The woman was absolutely infuriating.
Today marked the deadline—the third day since her firm had signed for the letter. Three days she’d had to call, to respond, to acknowledge his authority. But as the hours ticked away, it became painfully clear: she wasn’t going to call. Was she so foolish as to believe he wouldn’t follow through?
It was late now. He glanced at his watch. Nearly 8 p.m. his time, 5 p.m. hers. The deadline loomed, mere minutes away. She wasn’t going to call, and her defiance was forcing his hand.
Luke paced back and forth behind his desk, his frustration mounting with every step. Benzy, his Beta, leaned against the wall in his usual spot, arms crossed casually as if this weren’t a matter of pack integrity. His cool demeanor only added to Luke’s irritation.
“She’ll call,” Benzy said simply, as though he could read Luke’s thoughts. “It’s Bella.”
“Time’s running out,” Luke snapped, his voice sharp with frustration.
If she didn’t call, he would have no choice but to act. And he would. An Alpha’s word was law, and if he didn’t enforce it, it would set a dangerous precedent. Still, he didn’t want it to come to that. Even Maddis, his wolf, had taken issue with the tone of the letter. The threat had been necessary, but it had put Maddis in a rare sulk, prowling silently in the back of Luke’s mind.
Luke clenched his fists. The thought of her ignoring him, rejecting his authority, sent anger surging through him. Maddis’s silence grated on him further.
Deep down, Luke had anticipated that she might sever her ties with the pack and run. He wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d tried to disappear altogether, forcing him to hunt her down. Maddis, at least, would have relished the chase. Once upon a time, Bella had been a hunt worth savoring. But she hadn’t run—yet. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t in the next ten minutes.
The door to his office swung open, and his father, Tomas, strolled in. The former Alpha surveyed the room, taking in Luke’s restless pacing, Benzy’s nonchalant stance, and the palpable tension. He sighed heavily.
“What’s going on, son?”
“Bella,” Luke growled, barely pausing in his pacing. “I gave her three days to respond and seven days to return.”
Tomas arched an eyebrow, his tone sharpening. “You didn’t send the black envelope, did you?”
“Yes,” Luke said curtly, not bothering to elaborate.
Tomas’s blue eyes shifted to Benzy, seeking confirmation. When Benzy nodded, Tomas’s frustration was palpable, his hands running through his hair in exasperation.
“Why,” Tomas began, his voice rising, “on this goddess-gifted earth we’re standing on, would you do that?”
Luke stopped pacing, his jaw tightening. He hated having to justify himself, even to his father. But respect for Tomas’s years as Alpha compelled him to explain.
“She wouldn’t come home when I asked politely,” Luke snapped. “She ignored all three of my requests. Three! HOW DARE SHE!”
The last words erupted from him, his anger boiling over. He was the Alpha of the Red Moon Pack. Bella was still a member of his pack, subject to his command. Her outright defiance, her blatant disregard for his authority, was unacceptable. He had extended an olive branch, a path for her to return, and she had thrown it aside like it meant nothing.
“She defied me,” Luke said, his voice cold now, fury burning in his eyes. “And I will not tolerate it.”
Luke’s fist slammed into the corner of his desk, the resounding crack a futile attempt to vent his frustration. His knuckles ached, but he didn’t care. Her damned defiance was driving him to the brink. Once upon a time, Bella wouldn’t have even thought of saying no to him. She’d always been so eager to please, her sweet smile and playful wink accompanying her every “yes.”
But not anymore.
She’d changed, grown bold, unyielding. That realization only stoked the flames of his rage. He was ready to explode, and the clock wasn’t helping. Two minutes left. Two minutes until the deadline she clearly had no intention of meeting.
He glared at the silent office phone, willing it to ring. Come on. Ring, damn it. But the sharp, unwelcome sound of Benzy’s phone cut through the tension instead.
The interruption was the final straw.
Luke’s eyes snapped to his Beta, who was leaning lazily against the wall, answering the call with that infuriatingly casual tone he always used. “Hello, Beta Benzy speaking,” Benzy drawled.
The sound was like a match striking a powder keg.
“Send the worst of the worst and drag her a*s home!” Luke roared, both fists slamming into his desk with enough force to crack the wood.
The room went still.
Benzy stopped mid-conversation, his gaze locking onto Luke, his expression unreadable but his posture tense. Even Tomas, who had been standing quietly by the door, fixed Luke with a pointed look.
Benzy sighed heavily, clearly unimpressed, and returned his attention to the phone. “Well, Alpha, that went well,” he said dryly, his voice edged with sarcasm. His grey eyes were hard now, nearly challenging, as they bore into Luke.
The next words out of Benzy’s mouth hit Luke like a freight train.
“That was Bella,” Benzy said. “She heard what you just said—and she’s hung up. All I got was a gasp filled with fear.”
Luke froze, his breath catching as the weight of his outburst settled on him.
