He Found Me

Bella’s POV 

I instinctively grabbed my mother’s arm before she could strike me again.

The room went silent.

For the first time in my life, I rebelled against my family, and the shock on their faces was unmistakable. My mother stared at me like she did not recognize the daughter she had raised.

“What?” she snapped.

“I don’t know what lies my ex mate and that bitch cousin of mine told you about me,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm in my chest. “But I did nothing wrong. And even if I tried to explain, I know you wouldn’t believe me. You never do. You have always seen me as the bad one.”

My grip tightened before I forced myself to let go.

“I am only back for Grandpa,” I continued. “Not for any of you. I am not the same stupid girl I was before I left. I will not tolerate your disrespect ever again. Since you don’t see me as family, I won’t treat you like one either. Don’t you dare touch me again, Mother. Because next time, I will slap you back.”

I turned away before she could say another word and followed my grandfather’s scent down the hallway, leaving my family frozen behind me.

From somewhere behind me, I heard my mother whisper, “Am I going crazy, or does anyone else feel that power coming from Bella?”

I found my grandfather lying in bed, his breathing shallow, his face pale. His eyes were closed and I did not want to wake him. I sat beside him and took his hand gently in mine.

Tears slipped down my face.

“Grandpa,” I whispered. “What happened to you?”

Nyra stirred inside me, her voice low and sad. His wolf misses his mate. He is tired, Bella. He is tired of living.

I smelled my father before I saw him.

He stepped into the room, worry written all over his face. “Bella.”

“Are you here to insult me too?” I asked quietly.

“Of course not,” he said quickly.

I let out a bitter breath. “Right. You leave that to Mother.”

My father had never raised a hand to me. He had never insulted me either. But his silence had hurt more than all of it combined. He saw how they treated me. He saw how she hated me. And he did nothing.

“I’m sorry, Bella,” he said.

“Save your words,” I replied. “What’s wrong with Grandpa?”

“We don’t know,” he admitted. “The doctor says he doesn’t have much time left.”

My chest tightened. “Leave us alone.”

He nodded and quietly left the room.

I cried then.

For the first time in a long time, I let myself feel everything. I stayed with Grandpa for hours, holding his hand, memorizing the rise and fall of his chest, afraid every breath might be his last.

When I finally left the house, my feet carried me to the lake. I used to come here whenever my mother and I fought. The view had always been beautiful. It used to calm me.

I was lost in my thoughts when a powerful presence pressed against my senses.

I turned around.

“I never expected to meet you like this,” a deep voice said. “Bella Davis, former Luna of Silvercrest.”

My heart dropped.

Standing a few feet away was the most dangerous man I had ever seen.

Gideon.

Alpha of the Darkfang pack.

“Alpha,” I said instinctively.

“I see you know who I am,” he replied calmly.

“Of course.”

“You know I should kill you right here,” he said, his voice almost casual.

“What?” I breathed.

“We had a war a year ago,” he continued. “Innocent people died because of you.”

“I don’t understand,” I said honestly.

“That idiot mate of yours believed you crossed into my territory and were working for me,” Gideon said. “He accused me of killing one of his men. Charles. That was his name, wasn’t it?”

My stomach churned.

“As if I would work with a weak woman like you,” he went on coldly. “A werewolf without a wolf. And what kind of woman cheats on her mate?”

His words cut deeper than I expected. I had heard those insults my entire life, but hearing them from him still hurt.

“That fool tried to attack me,” Gideon continued. “He lost. Harrison ran when he realized he was losing.”

Harrison is alive, I thought numbly. And he destroyed everything because of Cassandra’s lies.

“Innocent people from both packs died,” Gideon said. “Including my Beta. That is something I will never forgive.”

My chest tightened.

“The only reason you are alive,” he added, “is because I met your grandfather. He is a good man. He loves you. You are safe while he lives. After that, I make no promises.”

He tilted his head slightly. “But I suppose I should thank you. Because of you, I am now the Alpha of the largest pack.”

He laughed softly, and a chill ran through my body.

Gideon was dangerous. I could see it now.

“Where were you when you ran away, Davis?” he asked. “And don’t lie to me.”

I looked him dead in the eyes and said, “Alpha Gideon, that is none of your business.”

His brows lifted slightly, clearly not expecting that.

“After all,” I continued calmly, “I am already being blamed for what Harrison did. Of course a woman always has to carry the weight of a man’s actions.”

For the first time since he arrived, Gideon looked surprised.

“But for your information,” I added, “I was in the human territory.”

