Had she been trying to tell him about the children that day? The thought pierced through him like a blade. Goddess, what had I done?
And Tyler—had her reactions been entirely to protect their pups? My pups. Luke’s stomach churned with guilt and anguish. He had dismissed Bella with the full weight of his Alpha order, without a single thought for the consequences. His focus had been solely on his mate’s injury, and nothing else had mattered in that moment.
Now, staring at the photograph, reality crashed down on him.
“This is a nightmare,” he muttered under his breath, Maddis’s growls echoing the turmoil within him.
Out of the corner of his eye, Luke saw movement. Benzy, Macky, and Lanky were making their way toward him, their expressions unreadable. He wondered briefly how Maddis would react if they decided to unleash their fury on him. His wolf, however, stayed silent, offering no indication of stepping in. Luke doubted Maddis would interfere—not this time. They deserved to vent their anger, and he couldn’t deny it. But even if they were his childhood friends, there were limits. Respect for the Alpha had to be upheld, or consequences would follow.
The three men stopped behind his desk, their eyes falling on the photograph still clutched in his hand. Luke hadn’t put it down, couldn’t. The picture held his children—his heirs. They had been out in the world, vulnerable and unprotected, completely cut off from the pack’s safety. And the blame rested squarely on him.
He felt the full weight of his actions now, the magnitude of what he had done. How could he hold Bella accountable for any of this? It was his order that had driven her away. If he was honest with himself, he would need to beg for her forgiveness, though he doubted even that would be enough. She would never forget the pain he had caused or how she had been forced to raise their pups alone, without any support.
“Cute pups,” Benzy said evenly, breaking the silence.
“Three Alpha pups at once—must be chaos,” Lanky mused, letting out a half-laugh that didn’t reach his eyes.
Macky remained silent, his face a mask of stoicism. He hadn’t spoken a word about Bella being Luke’s Mate or the mother of his Alpha’s pups. Whatever was going on inside Macky’s mind was locked away, and even Rafe, his wolf, had yet to surface.
Bella was absorbed in her work when the summons came. She was needed in the conference room on Ben’s floor. Glancing at the clock, she noted it was 11 a.m. She had only been back at work for two days, and the task of catching up on her caseload felt overwhelming. Still, she had pressed on, knowing she couldn’t afford to fall behind.
Her clients had been largely understanding, given the very public nature of what had happened to her. Ben had even released a photo of her injuries to the press. It wasn’t a decision she’d been happy about, but she’d agreed to it under the condition that only one image would be used—a picture where she was fully clothed. That photo, taken right after her rescue, captured the visible injuries without delving into the more invasive documentation the police had required.
Despite her efforts to keep a low profile, reporters had camped outside the building, hoping to get a comment or interview. She had refused them all, unwilling to share her story with strangers.
When Bella entered the conference room, she was met with the gaze of every senior partner at the law firm. Ben Billy sat at the table, his presence commanding as always, and gestured for her to take the seat beside him. She took a steadying breath and complied, her heart pounding as she noticed the mixed expressions in the room. Some faces were filled with pity, others with admiration, and a few remained indifferent.
“What’s going on?” she asked quietly, her voice steady despite the growing unease.
“Mr. Cupper is about to hold a live press conference,” Ben informed her, his tone serious. “His attorneys notified us to watch. It’s about your case.”
Bella froze, her mind racing. This wasn’t what she had expected. Why would Luke—her Alpha—resort to human legal theatrics? Wolves didn’t deal with matters like this. If it wasn’t part of wolfen society, it typically didn’t matter to them.
She had assumed Luke would sever her from the pack officially and let his legal team handle the rest. Why involve himself in the human world at all?
Then the answer hit her. He was protecting himself. As long as she remained in the human world’s spotlight, she was untouchable. Any harm that came to her now would only serve to drag Luke further into the glare of human scrutiny. Investigations would reopen, and the Alpha who had once been untouchable in wolfen society would find himself tangled in the human world’s web once more.
Oddly, she felt a strange sense of safety in the attention, even if it was suffocating at times. For now, it shielded her from the man who had once held all the power over her.
Bella was certain this press conference wasn’t something Luke wanted. Most likely, it was a carefully crafted blanket statement devised by his pack’s legal team to appease public opinion in the human world. She could only imagine the fallout his businesses had suffered—the damage to his reputation, the decline in stock values. Not that she was keeping track. In truth, she had refused to watch the news since her ordeal. She had lived through it; that was more than enough.
The last thing she wanted was to relive it through sensationalized headlines or, worse, let her children see her in such a vulnerable state.
As the TV flickered to life, Bella was surprised to see Luke stride confidently toward a podium set up in front of one of his businesses.
Behind him stood Benzy, Macky, and Lanky, all impeccably dressed in dark grey suits with black shirts and red ties—official pack colors. Luke himself was dressed to command attention: a black pinstriped suit, a dark grey vest over a black shirt, and a red tie. The ensemble was unmistakably his Alpha dress code, designed to exude power and dominance.
