Inside the hospital, Vera was still sleeping as expected. Bella questioned the evening nurse, Rebecca, who had been a classmate of hers. Rebecca, a tall and athletic redhead, looked completely shocked to see Bella, her wide eyes betraying her surprise. Bella made a mental note that the wide-eyed stares were something she’d need to get used to. The entire pack likely knew of her banishment and the reasons behind it. Attention was the last thing she wanted, but it was unavoidable.
Rebecca informed her that they were expecting Vera to wake up sometime tomorrow, possibly in the early morning. The staff would notify Jody as soon as she was awake. Vera’s wounds were being treated carefully, as Ivy wasn’t present to heal them, but there were no signs of infection. That was a relief.
Bella returned to her mother’s side. As she stood next to Vera’s bed, Tyler pushed to the surface, taking control of their shared senses. The wolf peered down at Vera through Bella’s eyes, then leaned in to sniff her closely. A low growl escaped Tyler, and before Bella could react, her wolf fully shoved her to the back of her own mind and took complete control of her body.
What is it? Bella asked, shocked but not fighting for control. She trusted Tyler’s instincts, especially when they reacted so strongly.
Tyler ignored Bella’s question, leaning closer to Vera. She sniffed at several of her mother’s wounds, her movements deliberate and cautious. Bella could feel Tyler’s unease, a sense of wrongness that Bella herself couldn’t detect.
The door creaked open, and Benzy walked in, carrying two steaming cups of coffee. He froze in the doorway, his sharp eyes locking onto Tyler, fully aware that she was in control.
“What are you doing?” Benzy asked aloud, his voice cautious.
Tyler dismissed him entirely, turning her attention back to Vera. She sniffed again, her nose lingering over the wound dressings. The scent was faint, but Tyler’s sharp senses picked it up—woodsy, definitely female. It was old and distorted, likely altered by the cleaning process, but it was there.
Without hesitation, Tyler ripped off one of the dressings on Vera’s chest and pressed her nose directly to the wound. She closed her eyes, blocking out all distractions as she inhaled deeply, focusing on the faint but undeniable scent.
In an instant, Tyler’s eyes snapped open, and an aggressive snarl tore from her throat, reverberating through the room. The sound was feral, filled with rage and warning.
Bella’s heart raced from where she was pushed back in her own mind. Tyler, what is it? What’s wrong? she demanded, her anxiety rising with her wolf’s reaction.
Benzy remained still, his muscles tense, holding the cups carefully as he waited to see what Tyler would do next.
The tension in the room was thick, and Bella knew one thing for certain: whatever Tyler had discovered, it was serious.
Alpha scent in the wound… Tyler growled deeply, her tone filled with fury.
Bella’s mind reeled. Tyler… did the Alpha… do this? Anger tinged her thoughts, her emotions swirling into a storm. If he had hurt her mother, he would pay dearly.
Female Alpha scent… Abbey, Tyler snarled, finally recognizing it. Vera had been attacked by one of her own pack members—by the Alpha family themselves. The very people responsible for protecting the pack had betrayed their duty in the most egregious way.
Bella? Benzy’s voice came through the mind-link, worry evident. What’s going on?
Tyler turned, her glowing eyes glaring at him with pure rage. Without hesitation, she shot past him at full wolf speed, knocking him aside with the sheer force of her strength. Benzy swore as he was thrown off balance, then scrambled to his feet, yelling after her.
He was giving chase, but Bella and Tyler knew he’d never catch her. He never could. Tyler’s speed and strength had grown far beyond what anyone in the pack could expect. Benzy’s voice filled the mind-link again, urgently telling her to calm down, demanding to know what was wrong, but she ignored him entirely.
Abbey nearly killed my mother, Bella seethed, her thoughts perfectly in sync with Tyler. Is that why she smirked at us earlier? The memory of Abbey’s smug expression fanned the flames of their shared rage.
Did she think Tyler wouldn’t pick up her scent? Did she think it was acceptable to attack a pack member and nearly kill them? Bella’s thoughts burned with fury. Her family was off-limits. No matter what mistakes she had made in the past, her family should never be punished for them. Abbey had crossed a line, and Bella and Tyler were going to make her regret it.
Tyler pushed their body to its limits, racing through the heavy snowfall toward the pack house. Claws extended, rage coursed through her veins. Benzy was still following, his shouts in the mind-link now joined by Macky and Lanky, all yelling for her to stop and calm down. Bella and Tyler severed the mind-link with a violent tear, silencing their voices entirely.
They were in complete agreement—there would be no calming down. Not this time. Tyler’s bloodlust was fully matched by Bella’s burning need for justice.
The pack house loomed ahead. Tyler shot through the front door with a deafening growl that reverberated through the space. Abbey’s scent was fresh and strong. She was close. Tyler’s sharp eyes caught movement to the left, and they snapped to it instantly.
Abbey was running up the stairs. Tyler didn’t hesitate, leaping forward at full speed in pursuit. The woman’s fear was palpable, her scent now laced with it. Tyler could smell it, and it fueled her further.
You should be scared, Bella thought with venom. You’re about to be taught a lesson you’ll never forget.
Tyler raced after Abbey, who was now scrambling, clearly realizing her mistake. Bella’s thoughts were sharp and cutting. Let’s see how you fare against someone who can fight back. Someone who trained with the Alpha Unit, the head warrior’s daughter.
Abbey’s cowardice enraged Bella further. You picked on someone defenseless—my mother. Let’s see how you handle someone prepared to take you down.
The hunt was on, and Abbey would learn the hard way what it meant to cross Bella and Tyler’s family.
