Chapter 2

Bella’s pov

“What?” I asked,

“I was wondering if you would follow me to go buy the ring, our mating ceremony is coming up soon.” Kate said.

Her grin was the opposite of the sneer on my face,

“Your what?” I asked.

“My ring, Leo knows how much I need you by my side so what do you say, will you go with me?”

I looked at her, her eyes were hopeful while mine was filled with dread.

“N…no, I am busy, I am sorry.”

“Why not?”

“I am sure you don’t want me there, Kate.”

She narrowed her eyes at me like she knew something was wrong, “Bella? You are acting weird,”

I chuckled nervously, “no, I am just exhausted and in no mood to shop for rings,”

Kate’s smile .

“Not everyone has to add to the cake of your love." This was the first time I had rejected my sister, who had always been spoiled by my stepmother and me.

His hands moved to rub Kate’s shoulders and my eyes followed the movement.

“I am sorry, Kate. I would have to sit this one out.”

Kate nodded like she understood me. Normally, I would move to comfort her like I usually did when we were kids but I was having a breakdown of my own.

“Come on, babe.” Leo said as he leaned down to kiss the corner of her mouth, his eyes were on me the whole time.

She whimpered when Leo steered her down the hallway and they disappeared out of my sight. I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes.

I stayed there to cool my racing heart.

“Bella!” The voice was sharp.

I turned my head to the sound and my Stepmother was bearing down on me. She looked like she was on a mission.

Her hand flew to her chest as a pleasing smile appeared on her face.

“Your sister has done well, bringing a dashing young man like that home and an Alpha at that.”

“Of course,” I answered weekly.

Her eyes narrowed once she saw my smile, “why are you smiling?”

“I am happy for her too.”

“And she should be happy for you. You know, if you ever decide to bring a man home.”

“we have talked about this,”

My Stepmothershook her head, “no, you keep saying some words that I don’t understand. Anyway, I have something to tell you.”

My hackles raised, the times my Stepmotherhas had anything to tell me have been all bad, my eyes narrowed at her instantly.

“What did you do?”

“Watch that tone, young lady. I am still your mother.”

I carefully bit my tongue.

“What did you want to tell me?” I asked,

“I know you must be feeling bad because your sister’s mating ceremony is coming soon, but don’t worry, you won’t be alone.”

“Mom?Stepmothermother waved me off like I was bothering her, “I have been trying to get in touch with Alpha Caine for a while and he answered me. I have arranged for you to marry him.”

 My jaw dropped as I sputtered as my Stepmother stood, grinning like she had just told me the greatest news on earth.

“Isn’t it amazing? You will be married and our family would benefit a lot from this arrangement.”

“Arrangement?”

She bobbed her head instantly.

“No,” I said.

Her laughter dried up, “hmm?”

“You arranged for me to be married? Are you even listening to yourself?”

She glared at me, “It’s not my fault you wouldn’t find anyone worthy to be your mate.”

I stumbled back, “And what has that got to do with anything? You thought marrying me off to that old man was the best thing.”

“Yes, it is the best thing.”

“For who? Because all I keep hearing is how it serves just you right. I am to get shackled to him for the rest of my life while you live off my misery?”

The sound traveled faster than her movement because I heard it.

My Stepmother delivered a slap to my cheek, I cradled it while I stared at her.

“You ungrateful child. Do you know how many times I have sacrificed for you? And you are questioning me about this one thing.”

“Did you just hit me?” I asked.

In all my liSte she has never raised hand on me, we have had our differences and squabbles but it has never gotten physical.

“Yes I did. Don’t make it do it again, you brat!”

My eyes widened, she was speaking to me this way?

“You slapped me because I wouldn’t marry a stranger?”

“You can twist it how you want but as long as you are under my room, you will be marrying Apha Caine.”

I didn’t stop till I got to the house, I was beyond pissed.

My heart wouldn’t stop beating wildly against my chest and I was afraid that it would rip open. I went to the fridge and got a bottle of water.

