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Chapter 60

Author: lordiron21
last update Last Updated: 2023-07-27 01:42:32

"I don't know," Bella admitted. "He's honest, compassionate, sweet. He's enthusiastic about everything he does and he always makes me laugh."

"You are aware that you just described a dog, aren't you?"

She glared at him. "Funny. It's not just that. I don't know what it is, but even though I've only known him for a little while, I feel like I've known him all my life. I know he'd do whatever it took to keep me safe."

He snorted. "Everything except being here. He practically left you to die in the woods so he could chase his prey, remember?"

Her nails dug into her thighs as a way to channel the anger mounting inside of her. "You said it yourself, he can't help it when he goes into that state."

"A lack of control is never an excuse."

"Maybe not in your world of leather whips and restraints where there's always a right and a wrong way to do everything, but that's not the real world, Victor," she muttered. "You can't live in that world forever."

He smirked. "Y
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    Bella's eyes burned with tears that she tried to hold back to no avail. "It's not fair. Victor is always there to rescue everyone else, but who's going to save him?" Clara gave her a ghost of a smile. "I had hoped it might be you, before the mark. I've never seen Victor light up the way he did when he saw you walk into the Lodge that night. He was reading in the lounge, as usual, when you walked in. When I greeted you and Arthur at .ere the only person in the world there ever had been or ever would be. He waited until you were gone to ask me who you were. I showed him your name in the guest book and told him you were Arthur's friend. I asked him if he knew you somehow." "What did he say?" Bella asked hoarsely. Clara looked away. "He said he'd been waiting for you for a very long time. That you were the one he was going to spend the rest of his life with." Her words knocked the wind out of Bella. The tears that had been pooling in her e

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    “Of course,” Bella said, startled that he felt like he had to ask. “Well, I know you didn't like him so I just thought...” He trailed off, losing his enthusiasm for a moment. “Thank you. It would mean a lot to have you there. Victor is coming, and he said your dad would probably want to come, too.” He glanced toward the stairs. “I'll let you go; I have to find Brendan.” “He's probably still out with the others celebrating, but I know he was planning on seeing if you wanted to go out later,” Bella said carefully. “Oh, darn. I wanted to invite him, but I'll just have to wait until later. Bye, Bella!” he waved, already halfway down the hall. “Bye, Mav.” Bella waved back, mystified. Barely recovered from the macabre interaction, she knocked on Victor's office door and waited for permission before she entered. “Aren't you supposed to be with him?” was his immediate response. “Hi to you, too,” Bella muttered, walking over to his desk.He gave her an apologetic sm

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    “I'm fine,” Bella lied, brushing past her. She grabbed Bella's arm before she could head up the stairs. “You're a terrible liar,” she said, sounding a bit disappointed. “You get that from your father, obviously. Tell me what's wrong, maybe I can help.” “I went out to watch the others shift,” Bella said, leaning on the railing. “Now there's an all-American pastime,” she said, casting a lustful glance in the direction of the forest. “Honey, trust me, if your boy toys are upset about you sneaking a little peek at the competition, they probably don't have the equipment for the job in the first place.” “That's not it!” Bella snapped. “And they both have plenty of equipment for the—they're both well equipped, okay?” Bella stammered. “That's not what this is about.” “No?” She blinked. “Then what?” “I left the Lodge by myself. Months ago, Victor put a mental block up that would keep me from leaving the Lodge without permission,” Bella said. “It was our trade

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