It was entirely dark; within minutes of the sun descending below the horizon, no trace of light remained by the time she reached the summit. She stood and surveyed her surroundings, use all of Tyler’s senses to detect any visual, auditory, or olfactory cues indicating the presence of anyone searching for her, whether ally or adversary.
She could only perceive her own scent and the blood on her garments, the surrounding woodland, and the fresh aroma of snow. She was probably the sole individual there in the depths of the woods.
Bella could only wish that no renegade wolves were present in the area, capable of detecting her scent and the blood that stained her, thus initiating a pursuit. She required neither that nor the necessity to escape from rogues after having just evaded her adversary. She sighed hard upon realising that her adversaries might be utilising the scent of blood to track her down.
However, there was little she could do about it at that juncture. She required the clothing she wore for protection against the cold; at any other moment, she would simply transform into Tyler and be insulated by her dense fur coat. This would enable them to camouflage with the snow, so concealing themselves from potential hunters.
Tracking Tyler in the snow was usually considerably more challenging because to her colouration; yet, they could not proceed at that moment without jeopardising their pup’s life. They had not relocated to escape for that specific purpose. To safeguard their puppy. They were not prepared to jeopardise its life at this moment either.
She stroked her arms with her hands as a breeze swept through the trees, bringing a chill. “We have endured colder conditions!” She reminded herself, and they had concurred, that the escape from the Luna suite via the drainpipe had been colder than the current environment; she had been completely unclothed during that ordeal, and the winter within the pack was significantly harsher than the present conditions.
She remained at the top of the ravine, pausing to contemplate whether retracing her own footprints was a prudent decision. What if that action merely returns them to the control of the adversary, placing them in peril again? She opposed that. She had recovered, but each confrontation they encountered would jeopardise their puppy’s safety. She did not desire that.
However, her indecision intensified her concerns, not just for herself but also for Macky. Shed forsook him to those wolves, leaving him to fend for himself. That was incorrect. He had a Mate awaiting him, albeit she was unaware of her significance to him at that moment.
Nora genuinely liked him and was willing to reside in the pack for a month to evaluate the experience. Bella instinctively recognised that she would swiftly fall in love with Macky; he epitomised the perfect gentleman—affectionate and considerate, never pressuring Nora, and possessing the patience he said was akin to that of a goddess.
She contemplated him and groaned, remembering that he had been fostering her fears, provoking her Night and fight responses. The dude appeared utterly deranged. Gratefully, he had been confined in a different cell; otherwise, he might have met his demise at her hands.
“He rescued us.” Tyler exhaled sharply as Bella contemplated the situation, sensing his discomfort at the prospect of abandoning him.
Although he was confined to a separate cell and unable to provide physical assistance, he assured her that he would use every effort to aid her. He deliberately exacerbated her condition by uttering only statements that heightened her worry rather than alleviating it. She never remembered experiencing his Gamma Charm.
He exploited her ailment to assist her, to preserve his own interests, to instill fear and a sense of overwhelm, subsequently compelling her to combat fiercely under the influence of her heightened fight response, before absconding the instant she was free from the conflict.
“Our Gamma is intelligent,” Tyler informed her, a hint of pride in her tone.
Bella concurred, nodding her head in accord; they all desired to avoid triggering it, requiring her to remain calm and content to alleviate her adrenaline levels and mitigate the ailment. He had intentionally activated it, doing the exact opposite.
At that moment, she believed it was unwise; she disliked the sensations of fear and being overwhelmed. She scarcely remembered anything once the combat commenced, having transformed into a mindless combatant. She attempted to recollect the event while standing there, but could only remember a chaotic whirlwind of claws, characterised by fury and rage.
“Should we return or remain stationary?” She pondered vocally to herself.
Maddis is approaching us! Tyler interjected, “Let us return.”
“I suppose so,” Bella said, although it was uncertain what they would discover there. In the worst-case scenario, Luke had not yet discovered their location, necessitating another confrontation; yet, an unsettling sensation lingered in her mind, suggesting she had witnessed something but could not remember it.
