BELLA & THE BETA

Seven

"Did you find anything? Who is she? Where did she come from?"

"Did you get a second name or the pack she was in before she came here?" At his nod, Vic rolled his eyes "Boss, I can find out everything about her but you have to give me something to start with. One name won't do it. Give me a surname or her previous pack. Otherwise, it will take some time"

"What about the name she used to rent the apartment?"

"Fake"

Right. And since they didn't look into their tenant's backgrounds, he couldn't blame her for giving them a fake name. Most of those people were either rogues or running from their past and Neutral Ground was supposed to be their safe haven. It had been Beverly's idea to let them stay as long as they didn't commit any crimes or go against the rules. She wanted to help women like Gail who had left their homes but had nowhere to go. That was the main reason they didn't probe into their tenant's past. But he was having doubts whether that was a good idea.

"Are you suspicious of her? She's your mate"

"She also refused to tell me her full name and where she came from" and she'd spent the better part of the night looking through his things. At first, he'd thought she was just curious but then he saw her walking around the house long after everyone had gone to sleep. She was looking for cameras and recorders. He knew that because he also did the same thing whenever they spent the night elsewhere. A normal wolf wouldn't do that. Even his enforcers didn't bother looking for bugs unless he reminded them to. Nigel thought that he wouldn't be so suspicious if she'd just told him a little about herself. Some information he could use to verify her identity.

"Maybe she has her reasons for withholding that info. It doesn't mean she's a bad person"

"For now, run her photo through our database and let me know if something comes up"

"You got it, boss"

For him to make a decision, he first needed to know her background. Since she'd left with Beverly, he took that chance to look for Violet and talk to her. Since Bella's arrival, he hadn't seen her again. Knowing her, she was probably too scared to confront Bella. Violet was quiet and meek. The type of person who avoided confrontations or arguments. She was one of the few members that needed protection. Although, that didn't mean she was a pushover. Hadn't she told Beverly, her Luna that bribing was beneath her? She'd been set to move into the pack house after their mating but since they hadn't gone through with it, Nigel guessed she was at her place. The door opened when he was a few feet away and she stood on the threshold fidgeting with her fingers.

"Hello Nigel"

"Hi. Are you okay?"

"Yes. I figured since you've found your mate, you wouldn't even remember I existed"

"About that... Can we talk?"

"Yeah. Come on in. Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'm fine. Sit" he told her, pointing to the seat opposite his "Listen, I didn't mean for any of that to happen"

"I know. The Luna warned me about it but I guess I was too happy to care"

"I will fix everything. Just give me some time"

"Are you asking me to wait for you?"

Nigel ran his fingers through his hair "Yes and no. It's okay if you find your mate before I resolve everything. I won't hold you back"

"I will understand if you pick her over me. She's pretty" Violet said in a small voice then shook her head "I'm actually jealous of her. She's everything I'll never be. Exotic, brave, and confident. If I had been in her place yesterday, I'm not sure I would have been courageous enough to tackle you to the ground"

"You're fine just the way you are. Don't compare yourself to her"

"But you didn't disagree with me either"

That would be a lie. Even a blind man would know how gorgeous Bella was, let alone him. And he was her mate. Their bond wouldn't let him think otherwise. But he'd been trying to ignore his feelings so they wouldn't grow. Once he let himself appreciate her beauty, he'd want her in his bed. And after knowing how it felt to have her in his arms, would he be able to let her go? He wasn't interested in finding out the answer.

"I'll admit that she surprised me and I'm at a loss of what to do but this won't last long. I will eventually fig..." The door flew off its hinges. Nigel's first instinct was to protect Violet so he jumped up and pushed her behind him. He'd never admit it out loud but if he'd known who the intruder was, he might have acted differently.

But how come he hadn't heard or sensed her approaching?

"What did I say about seeing you near my man?" Bella asked standing on top of the ruined door. Brave? Courageous? Bullshit! She was a f*****g nutcase. Compared to Beverly, she was way worse.

And hot...

"You're paying for that door" Nigel replied, straightening to his full height and trying really hard to not think about what his wolf had said.

"No problem. As long as you pay for her coffin"

"Nothing happened. We were just talking" Violet started but Bella cut her off with a snort

"And you couldn't do that in the main house or outside in the open?" She shifted her eyes to him "I'm only going to say this once, Nigel. So listen carefully. Don't provoke me or we'll all end up six feet under"

How did she even find out he was there?

"This is the last time you threaten Violet. If you don't know how to speak like a normal person..."

"You'll what, kick me out? Are you defending another woman in front of me?"

Goddess, she was impossible.

"Don't fight because of me. I swear nothing happened"

"Shut it. Everything about you grates on my nerves. Why the f**k are you hiding behind him? I thought Hell Manes didn't harbor weaklings"

"Bella..." she ignored him

"You know what? Let's solve this woman-to-woman. If you win, I'll pack my bags and go back to my apartment. If I win, you will leave and never come back here again"

"But I..."

"Excuse us," Nigel told her and marched to where Bella was standing. Taking her arm, he dragged her away.

"That was a challenge by the way and you'd better accept it or I'll kill you in your sleep" she yelled over her shoulder. He yanked her forward, heading to the field where a few enforcers were sparring. They took one look at his face and quietly left. Once they were alone, he dropped her hand and turned to face her.

"Nothing happened back there. I was just talking to her"

"I know"

Nigel blinked "You know?"

"Uh-huh"

"Then why did you make a scene?"

"So your little girlfriend will realize how serious I am. I won't hesitate to kill her if she comes anywhere near you"

"If you want to take your anger out on someone, do it on me. Leave Violet alone. She's not at fault"

"The more you defend her, the more I want to tear her apart"

"Are you going to continue being unreasonable? Neither of us wanted any of this to happen"

"It doesn't matter. Last warning. If you go anywhere near her again, I will end her" She spun around and left but he wasn't about to let her have the last word.

"Is killing the only thing you know how to do?"

"Yes. You'd be surprised by how good I am at it"

Lovely. Mine.

"Shut it!" He couldn't believe that crazy woman but what pissed him off was how he was in agreement with his wolf. Bella had staked a claim on him and she wasn't afraid of letting everyone know he belonged to her. Her confidence was pulling him in and slowly arousing his curiosity. What kind of person was she? One moment she was hurling threats and the next, she was getting teary-eyed over a little kindness. It made him curious to know how her life had been. What or who was she running from? Was she as crazy as he assumed or was that a cover to hide who she truly was?

"I love her already," Shaw said, stopping a few feet away from him "She's perfect for you"

"How?"

"She balances your life. I just came from the main house and imagine my surprise when I found out you haven't been to your office today"

"I was busy"

"You've never been too busy to work. I bet you haven't thought about work today either"

He was right. Work was the last thing on his mind. But in his defense, he was supposed to be on his honeymoon with Violet for the next few weeks. It wasn't surprising that his mind had logged out. He was a one-track-minded person.

"Did you want something?"

"Yes. A raise. I have a family now, boss, and babies are expensive"

"Take that up with Rome. He's in charge of everything for next month"

"Already did. He sent me to you"

"Return to sender"

"Boss..."

He left. Whether or not he ended up going on his honeymoon, Roman would still have to be in charge for the next four weeks. Nigel wanted to see how things would work when he wasn't around. It wouldn't hurt to humble his Alpha a little.

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