~ Bella ~ "I'll tell you who the hell I am!" Nikolai snarled.I gasped. Was he going to reveal his identity? Right now? Here? That could be disastrous!I swallowed nervously and braced myself for the possible aftermath of such a revelation."I said who the hell are you?" Alpha Marcus demanded again, taking a step forward again which brought him practically nose to nose with Nikolai.The tension in the room was palpable. I could feel eyes on us from all over the room but I couldn't peel my eyes off them for a second.I was scared that if I did, a fight would break out before I could look back. It wouldn't even be a fight; it would be war!Ahmad was tense and ready, standing on the tips of his toes, ready to sail to his Alpha's defense.Alpha Marcus' bodyguards were equally tense and ready. What would happen if they clash?I'd heard stories of werewolf clashes and how destructive and violent they could be. No one would get out unscathed.Fear gripped my heart. I knew Nikolai was suppos

~ Bella ~Mrs Francesca practically flew off the witness stand. She kept her eyes up, completely avoiding meeting her friend's gaze. Well, former friend now. Obviously!"She lied. Can she do that? I thought we weren't supposed to lie on the stand," Eliza said, sobbing.I didn't answer. The sad truth was that she could and just did. Without another witness testimony to counter hers, it was just her words against Eliza's. Who knew who the jury would believe!"Stay calm," I whispered. She had to present a good image for the jury now."We'll be calling on our next witness now," the lawyer said. "Mr Antonio."Mr Antonio stepped up. "Who is he?" I asked."He is Marcus' caretaker at the house," she answered.Marcus gave his testimony, detailing how he often heard 'the Mrs' screaming and yelling profanities around the house.He described her as rude and condescending and stated that the kids sometimes ran out of the house to avoid her.Next was the maid, a wirry little woman called Bekky.

~ Bella ~The door opened to reveal Alpha Nikolai standing in the doorway.His white shirt billowed around him, giving him an ethereal look.I launched myself at him. Just like the last time, he caught me in his arms easily. I could feel his muscles contract in his hand but otherwise he didn't even grunt at catching my weight."Oh my gosh! I'm so glad you're okay," I exclaimed. "I thought something had happened to you." My voice cracked on the last word.He drew back and looked me in the face. "What could have happened to me? It was just Marcus. He's a small fry," he said dismissively.I pulled him back into the hug. "I'm just glad you're okay!" I reiterated."I'm fine," he assured me and I was sure I could hear a smile in his voice. "What about you? Are you okay?" he asked."What?" I asked, drawing back and giving him a quizzical look."I heard that you fainted at the courthouse. That's why I rushed right back as soon as I took care of business," he said."Oh," my face colored. "I

~ Bella ~I stood on the balcony of our luxury vacation condo overlooking the ocean.The gentle sway of the water back and forth was so calming. The gentle morning sun kissed my skin delicately like the warmth of a lover's embrace.The air moved calmly with a soft breeze causing Parker's oversized white shirt to float around me.I closed my eyes and drew a deep breath. I loved the feeling of the wind against my skin; my face and my bare legs.The glass door slid open behind me and Parker stepped out onto the balcony.I immediately knew it was him because we were alone in the beach house we'd rented for the week.He came up behind me and hugged me from behind.I smiled contentedly. "Hey you," I whispered."Hey back," he said."Last night was awesome," I said."Why, thank you, Mrs Smith. I try my best," he teased.I laughed. After arriving yesterday, we'd spent the better part of the night making sweet, sweet love.I'd discarded my clothes at some point and honestly, I'd been too lazy

~ Nikolai ~I stood in front of Bella, hand beside her head, her back to the wall. It was a position we'd been in before. The last time she'd been scared out of her mind. She'd cowered down, whimpering like a hurt dog.But not this time! This time, she was staring up at me defiantly, her eyes blazing with fury.I don’t think she realized how inviting her eyes were like that; how tantalizing her lips looked thinned in anger.If only she knew, she wouldn’t be looking up at me with that look.If only she knew the thoughts going through my head right now, she would know that she was playing with fire looking like that.Fuckable... that was the word. She looked deliciously fuckable. “Fuck me?” I asked in a low voice, repeating the swear word she threw at me earlier.“Did I stutter the first time? Yes, fuck you!” She repeated.I leaned my head down closer to hers and let my eyes trail to her lips. “Are you quite sure you want to fuck me?” I asked in a whisper, slightly dipping my tongue