Luke suspected Macky had more to say, but he didn’t want to hear it right now. He already had enough on his plate. His parents had reported back that Bella had refused to see them, and Benzy and Macky had spent the entire day trailing her, only to be ignored. She had gone about her work, in and out of courtrooms, completely unfazed by their presence.
Apparently, she was exceptional at her job, but Luke expected nothing less from his Luna.
And then there was the human man—Chris—in her apartment for three hours. Three hours with his Mate. Three hours with his pups. Goddess only knew when the children had gone to bed or how long Bella had been alone with the man after that.
Of course, three hours wasn’t much by wolf standards. Luke smirked at the memory of his own time spent with her. He’d spent whole nights with her, barely pausing for rest. He could go for hours, insatiable, fueled by her scent and the cries of pleasure he’d drawn from her lips. More than once, Bella had been left gasping and panting, her voice hoarse from screaming his name, only to spend the next day—or longer—recovering.
A small smile tugged at his lips as those memories played in his mind. Once, during his time with Mia, he hadn’t even been able to recall such moments with Bella. The mate bond with Mia had overshadowed everything. But now that Bella was his true Mate, those memories flooded back with startling clarity, every touch, every sound, and every moment of pleasure they’d shared.
Shaking his head, Luke forced himself back to the present. “We’ve got work to do,” he muttered to himself, opening his laptop to begin his investigation.
Luke googled the name Chris Johnson. The man was 35 years old, never married, and had been working with Ben Billy since he was 27, initially as a lawyer before becoming a prosecutor at 31. A deeper dive into his background revealed that Chris came from a well-to-do family. Further research showed the Johnsons were affiliated with the Billys. Ben’s younger sister, Emma, had married into the Johnson family at 20 and was now 30.
It was likely Chris had secured his position through family connections—an arrangement meant to keep everyone happy and maintain alliances. Nothing unusual there. It reminded Luke of the alliances forged in wolfen society, like when an Alpha’s daughter or sister was mated into another pack. Such pairings often came with agreements between the two packs, protecting the mated individual and ensuring the offspring, especially those with Alpha blood, would strengthen the receiving pack.
Humans, Luke mused, weren’t so different. Wealthy families arranged marriages for similar reasons—merging assets, securing company interests, or strengthening financial empires. Prenuptial agreements were their equivalent of wolfen treaties, with both sides negotiating terms to protect their investments in case the marriage failed.
Bella’s expertise in this area made sense. Growing up in wolfen society, she would have been exposed to countless discussions about alliances and deals. Luke vividly remembered her sitting in on meetings during semester breaks or weekend visits home. She’d been allowed to observe as part of her informal training for a future role in the legal department. Her sharp mind and natural curiosity made her a quick learner, and she was poised to thrive in contract law.
If not for my stupid, thoughtless order that day, Luke thought bitterly. She’d been destined to be a key figure in the pack, not just as a legal expert but also as Luna.
She had all the qualities of a great Luna. She was stunningly beautiful, yes, but also bright, quick-witted, and methodical. From what he’d learned about her over the past weeks, she was also ethical, honest, and fiercely determined. Her stubbornness and defiance made her a challenge, but Luke liked a challenge.
He shook his head, his thoughts wandering back to her defiance. Bella was so resistant to anything that might bring harm to her pups—even if it meant standing up to her Alpha.
Standing up to an Alpha is a death wish, Luke mused, marveling at her courage and resolve.
If she weren’t his Mate, protocol would have demanded he take drastic action. Unregistered pups were a serious issue. All pups needed to be accounted for and protected under pack law. Without registration, their safety couldn’t be guaranteed. He would have been within his rights to lock her up and send someone to retrieve the pups.
But the thought of taking such actions against her made his chest ache. She wasn’t just any she-wolf—she was his Mate. And everything about her, from her fiery defiance to her unyielding protection of their children, only made him want her more.
He sighed, pushing that train of thought away. There was no room for regret or anger now. He had work to do and a Mate to win back.
