“And risk scaring her off completely?” Macky asked, his tone cautious. “She’s already terrified, Luke. If she feels cornered, she might run, and you know as well as I do that Maddis won’t handle that well.”
“I don’t have much of a choice,” Luke admitted. “I can’t keep pretending everything’s fine when it’s not. She deserves the truth, even if it’s hard for her to hear.”
Benzy leaned back, his expression thoughtful. “If you’re going to do this, you need a plan. You can’t just drop this on her without some kind of support structure in place. Maybe her grandmother could help? If Bella trusts her, it could make a difference.”
Luke nodded slowly, the idea settling in his mind. “I’ll reach out to Alpha Philip in the morning. If Bella’s grandmother is willing to help, it might be the only way to make this work.” He paused, looking around the wreckage of the room and the battered faces of his friends. “But for tonight, let’s get cleaned up and regroup. I’ll talk to her soon—carefully this time.”
As he finished tending to their wounds, Luke couldn’t help but glance toward the torn door and the shattered remains of the room. The chaos Maddis had caused was a stark reminder of just how fragile their situation was. He had to act carefully, not just for Bella’s sake but for his own sanity—and Maddis’s. If they were going to win her trust, it would take patience, understanding, and a lot more than brute force.
The night manager blinked rapidly, clearly caught off guard by the sight in front of her. She straightened her shoulders and tried to reclaim her professional demeanor, though her flushed cheeks betrayed her reaction.
“Sir,” she began, her voice slightly shaky, “we’ve had complaints from neighboring rooms about loud noises, shouting, and what some described as ‘animalistic sounds.’” Her eyes darted to the slightly ajar door behind him, where the faint scent of blood still lingered despite Luke’s attempts to clean up quickly.
Luke’s smirk didn’t falter. He stepped out into the hallway, gently closing the door behind him so she couldn’t see the destruction within. “I’m terribly sorry about that,” he said, his voice as smooth as honey. “A bit of a misunderstanding between friends. Things got heated during a… competitive workout session.”
The woman arched a skeptical brow, her eyes flicking briefly to the door and then back to him. “Workout session?” she repeated, clearly unconvinced.
“Yes,” Luke replied easily, crossing his arms over his chest, which only drew her attention to his toned muscles. “You see, my friends and I are… personal trainers. Sometimes we push each other a little too hard. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
She hesitated, her professionalism warring with the clear distraction his presence was causing. “If there’s any damage to the room, it will be charged to your account,” she said firmly, though her gaze lingered on his chest longer than necessary.
“Of course,” Luke replied, his tone disarming. He took a step closer, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “And I’ll be sure to leave an extra generous tip for you and your staff for the trouble. It was entirely my fault for letting things get out of hand.”
The manager swallowed hard, her composure crumbling under his charm. “Very well,” she said, her tone softening. “But please ensure that there are no further disturbances tonight. We have other guests to consider.”
“Absolutely,” Luke said with a nod, his smile never wavering. “Thank you for your understanding.”
As she turned to leave, clearly flustered, Luke’s smirk faded, replaced by a serious expression. He waited until the sound of her footsteps disappeared down the hall before stepping back into the suite, closing the door behind him with a sigh.
Benzy and Macky emerged from the adjacent room, both looking worse for wear but clearly amused. “Competitive workout session?” Benzy asked, chuckling despite the pain from his injuries.
“She bought it, didn’t she?” Luke shot back, though his expression remained tense. He gestured to the room. “Let’s clean this place up before someone else comes knocking. We don’t need more attention right now.”
As they got to work, Luke’s thoughts drifted back to Bella. Maddis might have retreated, but the wolf’s instincts were clear: Bella needed to be his, and soon. The next step, however, had to be handled delicately. Any more missteps could push her further away, and neither Luke nor Maddis could afford that.
Bella’s eyes narrowed, her voice lowering to an icy calm. “You have no right to call me, let alone tell me what to do.”
“Bella,” Benzy’s tone was sharp, almost desperate. “This isn’t a joke. Maddis is out, and he’s completely lost it. Luke’s wolf is in control, and if you don’t get him out of there now, your human friend is as good as dead.”
Her stomach dropped at the mention of Maddis. Luke’s wolf? That rage-filled beast was here? The thought alone sent a wave of panic through her, but she forced herself to stay composed. “What are you talking about? How could he even know—”
“He knows because of me,” Benzy cut her off, his voice firm. “I was reporting that your friend was in your apartment. Maddis overheard, and now he’s out for blood. I’m calling you because it’s the only way to save him.”
Bella’s grip on the phone tightened, her other hand trembling slightly as she glanced at Tim, who was now watching her with concern. This was beyond anything she wanted to deal with tonight. “This is insane,” she muttered under her breath.
“Bella, I am dead serious. If you care about his life, you’ll get him out of there. Right now. Maddis will kill him, and there won’t be anything Luke—or any of us—can do to stop it.”
She swallowed hard, her pulse racing as conflicting emotions surged through her. Her instincts told her to protect Tim, but she hated being pushed into a corner by Luke’s men—again. “Fine,” she snapped, her voice colder than she intended. “Give me a minute.”
“Don’t hang up,” Benzy ordered, his voice stern. “I need to hear it.”
Rolling her eyes, Bella set the phone down and turned to Tim, her expression tense. “I’m sorry, but something’s come up. A work emergency. You should probably head home.”
