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Chapter 6
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2024-10-29 19:42:56"Are you alright? That was almost bad," he said with what seemed to be genuine concern.
If it had been anyone else, Bella would have already been thanking them profusely. Since it was Darian she was a bit wary of his intentions, to say the least.
"I'm fine. Thanks for your help, but I could really do without any more of it," Bella muttered, brushing past him.
"Wait a second," he said, grabbing the chain dangling from her cuff and jerking it like a leash. The snaps on the cuff popped off, leaving her arm exposed.
Bella whirled around and held her forearm to her chest. "Give me that!" she cried fearfully, reaching for the cuff.
Darian held it out of her reach and in doing so, pulled her closer. "What the hell was that about?"
"I need that," Bella said, grabbing at it while keeping her arm close to her chest.
"Not until you tell me why I'm getting the cold shoulder. Usually, you'd at least give a guy the chance to break the ice before that happens."
Bella frowned. "You can stop pretending, I know what you did."
"Great, then you can fill me in, because I have no clue what you're talking about," he said firmly.
Bella stifled a frustrated growl. Normally she wasn't a hot-tempered person, but there was something about Darian that pressed all her buttons. She had barely known him a couple of hours, but he already seemed to have a user's manual.
He laughed.
"I'm glad you find this funny because I don't."
"Maybe it's not, but how am I supposed to know if you won't tell me what I did?" he demanded.
Bella held her hand up as high as she could to show the stamp without revealing her forearm since he insisted on playing dumb.
"This."
"Oh," he said, scratching the five o'clock shadow forming on his jaw. "That."
Bella gave him an incredulous look. "Yeah. That. I've been getting weird looks all night because of your 'special' stamp."
He breathed what seemed to be a sigh of relief. "That's what's got you all worked up? It's just my personal seal."
"Why do I have it?" Bella asked warily.
He shrugged. "I think you're cute. I wanted to talk to you, so it's there to make sure no one else goes after you."
"If that's all then why have I been getting weird looks from the staff all night?" Bella challenged.
He rubbed the back of his head and grimaced a little. If the sheepish farm boy routine was an act, it was a good one. "Yeah, well, I've never used it before. They were probably just surprised."
That startled her. Bella couldn't hide her surprise either. "But you used it on me?"
"Yeah," he said with another shrug. "Guess I felt a connection or something. I dunno, my brother's the one who's into all that syrupy stuff. I think you're cute, let's leave it at that."
The answer was so simple it was both unbelievable and unquestionable. Bella sighed, feeling her righteous indignation slip from her grasp.
And then she remembered the competition.
"That still doesn't explain why you signed me up for this silly contest," she said with renewed indignation.
"Huh?" He was feigning ignorance again.
At least he dropped her cuff in his confusion. She snatched it up and carefully snapped it back on, hoping no one had seen what was underneath. Her caution drew his focus, but fortunately, he didn't have time to ask before Clarence yelled, "Curtain call in three minutes! Guys, get in your places."
She snapped the last closure and straightened her back in an attempt to fortify her retreating confidence. "Play innocent all you want. We'll see what your Alpha thinks."
She didn't wait for his reaction to start getting back on the pedestal. Maybe she needed his help, but that didn't mean she wanted it.
Not that he gave her a choice in the matter. Darian grabbed her again and hoisted her up onto the sleek white disk with such swiftness that she couldn't even struggle. Whatever kibble they were feeding the Wolves was doing its job.
To her surprise, his expression wasn't a gloating one. His eyes were downcast and his lips were pressed into a troubled line. "He'll think you're perfect."
He said it so matter-of-factly and with a slightly sour tone that it was impossible to take it as a compliment.
"Offstage, everyone but the contestants and the announcer!" cried an increasingly harried stagehand.
Darian stepped back into the shadows of the hallway and disappeared before she could ask him about his strangely ominous comment.
The other stagehand helped Amber onto a pedestal in her row that was more toward the center of the stage. Amber winked at her as the curtain began to rise. "Good luck," she mouthed.
"You too," she said, embarrassed that she'd somehow gotten so far. She noticed that another row of chairs had been placed in front of the Red Member section. Maybe the complainers had finally gotten their wish for more seating.
Amber managed to stay poised somehow, despite the stage lights beaming down on them, but she squinted and raised her hand to block out the glare.
