Homecoming

A Few Hours Later

After 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 his footsteps. His voice carried through the cabin walls as he spoke with Amelia outside. I did not try to listen, but my hearing caught pieces anyway. He was asking her what she had heard earlier. She told him everything.

When their conversation ended, I heard his steps change direction. He was running. Straight toward my room.

The door opened without a knock.

“Little wolf,” he said softly.

That was all it took.

I stood up and walked into his arms. I did not care that his clothes were stained with blood. I did not care that he smelled like death and iron. I wrapped my arms around him and pressed my face into his chest. He held me immediately, strong and steady, like he had been doing since the day he found me broken in the forest.

“I just heard what is going on,” he said quietly. “I am so sorry.”

He hugged me tighter and kissed the top of my head.

That was when I broke.

I cried against his chest, silent and shaking, letting the pain I had been holding back finally spill out.

“Reginald, I don’t know what to do,” I said quietly. “I need to see my grandpa, but I don’t know if I’m ready.”

He pulled back slightly and looked at me. His eyes carried the weight of my pain, like he was holding it with me. “I wouldn’t want you to go,” he said honestly. “If something happened to you, I wouldn’t know how to live with that. But you deserve to see your grandfather. This is a decision only you can make, Bella.”

I shifted uneasily, the weight of it all pressing down on my chest. “Grandpa was always kind to me,” I said. “He wasn’t like the rest of my family. I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t see him, even just one last time.” My voice trembled despite my effort to keep it steady.

Reginald guided me gently until we were both sitting on the bed. He took my hands in his, grounding me. “I know, little wolf,” he said softly.

Tears burned my eyes as everything tangled together inside me. “I don’t know where I belong anymore,” I admitted. “I don’t know if I should go back there or stay here.”

He squeezed my hands. “Your grandfather would want you to do what feels right for you,” he said. “And you are not the same weak girl who ran from her pack. You are a strong alpha now. You have every right to see him.”

Something settled inside me then. I nodded slowly. “You’re right,” I said. “I’ll go back. I need to see my grandfather.”

I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around him, holding on tight. “Thank you, Reginald. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

He chuckled softly and hugged me back. “I’ll always be here when you need me, Bella,” he said. “But we need a plan. I won’t let you walk into danger.”

“You’re right,” I said. I stood up and paced the room, my thoughts racing.

“I think you should keep your identity a secret,” he said.

I stopped and turned to him. “What?”

“Go back as Bella,” he explained. “Not as an alpha. Act like a fragile human in front of the new alpha so he doesn’t see you as a threat. When you’re done there, you come back home.”

I studied him for a moment, then the plan itself. The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Pretending to be weak would make me invisible. It would protect me.

I smiled faintly. “You’re the best, Reginald.”

He smiled back, and for the first time since the news broke, I felt like I wasn’t facing this alone.

I did not sleep that night. When the sun finally rose, I was already awake, staring at the ceiling and thinking about the place I was going back to. A year ago, that place broke me. Today, I was walking back into it without fear. This time, I was not running. I was taking back what belonged to me.

I got dressed slowly, choosing simple clothes that would not draw attention. When I was done, I sat on the edge of the bed and planned my every move. I would go through human territory, rent a car, and drive back. If anyone asked where I had been, I would say I stayed in the human lands after I ran away. No one needed to know about this place. No one needed to trace my path back to my pack.

After saying my goodbyes, Nyra took over. She ran fast and silent, carrying us through the forest toward human territory.

When we reached the edge, she slowed and spoke in my mind. Here we are, Bella. From here, I will hide my presence. It is not safe for anyone to know you have a wolf now.

I shifted back into my human form and adjusted my clothes before walking toward the road. I rented a car without trouble, kept my head down, and an hour later, I was driving home.

The closer I got, the heavier my chest felt. When I reached the border of the territory, a warrior stepped out and raised his hand, stopping me.

“Who are you,” he demanded, “and what are you doing here?”

I lifted my chin and met his eyes, already prepared for the lie that would open the gates back into my past.

“I am Bella,” I said. “I am here to see my family.”

The warrior frowned slightly, studying my face. “Bella,” he repeated slowly. “Bella Davis.”

“Yes,” I said.

He recognized me immediately, and that made my stomach twist. I wondered what they thought of me now. I wondered what stories had been told about me. Did the Darkfang pack believe the lies too? Did they see me as a traitor?

The warrior did not say anything else. He closed his eyes briefly, speaking through the mind link. I stood there in silence, my heart beating faster with every second that passed.

After a moment, he opened his eyes and stepped aside. “The Alpha has granted you access to the pack,” he said. “You may enter.”

I nodded and walked past him, forcing myself to stay calm even as fear crept into my chest. I could only hope Gideon would not decide to kill me the moment he found out I was back.

I drove home and parked in front of the house. For a moment, I sat in the car with my hands on the steering wheel, breathing slowly. Then I got out and walked inside.

They were all waiting for me.

My mother. My father. My sister.

The moment I stepped into the living room, I felt the weight of their hatred crash down on me. Their eyes held nothing but disgust.

My sister, Jennifer, scoffed. “Look who finally dared to show her face.”

Her voice dripped with mockery. She had hated me for as long as I could remember. She was two years younger than me, and when she was born, I loved her instantly. But as she grew older, she watched how everyone treated me and learned to do the same. Cruelty came easily to her.

My mother walked up to me before I could say a word. Her hand struck my face hard, the force snapping my head to the side.

“How dare you come back after what you did, you whore,” she shouted.

I barely reacted. I was too used to her insults for them to hurt the way they once did.

“You didn’t just cheat on our Alpha,” she continued, her voice sharp with rage. “You worked with our enemy.”

Jennifer crossed her arms and sneered. “I’m ashamed to be related to you, bitch.”

I stood there, stunned. Cheating, I expected. Cassandra’s lies had always been poisonous. But working with the enemy? That was new. She must have added that part herself.

My mother’s voice dropped into something cold and vicious. “I prayed you were dead,” she said. “So you would stop embarrassing this family.”

Something inside me shifted then.

Nyra stirred, steady and calm, reminding me of who I was now.

Enough.

I lifted my head and looked at them, really looked at them. I was no longer the weak girl who had stood here and taken their cruelty in silence. I had survived worse than this. I had rebuilt myself from nothing.

This ends now, I told myself.

And for the first time, I did not feel afraid.