Bella’s mouth fell open. She’d asked for clarity, and she’d certainly gotten it—but she wasn’t sure how to process it. The fact that he had no children with Mia answered one of her lingering questions, but the rest left her stunned.
“Maddis killed him?” she asked after a moment, finally pulling herself together. “I’m not worried about Maddis hurting me or the children, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m just curious.”
Luke sighed, his grip tightening on the fork in his hand. “He was hurting,” he said simply. “I was in agony, and he took over. When he found them together…” He shrugged, his expression darkening.
Bella decided not to push further. There was more to the story—she could feel it—but it was clear Luke didn’t want to revisit those memories.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly after a moment, breaking the silence.
Luke looked up at her, his blue eyes meeting hers. She could see the weight of the past still lingering in his expression. He hadn’t touched his food, his fork hovering absently over the seared scallops on his plate.
She sipped her wine, contemplating her next question as she watched him. For all his strength, his vulnerability in this moment caught her off guard.
“I’m not,” Luke said flatly, placing his fork down on the table. It was clear his appetite was gone.
“How long were you and Chris together?” he asked, his voice calm but carrying a sharp undertone.
“Two years,” Bella replied honestly.
“Do you love him?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Do you want to know about him and me?”
Luke’s fingers began tapping rhythmically on the table, a telltale sign he was mulling something over. He wasn’t looking at her, his gaze fixed on the wall. She waited, knowing he’d decide whether or not he wanted the answer.
“Is he going to be a problem? Come looking for you?” he asked finally.
“I doubt it,” she replied. “But I can’t say for certain.”
“Would you have married him?”
Bella frowned. “Why would you even ask that?”
His eyes snapped to hers. “Because he asked when you were going to marry him.”
“Oh, that,” she said dismissively. “He’d been joking about it for six months. I had no intention of ever marrying him.”
“Two years, Bella,” Luke pressed, his tone growing harsher. “I want to know what he was to you.”
His words stung, but she guessed it wasn’t easy for him to hear about Chris. Even talking about it was likely painful, considering Luke had probably seen or heard reports of her being with someone else. Technically, she hadn’t even ended things with Chris yet.
“A friend who was good stress relief,” she replied with a shrug.
“That’s it? That’s your explanation?”
“Yes. If you want all the details, I’ll tell you,” she said evenly. “But I don’t think you need to know them. I didn’t love him, Luke. I never loved him. He was just a way to not feel so lonely and unwanted.”
Luke exhaled sharply, running a hand over his face and through his hair, messing it up in frustration. He stared at the ceiling for a long moment before meeting her eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said finally, his voice heavy with regret. “I’m sorry I made you feel lonely and unwanted, Bella. I know this is hard for you, considering our history. But I was an idiot. I acted irrationally and impulsively that day. I should never have said those words to you.”
Bella shrugged, her expression guarded. “You can’t take it back,” she said softly. “No one can. It’ll always be there—between us.”
The silence stretched between them, weighted by the unspoken truth that forgiveness wasn’t something she could offer yet. Years of pain and stress didn’t just vanish in a single conversation, no matter how heartfelt his apology.
The next course arrived, but neither of them moved to touch it. Luke stared at his plate, clearly as uninterested in eating as she was. Finally, Bella broke the silence.
“Why did you want me to come home?”
Luke exhaled, leaning back in his chair. “Maddis demanded it. We saw you on TV, and he wouldn’t let it go. Why didn’t you come home or even reply to the letter?”
“I was scared,” Bella admitted, her voice low. “I figured you’d finally taken over, and you and your Mate were going to punish me for hitting her that one time. I had children to protect.”
Luke’s expression tightened. “Did you really think I was that petty, Bella? You’ve known me for 20 years. We were together for over a year. Did I ever seem like the type to hold a grudge over something like that?”
Bella shrugged. “I had known you for 20 years. We had a fun, happy fling, and then, in the span of a single day, I was nothing to you. You banished me, Luke. You couldn’t even stand to look at me that day. If I recall correctly, it was like I didn’t exist anymore.”
Luke ran a hand through his hair, a gesture that reminded her of his father. It was clear that years of learning to be an Alpha under Tomas had left their mark on him, down to the smallest mannerisms.
He sighed, clearly grappling with his thoughts. “If you don’t want to talk about this, we don’t have to,” he offered, though his tone suggested he wasn’t eager to let it go.
Bella met his gaze, her voice firm but calm. “We have to do it at some point, Luke. I’d rather get it over with.” She paused, her tone softening. “It’s just… difficult. For both of us, I think.”
Luke nodded slowly. “You’re right. I was a different person back then. Mia made me that way, if I’m being honest. She changed me. My patience wore thin, my temper got worse, and now, sometimes even our pack fears me—or Maddis. Or both of us. Maddis… he’s a handful, and I’m sure you’ve heard what he’s like. He was ready to tear through his own unit to get to your place and kill Chris for even touching you.”