It took only a moment for her eyes to adjust enough to the light that she realized the new seats in the front row weren't for the other clubbers. The row was filled with half a dozen men, each one in some variation of what she had come to recognize as the House of Wolf uniform. She recognized one of them as Clarence, the bouncer who'd kept Sandra offstage and unceremoniously dumped her in the dressing room.
There was one empty chair, and she assumed it was for Darian but the man in the next seat over was the one who drew her attention. He was staring straight at her. She couldn't even tell what color his eyes were from that distance, but she could feel them burning holes in her.
His elegant attire and sleek black hair were instantly recognizable. It was the man who had been reading in the lobby when Sandra and she came in. Whether the intensity was the product of rage or something else equally fiery, she couldn't tell. Neither option seemed like a good one.
Whatever she had done to earn the ire of a Wolf, she already regretted it.
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Bella swallowed hard as she struggled to maintain eye contact with the furious Wolf. As difficult as it was, she couldn’t break away. Something in his gaze held her fast in its grasp. It was an eerily familiar feeling that she had experienced only once before when her first-year psychology professor invited a hypnotherapist to demonstrate trance induction for the class. She became lightheaded again, but she knew that Darian wouldn’t be there to catch her this time if she fell. As if summoned by her thoughts, the hulking Wolf took the last empty seat, rounding out a full pack of six. Even sitting down, the size difference between him and the others was obvious. The difference was especially noticeable between Darian and the lithe man next to him, who was still watching her like she was a sheep on the horizon and he was an actual wolf who hadn’t eaten in a few weeks. She recognized him as the book Wolf from the lobby when she first entered. Bell
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Bella had already started to clap for Maverick when he announced her name. Her smile turned into a stiff grimace, and her hands hung limp in mid-air. “What?” she choked out. The announcer came back over to her, holding a coiled leash and collar on a satin pillow. The collar was made of red leather with what she really hoped were just very convincing rhinestones rather than diamonds encrusted along one side. This couldn’t be happening. Bella leaned away in case he planned to put that thing on her, still convinced there was a mistake. Unfortunately, the panic-induced bout of nausea and vertigo she’d been fighting off all night kicked in, and she wobbled. “Whoa, easy there. Can I get a Wolf to come up here and leash this pup before she falls offstage?” the announcer laughed awkwardly. Clearly, this evening wasn’t going according to plan for him, either. Bella’s panic wasn’t helped by the fact that Darian and the Wolf who had been glaring at her st
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It was Bella’s turn to frown in confusion. “What are you talking about?” she asked. Victor cleared his throat, and Darian went silent for a moment. “Never mind,” Darian said in a tone of resignation. “I’m gonna get you something to eat.” “What?” Bella asked. “Why?” “For your blood sugar. That’s like diabetes, right? You need to eat something so you won’t pass out again.” She hesitated. Bella hadn’t eaten lunch that day, mistakenly assuming they would be serving food at the club, and she had been too nervous to keep anything down after throwing up in front of Sandra anyway. “That would be nice, I guess. Thanks.” At least if Darian was this worried about her, as misplaced as his concern was, he probably wasn’t going to kill her. Victor, on the other hand… Darian disappeared, and Bella was left alone with him. She brought her knees to her chest and tried not to look at him for fear that the stran
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The door swung open and Clara appeared, Darian’s hand on her back as he all but pushed her into the room. “She face is hot and she went all swoony onstage,” the Wolf announced. Clara gave Bella a perplexed look and set a black bag on the table where her scotch rested. “Thank you, Darian. I’ll take it from here.” Her gaze traveled disapprovingly between her and the glass, but she said nothing of it. “Hi again, Starr. I hear you’re not feeling well?” Bella reiterated for what felt like the hundredth time that night, “I’m anemic and I have low blood sugar. I just got a little sick on the pedestal with the bright lights, but I’m fine now.” “Oh shit, I forgot the food,” Darian exclaimed, rushing towards the door. “I had it, then I saw her and—shit, I’ll be right back, don’t faint.” He pointed at Bella, as if she had any control over that. Clara rolled her eyes. “Now that the mother hen is gone, let’s take a look at you,” she said, retrieving a smal
