Bella’s POV“Hey, you ready?” Azlee asks, knocking on my door.“Almost,” I grab my phone one more time to see if Stone has responded. Nothing, only text bubbles.*Texting*Me- Stone, I’m graduating high school in a few hours. I know you did last year and how hard this year has been for you fighting and tracking. I want you to know I’m not going back to Crimson Pack for level 2 training. I’m training with my dad, Uncle Wesley and Grandma. I know you are afraid to talk to me because you don’t want to activate the mate bond. But could you at least text me something. So I know you are missing me as much as I am missing you?(Text bubbles)10 minutes later….Stone - Do you still have a boyfriend?Me- Jeremy and I parted ways after prom. He likes another girl and they have started dating.Stone- If we are mates, will you come out here and help me?Me- You already know the answer.Stone- Then go, and graduate. I’m glad you are staying away from Tristian, I really think he is backing the rogue
Bella’s POV*Texting*Stone : are you mad they are all getting married and not you.Me: No. I’m not ready to be married.Stone: Hey, we are on the same page about something. LOLMe: Do you think that marriage beyond the mate bond is important?(Long silence)Stone: Bella, one day I promise, not only to marry you, but to make the guys proposals look like a garbage fire.I have a smile plastered on my face, just at the idea of Stone down on one knee for me.“Bella,” Lesley calls to me from the party in the ballroom. “If that is anyone other than Alpha Stone, I’m kicking your butt for missing the party.”“It’s Stone, he hates being called Alpha,” I tell her.“Oh, I remember, He and Nicholas fought so much during Stone’s training, I swear, I thought it would end in Stone Challenging Nickolas,” Lesley sits beside me. “When are you and Stone going to stop being stubborn and see each other again?”“When he is ready to come off the battlefield” I pull my knees up to my chin and rest my cheek o
Tristian POV“Alpha,” Beta James meets me in my office. “We have had three packs pull their Level 2 trainees for the second session.”“Who?” I ask, looking for the training schedule.“Bazin, Conroy, Durk,” He reads off his list.“You can’t insist your own daughter be brought here for training?” I ask, taping my pencil on the desk.“She is taking over in two weeks. She and Justin will be full Betas before the session starts, the Gammas too, only Alpha and the Deltas are waiting for college to be over,” he tells me.“Bella isn’t 18 yet,” I say, huffing.“She will be before the session begins. But at Bazin, the Alpha has to wait until they are 21,” he tells me.“Where is she going to college?” I ask.“Lesley doesn’t know, or she is stonewalling,” James looks at me.“They are hiding her from me or Stone Conroy?” I lean back and shake my head.“Conroy sent Slate to Bazin for training, so I don’t think it’s Stone,” Beta James looks up at me.“Is she Stone’s mate?” I ask, trying to keep the
Stone’s POV“Make sure all eyes are on Tristan,” I tell Luke and Jake, my top captains.“On it, boss,” Jake tells me.*Ringing*Bella- He buy it?Me- (Smiling) Yeah, Baby.Bella- Did I lay it on a little thick?Me- Maybe only a little, but we got his goat. He wants you.Bella- At least someone does.Me-Baby, I want you. I just can’t abandon what I am doing to get to you.Bella- Not where we are going tonight, Babe.Me- How is Lesley?Bella- I think only Justin is holding her together right now. She saw her mother and brothers like that. I wish she hadn’t seen that.Me- (Sigh) I wish you hadn’t seen that either.Bella- I’m okay, really, I promise. Her mom is not likely to make it, but her brothers stand a chance. Especially Seely, his mate is a nurse here. I think Christian will find a mate too. At least I hope so.Me- I can’t wait to see you, baby. I’m gonna do many things to you.Bella- Don’t get me worked up, I have to go to a meeting.Me- Be a good girl and think of me tonight.Bel
Bella’s POV“Hey, how is she?” I ask Lesley as I come into her mother’s room.“Weak, very weak. Do we know what happened yet?” Lesley asks with red puffy eyes. Justin is holding her and laying soft kisses on her head.“We had the car examined. It looks like a roadside bomb, the passenger side tire hit it and the car flipped. You mom was directly hit,” I tell her.“They were out there for two days,” Lesley lets the tears fall freely. “Did it work? Does Tristian believe they are dead?”“Yeah, Stone and I convinced him that we just found them,” I tell her.Lesley wipes her nose. “There is no proof it was him is there? Nothing but our suspicions.”I nod and look at Justin.Justin- Talk to me.Me- Stone couldn’t get what he needed to bring this to council.Justin- How much longer do you think?Me- No one knows, but other packs are coming to help now.Justin- Good, if enough ally against him, we can crush him.Me- Oh, we will Crush him. I don’t want to go to New York and leave you and Lesle
Bella’s POVShelby- I know why and I support you, but Stone is going to be pissed.Me- I get that, but this is important to Lesley. Plus, if I can find him, we can prove Tristian killed him.Shelby- Let me guess, we find his body and I have to carry him?Me- Okay, so we have the plan again. I’m going to go to Tristian under the pretext of peace between him and Stone. He will invite me into the Packhouse, and I will search for the body. When I find it, I’ll call Stone to retrieve it and me.Shelby- That means seeing Stone and activating the mate bond.Me- That’s the risk we have to take.I buy a commercial ticket to Alabama and wait for my plane. Half of me expects to be stopped.When Justin sat down next to me and gave me his sly smile, I smiled back.“You promised if you ever ran away, you would take me with you,” Justin teases.“Anyone else crashing the party?” I ask.“Nope, but Lesley is only giving us three days. She doesn’t think we can be apart any more than that.” He bites his
Tristian’s POV“Are you sure you can trust her?” Leon asks me.“A little girl, I have trained to be better than her. Do you think she is coming to kill me?” I laugh at the very thought.“No, but she could be looking for evidence to have the council raid us,” Leon tells me.“Okay, fine. Then, you and your group surround us and if a raid comes, you can protect me long enough to kill her,” I smile.“Why are you smiling?” He asks me.“Because tonight, under this roof, will be the most impressive Alpha Female ever born. She is sexually frustrated and missing my brother,” I fix my hair to be more like the way Nickolas wore his. “Me charming her should not be difficult.”“So, you want to be fucked, before you kill her?” Leon laughs at me.“I have now fucked every unmated female in my pack. Bella is a virgin. Ever been with a virgin?” I ask and he shakes his head no. “Best sex there is. Virgin Sex.”I practice the smirk in the mirror before grabbing my keys and heading to the airport. I will
Bella’s POVI close my door and text Stone. Deleting each message as I send it. Knowing Jay has my iPad and is watching it all in real time, taking screenshots on his phone for everyone back home.Me- Alone. You are an asshole.Airport Guy- I didn’t think he would do what I asked. I was laughing too hard at the handstand pic. I’m going to us it in propaganda campaigns.Me- No, you are not.Airport Guy- OH yes, I am. I would have responded to the selfie, but I zoomed in your face and needed a private moment.Me- I will remind you my parents are going to see this chat.Airport Guy- I know, which is why I said private moment.Me- Anyway. I’m safe, locked in my room on the Alpha floor. I’m going to stay in here for a while and then head out and search the floor.Airport Guy- Baby, please, please, please be careful. Justin, if you are seeing this, be on alert, ready to run to her.Bella’s iPad- Yes, Alpha.Me- I’m your Alpha.Bella’s iPad- And once you are mated to Stone, he will be my Alp