The man introduced himself with a polite smile. He seemed pleasant and respectful, his demeanor notably different from most male wolves she encountered. He didn’t look her over in the typical appraising manner, which made her wonder if he was mated. His mark was covered, though, leaving her uncertain.
“I’m Delta Ryan,” he said smoothly, handing her an envelope bearing the Eclipse Pack’s seal. “My Alpha sends an offer of friendship and an invitation into our pack.”
Bella opened the letter, reading it carefully. It was addressed directly to her and contained an enticing offer: sanctuary and protection for her and her three pups until they turned 18. The letter outlined a position in the pack’s legal department with an impressive salary and accommodations in the Pack House, specifically on the Gamma floor. The suite would be spacious enough for her and her children.
But the offer came with conditions. She would need to pledge allegiance to the Alpha and swear loyalty for herself and her children. The protection would expire when her pups reached 18, after which… well, the letter didn’t say, but Bella could fill in the gaps. After 18, they’d no longer be considered dependents, and the Alpha could do as he pleased. No. She wasn’t that naive.
Looking up from the letter, she fixed her gaze on Delta Ryan. “Only until my children turn 18? Why?”
Ryan shrugged nonchalantly. “I didn’t write it. My instructions were simply to deliver the message and await your reply.”
Bella gestured toward the stack of messages on her desk. “I’m currently fielding multiple offers,” she said firmly. “You should return to your pack and inform your Alpha that I appreciate the offer. I will consider it. However, an expiration date on protection and sanctuary is unacceptable. I require complete assurance that no harm will ever come to me or my children—ever.”
Ryan raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “I doubt you’ll get that from any pack,” he said, standing to leave. “But,” he added casually, “my Alpha does have a son. He’s about three years older than your daughters. Perhaps a mating bond alliance could sweeten the deal?”
“Hell no!” Tyler roared in Bella’s mind, and she couldn’t agree more. Her children would never be sold off for political gain or safety. The goddess would gift them their destined mates in time. There would be no chosen bonds forced upon them, and certainly not from an enemy pack.
“Perhaps,” Bella said evenly, bowing her head slightly in respect. She had no intention of offending Delta Ryan or his Alpha unnecessarily.
“I’ll inform my Alpha,” Ryan replied before walking out of her office.
As the door closed behind him, Bella let out a slow, controlled breath. Another offer, another hidden trap. The stakes were rising, and every decision felt like walking a razor’s edge. This was far from over.
Bella shuddered, a wave of unease crawling over her skin as if grubs were writhing beneath it. Are all offers going to be like this? she wondered, a flicker of dread crossing her mind. She prayed not, though the pattern thus far wasn’t encouraging.
Luke sat at his desk, his fingers steepled thoughtfully, reflecting on what he’d learned about Bella’s encounter with Benzy. He was disappointed—no, frustrated—with how Benzy had handled her. Normally, the Beta was a model of diplomacy in his dealings, but sending him to handle Bella, especially given his apparent feelings for her, had clearly been a mistake.
Not that Benzy had ever admitted to having feelings for Bella. Still, Luke had seen the signs, and if those feelings existed, they should have made him handle her with care, not try to shift responsibility for her injuries onto her. It was a foolish move, one that had clearly backfired. Bella’s words about him—her belief that he hated her—stung deeply, though Luke now understood her reasons for running away. Still, the thought of her believing he despised her didn’t sit well with him. Maddis, his wolf, was furious about it, but Luke tried to reassure him that things would resolve themselves once they finally came face-to-face.
“It’ll work out,” Luke had said, though Maddis’s response was far less patient. The wolf muttered something dark about mating Tyler by force if necessary until she submitted fully. Luke didn’t approve of that idea, but he also knew the truth about wolves—especially a dominant one like Maddis. The human counterpart couldn’t always hold sway over the wolf, and Maddis had no intention of relinquishing control when he saw Tyler again. She was his mate, and Maddis would let nothing—not even Bella’s resistance—stand in the way of claiming her.
There was one thing Bella was still unaware of, though, and Luke knew it would catch her completely off guard: the fact that his mating bond was broken. She would be in for quite a shock when they met again, of that he was certain.
At least Macky had handled things better than Benzy. Macky’s natural Gamma qualities had proven effective, even if Bella had resisted them at first. Luke couldn’t help but smile when Macky reported that she’d fought hard to push Tyler forward, trying to outmaneuver the Gamma Charm. Macky had relented during his first attempt, clearly testing her resolve. Later, however, he’d poured his full force into calming her, averting what could have been a catastrophic wolf-on-wolf fight between Bella and Benzy—right in earshot of members from three enemy packs.
Macky had done well overall, but there had been one misstep. Calling Bella his Gamma without proper context or permission had been risky. Bella seemed to have brushed it off, interpreting it as a general comment about Macky being the pack’s Gamma. But Luke knew better. Macky had meant it quite literally. He was her Gamma, and he’d clearly wanted her to hear it, perhaps even feel it.
The enemy pack representatives in the waiting area would have overheard the entire exchange. Luke could only hope they interpreted Macky’s words the same way Bella had. If they sensed anything deeper, it could complicate matters further, especially since Bella had made her stance on the pack crystal clear: she wanted nothing to do with them.
Luke leaned back in his chair, tension tightening in his chest. This was a precarious situation, and every misstep had the potential to spiral into chaos. He just hoped that when the time came, Bella would give him the chance to explain himself—and that Maddis wouldn’t take matters into his own hands before then.