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“How did you know my phone was dead?” “Because I can see it in your pocket and it stands to reason that’s why you haven’t called your friend,” he replied. Bella touched the rectangular outline in her back pocket, feeling embarrassed. “Oh. Thanks. She’s probably in bed anyway, but I’ll send her a text.” “Think nothing of it,” he said, walking to the door. “It was a pleasure meeting you,Bella.” He stopped, looking back at Darian as he raised his already half-empty glass. “Take care of this one, brother. She’s special.” Bella was left to wonder what that meant, but a glance at Darian revealed that he was just as confused as she was. “Night, Vic,” he muttered before turning back to her. His brow furrowed in disapproval. “You didn’t eat your food.” She glanced at the partially eaten banana and the untouched granola bar. She picked up the latter and held it up for his approval. “I’ll eat this in the room, since you’ve decided to appoint yourself my perso
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As soon as Bella slipped the T-shirt over her head, she realized it had been worn. His scent was powerful but not at all unpleasant. She rolled her eyes at what was either an attempt at psychological manipulation or just the product of a messy room. The shirt hung off her like a hanger and hit her mid-thigh. A glance in Victor’s mirror revealed that she looked like one of the after photos on Internet ads for diet products. She returned to the bed and hesitated in her decision to peel back the royal blue covers. There were lighter blue leaf patterns stitched onto the fabric in gilded thread. The bed was made so meticulously that it seemed like a shame to muss it up. She finally gave in and slipped in between the silky smooth cotton sheets that were paradoxically cool and warm. They felt fresh, but a different scent greeted her when she turned her head into the pillow. It was subtler than Darian’s, but still intoxicatingly masculine. As she
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Two massive, snarling beasts circled Bella on either side. One was black, the other a light gleaming gray. They looked like opposing knights on a chessboard, and she was the pawn in a game she had never asked to play. Their glistening white fangs were bared as they made such awful sounds they seemed almost demonic, and their eyes glowed as they inched closer to her. She stood frozen, incapable of moving. Whichever way she ran, she would be running away from the one only to run straight into the jaws of the other. Both sets of gnashing teeth would soon know the taste of her flesh no matter what she did. Standing still would only prolong her fate by a few seconds, a minute at the most. The gray wolf crouched and sprang into the air, followed by the black wolf an instant later. Her scream echoed through the trees and scattered the jet black crows into the sky of the red harvest moon. She would’ve sworn she could feel teeth caressing her arms as she ros
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Bella found herself in a rather large tiled room that looked more like a spa than a bath. There was a door leading into a sauna on the far end, along with a locker room and a row of showers that were completely open, lacking walls or partitions. She hoped that no one else would be using the room. The door swung open, and to her relief, it was just Darian. He had a towel and what appeared to be a robe draped over his shoulder. In his hands, he held a black T-shirt identical to the one Bella was wearing. “Here’s a clean shirt, too,” he said, handing her the pile. “I really appreciate it,” Bella told him. “Uh, about the shirt you gave me last night. Was it the one you were wearing before?” Darian grinned. “Well, you were sleeping in Victor’s bed. I had to give you something of mine, too.” Bella couldn’t help but laugh. “Is that some sort of Dom thing? Marking your territory?” “Nah,” he replied. “Not really. Need anything else?”
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Bella froze when she realized what she was doing and tossed the pieces in the empty bread basket to hide the evidence. “Sorry,” she murmured, blushing. “You uh, get my blood boiling.”“I can tell,” he said, blinking. He looked down at his hands. “I'm sorry. I had no idea I was that intolerable.”“But you're not,” Bella said earnestly. “You make me angrier than anyone else, but you also make me laugh more than anyone else. You push me, sometimes to the brink of sanity, but she's a better person when she's with him. He's all of those annoying things, but he's also sweet and funny and protective and so compassionate toward the other members of the pack. He's a natural-born leader, and a good one. Whenever she sees the way he is with the other wolves, the way he cares for them and puts their needs above his own without even thinking, she falls a little more in love with him.” He stared at her in shock. “You love me? And you're admitting that freely?”Bella laughed, embarrassed. T
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Bella reached across the table and rested her hand on his forearm. “You make it sound like I'm the one who's out of your league and not the other way around.” His eyebrows knit into a perplexed frown. He finally relaxed as if he'd given up trying to figure out whatever it was that was bothering him. “You are. Even aside from the fact that you're probably one of the mythological creatures our entire religion is based on, I don't deserve you. Neither does he, but I'm a big enough man to admit that Vic is a hell of a lot closer to being worthy of you than I am.” “Don't be so sure about that,” Bella said with a wry smile. “You both have your positive qualities.” “And negative ones, I'm sure.” Bella smiled wider.“Well, let's have it. Give me the side-by-side analysis,” he said, sitting back and folding his hands studiously on the table in front of him since he had already finished his meal.She laughed, but stopped abruptly when she realized he wasn't kidding. “You're
