~ Bella ~Suddenly the door to the house adjacent to mine opened and a man and woman came rushing out. They were my neighbors.I recognized them from passing them in the street from time to time but we'd never spoken. They walked up to us and bowed to Nikolai. I was gaping like a fool.These were the people Nikolai had watching me the entire time. They were actually living in the house adjacent to mine!I remembered now that the previous owners had moved out not long after I met Nikolai. He must have bought the house then! Or maybe he bought it and got them to leave?But this wasn't the time to ask any questions. Nikolai brushed off their greeting brusquely."Take Bella to the hospital right this second," he said. "She is injured and needs medical attention.""No! I'm fine," I started to argue. He ignored me completely. "Drag her there if you have to," he said to the couple."Where are you going?" I demanded, reaching out to grab the edge of his shirt."I'm going to pay a visit t
~ Bella ~"What happened, Nikolai? Whose blood is this? Is that-- Is that Parker's--""His blood? Yes," he answered staunchly. He walked around me to the chair he slept in the last time we were here and sat."D-did you... Did you hurt him?" I asked."If you're asking if I killed him, the answer is no. But I introduced him to the same wall you were introduced to," he said without an iota of guilt."Is he okay?" I asked fearfully, wondering what state Nikolai must have left him in.Suddenly, he was on his feet a few inches from me, snarling in my face. "Stop showing concern for that man in front of me!" He yelled.I gasped and cowered back. He whirled around and began to storm out of the room.I ran after him without a second thought. I grabbed him and held on."Nik! Nik, I'm sorry. I'm sorry," I muttered.He calmed down slowly and turned to face me. "He is fine," he said emphatically. I nodded. "I believe you. But you have bruised," I pointed out. I raised his knuckles up. "Let me t
~ Bella ~I woke up to my body feeling extremely sore.I was naked and curled up in a man's arms. That scent. I knew that scent.I breathed in deeply. Nikolai. Why was I in Nikolai's arms?Pieces of the night before began to creep back into my mind.Flashes of naked, intertwined bodies. Memories of inexplicable feelings and emotions.Suddenly, my body was on fire again. I moaned lightly.Oh, god! What did I do last night? It felt like I was watching someone else acting through me in my memories.I'd gone absolutely insane from the moment I kissed his knuckle.What kind of freak got turned on from kissing a knuckle?Oh god! I'd not been in control at all. I remembered a conversation with him somewhere in the midst of the craziness.Something about the full moon heightening our feelings.What kind of explanation was that to give to Parker? Oh god!We were already on the rocks. How would I explain that the very night I left home, I went off and fucked the same werewolf he'd suspected me
~ Bella ~I screamed.I fell backwards on my butt, staring at the horrific sight in front of me.I couldn't tear my eyes away. I couldn't look away.My eyes burned like someone had tossed acid in it. I needed to shut my eyes but I couldn't. My brain was frantically sending out the signals but my eyes refused to receive them.I was hyperventilating. I couldn't breath. I could feel my face getting redder and redder each passing second.My head was light. I was going to faint any second now.Suddenly, I felt a bit hand on the back of my head. It pushed my head down until it was between my legs.That also broke my eye contact with the horror in the room.I gulped like a fish, struggling for breath. Finally, I began to breath a little again.I was picked up and carried from the room. I kept my eyes shut tight.I didn't know if I could look upon that sight again without fainting.Boulin dropped me off on the couch."Did you see that?" I asked frantically, grabbing his arm. "Did you see tha
~ Nikolai ~The moment Bella roused from her sleep, I knew and came awake.I lay trying to gauge her mood and reaction before speaking up.Last night had been monumental. For me, and even more so for her.I'd understood what it meant fully to be her mate all along.I'd relished it, enjoyed it, waited for it. But she couldn't have understood how deep our connection goes.This morning, it would all be coming to her in a storm.She needed time to work her way through it herself without me interrupting.I could literally hear her mind spinning. Then came a small sound that shocked me. Clear as day, I'd heard her. She'd moaned. That meant she still wanted me, clear as day.I smiled ever so slightly, keeping my face hidden from her so she couldn't tell I was awake.I half expected her to climb on top of me and straddle me but instead, she just laid very still.'What was she thinking now?' I wondered. 'Maybe I should let her know I was awake?'Just as I was about to turn, I felt her shift s
~ Bella ~We were riding in the back of the ambulance, Boulin and I.The ambulance was going at a steady pace.The steady rhythm of the wheels was at least a slight comfort to the turbulence in my mind.I felt like I was going crazy. In one day, I went from being thrown out of my husband's home to finding him brutally murdered.Was that even possible? What kind of sick joke was the universe playing on me.And Nikolai... Nikolai had killed my husband and I'd stupidly gone ahead to wipe the blood off of him and banged him after.He must have been having the biggest laugh! But that didn't sound like the Nikolai I knew. Had he been planning on this all along? How long had he been playing me for? I was the idiot. The biggest idiot the world had ever seen.He was a werewolf for Christ's sake! He must have thoroughly enjoyed stringing me along, breaking up and my home and then killing my husband.This must have been a game to him. My life was just a game to him.Boulin leaned forward to ch
~ Bella ~We were surrounded on every side by menacing, growling werewolves. Boulin was constantly turning, trying to keep everyone in his line of sight at the same time.I turned with him inch by inch, keeping to his back.Without turning around, he reached back and grabbed my hand in his giant palm. He raised my hand and placed it on his shoulder.His message was clear, "Stay close!" 'Sir, yes sir! What was I, stupid?' I didn't plan on going anywhere.I saw the attack before it came. It was like an invisible signal that rung through the group and suddenly one of them jumped at us with a roar.Boulin stepped forward to meet him halfway. He swiped a claw at him, catching him midriff.With one swipe, he took out his entire belly. Blood gushed everywhere.The next second, he whirled around and pushed me behind me. I hadn't realized it but the one behind me had come up behind me.Boulin grabbed him by the neck, shook him and tossed him away like a rag doll.I kept my hand on his shoul
~ Nikolai ~After saying my goodbyes to Nick, I headed out.I headed for my car, which I remembered now that I'd left haphazardly on the road.I got into the car. It was then and only then that I allowed myself to pull the yellow scrap of paper I'd recovered from Parker's body.I unwrapped it and spread it out against the steering wall.Just as I thought, there was a note written on it. Also, the note was for me.Even with no name there, I know it was addressed to me.I know the murder of Parker Smith had everything to do with me.I'd left Parker alive and well and then someone had gone in and killed him, making it look like I did.I knew it was only a matter of time before the police found out about my visit here last night.They would come to me with questions. I fully intended to have answers before then.But apparently I didn't have to look too far, the note was an invitation to me by the perpetrator.It read: Knock KnockWho's there?ShoulderShoulder who?Shoulder kept an eye o