Bella's POV"Push her? But I didn't!" I immediately defended myself. How could he be so blind?"Don't you dare lie to me, Bella! I saw you! You missed her hand on purpose!" Alpha Max roared, cradling Jessica in his arms like a baby."I did not!” I retorted. "If anyone pushed the other, it was her," I said pointing at her. "Jessica was the one who pushed me down the stairs! C'mon, Jessica! Tell him. Did I push you?” I asked, almost angry at the way they all tried to frame me and make Jessica look like the victim."Baby, please beg Bella," Jessica cried and I was stunned. Where did the tears come from? She didn't even get hurt!"Earlier, I was feeling dizzy so I mistakenly pushed her. She must have thought I did it on purpose and taken it to heart. I'm sorry, Bella," she cried, and I stood there frozen, completely bewildered by her act. "B- but I didn't….""Shut up!” Alpha Max roared but before he could continue, the woman in his arms began to gasp for breath. "I- I c-can-t breathe…"
Bella's POVBeads of sweat immediately formed on my forehead, and I calmed myself, not wanting my reaction to give the truth away."No, Jessica, I'm not pregnant," I replied, trying to sound as confident as possible, despite the unease inside me.Jessica raised an eyebrow skeptically, noticing my subtle hesitation. "Hmm, alright. Are you sure, Bella? Remember that lying to me won't do you any good." She leaned back in her bed, observing my reaction carefully.Jessica raised an eyebrow, seemingly unconvinced. "Really? Then why were you holding your stomach when you almost fell earlier? It looked like a protective instinct for a pregnant lady, don't you think?"I bit my lip, not knowing how she saw that. "I- I-" I stammered, searching for a plausible explanation. "It was a stomach ache. I ate something that didn't agree with me. It's like a habit, you know? It doesn't mean anything."Jessica seemed to contemplate my response for a moment before nodding. "Alright, I'll give you the benef
Bella's POVWith a deep breath, I gave her an answer. "Fine, Tiana. Tell me your plan."Tiana sat me down on her bed and then explained her plan to me, starting from how I'll leave the pack house, to where I'll go and how she'll handle Alpha Max and her best friend, Jessica. I thought about it and it seemed too good to be true. "Can you give me a few days to think about it?" I asked and she scoffed. "The offer doesn't last for long, Bella. When you're ready, it might be too late to help you," Tiana said. "Hmm," I nodded, knowing fully well I didn't want to make an irrational decision with Jessica's best friend. It could be a trap or worse. "Dinner is ready and Jessica is waiting for you," I quickly reminded her and went outside.Leaving Tiana, I went to meet Jessica, still acting as her maid as agreed. Seeing the food in Tiana's room didn't make me retch, but seeing Jessica and Alpha Max being lovey-dovey made my insides turn and heave a sigh of relief when dinner was finally over
Bella's POV"Turn around and answer me, Bella. Where are you off to?" He commanded using his authoritative voice and being unable to refuse, I turned to face him with my head low."I'm going to Lea's to buy food for your wife, Jessica," I retorted, staring at the ground.With a swift movement, he closed the gap between us and raised my chin to meet his gaze. His touch sent waves of electricity through my veins, and even my child jumped from the sensation."What happened to you? Why do you look like this?" He asked, staring at my bony frame and tired face. "Why are you dressed like this? And why are you going to Lea's? Can't Jessica send the guards instead?"I managed to extract myself from Alpha Max's grip with a gentle yet deliberate movement, aware that every second counted. The earlier I get out of this place, the better. The electricity that pulsed through my veins from his touch was a sensation I couldn't afford to indulge in right now. As his intense gaze bore into me, I took a
Bella's POV I gulped, knowing well they found me hiding behind the tree but how? Weren't they going in the other direction a few minutes ago? "We know you're there! Come out now, Bella!" They snickered and I sat there, crying, praying, and cursing Jessica. "How could she arrange for men to kill me on short notice? How did she know I'd be here? Did Tiana tell her? Or did she find out about Tiana's plan and my involvement in it? Either way, just help me and the baby get out of here, please," I begged the heavens for a miracle. Moving away from the tree only endangered me more so I decided to stay still, praying for a miracle, and as if the heavens heard my prayers, someone yelled. "She's here, she just dumped her clothes and ran off!" "What? Where? Chase her now!" The leader yelled, going towards the bush where I stashed the maid's clothes. "Thank you," I mumbled and stood up to see my jeans, wet and stained from the liquid. My child was not in good condition and I was stuck here
Bella's POVI looked at the men, checking the vial in the leader's hands. Is it truly the antidote? "I'll only come if you give me the antidote first." I yelled, stretching my hands forward, knowing if I get it, I can devise an escape plan later, and my baby would be safe. "No Bella. That's not the deal, come forward and then I'll give it to you, okay? Here I'll take a sip, to assure you that it's not poison," he said and took a sip of the liquid.Feeling a bit assured, I took a few steps forward, not fully giving in to their condition or rejecting it either. He tossed the vial to me, "Here, drink it." I narrowed my eyes, scrutinizing each and every one of them. With a doubting mind, I uncorked the cover, taking a sip of the so-called antidote and once I was done, I covered it back. "Get her!" The leader yelled and his men surrounded me again."What are you doing?" "Did you really think I would give you the antidote," he laughed. "That was the same substance added to the drink J
Bella's POV"What are we gonna do with her?" I heard someone ask and it jolted me into consciousness.I tried to move, to stop the bright light from burning my eyes but the pain in my left shoulder forced me back down. "Are they taking me to Jessica?" I thought."Dessa," I called out to my wolf hoping she didn't disappear on me. "I'm here, Bella. How do you feel?""Painful but okay. Where are we? And who are these? Are they the rogues who chased me earlier? And why did they bandage the wound?'She nodded. "I don't know who they are. But when they saw you, they immediately changed their attitude and decided to help. It was strange to me too."The landscape around us was a blur of trees and shadows, and my vision was still blurry from the blinding light. "My face? Did they perhaps mention where they're taking me?" I inquired, adjusting my position slightly to get a better view of our surroundings."No," Dessa responded, and I shifted my gaze to the wound on my shoulder. The makeshift b
Bella's POV"Yes," I answered, standing up to follow him."Let's go!” he ordered and without hesitation, I walked with him into the room that looked like a mini gallery. "Do you recognize them?" He asked, pointing at a picture with a man, woman, and baby. I shook my head. "No. Why did you bring me here?""We only saved your life because we think you're our Beta's lost daughter."I burst into laughter. "What? Me? The Beta's daughter? You must be mistaken, 'boss.' I'm an orphan. My parents died a long time ago and my stepmother, who I used to live with, sold me for a large amount of money.""She's not your stepmother," a female voice interrupted and I looked back to see an old woman. "I am one of the nurses who delivered you twenty years ago. You see, the lady you call your stepmother, Sophia, was paid by my colleague to take care of you but when my colleague died, we had no way to reach your Sophia or get you back."I laughed again seeing as they were clearly playing a prank on me. "Y