Hunter’s POV
I kept Bella locked in the dungeon, to drain her blood little by little. Once I had taken everything from her, I would discard her as if she were nothing.
Nara was suffering from a rare disease—one that caused her body to stop producing blood. Without constant transfusions, she would die. And Bella… Bella was the perfect match. It wasn’t just that they shared the same blood type. They were identical twins. What were the odds? A miracle for Nara. A death sentence for Bella.
That was why I married Bella in the first place. It had never been about love. It was all a well-calculated plan. Win her heart. Gain her trust. Then take from her what I needed.
And yet… a nagging feeling clawed at my gut, an unease I couldn’t shake. A part of me wanted to stop. But I crushed the thought as quickly as it came. I had already come too far.
"Darling," a soft, sultry voice pulled me from my thoughts.
Nara, lounging beside me, absentmindedly traced circles on my chest with her fingertips. Her touch was light, teasing, but her eyes were sharp with curiosity.
"What are you going to do with Bella?" she asked, tilting her head. "She won’t stop screaming and crying. It’s pathetic, really." She chuckled. "Just like she used to be in the Eclipse Howlers."
Ah, yes. I remembered.
Bella and Nara came from a different pack, one far from here. But unlike Nara, Bella had been abandoned, discarded by her own people. They had turned their backs on her, leaving her with no one.
No one but me.
Of course, that had been my plan all along. I had orchestrated everything. Made sure she had nowhere else to go, no one else to rely on. In the end, I was all she had.
But that didn’t matter anymore. Once I drained her completely, Nara would finally be healthy. And we could live in peace.
A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts.
"Alpha," a voice called from outside. One of my warriors. "There’s an emergency."
I exhaled sharply, annoyed at the interruption. "What is it?" I snapped. "I’m in the middle of something here."
"It’s Bella." A pause. "She escaped."
A chill ran down my spine.
"What?!" Nara and I spoke at the same time, our voices laced with disbelief.
I shot up from my seat. "Take me to the dungeon. Now!"
Without waiting for a response, I stormed out of the room, my heart pounding, my pulse ringing in my ears.
How the hell had she escaped?!
When I reached the dungeon, my worst fears were confirmed. The cell door was wide open, the iron chains that once bound Bella lying uselessly on the floor.
She was gone.
A guttural growl tore from my throat as I swung my fist against the stone wall beside me. The impact sent sharp pain shooting up my arm, but I barely felt it.
"Find her! Immediately!" I roared.
"Understood, Alpha!" My warriors sprang into action, scattering in different directions.
I clenched my jaw, breathing heavily.
"Who helped her escape?!" I bellowed, my voice thundering through the stone corridors.
No one answered. The guards stood stiff, eyes darting to the ground, afraid to meet my gaze.
Someone had helped her. There was no way she got out on her own.
I scanned their faces, searching for the weakest link—the one who would break first under pressure.
"If no one talks," I hissed, "then you’ll all suffer the consequences."
Silence.
I inhaled sharply, forcing myself to think. Bella wouldn’t have gotten far. Not with how weak she was. She had been drained for weeks. She should barely be able to stand, let alone run.
And if someone was willing to risk their life for her, that meant she had an ally. Someone within my own ranks.
A traitor.
Nara stepped closer, resting a hand on my arm, her nails lightly digging into my skin. "Relax, darling," she purred. "We’ll find her. And when we do…" She smiled, slow and cruel. "We’ll make sure she never gets another chance to escape."
I exhaled through my nose, forcing my rage to settle into something colder. Sharper.
She was right. Bella could run, but she wouldn’t get far. Not from me.
I would find her.
And this time, I’d make sure she never saw the light of day again.
I ordered an immediate investigation.
I waited, my patience wearing thin as my men scoured every possible lead. Then, finally, the truth came out.
Liam.
My Beta.
Rage ignited inside me like wildfire, consuming every ounce of restraint I had left.
"How fucking dare you help her?!" My voice thundered through the room, shaking the very walls of my domain.
Before Liam could react, I lunged, my hand wrapping around his throat as I lifted him off the ground with inhuman strength. His feet dangled, his hands clawing at my grip, but I didn’t care.
"Why?" My voice was low, seething, my grip tightening. "What gave you the right to release her?!"
But Liam… he didn’t tremble. He didn’t beg. Instead, he met my glare with an unwavering gaze, his lips curling into something almost resembling pity.
"Because I am no longer part of your devious plan." he spat, voice hoarse but steady.
I stilled.
"I can’t stand by and watch you commit such monstrous acts against Bella. She did nothing but love you."
His words slammed into me like a dagger to the chest.
I stiffened.
For a brief, agonizing moment, something cracked inside me. Memories surged—memories of Bella’s trust, the way she had looked at me with pure devotion, believing every false promise, every calculated touch.
She had given me her heart. And I had shattered it.
But I forced those thoughts away.
That was the plan. That was how it had to be.
Nara needed Bella’s blood. Bella was nothing more than a means to an end.
I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms. My control slipped, and without thinking, I snarled, "You love Bella, don’t you?"
Liam’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he shook his head furiously. "No," he said, but his voice lacked conviction. "I don’t love her."
But then his expression darkened. "But I do care. And I won’t stand by and watch you rot in your own sins. One day, you’ll pay for everything you’ve done. Mark my words."
My lips twisted into a sneer.
"You’re a fool," I hissed.
With a violent shove, I threw him across the room. He hit the ground hard, his body skidding across the cold stone floor.
Gasps echoed from the watching crowd, but I ignored them.
"Take him," I barked. "Lock him in the dungeon. Make sure he doesn’t escape. He’ll suffer the consequences of his actions!"
Two of my warriors rushed forward, grabbing Liam by the arms as he struggled to his knees. Blood trickled from a cut on his temple, but he didn’t look at me with fear.
No, he looked at me with pity.
I hated it.
As they dragged him away, I turned to the rest of my warriors, my rage boiling over.
"Find Bella!" I roared, my voice shaking the very walls of the stronghold.
Silence hung thick in the air, heavy with unspoken tension. No one dared defy me.
"I want her found now!" My breath was ragged, my chest heaving. "Bring her back to me—alive."
Bella’s blood was still needed. The transfusions for Nara were not yet complete.
I couldn’t afford to lose her.
"Yes, Alpha!" my warriors responded in unison before scattering like shadows, disappearing into the night.
I stood there, breathing hard, my heart hammering against my ribs.
This wasn’t over.
Bella could run.
But she would never truly escape.
Not from me.