Hopefully, it will calm me enough. I closed my eyes as the cool liquid traveled down my throat, my body relaxed on its own.

I placed the bottle on the counter and walked to the sitting room, a good rest would do me some good and I could finally stop thinking about the horrible conversation with my Stepmother.

Her insistence on me marrying that old man was enough for me to hurl.

I couldn’t believe she would make such demands.

My eyes flew open at the loud knocking on the door, I gathered myself and walked to it. I wrenched it open and my eyes narrowed at the stranger who was heaving like he had run a marathon.

“Who are you?” I asked.

He raised a hand for me and I waited patiently for him to catch his breath.

“I am so sorry for intruding but your father has been arrested.”

My eyes widened immediately and I forgot all about security as I stepped out of the door, I clutched the stranger on his arm.

He looked at me weirdly but I was already past that, “where is he?”

“Your father is in Alpha Leo’s Pack dungeon,” the guy said before he ran off.

I stood there, eyes wide with shock as I processed the information.

Like my brain stopped working, I snapped to attention. I brought out my phone and called my stepmother.

Yes, I was still mad at her but I had to save my father.

“Hello?” She snapped as soon as she picked up.

“Hi mom,”

“Bella, make it quick. I am busy.”

“Father is in prison.” I murmured.

There was silence, so much that I thought she had hung up on me.

“Hello?”

“What did you say?” Her voice had turned to ice.

I gulped, “father has been…”

“I heard you the first time,” she snapped.

I waited, I didn’t know what she wanted me to say but I hoped she digested the news.

“I am hoping you are not expecting me to drop what I am doing because you called. You can always go to Alpha Caine and beg him on your knees to help you…”

I hung up, my hands were trembling with anger as I tried so hard not to smash my phone.

Selfish, that’s what she was.

I locked the door and took my keys and headed to the only person who would explain this madness to her.

I headed to the pack house.

I headed in search for Jason, I found him training with the other warriors.

His eyes found mine instantly and he broke away from the group, his determined stride as he came towards me made my heart ache.

Immediately he got close to me, he assessed me.

“You okay, belle?” He asked.

I opened my mouth to tell him that I was okay but my eyes went wide with horror when a sob tore through my throat.

Jason’s eyes swam with confusion, “Jesus Belle, what happened to you?”

“I…I found my mate.”

His eyes shuttered for a moment but an excited grin took over his face when he heard me, “that’s amazing, belle.”

Hearing his name for me caused my heart to bleed and the tears fell even faster from my eyes.

“Stop crying, what’s wrong? Tell me and I can fix it.”

I reached for him, his warmth encasing me when he brought me into his chest. I sobbed even harder knowing that someone was there to catch me when I fell.

Jason whispered against my hair as his hands rubbed my back, “it’s okay, I am here now.”

I stopped crying, and when I looked at him staring at me with those impassive eyes, the words tumbled out.

“He rejected me, Jason. My mate rejected me.”

The fury in Jason’s eyes wrapped around me like a vine as he growled, “he did what?”

So I told him everything, I didn’t leave anything out.

“That bitch!” He snapped.

“Hey, that’s my sister you are talking about.”

“Your step sister and let’s not pretend she is not a bitch. Oh my God, Belle. I am so sorry,”

“It’s okay, Jace. I will be fine.”

He looked like he didn’t believe me but he hugged me tighter anyway.

“Why are you here?” He asked.

I shrugged, looking everywhere but at him.

“Belle,”

He said my name and the walls around my heart broke down with no effort, the tears threatened to come back.

“My father has been imprisoned,”

Jason’s jaw went slack, “Goddess, he is in the dungeon?”

I nodded slowly, “please can you take me to him, I just need to see him so he wouldn’t feel alone.”

Jason nodded, his eyes hardened with determination.

“Yeah, come on.”

“We won’t get in trouble?”

“I am a warrior, we can come and go as we please.”

I swallowed hard as I followed him. He led me to the direction of the dungeon and opened the door.

He greeted a guard and asked where the prisoner they took today. The guard pointed to the far end of the room but I was already rushing to it.