Bella“What are you doing to me?” The icy cold of his touch was spreading through my arm. He had touched me before, but it wasn’t like this. He had done something by gripping my wrist. Some kind of poison from his touch.“Let go of me!”“Call him!” Linc demands.I try to peel his icy fingers from my skin.“Call him!” He demands again. “Let him see what happens to you.”I close my mouth and stare into his insanely dark eyes. I had to keep calm. If Aiden felt one ounce of my worry he would be out here. I couldn't think about it either or he would know.“Do as you are told!” He snaps and tightens his grip on my wrist.My heart rhythm steadies as I stare at him. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me in pain. “Why did you kidnap Amelia?”His lip twitches as he glares at me.It had to have something to do with me. Something Aiden said, about us being the same age. But if she was kidnapped when she was two, there would be no way that she would know her full name. Unless th
AidenSelene disappears before I get to ask her more about Linc’s family. I had witnessed his wife’s death. I was there the moment my father ripped out her throat. He had done it for what she had done to his children. Their children.I didn’t even have a chance to ask my father if it were true. But surely the Moon Goddess wouldn’t lie to me. “Is she ever wrong?” Bella mutters from the sofa. She was studying her own wrist, the black hand print was almost gone, just leaving an ashy tone to her pale skin.“I….”“I don’t understand why Linc is punishing you. If your father was the one who killed her, then he has already got his revenge.” She mumbles. “It was my idea.”She gazes up at me. “You wanted them dead?”“Not the kids. It’s true that my mother was worried. It’s true that Linc’s wife was trying to stage something, but we caught on to it early. Bella, she was committing treason by plotting against the King. Death is the standard punishment.”“It seems like death is everyone’s punis
BellaThe men talk like I’m not even in the room. Aslow keeps his arms folded across his chest. His green eyes remain focussed on Aiden. Rhys has his hands jammed into his pockets. He had yellow eyes like Leighton. Every now and then, they kept flickering to me and then back to Aiden.After the tricks of those around me, I wanted to keep my distance from others, until this was over. But Aiden's words had reassured my mind. He could link them, it was how he was certain it was them.“I’m betting that in twelve hours he is going to expect Bella to be dead.” Rhys glances at me again. “His deal wasn’t even a real deal. Just a trap.”“You’re wrong.” I mutterAll three sets of eyes are on me.“He said that he is a man of his word. Why would he offer a deal if he is expecting me to be dead?”“Bella,” Aiden takes my hands in his. His warmth spreads nicely through my soul. “We both know a lot of people say things that they don’t mean. Or things that they never intend to follow through on.”“He
BellaArrows whizz past my head, close enough to my ears that I hear them whistle. Rhys had dropped to the floor in front of me, an arrow sticking out of his chest.He grabs my leg, pulling me to the floor. “Get your ass down!” He yanks on the arrow that is in the middle of his chest and with his teeth clenched, he pulls it out and tosses it to one side.More arrows fly past our heads. I hear moans of pain and the lights go out, plunging everyone into darkness.The arrows made it clear who was attacking us. The Hunters and they were stupid if they thought we couldn’t see in the dark.“Where are they coming from?” I ask Rhys.“There’s no time, I need to get you to safety.”I glare at him in the darkness as more arrows fly past us and he throws his body on top of mine.“Get the fuck off of me!” I snap, pushing him off. Through the open front door, I could see a machine that was loaded with arrows. It fires them off again, sending a dozen arrows our way.Screams and moans come from thos
Aiden “Do you want me to go and check on her?” Rhys asks as everyone gets back to work. “No. Sometimes, she just needs her space.” She was overwhelmed. I had seen how wide her eyes were as the new pack members made their way towards us. I had felt every flicker of her emotions. Becoming a Queen was one thing. But to have an entire population bow down to her was entirely different. She didn’t grow up with this expectation from her family. She needed time to adjust. “She has a lot of responsibilities now.” “I know Rhys. She just needs time to find her feet. I wasn’t the perfect Alpha when you lot made me yours. Give her time, I have no doubts about the type of Queen she will be.” He bobs his head. “I like her. She’s feisty.” “And just what we all need.” He looks at Connor who had fallen asleep in my arms. “You happy about him?” “He’s fine.” I had gotten used to Connor. His smile always made Bella smile, even when she was feeling like crap. “He thinks you're his dad.” “I know.”
Bella“I thought she didn’t have long left?” Aiden asks as everyone stares at me.“I hear her.” I mutter, pointing to my head. “It’s weak, but I hear her. Linc hasn’t fed from her, he’s been feeding her, letting her recover.”“Would someone like to share who Amelia is?” Eli asks. The light catches his blue eyes as he stares at me.“Amelia Carrington.” Aiden replies. “The girl who went missing as a kid. Linc has her as a hostage.”“Wasn’t she something like two years old?”“Yes, and apparently she is alive after all these years.”I didn't like the way he said ‘apparently’. It made it sound as though it was a lie.There were whispers among the men. They all appeared to know her story. I had never heard of it until Aiden told me. My father never mentioned it, he didn’t even mention he had a brother.“Have you told Miles?” Eli asks Aiden.“When I realised he was still alive, I tried, but he doesn’t want to believe me. He thinks it's some kind of hoax.”Eli leans back in his seat, his blue
BellaI had sat with Eli for a few hours. We didn’t talk much and it was nice, there were no expectations. Every now and then we would do a loop of the house. He always insisted that I come with him because he would never forgive himself if he was responsible for my death.By the time I returned to bed it was almost dawn and Aiden had settled down. Oblivious to my absence. Yet, the moment I slide into bed, he did his usual thing of sleepily pulling me in against him. His lips lazily find mine.“Can’t sleep?” He asks with his eyes closed. I was certain he wasn't even awake, it had just become his auto response when I got up in the night.“It’s almost morning and I needed some water.” I lie, not wanting him to worry. He refuses to let go of me as I eventually drift off.By the time the alarm goes off, I was the one in bed alone. Sprawled out with the bedsheets loosely draped over me. I still had my clothes on from when I went outside and hoped that Aiden hadn’t noticed when he got up.
AidenMiles lets out a muffled gasp as Bella shifts into her large Wolf. She crashes down onto my desk, splitting it down the middle and everything falls to the floor as she leaps forward. Landing in front of Miles, she snarls. Her golden eyes locked with his, yet he doesn’t move, almost frozen to his seat. ‘I take it that I’m not allowed to kill him.” she links me as her snarls deepen.‘Not yet. I think we can get more out of him.’ I wasn’t convinced that there was much more for him to tell us, but still, I had to try.She slams her body into him, knocking him and his chair backwards, sending him tumbling to the ground. Giving him a kick as she struts byAslow opens the door for her and she makes her way through the large door frame without even looking back. She was so angry that I was surprised she had restrained herself enough to walk away.Miles gets to his feet. “What the fuck was that?”I grin at him, “That would be your niece.”“That is no niece of mine!”Every word that came