Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Bella’s POV
Mandy nodded, her expression crushed.
“Her face was torn. They can’t even identify her.”
A heavy silence fell over the room as Jacob’s mind raced, processing the horror of her words. “Did Marco call for help?”
“He did, but…” Her voice trailed off, and the fear in her eyes grew. “I’m scared, Alpha.”
“Why was he with the rogue wolf? And who did the rogue wolf killed?” Jacob asked, his tone steady but urgent, the leader in him trying to maintain control.
“I actually don’t know.”
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Jacob rubbed his temples, frustration etched on his face. “We need more info. I can’t
help him without much information.”
As Mandy started to cry, Jacob pulled her into his arms, instinctively comforting her. The bond between them felt palpable, a connection that I couldn’t reach from my spectral existence. “I‘ ll help you, I promise. Just tell me everything.”
Suddenly, a group entered–it was the healers and the gammas. Jacob immediately pushed Mandy away.
“Alpha, we found a dead body not far from our territory. We couldn’t identify the woman, but she was pregnant. Not far from her, the rogue wolf who killed her was also found dead.”
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Time froze. I felt the ground beneath me
shake as realization crashed over me. That woman… it was me.
“Where did this happen?” he asked, his voice tight, fear threading through his words.
“We’re not sure yet, Alpha.”
Before he could say anything, the door burst open, and Lucas rushed in, worry etched on his face. “Alpha! Have you seen Bella? She hasn’t replied to my messages the whole day.”
The last message I sent to Lucas was before the attack, asking him to get Jacob. I needed him more than ever then.
When I see Jacob’s face, he looks almost casual, his expression unreadable. But when he pulls out his phone to dial my number, I
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notice his brow creasing. The lines deepen when I don’t answer, his face growing more unsettled. A faint shimmer of sweat appears on his brow as the phone buzzes unanswered. I want to scream, to tell him I’m here, that he just has to look, that he can find me if he really tries. But no sound escapes.
The phone call cuts off, and he lowers his hand, frustration evident as he stares at his phone screen. He lets out a deep sigh, one that briefly releases the tension from his shoulders. But just as quickly, his face twists in anger, bitterness rising in his expression.
“She hung up on me, he says, his voice tight, each word laced with resentment. His fury is simmering just below the surface, now boiling over as he looks at Lucas, who stands nearby. “See what I mean? This is exactly
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how Bella acts. Yesterday, at the pack‘ s gathering, I told her to walk back with the group, but she didn’t listen. She ran off on her own. And now she expects me to drop everything and go after her? Well, I won’t do it.” He shakes his head, his tone cold, dismissive.
Hearing his words, I feel a pang of disappointment and disbelief. How could he think I’d simply vanish without a reason? Did he really believe that I’d just wander off, unprompted, knowing full well the danger?
Lucas stands next to him, fists clenched, his jaw set with frustration. His body is tense, his eyes scanning the group that had gathered to listen to the Alpha. The healer and a few of the gamma members stand nearby, watching the unfolding tension. Lucas, sensing the
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need for privacy, motions for them to leave.
“Give us some space,” he commands, his voice firm. They immediately disperse, leaving him alone with Jacob.
Once they’re gone, Lucas‘ s voice drops to a low, intense pitch, his frustration almost palpable. “Alpha, Bella‘ s pregnant! And you left her to go alone? She’s your mate, your future Luna. Can’t you see how much she loves you?” He looks at Jacob, waiting for. some flicker of understanding or regret. But Jacob’s face remains hard, unyielding.
Jacob’s gaze shifts to Mandy, who’s seated quietly on the sofa, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Her face is a mask of concern, her gaze occasionally flicking between the two men, unsure of what to do. Jacob moves closer to her, standing protectively by her
- 1.
- 1.
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side, and it makes my heart ache to see it.
“Lucas, you know why I was mated to Bella. It was about duty, about responsibility. I don‘ t have feelings for her. None of this changes that,” Jacob says, his words calculated, almost rehearsed. His indifference cuts deep, as if our entire relationship was just a checkbox for him.
Lucas‘ s face hardens, his anger visibly flaring. “Bella wouldn’t just disappear without a reason, and you know it. I trust her, even if you don’t.” His voice is laced with disbelief, frustration rippling through each word. It’s clear he’s fighting an urge to confront Jacob physically, to make him understand. But he holds back, keeping his tone steady and respectful. He is, after all, speaking to his Alpha.
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“If anything happens to her,” Lucas warns, his voice barely above a whisper, “I won’t stay quiet. I can’t promise I‘ 11 keep your
secrets.
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Jacob lets out an exasperated sigh, dismissing Lucas‘ s words with a roll of his eyes. “You and your threats. You‘ re just the same as her, always resorting to ultimatums to get what you want,” he sneers, crossing his arms defiantly.
Lucas‘ s expression remains steely, his gaze fixed on Jacob. “Alpha, you better hope she comes back safe,” he says ominously, his voice unyielding. He turns to leave but stops, casting a hard glance in Mandy’s direction.
“Because if you‘ re not going to take care of her, I will. If she needs someone to stand by her. I’ll be the one to do it.
