Benzy stepped forward to lift her gently off the floor. His touch was soft, tender, just as it had been when he brought her into the office and seated her in the chair. Benzy had never harmed her, and Luke couldn’t ignore the protective care in his actions.
A gnawing suspicion took root in Luke’s mind. Was there something between Benzy and Bella? The thought twisted in his gut. Could she have two Mates?
Maddis’s snarl cut through Luke’s thoughts. I won’t share!
I know, Luke replied grimly, pushing the possibility aside. That was a matter for another time.
Luke’s attention shifted to the television, where Ben Billy, the current CEO of Billy & Co Law Firm and Bella’s boss, openly accused him of kidnapping her. Ben had even produced evidence that, while circumstantial, could easily be interpreted as proof. He referenced Luke’s demand for Bella to return or face being forcibly brought back and then revealed shocking footage of her being drugged and abducted.
Luke was caught off guard—wolves typically excelled at covering their tracks in the human world. The fact that such damning evidence existed was unexpected. Worse still, Ben had escalated the situation by contacting federal authorities and pushing for an investigation. He threatened to use every resource at his disposal to bring Luke down.
This was a serious problem. If human officials discovered Bella here in her current condition, it would unquestionably implicate him.
Luke cursed under his breath. The truth was, he had done everything Ben accused him of. But in Wolfen Society, reclaiming what belonged to you—by any means necessary—was entirely acceptable. As Alpha, Bella was not just one of his pack members but also his Mate. She was his, and he had every right to retrieve her as he saw fit. In fact, even before realizing she was his Mate, her allegiance had always been to him.
His thoughts were interrupted when his gate guards informed him, via the mind-link, that a car carrying human government officials was approaching. His jaw tightened as the weight of the situation sank in.
“Shit’s about to hit the fan,” Benzy muttered through the link, his irritation clear. “How do we explain her condition to them?”
“We could claim we rescued her from her kidnappers,” Benzy suggested.
“Get those cuffs off her,” Luke barked. The sooner Bella reconnected with Tyler, the sooner she would recognize him as her Mate. That recognition could resolve this entire disaster with a single statement from her, confirming that they hadn’t harmed her and that she was willingly in a relationship with him.
If she’s willing, Maddis growled. Look at her—hurt, upset, and her pups somewhere, separated because of us.
Luke sighed, knowing his wolf wasn’t wrong. Once she recognizes us, we’ll figure it out, he tried to reassure Maddis.
A pained howl suddenly echoed through the mind-link, cutting Benzy off mid-conversation. Luke’s focus snapped back to the room, only to realize Bella was gone. Her high heels clacked loudly on the wooden floor as she fled.
He instinctively moved to chase after her, but his father’s firm hand on his shoulder stopped him.
“Not you,” Tomas said. “If the Feds see you pursuing her, it’ll only make things worse.”
“I can catch her,” Luke insisted, his frustration boiling over.
“I’ll handle it,” Benzy interjected, despite his evident discomfort. Bella had clearly taken him by surprise, landing a vicious knee strike while he’d been distracted by the mind-link conversation.
Luke watched as Benzy straightened up, grimacing as he pushed through the pain. Taking a steadying breath, Benzy exited the office to track her down. His kindness and gentleness had been repaid with an unanticipated attack, leaving Luke to wonder just how deep Bella’s fear and distrust ran.
“Son, what exactly is going on here?” Tomas asked, his tone laced with curiosity.
Luke rubbed a hand over his face, dragging it through his hair as frustration swirled within him. “She’s my Mate,” he admitted, his voice heavy with exasperation.
“What?” Tomas stared at him in shock. “And you dragged her back here like that? Are you and your wolf insane?”
“I only realized she was my Mate when she walked into my office just now,” Luke replied defensively.
“Well, shit.” Tomas fell silent for a moment, clearly mulling over the situation. “Why is she still running from you, then?”
“She’s disconnected from Tyler—wolfsbane and silver are suppressing her instincts.”
“So, before she can even process what’s happening, she’s bolting again.”
“Benzy will catch her,” Luke stated flatly, though his tone carried an undercurrent of uncertainty.
“If I remember correctly, son, she could outrun your Beta back when she lived here.”
A growl rumbled low in Luke’s chest, echoed by Maddis’s frustration. Luke had forgotten that. She doesn’t have Tyler now, no wolf speed, he reminded himself, trying to soothe Maddis. Benzy will get her.
He’d better, Maddis growled, his displeasure simmering beneath the surface.
“Benzy?” Luke called through the mind-link after an increasingly tense five minutes of silence. How had she managed to evade Benzy without Tyler’s speed—and in those ridiculous stilettos?
“Tyler is awake, boss. She’s fast. I’m not going to catch her,” Benzy admitted, his resignation palpable through the link.
“How close is she to the gate?” Luke demanded.
“Coming up on it any minute now,” Benzy replied.
Maddis snarled. We go, he demanded.
We won’t even catch her now, Luke countered, his frustration mounting as he struggled to keep Maddis in check.
“Benzy, stop,” Luke ordered, trying to keep his voice steady. “Let her go. Stop the moment you think she’ll reach the gate. It’s open for the Feds.”
“Right, boss.”
Luke paced, every nerve in his body on edge. A few tense minutes later, Benzy’s voice came through the mind-link again. “Gone, boss. Sorry.”
Luke exhaled sharply, frustration and regret roiling within him. “Get back to the packhouse. We know where she’s heading.”
