“Run all you like, Bella,” Luke murmured to himself, his breath visible in the cold night air. “But I will find you.”
The silence from the other side of the door stretched on, thick and heavy. Luke leaned against the weighted door, his heart pounding slightly as he realized Bella wasn’t going to make this easy—not that he had expected her to. Maddis growled low in his mind, impatient and yearning, but Luke steadied himself. He needed to keep his composure, or this would spiral out of control.
“Bella,” he tried again, softening his tone, “I just want to talk. That’s all. No tricks, no force. Please, let me in.”
Another moment of silence, then the faint sound of movement behind the door. She was listening. That was a start. He caught Maddis growling with restrained anticipation, the wolf barely able to contain his desire to reunite with Tyler.
“You can’t just barricade yourself forever,” Luke said gently. “You’re better than this, Bella. You always have been. Let’s figure this out together.”
Finally, a muffled voice came through the door, firm but tinged with weariness. “Go away, Luke. I don’t want to talk. Not now, not ever.”
Maddis snarled, his frustration bleeding into Luke’s chest. But Luke forced a calm response. “You might not want to talk to me, Bella, but Tyler called for Maddis. I know you felt it, and I know she can feel him close.”
The movement behind the door stopped. Luke’s sharp hearing caught her soft intake of breath, a mixture of fear and something deeper. Tyler was there, listening, and the bond between them was unmistakably alive, no matter how much Bella tried to fight it.
“Please,” he continued, lowering his voice further, letting the sincerity seep into his words. “I don’t want to hurt you, Bella. I never did. I just… I need to explain. To make this right.”
A scraping sound echoed from behind the door—the unmistakable noise of furniture being moved. Luke exchanged a brief glance with Benzy, who arched an eyebrow but said nothing. Slowly, the resistance against the door eased, though it still didn’t open.
“Step back,” Bella’s voice came again, sharp and commanding. “I’ll open it, but you’re not coming in unless I say so.”
Luke took a deep breath and nodded, even though she couldn’t see him. “Okay. I’m stepping back.”
He motioned to Benzy, and they both moved back from the door, giving her space. Maddis growled in his mind, restless and eager, but Luke held firm control.
The door creaked open a few inches, revealing Bella’s tense figure. Her hair was wild, her eyes blazing with defiance and fear, and she was still only wearing the oversized shirt Benzy had given her. Tyler’s presence was evident in her posture, her wolf hovering close to the surface, ready to defend her at a moment’s notice.
Luke met her gaze, keeping his expression as soft as he could. “Thank you,” he said quietly.
Bella’s grip on the door tightened, her knuckles white. “I’m not doing this for you. Tyler…” She hesitated, her voice dropping. “Tyler needs answers.”
“So does Maddis,” Luke replied, his tone steady. “And so do I.”
For a long moment, they stared at each other. The tension was palpable, the air charged with unspoken words and unresolved pain. Finally, Bella stepped back, opening the door wider.
“Fine,” she said, her voice clipped. “But if you so much as look at me the wrong way, I swear, Luke, I’ll—”
“I know,” he interrupted softly, stepping into the room. “I know, Bella. Let’s talk.”
The seconds ticked by in silence, and Maddis waited, his large black form tense with anticipation. His ears twitched at the slightest sound, the snow falling from the trees, the crunch of distant footsteps, but not the sound he craved most: Tyler’s answering call.
Luke could feel Maddis’s impatience bleeding into his own emotions. The wolf was on edge, their Mate was out there, defying them, running from them, and yet still tethered to them. Luke knew Maddis’s resolve—he wouldn’t stop until they had her.
Then it came.
A howl echoed through the forest, raw and unrestrained. It was filled with defiance but also longing. Tyler’s voice carried across the pack, unmistakable and distinct. Maddis’s ears perked, his tail rose, and his head turned sharply in the direction of the sound.
Found you, Maddis growled possessively in Luke’s mind.
Maddis surged forward, his massive paws hitting the snow-covered ground as he took off in a powerful sprint. The cold didn’t faze him; his thick black coat was made for this weather. Snow kicked up in his wake as he moved with unmatched speed, weaving through the trees and following Tyler’s scent, which was strong now, her defiance and adrenaline marking her path.
Luke let Maddis take full control. The wolf knew this terrain better than anyone, and he trusted Maddis to do what was necessary to reach Tyler. He could feel Maddis’s determination—this wasn’t just a chase; it was a claim, a declaration that their Mate was theirs and no amount of running would change that.
Tyler, stop running, Luke pushed through the bond. He didn’t know if Bella could hear him yet, but Maddis’s voice was loud and clear, dominant and commanding. You know you can’t hide from me.
The scent was getting stronger. Maddis leaped over a fallen log with ease, his sharp golden eyes scanning the dark woods for movement. Snowflakes dusted his fur as he landed silently, his massive frame almost blending into the shadows.
Then he saw her.
Tyler’s large silver form was crouched low in the snow, her ears pinned back, her tail swishing in frustration. She hadn’t moved far after answering his call, as if some part of her had known he would come for her no matter what. Her emerald eyes locked onto Maddis, filled with a mix of defiance and something deeper, something that mirrored the yearning Maddis carried.
