Werewolf

Osborne
I was arranging the stack of papers on my desk when Alex walked in. He looked uneasy, his eyes darting briefly before meeting mine.
“The Alpha is back,” he said, voice low. “He’s requested your presence.”
I arched my brow and nodded. “And what about what I asked of you?”
Alex gave a faint smile. “He’s on it.”
Good. I rose from my seat, straightening my jacket before leaving the office.
Father was pacing the length of the room when I entered. The weight of tension hung heavy in the air.
“How did it go with him?” I asked, my voice calm but edged.
He spun to face me. “There will be war, Osborne. He bit where he shouldn’t have.”
I smirked faintly. That was what I wanted to hear. Words without actions are nothing but smoke without fire.
“Tell me whenever you’re ready,” I said smoothly, a smile playing on my lips.
He nodded once. It was final.
We were going to play a little with the Wa

Hamilton

I paced the length of the hospital corridor like a caged beast, my hands shaking as I dragged them through my hair. The image of my child on that floor, bloodied and broken, wouldn’t leave me. Her legs—twisted and mangled beyond recognition. No parent should ever have to see their child like that.

I kept telling myself she was alive. That she would pull through. That even if she never walked again, she would still be here with me. I could not lose her—not my Bella. Not my jewel.

She had been rushed into the emergency ward hours ago. Each passing minute felt like an eternity gnawing at my chest. I stood there, every sound amplified—the squeak of shoes on the linoleum, the soft beeping of machines, the distant murmur of nurses. My heart hammered so loudly it drowned everything else out.

Finally, the door opened. The doctor emerged looking pale, his scrubs stained with sweat. H

Bella 

I sat on the bed turning over my father’s words — so he wanted Osborne taken out all along? I just cannot fathom it. But just then a maid interrupted my thoughts. “My mistress, the person you asked for is here,” she announced.

“Bring her in,” I told her.

The maid led a young girl inside. If anyone was going to die, it would be Aina — not Osborne. I looked the girl over. “I'll need you to go to Silver Crest pack. Did you hear your sister was hospitalized?” I asked. She bowed. “Yes, ma’am. I was told she had an accident.”

I kept my face calm. “Good. Visit her and call me when you get there. There’s something I want her to do for me.” The girl lifted her head and nodded.

“Don’t worry,” I added smoothly. “All your expenses will be paid. You must leave right away.”

But less than five hours later the plan hit a snag. Word reached me that no one from Waterford was allowed into Silver Crest Pack. My eyes widened — my pawn couldn’t carry out my orders.

“Does anyone have her contact?” I barked.

“Mistress, we already told you — we can’t reach her. She was in a coma when we left, I don't even think she can help you with anything” the maids answered, their voices trembling.

Everything was failing, and it seemed like I was going crazy. Fine — I’d handle it myself. I’d go find that bastard I’d hired to kill Aina who’d refused me. He loved money; I’d make him explain why he didn’t follow through.

“Get my car ready,” I ordered. 

When the car was ready, my two loyal guards fell in beside me. That man was dangerous, but he’d helped me deal with pests before — so I wonder why this time it's a problem for him. 

I hated coming to this godforsaken part of the woods. Even before the car stopped, a weight settled over my chest, pressing hard and making it difficult to breathe. Still, I forced myself out. My guards flanked me as we made our way through the trees, the sound of leaves crunching underfoot the only noise until the silhouette of his hut appeared ahead.

He was always here. Always. This was his den, the place where he hid from the world. One of my guards stepped forward and knocked on the door. Nothing. He knocked again—harder this time—but still silence.

“Mistress… I don’t think he’s her—”

He never finished his sentence. His skull exploded before my eyes at the sound of a gun, blood and brain splattering across the pavement. I screamed as his lifeless body collapsed at my feet. The second guard reacted immediately, drawing his weapon and dropping low. He almost shifted before another sharp crack echoed, and he too went down, a hole through his chest.

I screamed again, my voice breaking into a sob as fear wrapped itself around my throat. I stumbled backwards, slipped on the blood, and fell. My face and clothes were already smeared with the warm, sticky red.

“It’s me!” I shrieked, my hands trembling as I raised them. “Why are you killing my men?”

From the shadow of the hut, he stepped out at last. His eyes glowed with something close to glee as he looked down at me. A low laugh rolled out of his chest, sharp and unkind.

