Her anger flared hotter. “Oh, so he thinks he has the right to stalk my children now? To tell me how to raise them? He knows nothing about them, Macky. And as far as I’m concerned, he has no rights to them.”
“And whose fault is that, Bella?” Benzy interjected sharply from his spot near the door, his voice cutting through the room.
Bella turned her glare on him, her voice biting. “His.” She didn’t hesitate. “It was him, Benzy, who Alpha-ordered me to leave and never, ever come back.”
“You should have told him before you left,” Benzy said flatly, his tone implying blame.
Her laughter was bitter, sharp. “Oh, should I? And tell him what, Benzy? Something I didn’t even know at the time? How is that possible? I didn’t find out until after I was gone.”
“That’s convenient,” Benzy muttered, but his tone softened slightly.
“It’s the truth,” she shot back. “Minutes after I was banished, I found out. That’s after I left, Benzy. And even then, what was I supposed to do? Call him? Call Alpha Tomas?” Her voice dropped, low and dangerous. “And risk his future Luna finding out? What do you think Mia would have done, huh? To me? To my pups?”
Benzy ran a hand through his hair, visibly agitated but saying nothing. He didn’t have to—she already knew she was right. Mia would never have accepted her or the children. The danger would have been constant, unrelenting.
She stepped forward, her voice firm and unwavering. “Your Luna would never have accepted them. And I did what I had to do to keep them safe. I will continue to protect them from your Alpha and your Luna, even if that means changing packs.”
“Bella, look—” Benzy’s voice softened, his Beta aura receding slightly as he attempted to reason with her.
But Bella cut him off, her tone resolute. “No, Benzy. This isn’t about what’s convenient for you or your Alpha. This is about my children’s safety. And if it means walking away from everything, so be it. My priority is them, not you, not Luke, and certainly not your Luna.”
The room fell silent, the weight of her words hanging between them. Bella could feel Tyler’s presence simmering just beneath the surface, ready to defend her if necessary. For now, though, it seemed Benzy had no retort. Macky remained quiet as well, though his gaze lingered on her with a hint of something that might have been understanding—or perhaps regret.
“Enough,” Macky interrupted, his voice cutting sharply through the tense air. He turned and fixed a glare on Benzy.
Bella blinked in surprise. It wasn’t often that a Gamma openly ordered a Beta to stand down, and rarer still for the Beta to comply. Yet Benzy did exactly that, falling silent, though his displeasure was evident in his tense posture and frown.
Macky turned to Bella, his tone gentler now. “Do you need a hand with the triplets, Bella? Is Karis too much to handle? That’s all we need to know.”
She shook her head, firm in her response. “No, he’s fine. I’ve spoken to him already. He’s just being protective of his sisters, especially after…” She trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. They don’t need to know everything.
“Right.” Macky nodded. “Well, if you need any help, just call one of us, okay? We’d be happy to help you out.” He held out a pack card with their contact information.
Bella took it reluctantly, knowing full well she wouldn’t be using it. She shrugged noncommittally, a gesture that could mean anything, and dropped the card on her desk. It was more to keep the peace than anything else.
Macky turned back to Benzy. “Let’s go. We’ve done what we came to do.”
Benzy’s scowl deepened, but he nodded. Before leaving, he looked at Bella with an unyielding glare. “I want to know when you plan to visit Alpha Philip’s pack. A protective detail will be arranged to ensure no harm comes to you or your pups.”
Bella crossed her arms and met his gaze with equal determination. “I don’t want your protection.”
“Tough,” he replied curtly before walking out of the office.
Macky lingered for a moment, giving her a small, almost sympathetic nod. “Please consider it, Bella. Every time you’re not with them, they’re at risk—even if it’s a small one.”
Then he, too, exited the room, leaving Bella alone to fume. She leaned against her desk, her irritation boiling over. Whose fault is that? she thought bitterly. Who put us in the spotlight for all of wolfen society to see? Not me. She had kept her children safe, away from the politics and dangers of the wolfen world their entire lives. But now? Now they were targets because of Luke’s arrogance, his public display of dominance, and his need to control everything.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Ben walking in, his expression stormy. “What were they doing here?” he demanded. “I’m not wrong—they were two of the men from his press conference, weren’t they?”
“Yes,” Bella admitted, her voice calm but clipped. “They’re his men—his right and left hands, to be exact. They’re here at his request, checking up on the triplets now that he knows about them.”
“Why all the yelling, then?” Ben asked, his brow furrowing.
“It’s normal,” Bella replied with a shrug. “They work for him. Why would I be nice to them?”
Ben’s jaw tightened. “Bella, what is going on? It looks like you’ve been communicating with Mr. Cupper without your lawyers present. Have you?”
“No!” Bella exclaimed, her voice sharp with frustration. “He tried to yell at me over the phone, so I hung up. His men are here trying to convince me to agree to mediation and to keep an eye on his children. As far as I know, there’s no actual threat right now.”
“And you’re just taking their word for it?” Ben’s voice rose slightly, his concern clear. “If they’re watching your children, that’s a problem.”
Bella sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I grew up with both of those men who were just here. They were once my best friends. I don’t believe either one of them would hurt me or my children. They’re just… watching. That’s all.”
