Chapter 7

The encounter

"So weak," one of them said, mocking her. But before Zayn could react, Ethan stepped in. "Back off!" he said, his voice firm and commanding. The two guys looked surprised, clearly not expecting Ethan to defend her. "This isn't your business," one of them said. "Mind your own."

"As long as it involves Bella, it is my business," Ethan said, his eyes glowing with anger. "So why don't you pick on someone your own size?" The two guys looked at each other, unsure of how to respond. "What, are you fucking the witch?" one of them asked, laughing. "What are you going to do if we don't back off?" the other added, a smirk on his face. Zayn felt his own anger rising, his wolf urging him to join in the fight. But he knew he couldn’t or else it would put Bella in a tight position.

"I'll rip your head from your body, is what I'll do," Ethan said, his voice low and full of rage. Bella had never seen him like this before. He was always so calm and collected, but now he looked ready to tear these guys apart. She was grateful for his protection, but she was also worried that he would get hurt because of her. The two guys laughed, clearly not taking him seriously. "Oh, the omega wants to go against his pack for a piece of limelight ass!" one of them sneered. "Don't worry, we'll leave your little witch alone," the other said, gesturing surrender in mockery as they both backed away and left.

Zayn, on the other hand, was simmering with anger. He didn't want to step out of the corner where he was standing, but he was furious at the way those two had treated Bella. He was definitely going to teach them a lesson they'd never forget.

Zayn stood there, watching as Ethan helped Bella to her feet and led her away. He felt a surge of jealousy. He wanted to be the one comforting her, protecting her. He wanted to claim her as his own, but he knew he couldn't. His position in the pack, his reputation - they all depended on him remaining impartial and aloof. He had to put his duty first. He watched until they were out of sight, then turned and walked away.

Later that night, Bella was in her room when she heard a knock at the door. She opened it to find the two boys who had bullied her earlier kneeling in front of her, their faces bruised and swollen. It looked like they had been used as piñata at a group of angry kids birthday party. "W...we're so sorry for bullying you," one of them stammered. "We thought it was funny, but now...now we realize our mistake." Bella stood there, stunned. They were pleading for mercy, as if she was about to sentence them to death. She had no idea what to do.

"What happened to you two?" she asked, her concern showing in her voice. "We...we bumped into a pole," one of them said, his voice shaking. "Yes! A pole!" the other echoed. "Please forgive us," they pleaded, their voices desperate. "Oh, it's fine," she said, trying to be reassuring. "Come inside, I'll look at your bruises and put some ointment on them." They hesitated for a moment, but she insisted, and they finally agreed.

************

Bella was out buying some local herbs when she recognized two men causing a scene at a nearby store. "How dare you step on my toe!" one of them yelled, grabbing an elderly man by the shirt. She recognized them immediately - they were members of the Bloodcrest pack, the same pack that had ambushed her and the shadowfang months ago. A knot of fear formed in her stomach. She didn't want to get involved, but she couldn't just walk away either.

"I'm sorry, it was an accident," the old man pleaded, his voice shaking. The other man just continued to throw his merchandise around the store, shouting and cursing. Bella looked around and noticed that everyone else in the store was pretending not to see what was happening. They were clearly too scared to get involved. She pulled out her phone, wanting to call for help, but she had no idea who to call. She thought of Ethan, but knew that these men were probably stronger than he was. She watched, her blood boiling with anger, as they continued to ransack the store and beat up the old man.

Once they had satisfied their sadistic need for violence, the two men walked out of the store, laughing at their own cruelty. Bella ran to the old man, helping him to his feet and directing someone nearby to help fix him up. Then, she ran after the men, following them at a distance, making sure to stay out of their sight. She wanted to know where they were going, hoping that they might lead her to Kyle. If she could find Kyle, she could alert Zayn, and they could finally put an end to this.

As she followed the men, she realized they were heading into unfamiliar territory. She pulled out her phone and dialed Zayn's number, but it just kept ringing. She tried Ethan next, but he didn't answer either. Then she remembered Zayn saying something about a meeting. As a last resort, she dialed Mira's number, the woman who had always hated her. "Hey...Mira!" Bella whispered, hiding in a corner to avoid being seen. "Who the hell is this?" Mira snapped on the other end of the line.

"It's me, Bella!" she said, her voice shaking. "What?" Mira said, her tone scathing. "Why the fuck are you calling me right now?" "Listen," Bella said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. "I followed two members of the Bloodcrest pack to an unknown location. I think it might be their secret hideout. I'll send you my location now. Tell Zayn, and maybe you guys can come here and put a stop to all of this." There was a pause on the other end of the line, then Mira replied, "Oh, really?" Menace playing in her voice “okay, sure!” Then she hung up.

Bella tried to call Mira back, but Mira ignored her call. She was so focused on her frustration that she didn't realize that someone had spotted her. A hand grabbed her and pulled her out of the corner, and she felt herself being held by a man who towered over her. "Who the fuck are you?" he demanded. Bella looked up at him, taking in his tall, dark-haired frame and his perfect features. But his face was marred by a deep claw mark on the left side. It was obvious that he was part of the Bloodcrest pack.

A cold, dark aura radiated from him, and she had never felt anything like it before. It was chilling. She heard a voice calling from the corner, "Kyle!" The sound of that name sent a shiver down her spine. No way, she thought. She was standing before the alpha of the Bloodcrest pack. She knew that she was in serious danger. But instead of cowering, she looked him in the eye, determined to not show any weakness.

"What do we have here?" Kyle asked, his voice dangerous. He turned to the man who had called out his name. "Do you know who this is?" "She's one of the Shadowfang's," the man replied, stepping closer to Bella. He sniffed at her, then smirked. "She was with them when we ambushed." Bella stood her ground, refusing to be intimidated. She knew she had to be brave.

"Oh, interesting," Kyle said, turning back to look at Bella with a smirk. "So you know who I am. How bold of you to come here on your own." He let out a chuckle, and Bella felt a chill go down her spine. "Hmm, there's something different about you," he said, moving closer and sniffing at her long, silver hair. "What is it?" he asked, almost as if he were taunting her. Bella refused to back down, but she was becoming more and more worried about her situation.

"Wh-what are you going to do with me?" Bella stammered, trying to hide the fear in her voice. "Well..." Kyle began, his voice dark and menacing. "Your alpha has killed a lot of my men. And although there's something intriguing about you, I'm afraid I'll have to kill you, just to send a message to my dear brother!" Bella's heart sank. This man was truly evil, and he would not hesitate to hurt her if it meant getting back at his brother.