BELLA & THE BETA

Two

Judging by the cars filling up the entrance, a large number of people had turned out to celebrate Nigel's big day. If she'd accepted the mission earlier, today would have been a good day to kill him. While the others were celebrating, she could drug his mate, kill him and walk away. They wouldn't know of his demise until it was too late. In such occasions, she chose poison. The kind that didn't have an antidote and would kill him slowly. That way, even Alpha Vance wouldn't sense his death until he'd taken his last breath. But she'd missed a good opportunity and now she had to find another way to do it. Up until Stella mentioned the Luna, she hadn't been worried about completing the mission. Now her stomach was all twisted up with the thought of adding more people to her list.

Allen let them out and then went in search of a parking spot. Bella looked around, taking in the scenery in front of her. The perimeter wall was around ten feet long and two men stood at the entrance. If someone happened to be trapped inside, it would be hard for them to escape unless they knew about a secret passageway or had help. This meant if she wanted to take out Nigel, she would have to do it quietly and leave before someone noticed or wait for him outside the pack. Assuming she could catch him alone. Tamping down her anger, she followed Eden and Stella inside. She hadn't met the man yet but he was already a headache.

"Welcome to Hell Manes. Please write your names and the pack you're from here" one of the men said handing them a large A4 hardcover notebook. Bella's first instinct was to write down one of her aliases but because of her company, she couldn't do it. Why had she used her real name to get an apartment? What had she been thinking? In hindsight, it could be said that was her first mistake. No, not first but second. The first was following Eden to that ceremony. If she'd known what the future had in store for her, she would have found another way to make Grim approve of her retirement.

Once they signed in, another man approached them and offered to show them around.

"The pack house and residential areas are out of bounds but feel free to tour the rest of the place"

"Are you an enforcer?" Eden asked eyeing the man. Her intention clear. If he turned her down, he was either mated or an i***t.

"Why? Are you into enforcers?"

Eden took out her phone and handed it to him "Your number, please"

"No strings attached?"

"Zero"

Bella rolled her eyes. It was annoying how fast she'd already gotten herself a f**k buddy. Shifting her jaw from side to side, she wondered if it was the expression on her face. Did she come off as intimidating? Is that the reason the guy hadn't spared her a second glance? Aside from doing recon, she also wanted to take someone home. And to succeed in that, she couldn't scare them away before they approached her. Adjusting her features, she flashed the guy a smile. He did a double take and Bella could see the moment he wondered if it was possible to get her number too.

"Don't be greedy" she told him walking away. Stella ran after her.

"I've been meaning to ask, are you like open to a threesome?"

"With you guys?"

"Uh-huh. You're hot and we both like you"

There was no shyness or hesitation in Stella's voice. Which meant, it wouldn't be the first time for them. Before she could answer, Allen joined them asking,

"Did you tell her?"

"Yup. Just waiting for her answer"

Bella smiled "I'll think about it"

"Let us know when you make a decision. We'd be happy to have you all to ourselves for however long you want"

"Okay. See you around" she told them taking another path. Wolves were s****l creatures but she didn't know mates could be open to sharing. According to what she'd heard, they were possessive of each other and rarely noticed those around them. Had people changed or was she old-fashioned? Not that it bothered her. She'd happily spend a night with them. But that was after she'd come up with a plan. At the moment, taking in Hell Manes' set-up was more important. There was a reason no one had a layout of the place out there. The members were too loyal to be bribed and torturing them was useless. They'd rather die than betray their Alpha. Admirable to others but a pain in the ass to people in her profession.

After ten minutes of looking around, she came to the conclusion that it would be easier to wait for Nigel to leave Hell Manes. Maybe she could catch him during one of his routine rounds. Or make something up that would make him leave. A few seconds was all it would take to kill him. A minute...

"What are you doing?"

"Looking around" she replied without batting an eyelash. Years of training had turned her into an expert liar. She could even lie in her sleep. Slowly turning around, she looked at the person- kid who'd asked the question.

"You passed the place where the party is being held"

"Did I?"

"Yes. Come with me. I'll show you"

"The ceremony hasn't started so I thought it was okay to tour the place. I'm Bella. What is your name?"

"Arlo but people call me Al. I'm in charge of making sure guests don't wander off and get lost"

"You are? How old are you?"

"Eleven. If you need anything, you can ask me or the guys dressed in black. Just don't go to places you're not allowed to go 'cause it'll make the Alpha angry and when he's angry, he can be mean" he sounded so serious that Bella decided to play along.

"Okay. Thank you for the warning Al. I really appreciate it"

"You're welcome" he stopped when the venue came into view "Have a nice day, ma'am. I'm going to find other lost guests"

Seeing how dedicated the kid was to his job, she knew she would get caught if she left again. The only time she could walk around without looking suspicious was after the party had started. Feigning drunkenness was easier than coming up with fake explanations. Her eyes scanned the people standing around until they landed on Eden. Just as she started toward her, the hairs at the back of her neck stood up, making her head snap from side to side. Looking for the threat. But there was none. Had she imagined it? Shaking her head, she made her way to Eden who introduced her to the people around her. She didn't look like it but she was a social butterfly. In the short amount of time she'd been gone, the woman had made more friends and she had already convinced them to follow her on social media.

"Okay, guys. We'll go find our seats. Make sure to find me later" she told them pulling her away while whispering "I love it here. If things go well, I might leave as a millionaire"

Bella scoffed "Should've known you were coming here to sell your books"

"I didn't but I'm not opposed to doing it. The more fans I get, the more successful I'll be. Besides, you have to be nice to me. I helped you bag a hot date for today"

"Who? Allen and Stella already booked me"

"Shut the front door! Really? She looks so cute and innocent though. I'd pay money to watch..." Blood rushed to her ears, tuning out whatever Eden was saying. Her heartbeat picked up and Bella thought she was going to die because someone had gotten to her first. Her vision blurred then all of a sudden, the symptoms disappeared. And she was back to herself. Confused as to what was happening, she looked at Eden, wondering if her roommate had experienced the same thing. But before she could ask, a single word echoed through her mind.

Mate.

Bella's heart skipped a beat. Surely, she had to be mistaken. There was no way her mate was in Hell Manes. Who was it? A member or a guest? Goddess, she wasn't ready to meet him. Was there a chance she could sneak out and come looking for him another day? Where was he? Around her, people clapped. Eden leaned in and whispered something to her but she couldn't hear her. Her eyes were on the tall man dressed in a black tuxedo. It was him. She knew without a doubt that he was her mate. He had to have felt it too. The bond snapping in place. Yet he didn't look fazed at all. Instead, he took a woman's hand and kissed it. The other man standing next to him said something to which he nodded. The shock that had rooted her in the chair wore off when she saw his fangs extending. That bastard was going to mate with another woman. Right in front of her.

Two things registered then.

One, She had found her mate but he didn't want her.

Two, Nigel f*****g Devoe was her mate.

An angry roar slipped past her lips and she was out of her chair in a flash. Screw the consequences. That bastard was going to die. Right there and then, she was going to end him.

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