Macky shot him a sharp look. “You two can’t even stand being in the same room right now,” he snapped. “She’ll sense it and shut down completely.”
Benzy held up his hands defensively. “I’m fine. Trust me, she just knows how to push my buttons, but I can handle it.”
Luke watched the two of them bicker, but before they could leave, he called out, “Wait.”
Both men turned to him, their expressions expectant.
“Maybe she just needs space.” Luke’s voice was measured, though tinged with worry. “Watch her, but don’t get close. Back off the wolves to a safer distance—close enough to help if trouble arises, but far enough to give her room to breathe.”
Macky frowned but nodded. “You sure?”
Luke nodded, his jaw tight. “She needs to calm down. Crowding her will only make things worse.”
The two men left without another word, leaving Luke alone with his father. Tomas sighed heavily, his face etched with worry.
“You know, son,” Tomas said after a moment, “Tyler’s reaction wasn’t just about protecting the pups. That kind of aggression… it comes from pain. She’s grieving, Luke. She’s been grieving for six years.”
Luke’s throat tightened. He’d thought he understood Bella’s pain, but hearing it framed this way made it hit differently. She wasn’t just angry or scared—she was mourning a life she’d never gotten to live, a bond she’d never known she had.
“What do I do?” Luke asked quietly, his voice almost breaking.
Tomas placed a hand on his son’s shoulder, squeezing gently. “You wait. You give her space. And when the time is right, you show her that she has nothing to fear from you. But be ready, Luke… if she truly wants to be free, you may have to let her go.”
Luke shook his head vehemently. “I can’t. She’s mine.”
Maddis growled in agreement, his possessiveness flaring. “Mate ours. Never let go.”
Tomas sighed again, his eyes filled with both sympathy and concern. “I know, son. But this isn’t just about you. It’s about her, too. And right now, all she sees when she looks at you is pain.”
Luke clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. “Then I’ll change that. I’ll make her see the truth.”
But deep down, a gnawing fear lingered. If Bella and Tyler were willing to take on his father—one of the strongest Alphas he’d ever known—what would happen when they finally came face to face with him?
Luke leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples as the weight of the conversation pressed down on him. “Bring out Vera,” his father had said, and while it seemed like a plausible idea, the fractured relationships between him and Bella’s family loomed large in his mind. It wasn’t just Bella who had suffered from his choices—her parents and brother had been collateral damage, and they had made their feelings about him clear.
Maddis growled low in his mind, restless and insistent. “Mate’s family will not stop us. Mate is ours.”
“They might not stop us,” Luke replied internally, his tone edged with frustration, “but they sure as hell won’t help us either.”
Tomas chuckled at Luke’s visible irritation. “I know what you’re thinking, son, but family bonds run deep. Vera loves Bella, and despite everything, she’s still her daughter. If anyone can reach her, it’s her mother.”
Luke snorted, skeptical. “And what if Vera walks in and takes Bella’s side? What if she decides I’m the enemy too? She hasn’t exactly been forgiving these past six years.”
Tomas leaned forward, fixing Luke with a knowing look. “She might. But she might also be the only one who can break through the walls Bella has built around herself. You said it yourself—she’s terrified. Right now, she sees you as a threat. But Vera? She’s the one person Bella might actually listen to.”
Luke let out a long sigh, leaning back in his chair. Maddis was pacing again, his agitation mirroring Luke’s inner turmoil. “You’re really pushing this idea, aren’t you?”
Tomas smiled faintly. “It’s worth a shot. You’ve tried everything else, haven’t you?”
Luke nodded reluctantly. “I’ll think about it.”
But the thought of bringing Vera into the fold stirred mixed emotions. Bella’s mother had made her disdain for him crystal clear after the banishment. Her mate, Jody, had outright rejected him, and her brother, Bradley, had silently but firmly stepped away from any role that would require him to answer to Luke. The rift between them was deep, and he doubted an invitation to mediate between him and Bella would be met with enthusiasm.
“You’re scared,” Maddis teased, though there was a hint of seriousness in his tone.
“Not scared,” Luke shot back. “Just realistic.”
“Realistic or not,” Tomas interjected, as though reading his son’s thoughts, “Vera is your best bet. And if she sides with Bella, then maybe it’s because you need to hear what she has to say. It’s not just about claiming Bella, Luke. It’s about understanding her.”
Luke ran a hand through his hair, the frustration mounting. Maddis wasn’t helping, his wolf alternating between growling possessively and demanding action.
“Fine,” he finally muttered. “I’ll reach out to Vera. But don’t expect miracles.”
Tomas grinned faintly, relief flickering across his face. “I never do, son. But sometimes miracles surprise us.”
Luke sighed again, the weight of the decision settling on him. If bringing Vera into this mess was the only way to get through to Bella, then so be it. But he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that her arrival would bring more complications than solutions. Still, for Bella—for their pups—it was worth the risk.
Luke leaned back, processing his father’s words. The picture painted of Alpha Philip was unsettling—not because the man sounded malicious, but because of how perfect a solution he seemed to be for Bella. A powerful, fair, and un-mated Alpha offering safety, stability, and protection to her and their pups? It was almost too good to be true, and that’s exactly what made it dangerous.
Maddis snarled in Luke’s mind, his possessive nature flaring. “No one touches Mate. She is ours. Pups are ours.”
