Mother

Bella:

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said to my mother and then attempted to walk away, but she grabbed my hand roughly.

“You will leave with Ryder right now because the clothes for the occasion have been provided and packed. I stayed up all night doing that,” Mother said, and my brows wrinkled as I glared at Alpha Fred, who tried not to look at me.

“You won’t say anything? What have I done to deserve this forced trip?” I asked, yanking my hands away from my mother and shifting to Alpha Fred’s view, who was avoiding meeting my eyes.

He sighed.

“Ryder has something important to attend, and I need you there because you are the only one that he listens to at this moment,” he said, and I rolled my eyes with a scoff.

“He is my stepbrother and a mate he barely desires, plus he has a girlfriend who…”

“Who has only been nothing but chaotic in his life. This is the best Ryder has been since...” He paused to take in the lump in his throat. “I split up with his mum,” he finished, and I kept m