Chapter 6

At the edge

Zayn could feel the desire burning through Bella's eyes. He wanted badly to feel every inch of her body. But he hesitated, it didn't feel right. He pulled away from her and sat back on the bed. "W...what's wrong?" Bella managed to whisper, not knowing why he had stopped midway.

"You should get some rest, I know tonight must have been really frightening for you," Zayn said as he stood up to leave. Bella stood up after him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "It was," she said, her voice catching in her throat. "That's why you shouldn't leave me here all alone."

He pulled away from her embrace. "What just happened was just in the heat of the moment. I don't feel about you any differently than I did before. I don't see you as anything other than the outcast that you are. I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression." Bella couldn't believe her ears. "That's not true," she said in disbelief. "I know you also feel the connection between us."

"We have a long ride tomorrow morning, so you should get some rest," Zayn said, his voice cold and distant. He walked out of the room, leaving Bella stunned and confused. She knew he was lying. He did feel something. She saw it in his eyes. But his words were still painful to hear.

Bella sank back onto the bed. She couldn't believe Zayn had gone back to being the cold, mean alpha he'd been before. She hated the way she felt about him. She wished it would all just disappear, that she could go back to the way things were before they'd met. But it was too late for that now.

The next day, they drove back to the mansion in silence. They ignored each other the whole time, their tension obvious to anyone who could sense emotions. Mira, could feel the tension between them. She knew something had happened at the moon forest, and it only made her angrier at Bella. She hated the fact that Zayn had been nice to her, even if it was only for a moment. Her hatred for Bella was stronger than ever.

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As the sun set, Bella and Ethan were training together. She was trying to improve her archery skills, something she had been working on for the past week since the incident at the moon forest. She tried to keep her mind clear of Zayn, focusing instead on her training. She wanted to become stronger, to help in any way she could, and to return home to her people. As she loosed another arrow, she felt a sense of determination and resolve.

"No, Bella," Ethan said gently, "you need to keep your shoulders square and your eyes focused on the target. Remember, in a real fight, you're aiming to kill or you'll be killed." He adjusted her shoulders to help her get the right form. "I'm sorry, I'm really trying my best," she said, feeling frustrated. "I know you are, but you have to put in a little more effort, okay?" he said. "Okay," she replied, nodding her head in understanding.

"Ethan!" They heard a voice call from behind them. They turned around and saw Sal, one of the other members of the pack. "Zayn has called for a meeting. He wants us all in the field now," he said, then walked away. "I have to go," Ethan said to Bella. "You keep practicing until you get your form right." He ran to catch up with Sal, leaving Bella alone in the training field. She took a deep breath and readied herself to try again. She released the arrow but it missed the target again. She sighed, feeling frustrated and disappointed.

"Try as hard as you want!" she heard a voice call out, and she recognized it as Mira's. "But you will never be good enough!" Mira added. Bella clenched her jaw, her frustration growing. "I'm not interested, Mira. Just leave me alone," she said, as she readied her bow and arrow again. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

Mira ran with her werewolf speed and caught the arrow in her hand. "Why waste your time and everyone else's?" she said, breaking the arrow in half. "Just go back to the hole you call a town!" She threw the broken pieces to the ground. "What's your beef with me? Why do you hate me so much? Why is my being here such a bother to you?" Bella challenged, her anger growing. "You are pathetic and useless!" Mira yelled. "We're in the middle of a war, and you being here is nothing but a nuisance!" Her eyes flashed angrily as she paced back and forth. "Is it though? Or are you just intimidated by me?" Bella said, stepping closer to Mira, refusing to back down. "I know how you feel about Zayn," she continued. "But he doesn't look your way. He sees you as nothing more than a subordinate, just one of his pack members, nothing more." Her voice was full of confidence.

"How dare you?!" Mira snarled, her fangs bared in anger. "I should rip you apart! Right here, right now!" Her fists clenched, and she took a step forward, her eyes flashing gold with rage. "And why don't you?" Bella yelled back, her own anger boiling over. "I dare you!" she challenged, her heart racing in her chest. She knew she was pushing her luck, but she couldn't take the way Mira was treating her. Maybe if she had her wolf she’d assume it was her wolf that was making her act this way, or maybe she was just sick of being pushed around.

"You have no fucking idea what I'm capable of," Mira said, her voice low and threatening. "You'd better watch your back." With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Bella standing alone in the training field, her mind racing. Had Mira just threatened her? Was she really in danger? She was suddenly feeling very vulnerable, and very alone.

It had been weeks since Bella had seen Zayn, and it was clear that he was avoiding her. She wondered if he really meant what he had said at the moon forest.

Her training with Ethan had been going well, and she could feel her wolf slowly starting to awaken. She was so grateful to him for not giving up on her and for trying to make her feel like she belonged, even when the rest of the pack made it clear that she was an outsider.

As she took a stroll through the open fields one evening, She was cornered by two pack members “Hey, look it’s the cursed limelight!” One of them said as he giggled. “She’s trying so hard to be one of us!” He said as he pushed her slightly on the shoulder. “She has no wolf, how is she still considered a werewolf! Such a shame!” The other said mockingly. Bella kept her face down in shame she tried to walk away but they wouldn’t let her through. Zayn saw this from afar, he felt his anger boil as he watched the two guys poking her and making fun of her. He wanted to run up to them and snap their necks.

"Do you guys have nothing better to do than to annoy me?" Bella said, finally gathering enough courage to speak up for herself. The two guys laughed, clearly enjoying the way they were making her feel. "We're just having a bit of fun," one of them said with a smirk. "And besides, you're just a limelight," the other added. "You'll never be one of us, you'll always be on the outside looking in." The words stung, but Bella refused to let them see how much they hurt. "Fine," she said, her voice steady. "Say whatever you want, but I'm not going to stand here and listen to your crap!" Bella said, trying to push past them. But one of them grabbed her arm and pulled her back, causing her to fall on her butt. They both began to laugh menacingly.