Bella and the Beast

2

Bella’s POV

The thought settled like a stone in my stomach: hiring a werewolf. I turned back toward the mansion, fresh shivers running down my spine. My father was aware of the m******e of the elites.

The alpha’s presence wasn’t coincidental—but why? Why would my father put me in harm’s way like that? Was this a warning? A test? One that he casually shielded his good-for-nothing son from?

I gritted my teeth, fists clenching as I approached the house. He was going to give me an explanation. My heels were slowing me down, so I ditched them on the sidewalk, walking barefoot.

I barged into the house, pushing the door with both hands, fury bubbling beneath the surface. Lo and behold, my father and the entire Powers family were gathered in the living room. My anger faded slightly when my little stepsister ran to me, hugging me so tight that I could feel my bones protesting.

I blinked. “What—”

Before I could say more, my father interrupted, joining the embrace. “I thought I’d lost you, Elly.”

I frowned. Lost me? What was he talking about? Wasn’t it obvious I’d survive, especially since he’d hired a werewolf? I broke from their embrace, stepping back, my brows furrowed.

“Dad... didn’t you send a werewolf to rescue me?”

Gasps rippled through the room. My stepmother shrank behind my father, as though my words alone could harm her.

My father’s face paled. “Elly... did you encounter a werewolf?”

“Yes?” I answered, suddenly confused.

“I didn’t send anyone but your brother, Elly,” my father said, his voice low, shaky.

My heart stilled. If he didn’t send the werewolf, then who was that alpha and why? Why did he rescue me? My blood ran cold as the question settled in: Was he marking me?

I staggered away, climbing the stairs, needing to be alone with my thoughts. As I moved, my stepmother’s obnoxious voice cut through the silence.

“Did you find a match, dear?” She fluttered her lashes as if her question could sway me, the cheap trick she seldom used on my willing father.

Scoffing, I continued up the stairs, ignoring her. The audacity of that woman—expecting me to come back with a suitor after a m******e.

The memory of the alpha lingered in my mind like an unwelcome guest. His eyes, the way he shielded me, the way he guided me to safety... If not my father, then who had sent him?

Once in my room, I shut the door behind me, the soft click of the lock offering fleeting security. Crawling under the covers, I couldn’t shake the eerie sensation that someone was watching me. It was a strange feeling that I had never experienced before, at least, never in my room . It clung to me until exhaustion pulled me into an uneasy sleep.

The next morning, soft knocks on my door pulled me from my restless slumber. It was probably a maid sent by my stepmother, pretending to care. I groaned, not in the mood to entertain anyone.

“Not now,” I muttered, more to myself than the person outside. A dull headache had settled in, worsening with each knock.

The knocking became firmer, more insistent, more impatient. My Father. With a sigh, I dragged myself to the door and yanked it open.

“Bella,” he greeted me coldly, using my full name. That could only mean one thing: trouble. “Get ready. We’re going to the doctor.”

The sleep disappeared from my eyes instantly. “What? Why? I’m not sick.”

His expression hardened. “You’re sick if you can sense a werewolf. Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re in for coming into contact with one? How much trouble you will cause this family if he marks you? You caused this when you allowed yourself to be rescued by a wolf!”

“Allowed myself?” I repeated, disbelief washing over me. “I was in the middle of a shootout, Father. You don’t get to choose your rescuer in a situation like that.”

“Watch your tone with me, young lady,” he snapped, his voice darkening. His eyes searched for an excuse to get violent, and I wasn’t ready for that.

"Fine. You want me to take the permanent suppressant? Whatever. But at least let me change first." I slammed the door in his face, no longer caring about the consequences.

I was furious, knowing that I was about to give up my powers. I’d avoided the permanent suppressants for so long. They would sever the faint connection I had with the voice of my wolf. For years, I’d pretended to be normal, hiding the truth about my abilities.

Omni Omegas like my race at first had two options . We could stay hidden under suppressants, but permanent ones meant giving up our identity as wolves. We would become undetectable to other wolves, but at what cost? My father and his new family have done It and now it was my turn.

The drive to the doctor’s office was silent, tension hanging in the air. My father barked orders on his phone, too absorbed in his world to notice my despair.

By the time we reached the clinic, I felt hollow. I lay down on the stretcher, watching the black drip purify me of my identity. It was a price I had to pay to survive.

My mother and brother had refused the suppressants, and they were both dead. I wouldn’t make the same mistake. Even if I desperately wanted to keep the only person that understands me; my wolf.

*

On the way back, I kept my distance from my father, who was still preoccupied with his business calls. I was too lost in thought to care, until we pulled up in front of an upscale restaurant. The best in the whole city.

I turned to him, confused. “What are we doing here?” I was sure as hell that my father wasn't treating me to a meal when he literally belives that I put a target on our family’s back by “allowing” interaction with a deadly killer. So why?

“I have set up a date for you with a suitor of my choice so you can finally stop causing trouble ,” he replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.