“Well,” he said, spreading his arms as if he’d staged a performance, “saves me the trouble of coming to you.”

“If you’re trying to terrify me,” I said, my voice shaking even as I tried to steady it, “you’ve succeeded. But why? Why are you doing this? Why didn’t you follow my orders? I pay you well—better than anyone.” Tears burned my eyes as I spoke.

He knelt in front of me, taking my face between his hands with a casualness that made my skin crawl. I shuddered at the touch. His smile didn’t fade. “I got paid more than you could ever afford,” he said softly, like a lover whispering a secret.

“By who? How much?” I hissed, desperation seeping into my tone. “I’ll double it.”

He chuckled and shook his head slowly. “It’s not just about the money, princess. It’s about staying alive. The man whose mate you sent me to kill? Osborne Cliff. If I’d touched her, he’d have hunted me to the ends of the earth. And I’m not ready to die yet.”

My breath caught. “Did Osborne send you to kill me?” I asked, my voice cracking. No—he wouldn’t. He couldn’t. I wasn’t going to die here.

He tilted his head, his finger trailing lazily across my cheek. “No. He didn’t pay me to kill you.” His smile deepened, his eyes glittering. “He paid me to cripple you.”

Something inside me snapped. Before his next word could leave his lips, I raked my claws across his face, drawing blood. He roared and left me.

“You bitch!” he spat, clutching the wound.

I didn’t wait. I bolted, my heart hammering like a drum. I ran as though my life depended on it—because it did. Even as I fled, I stripped off my clothes and shifted, fur tearing through my skin, paws hitting the ground.

The car was just ahead—just a few feet—freedom within reach. But then my wolf’s nose caught something: a scent too late to react to.

BAM.

The impact hurled me through the air. I smashed into a tree with a crack that rattled my bones, pain lancing up my side. Whimpering, I turned my head. A massive wolf stepped into the clearing, blood dripping from his own wounds.

But I was Bella Maxwell. I didn’t yield. I pushed myself up and charged at him. He didn’t flinch. He was too strong, too fast. Every blow I landed meant nothing. He toyed with me, letting me believe for a moment that I could fight him before he swiped a paw across my face—careful not to spill too much blood—and sent me sprawling.

I tried crawling backward, my shift dissolving, my naked body trembling on the forest floor. “No! Please!” I gasped. “I’ll double what he paid—whatever it takes!”

He only stood over me, shifting back to his human form, his wounds knitting shut as if they had never been. The grin he wore made bile rise in my throat.

“You still don’t get it,” he said, his voice like ice. “I answer only to power and money. And soon your pack won’t have any. You have nothing I want.”

His gaze traveled over my exposed skin, and instinctively I covered myself with shaking hands.

“Oh, but you do look like something I could enjoy to fuck,” he murmured.

“Don’t you dare,” I hissed, swallowing hard. “Don’t come near me, you monster.”

He laughed, a dark, barking sound. “Monster? Look who’s talking. How many times have you sent me to kill someone prettier than you, Bella Maxwell? You’re the real monster here.”

Before I could react, he pounced, pinning me to the ground, his weight crushing me. “Be a good girl and give Daddy what he wants,” he whispered, his breath hot against my face. “Or I’ll cripple you right here before I do it.”

I screamed for help, my voice echoing into the empty woods. No one came.

No. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end.

Osborne
I was arranging the stack of papers on my desk when Alex walked in. He looked uneasy, his eyes darting briefly before meeting mine.
“The Alpha is back,” he said, voice low. “He’s requested your presence.”
I arched my brow and nodded. “And what about what I asked of you?”
Alex gave a faint smile. “He’s on it.”
Good. I rose from my seat, straightening my jacket before leaving the office.
Father was pacing the length of the room when I entered. The weight of tension hung heavy in the air.
“How did it go with him?” I asked, my voice calm but edged.
He spun to face me. “There will be war, Osborne. He bit where he shouldn’t have.”
I smirked faintly. That was what I wanted to hear. Words without actions are nothing but smoke without fire.
“Tell me whenever you’re ready,” I said smoothly, a smile playing on my lips.
He nodded once. It was final.
We were going to play a little with the Waterford Pack, to remind them who we are.
Later, I pushed open the door to my room and found Aina in 

Chapter 71