Alpha’s Obsession

Bella’s POVI ran until the trees swallowed the pack house and the howls faded behind me. My legs burned and my chest heaved, but I kept going. Harrison had betrayed me and I would never forgive him. He should have known Cassandra was obsessed with him. He should have known Charles had been fascinated with me since we were kids. He knew enough to stop this, and he still did it.I pulled off my shoes and threw them hard into different directions so my scent would not lead hunters straight to me. If I was going to cross the forest and get past the border, I had to make it hard for anyone to follow.I stopped for a while to catch my breath, and just as I started to sprint again, a voice stopped me. I turned and saw Charles standing on the path as if he had been waiting for me. My heart dropped. I wanted to continue running, but I needed answers. I had to know why last night happened and why Cassandra had set me up.“How dare you show your face after what you did?” I said, keeping my voic

Bella’s POVI woke up with a headache that felt like someone was pounding at my skull. My mouth was dry and my whole body ached. When I opened my eyes I did not know where I was at first. The room smelled of wood and rain and something cleaner than the pack house. The bed was soft and warm and the blankets smelled like soap. I sat up slowly, trying to remember how I had survived the fall. For a moment I could not tell if I was dreaming.A dark shape moved at the far end of the room and a door opened. Lightning flashed across the sky and the brief light cut the room into shadows and then light again. The figure stepped forward and the light hit his face. I did not have to think. I sprang out of bed and went for him like I was ready to fight.He did not flinch. He held up a hand and said without anger, “I do not recommend what you are about to do. The creatures in the forest will not treat you as I have treated you. They will eat you and they will not care. You are safe here with me.”I

A Few Hours LaterAfter I received the news about my grandfather and learned that my pack no longer existed, I went straight to my room. I closed the door behind me and leaned my back against it, pressing my fist to my mouth to keep myself quiet. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry until my chest split open. But I could not do that in front of my pack. They needed me steady. They needed me standing.I did not know if my family was still alive. I did not know if Elizabeth was alive. The thought of my best friend alone somewhere made my stomach twist. I did not even know what had happened to my mates. My ex-mates. Even after everything Harrison did to me, even after the betrayal and the pain, I could not stop myself from worrying about him. It made me angry with myself, but the bond scars still existed whether I wanted them to or not.I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at nothing.Reginald returned from hunting not long after. I could smell blood and forest on him before I even heard

Gideon’s POVDamn you, Davis.I had hated Bella Davis since the day the Silvercrest pack attacked us because of her. Because Harrison lost his mind and decided to blame the world for his own weakness. Innocent people died that day. My Beta. My best friend. Billy.That was a loss I would never forgive.For a long time, Bella Davis was just a name to me. A ghost that left destruction behind her. The ex Luna who ran away and left a war in her wake. It was easy to hate someone I had never met.Then, a few months ago, I met Felix Davis.I saw the grief in that old man’s eyes. The way his shoulders sagged under the weight of regret and worry. He did not know where his granddaughter was, only that she had disappeared and that time was running out for him. He did not have much longer to live.I decided then that as long as Felix Davis was breathing, I would not be the one to cause him more pain. Killing his granddaughter while he still lived would destroy him. That was the only reason Bella D

Bella’s POVWe went to the river and sat on a wide, flat rock, our feet submerged in the cold water, and I laughed at the shock of it.“Tell me how you’ve been this year,” I said.So we talked for hours.The rock stayed cold beneath us while the sun warmed our skin, and by the time the conversation slowed and finally ended, I realized how much I had missed her. Walking Elizabeth back to her house felt easy, familiar, and when I eventually headed home alone, my chest felt lighter than it had in months.The moment I stepped inside, I found my father waiting for me.“Hey, Bella,” he said. “I heard you did well at training today.”I rolled my eyes and kept walking. He only spoke to me when Mom was not home, and I could not smell her anywhere in the house.When I reached my room, I pulled off my sweaty clothes and was heading straight for the shower when something on my bed made me stop.“What’s that?”I walked closer and saw a white rose resting on my pillow, untouched and deliberate, wit