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Bella reached across the table and rested her hand on his forearm. “You make it sound like I'm the one who's out of your league and not the other way around.” His eyebrows knit into a perplexed frown. He finally relaxed as if he'd given up trying to figure out whatever it was that was bothering him. “You are. Even aside from the fact that you're probably one of the mythological creatures our entire religion is based on, I don't deserve you. Neither does he, but I'm a big enough man to admit that Vic is a hell of a lot closer to being worthy of you than I am.” “Don't be so sure about that,” Bella said with a wry smile. “You both have your positive qualities.” “And negative ones, I'm sure.” Bella smiled wider.“Well, let's have it. Give me the side-by-side analysis,” he said, sitting back and folding his hands studiously on the table in front of him since he had already finished his meal.She laughed, but stopped abruptly when she realized he wasn't kidding. “You're
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“Not sweet, innocent Clara,” Bella said doubtfully. “Oh, I've caught Jason coming out of her apartment once or twice.” “Jason and Clara?” Bella blanched. “But he's so... He chuckled at her reaction. “I know. Doubt he's her type, but the moon makes everyone go crazy, especially unmated fleurs. The rest of us try to stick to our subs, but what happens on a full moon stays on a full moon.”“Until now,” Bella reminded him. “You just told me.”“Hey, you didn't hear it from me.”Bella grinned mischievously. “Nope. I'm thinking now I own you.”“I don't go that way, kiddo. Not even for you,” he scoffed. “Now, if you ever decide you want a new master...”“My contract with Victor isn't exclusive. And don't try to change the subject.”“Sheesh. Okay, fine. It's probably already pretty obvious, but Brendan and Clarence don't just take care of Foster's emotional needs. They share him as a sub, but there's no relationship there otherwise. I'm pretty sure even that's tapered off since
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"Are all the others out?" Bella asked, noting that the lot was almost empty. "Most of them," he said. "Clara and your dad are still around, as usual. Vic has been holed up in his office all day. Hunter and Clarence are still frolicking in the woods somewhere. Brendan was heading out with Maverick last I heard and uh, I think I saw Sarah with Jason." Anger started to boil inside Bella, but it couldn't take hold for some reason. "Oh, whatever," she muttered. "As long as she's leaving Dad alone." He glanced at her as he turned onto the road that led past campus. "That's a surprisingly zen attitude you got there." "I'm trying out a new approach to life," Bella said, admiring the heavily forested path. He shrugged. "Hey, I'm not complaining as long as you're okay.""I'm okay," Bella said. For the first time in a long time, she meant it.No one said a word for the rest of the ride. Darian took them into the city, or at least what passed for one in their little section o
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A knock at the door jolted Bella awake from the most delightful nap. Despite the dull throbbing in her head, she woke feeling more refreshed and alive than she had in recent memory. “Be right there,” she called, yawning as she sat up. Her head spun a bit once she got to her feet, but it wasn't bad enough to make her stagger.On her way to the door, she noticed something strange about her room. All her stuff was there, but it looked like half of the room had been cleared out. Before the thought could trouble her too much, she remembered that Victor had probably just come for the remainder of his old things. She did have his old room, after all. Strange that he wouldn't have mentioned it, though.She shrugged it off and pulled the door open to find Darian waiting on the other side. At least, she thought it was Darian. The man before her had lightly slicked back hair, a stark contrast from his usual tousled brown locks. He wasn't wearing a suit or anything, but for Darian, a gray b
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When Bella turned around, he was walking toward her calmly. She pressed herself against the door and struggled to slow her fluttering pulse as she looked around the room for escape. The window was too far to reach, and even if she did somehow manage to escape, she would only be prolonging the inevitable. Once Victor set his mind on something, no matter how horrible that something was, he got it. It briefly occurred to her that maybe that was why he was doing this. Maybe he thought his will had been strong enough to conquer her own and that removing all traces of it was the only way she would truly be free to choose. “I'm sorry, pup. I didn't want this to be a traumatic experience,” he murmured. “I was planning on waiting until tomorrow night, but it's just as well that I don't have time to talk myself out of this.” “Please don't do this,” she begged for what seemed like the hundredth time. “I don't want to forget you.” “You won't forget me,” he said softly. “J
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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