“That makes sense,” he said coldly. “A worthless woman like you could only survive in a place like that.”

I clenched my jaw but said nothing.

“But I do have a question for you, Davis,” he went on.

“Yes?” I replied.

“Did you see a black wolf the night you ran away?” he asked. “A she wolf.”

My heart skipped.

Is he talking about Nyra? I asked myself.

“I think so,” Nyra answered quietly.

“I’m sorry, Alpha,” I said carefully, “but the only wolves I saw that night were two men from the night patrol.”

He studied my face for a long moment, then nodded slowly. There was something almost disappointed in his expression.

“Spend this weekend with your grandfather,” Gideon said. “But on Monday morning, you report to the training grounds.”

I frowned. “Training?”

“Wolf or not,” he said, his voice firm, “every member of my pack trains.”

With that, he turned and walked toward the pack house, leaving me standing by the lake.

I swallowed hard.

I would have to bite my tongue. I had no choice but to stay here for now. I would remain in the Darkfang pack until Grandpa passed, and then I would leave this territory forever.

Until then, I would play the role they expected of me.

The stupid, weak human girl.

And while they underestimated me, I would watch, listen, and learn. Secrets always revealed themselves to those people ignored.

One day, Gideon, I will show you exactly what this weak woman is capable of.

I spent two days at my grandfather’s side, and he never woke up.

I spoke to him anyway, held his hand, and told him I was here. I did not know if he could hear me, but I hoped he could feel that I had not abandoned him.

I went looking for my best friend, Elizabeth. I needed her more than I wanted to admit, but she was visiting her aunt in a nearby pack, and no one knew when she would return. At least she was alive. That alone gave me some comfort.

I avoided my family as much as possible, but I could not escape the whispers. I heard the pack members talking about me when they thought I was out of earshot.

Some of them believed I killed Charles.

Their theories were quickly dismissed. Anyone who claimed I was responsible was labeled insane. After all, how could an almost human girl kill a trained werewolf?

My wolf snorted inside my head. And they are the only ones who are right.

I froze.

Nyra.

I still can’t taste his blood in my mouth, she added calmly.

“Nyra,” I whispered, then let out a small, humorless laugh.

They thought I didn’t have a wolf. That made me harmless in their eyes. Weak. Incapable.

Idiots.

The rest of the pack had settled on two other theories. Either Gideon killed Charles during the war, or Harrison did after seeing the photos of me and Charles together.

They would never learn the truth.

I had not been able to uncover everything that happened during the war. I was not welcomed into the Darkfang pack, only tolerated. Still, what I learned shocked me.

Harrison and Cassandra escaped.

I could not believe Gideon let them get away.

They ran like the cowards they are, Nyra said.

I learned that Cassandra fled with Harrison and that her parents died during the war. When they realized they were losing, they ran, and they were still out there.

That terrified me.

I also learned that my favorite teacher and the librarian were among the dead. They were the ones who made my school years bearable. Their deaths hurt more than I expected.

When I heard the full list of names, my feelings were conflicted.

For a time, I was their Luna. Some of them never respected me. They mocked me for not having a wolf. Their deaths did not affect me the same way.

But others were kind to me. Those losses cut deep.

I was not glad anyone died. Some deaths simply hurt more than others.

And all of them believed Cassandra’s lies.

To them, I was still the ex Luna of Silvercrest. The woman who cheated on her mate. The traitor who worked with Gideon. The reason Charles was dead.

I would never win with my old pack. No matter what I did, they would always hate me.

I hoped that when Elizabeth returned, she could tell me what truly happened after I left.

I sighed, forcing myself not to dwell on the innocent people who died because of Harrison and my traitor cousin.

At least Gideon was a capable Alpha. Now that the packs were united, things were running better than they ever did under Harrison.

Nyra stirred again. We should visit our pack and tell Ronald our plans. If not, I can see him coming here himself.

I frowned. “Gideon would not appreciate a vampire showing up.”

Especially not one that powerful, Nyra added.

“You’re right,” I said quietly. “Training starts tomorrow morning. I’ll go tonight.”

We would visit our pack, then run back before dawn. I would be back before anyone noticed I was gone.

That night, I was ready.

I climbed out through the window so no one would realize I had left. The moment my feet hit the ground, I ran, then shifted.

Nyra took over, moving at full speed.

We were close to crossing into nomad territory when a massive white wolf leapt in front of us, forcing us to stop.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

“You,” he said.

I shifted back instantly. “Alpha Gideon.”

“I have been looking for you,” he replied coldly.