dress shirt with the top button undone. During the shower, he resolved to try to placate this family. They had taken Bella in, cared for her, and helped with the triplets when he hadn’t been around to do so.
Benzy’s report about Bella’s reaction to Matt when he had gone to her office stuck in Luke’s mind. It was clear she loved these people. If Bella cared for them, then he needed to at least make an effort to get along with them.
Now seated across from Matt and Nina in the lavish sitting room, Luke exuded neutrality. He kept his expression calm and respectful but didn’t smile, keeping his emotions guarded for the time being.
“Where is Bella?” Matt asked, his tone firm but not hostile. “I recognized your men. They were the ones who came and took her and the children this morning.”
“I didn’t know anything about that until just over an hour ago,” Luke replied honestly. “But I believe her mother was seriously injured, nearly died. I only just found out myself. My men acted on their own… they were friends with Bella growing up. They likely just wanted to help her in a time of need.”
Nina frowned, clearly skeptical. “The woman in the video… she’s Bella’s mother? We didn’t think she had a family.”
“What video?” Luke asked, his tone sharpening slightly. “And yes, she still has both her parents and a brother.”
Nina pulled a phone from her jacket pocket and opened a video. She handed it to him, showing footage of Vera in a hospital bed, her body covered in bloody wound dressings across her arms, chest, face, abdomen, and legs.
Luke’s jaw tightened. Bloody Abbey, he thought grimly. How stupid can she be?
He sighed heavily and turned off the phone, having seen enough. “Her phone?” he asked, holding out his hand. When Nina nodded, he slipped the device into his shirt pocket. He would return it to Bella once he was back at the pack.
“Looks like an animal attack,” Nina pointed out, her voice cautious.
“It was a wolf, I believe,” Luke’s mother interjected smoothly. “We live quite close to a forest, and there’s a natural wolf population in the area.”
Both Matt and Nina turned to look at Dani, their worry evident. Luke could see their concern written all over their faces.
“She’ll be safe,” Luke assured them quickly. “Wolf attacks are rare, and when they do happen, we handle them swiftly. Any bloodthirsty wolves are put down before they can do more harm. As for Bella and the triplets…” He hesitated to call them his children, knowing it might not go over well just yet. “They are perfectly safe and completely unharmed.”
His words seemed to ease their worry, but Luke knew there was still much work to do. Bella’s human family clearly cared for her deeply, and if he wanted to truly mend things with Bella, he would have to build a bridge of trust with them too.
“I’d like to know your intentions where Bella is concerned,” Matt said, his tone firm and measured. His brown eyes locked onto Luke with an intensity that only a protective father figure could muster. “I’m sure you understand why we’re troubled about her, given your involvement.”
Luke made a conscious effort not to project his alpha aura. Maddis sat quietly at the back of his mind, observing but not interfering. Luke wanted to appear non-threatening, approachable, and as human as possible to this family. His response was simple and direct: “Marriage. I intend to marry her. I know we have some issues to work through, but we will work them out.”
“Some?” Matt repeated, frowning deeply and shaking his head in disbelief.
“Yes,” Luke replied, his tone calm and unwavering. “I assure you, it’s all just a misunderstanding. Bella has misread certain things, and we’ll work through them together.”
“Your wife—Mia?” Matt asked, his words cutting and pointed.
