“Hello?”
“Mummy, can we have ice cream?” Minka’s voice practically shouted through the phone. Bella’s heart immediately settled, the tension melting away.
“Yes, of course, sweetheart,” Bella said with a chuckle.
She barely had time to hear Minka yell, “Mummy said yes!” before the call disconnected. Bella shook her head and laughed softly. Typical.
Tyler chortled in her mind. ‘Little charmers. They get what they want and then run off.’
“So cute, though,” Bella replied, her heart warm as she made her way upstairs to join Matt and Nina.
Bella handed her bolero jacket to the man patiently waiting for her to finish her call and headed up the stairs after Matt and Nina. As soon as she reached the second floor, her nose caught a scent that stopped her in her tracks. Wolves. Not just any wolves—a very familiar scent lingered in the air. Her stomach sank as unease began to creep in.
Scanning the room, she spotted Matt and Nina across the space, just settling into their seats. And there, seated with them, was Robyn Cupper and his parents, Alpha Tomas and Luna Darla.
“Just freaking great,” Bella thought, her jaw tightening. She walked toward the table, her eyes landing on Dani. The younger woman was staring at Robyn with an expression Bella recognized immediately: Mate. A human mate. Robyn had his hand clasped over Dani’s on the table, and Bella’s frown deepened.
Suddenly, realization dawned on her. The amused looks on Benzy and Macky’s faces when Matt left her office that day. The comment about her going out to dinner. And tonight, the snide remark about ‘having a nice dinner.’ Their laughter. Those bastards. They’d known. They’d known all along that she’d be dining with her Alpha’s extended family.
She clenched her teeth. They would pay for this.
It didn’t take a leap of logic to guess that Luke was likely in on the joke too. She could almost hear him laughing, getting a real kick out of her reaction to this setup. Assholes, all of them.
But she had no time to dwell on the betrayal. She stopped at the table, her eyes darting between Dani and Robyn. This dinner wasn’t just awkward—it was a strategic nightmare. Dani’s presence made it clear she was now tied to the Cupper family, and Bella’s professional involvement with the prenup meant she’d inevitably be dragged into direct dealings with them. She knew what that meant: meetings with Luke. And since he couldn’t leave his state due to the restraining order, that meant she’d have to go to him. To the pack.
Her temper snapped. “You son of a bitch!” Bella hissed, her glare fixed on Robyn’s smiling face.
“Bella,” Alpha Tomas’s voice cut through the air, his tone laced with surprise and mild indignation.
“Honey, what’s wrong?” Nina asked, her face etched with concern.
Bella didn’t answer Nina immediately. Her gaze burned into Robyn’s, then shifted to his hand holding Dani’s. The younger woman was oblivious to the storm she was stepping into. Turning her eyes to Matt and Nina, Bella’s voice dripped with anger. “Do you know who they are?” she demanded, her words slicing through the tension in the air.
Nina and Matt exchanged confused glances, clearly unsettled by Bella’s sudden outburst.
“Bella!” Alpha Tomas’s voice boomed, this time sharper, a clear warning in his tone. It was the voice of a man who wouldn’t tolerate someone interfering with his son’s mate bond.
Ignoring him, Bella pointed directly at Robyn. “This is the Cupper family,” she spat, her tone venomous. “This is Luke Cupper’s younger brother. And those”—she gestured at Tomas and Darla—“are his parents.”
The reaction was immediate. Nina and Matt gasped audibly, their shock evident. Dani’s wide eyes snapped to Robyn, her hand jerking out of his grasp as she stared at him in disbelief. It was clear she hadn’t known who he was. He should have told her. But of course, he hadn’t. Bella was certain it was no oversight—it was strategy.
“Bella, that is quite enough,” Alpha Tomas growled, his voice low and commanding. The weight of his authority pressed against her like a heavy blanket, an order laced in his tone that left no room for defiance.
Bella stiffened, her instincts screaming to obey, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand her ground. Tyler bristled within her, caught between obedience and defiance. This wasn’t over—not by a long shot.
Robyn’s eyes flicked to his now-empty hand, and Bella didn’t miss the instant distress clouding his features as Dani edged away from him. The sudden shift in her demeanor—from blissful adoration to confusion and fear—was palpable. Bella’s heart ached for her surrogate little sister, even as she struggled to reconcile the situation. She could smell the faint traces of fear radiating from Dani now, mingling with her disbelief.
Dani had seen Bella at her lowest—bruised, battered, and broken after being dragged back by Luke’s orders. Bella could still remember how Dani had cried over her, sobbing about how inhumane it was, declaring Luke deserved to be locked up and beaten within an inch of his life. And now, here she was, realizing she was in love with that very man’s brother. The revelation was hitting Dani like a tidal wave.
“Sit down,” Alpha Tomas ordered, his voice sharp and commanding. Bella felt the weight of the command hit her like a physical blow. Her legs moved of their own accord, forcing her into a chair before she could even process what was happening. The lack of choice made her anger flare, but she was powerless to resist.
“You will apologize,” Tomas continued, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Robyn has done nothing wrong. And Luke never laid a hand on you.”
His anger was palpable now, washing over her in waves. Bella knew exactly why—she was ruining Robyn’s chance with his fated mate, and Alpha Tomas wouldn’t tolerate it. His family’s reputation and standing, not to mention Robyn’s happiness, were on the line.
