“That’s called stalking, Bella,” Ben said pointedly. “And you know it. I could have them arrested and charged.”
Bella shook her head, her frustration bubbling over. This was exactly why she hadn’t wanted them there when Ben showed up. “Perhaps it’s better to let them be for now. Placate him by letting him think he’s getting what he wants. Fighting them will only escalate things.”
Ben didn’t look convinced but said nothing further, so Bella continued. “I need to go away next weekend, Ben,” she said, shifting gears. “To visit my grandmother. She heard about everything that’s been going on and is worried about me. She’s with Winter Moon Industries.”
Ben’s expression softened slightly at the mention of her grandmother, but his concern remained evident. “Just promise me you’ll be careful, Bella. These people… they’re not playing by human rules.”
“I know,” Bella replied quietly. All too well.
Ben raised an eyebrow at her abrupt response. “Does everyone you know—”
“Yes,” Bella cut him off before he could finish. “Everyone I know from my past either works for or is connected to some of the biggest corporations,” she said with a sigh, trying to keep her tone casual. This conversation was getting dangerously close to the truth. She added quickly, “And no, before you ask, I won’t be trying to bring them in as a client for you. They have their own law firm.”
He stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. “This is not a simple situation, is it, Bella? Did he really take you over a monetary debt?”
She shrugged, feigning indifference. “I honestly have no idea. I was only in his presence for maybe three or four very uncomfortable minutes. He was completely fuming with rage—that’s all I got. Then his father interrupted. When your press conference happened, I took the opportunity to run, and I got away. That’s it. He never really spoke to me, other than to demand I look at him.”
Bella kept her tone steady, unwilling to admit the real reason she’d been dragged back: the punishment for that single slap to his mate’s face. He wouldn’t understand, couldn’t understand.
Ben’s gaze narrowed as he processed her words. She could see the gears turning in his head. He wasn’t a fool—he was starting to piece together that money wasn’t the true motivation behind Luke’s actions. But he was also human. There was a line he couldn’t cross without putting himself in grave danger. If he got too close to the truth, if he tried to expose the wolfen world, he would vanish. No trace, no body. Just gone. Bella knew that reality all too well.
For now, she would have to manage the situation carefully. She couldn’t afford to let Ben get too close to the full story, not for his sake or hers. And as for Alpha Luke—dropping the charges against him was out of the question. She knew the second she did, he would take her and the triplets with one phone call. No, the charges stay. At least until she was safely initiated into another pack.
“It’s a losing battle,” Tyler piped up in her mind. “He’ll come at some point.”
Bella exhaled slowly, her wolf’s words echoing her own fears. “I know,” she replied silently. “It’s just a matter of when. But probably not until he’s sure the pups are safe from his current mate.”
Their existence was a direct threat to Mia and her future heirs. If Mia and Luke had pups right away, those children would be mere months younger than the triplets. The situation was volatile, and Bella knew it.
“We just need to hold out a little longer,” Bella assured her wolf. “Next weekend, we’ll visit Grandmother and her pack. If all goes well, we’ll stay.”
“You sure?” Tyler asked, worry lacing her tone.
“Yes. And you’ll finally be able to run free, whenever you want,” Bella said, trying to soothe her wolf.
Tyler seemed to brighten at that. “Mm, okay.” But there was still a hint of hesitation.
“We might even find our mate,” Bella added, hoping to cheer her wolf further. “And you can let the pups ride on your back.”
That did the trick. Tyler chortled, her energy lifting. “Deal.” Letting the pups ride her back was something Tyler had always longed to do.
Bella smiled inwardly. “Good. Let’s stay positive about this visit to Grandmother’s pack, okay?”
“Okay.” Tyler settled down in her mind, though Bella still felt the shadow of Maddis lingering in the background. It was subtle but persistent—a nagging feeling that wouldn’t go away.
Since Maddis had called to Tyler, her wolf had been experiencing odd, unexplainable sensations. Uncertainty, a tugging she couldn’t define. Bella had tried to reassure her, saying it was just the Alpha trying to call her back for his pups, nothing more. But Tyler wasn’t convinced, and her unease lingered. Bella pushed the thought aside for now.
One step at a time, she told herself. First, the visit to Winter Moon Pack. Then, a plan for the future.
Bella gently reminded Tyler, “Maddis isn’t our fated mate. If he were, things would have been different. We’d have marked and mated on our 18th birthday, and our pups would’ve been born in the pack.” Tyler reluctantly agreed, though that lingering thought of Maddis still clung to her. Bella reassured her wolf again, “It’s just because he’s the pups’ father. Nothing more.”
When she arrived at her office that day, Benzy and Macky were already there, as usual. “You know, one day I might not come to the office,” Bella quipped as she approached.
“We’d know,” Benzy replied lazily, his posture casual as he leaned against the door to her office. He looked completely relaxed, the picture of ease. It reminded her of how he’d been back in the pack—laid-back, unbothered, always giving off an air of effortless calm.
“Get some, did we?” she teased with a laugh, noting how unusually at ease he seemed. It was classic Benzy to keep his emotions guarded, but this was a new level of nonchalance.
He raised an eyebrow at her, choosing not to dignify the comment with a response.
