Benzy raised his hands in a placating gesture, speaking quickly. “She’s at home.”
Luke immediately pulled Maddis back. Knowing Bella was safe was enough to calm his wolf, at least for the moment. Maddis retreated willingly, though his focus remained sharp and unwavering: “Mate. Find Mate.”
Luke’s eyes narrowed. “What the hell happened?” His voice was clipped, barely restrained.
Benzy and Macky exchanged glances before Macky sighed and shook his head. “Your guess is as good as ours. She didn’t say anything to us. Just went in and shut the door.”
“That bad?” Luke pressed.
Macky drained his bourbon in one gulp, an action that made Luke frown. Macky wasn’t the type to rush a drink; he liked to savor the taste. Seeing him finish it so abruptly was telling—he’s stressed, which means Bella is too.
“Mate needs us. We go now,” Maddis growled insistently in Luke’s mind.
Luke pushed Maddis back again, though it was becoming harder with every passing second. He needed answers first. Ignoring his wolf for too long wasn’t wise, but letting Maddis loose in a human city would be a disaster.
Luke pulled out his phone and called his father, not caring about the late hour. The line barely rang before Alpha Tomas answered.
“We’ll talk later. We have another problem to deal with.” Tomas’s voice was tense, cutting straight to the point.
Luke’s anger ignited, his voice rising. “What the hell could be more important than my mate?”
“Robyn’s human mate’s family pulled Dani from the restaurant the moment Bella ran. None of them are answering calls—not even Dani is responding to Robyn. He’s beside himself, and her family is livid. I’m sorry, son, but you may have to handle Bella on your own for the time being.”
Luke exhaled sharply, his frustration simmering. “Damn it.”
He couldn’t blame Dani’s family. Human mates were always a delicate situation, especially one as high-profile as Dani. An heiress to the Hill Foundation disappearing without a trace would draw immediate attention and scrutiny. It wasn’t something her family would tolerate lightly.
On the bright side, if Robyn managed to bring Dani back into his life, Bella’s presence could help ease the transition. She could guide Dani through the challenges of adapting to the wolfen world. But for now, it seemed Robyn’s drama had temporarily eclipsed his own.
“Fine,” Luke growled. “You handle Robyn’s mess. I’ll deal with mine.” He paused for a beat before asking, his voice softening slightly, “What’s wrong with Mum?”
There was silence on the other end for a moment before Tomas answered. “She’s heartbroken, Luke. Bella running from us… she took it hard. You know how she is. She’s always been the one who believes in second chances, in fixing things. This feels like failure to her. She thinks we’ve lost Bella forever.”
Luke’s chest tightened. His mother’s sobs from earlier still echoed in his mind, haunting him. “I’ll fix this,” he said firmly, more to himself than anyone else. “I’ll bring her back.”
Tomas sighed. “I hope you can, son. She’s strong-willed and hurting. Be careful how you approach her.”
Luke ended the call, his resolve hardening. Bella was his, and he wouldn’t let her slip away again. But it was clear this wasn’t going to be easy. She was fighting to stay away as fiercely as Maddis was fighting to bring her home.
The tension in the room broke the moment Lanky tackled Macky off the couch, pinning him to the floor. Luke watched as the scene unfolded, his sharp eyes narrowing with amusement as the others piled on Macky, calling him out.
“You lie!” Lanky grinned wickedly, keeping Macky pinned while the latter struggled to fend him off.
“I’m not lying!” Macky protested, his tone defensive but tinged with a hint of embarrassment.
“You’re so doing the nanny!” Benzy burst out, laughing as he leaned down to shake Macky by the shoulders. “Spill it! Come on!”
The scene devolved into chaos as the group playfully pounced on Macky, rolling him around on the floor while he flailed and squirmed beneath their combined weight. Even Luke, his ever-present stress momentarily pushed aside, joined in the fray. Maddis, for once, was calm, chortling in Luke’s mind, “He’s so mating the nanny. Rafe’s got it bad.”
“Alright, alright!” Macky finally shouted, breathless and unable to escape. “She’s my Mate! Okay? Suzzy’s my Mate!”
The room stilled for a moment, their laughter fading into stunned silence as the confession hung in the air. Macky looked utterly defeated, sprawled on the floor with all three of them grinning down at him like victorious wolves after a hunt.
“Mated to a human?” Benzy said, his tone half-shocked, half-amused. “Didn’t see that coming.”
“When did this happen?” Luke asked, genuinely curious now, his arms crossed as he looked down at Macky.
“The first day we went to Bella’s apartment,” Macky admitted with a heavy sigh. “When Suzzy came out to go home… Rafe lost it. He was screaming ‘Mate’ over and over in my head. I’ve been sneaking off to… watch her.” His voice softened as he added, “To make sure she’s safe.”
Benzy and Lanky exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter again. “So, all those mysterious ‘errands’—you’ve been stalking her?” Lanky teased, shaking his head.
Macky glared at them but didn’t deny it. “She’s human,” he muttered. “I needed to be sure she wasn’t being used by another pack or anyone else to get to Bella and the pups.”
Luke raised an eyebrow. “And? Is she?”
Macky shook his head, his expression softening. “No. She’s… she’s just Suzzy. Sweet, kind, completely unaware of our world.” His caramel eyes darkened slightly as he added, “But I don’t know how to approach her. How do I tell her? She’s human. She doesn’t even know about wolves.”
For a moment, the room was quiet, the weight of Macky’s dilemma sinking in. Luke exchanged a look with Benzy, his mood sobering slightly. Mates were sacred, and Macky’s struggle with Suzzy’s humanity was no small challenge. It would complicate things, especially given their proximity to Bella and the pups.
“Well,” Benzy finally said, clapping Macky on the shoulder as he pulled him to his feet, “you’ve got your work cut out for you, my friend.”
