BELLA & THE BETA

Four

From the corner of his eye, Nigel saw Shaw and a few enforcers take a step forward. They probably wanted to help him but the thought of them laying their hands on the crazy woman didn't sit well with him. He imagined tearing their arms off their sockets before he caught himself and shook the thought away. He'd just met her. Why was he acting like that? Besides, Roman and Beverly stopped them before they got anywhere near them. What were the chances of those two being in cahoots with the nutcase on top of him?

"Woman..."

"It's Bella. My name is Bella" she cut him off, her eyes flashing.

"Bella" he emphasized through gritted teeth "My patience is running out. Get off me and let's talk like civilized people. Making a scene won't solve anything"

"Are you insinuating I'm uncivilized?"

"There are children around. What kind of message are you sending them?"

"Please, who doesn't know how Hell Manes works? You can't fool me, you bastard. Cancel this s**t show first"

Damn her!

"No. Get off me..."

"Don't f**k with me, Nigel. You have no idea what I'm capable of" She stood up and faced the crowd "The ceremony is cancelled but you're free to eat and drink before you leave"

"Says who?" Beverly asked taking a step forward. He couldn't tell if she was happy or sad that his mating with Violet hadn't gone through.

"Me. If any of you think I would step aside and let MY mate be with another woman, you're dreaming" She shifted her eyes to where Violet was standing quietly "I am sorry to burst your little bubble but as of this moment, this man belongs to me. If I see you anywhere near him, I will grant you a slow and painful death. Understood?"

"Excuse us" He grabbed her arm and dragged her out of there before she disrespected Beverly and earned herself an early death. Roman loved his Luna to death but he also trusted her to handle her problems. He only stepped in when she asked for his help. But Tuska was another matter. She wasn't related to Beverly in any way but she was overly protective of her and the kids. He'd seen her fight once and was glad he'd resolved his issues with Beverly. If she thought the crazy woman was a threat, she'd be eliminated in a heartbeat.

"Don't think you will convince me to leave"

He dragged her inside the house and to his office. Closing the door behind him, Nigel took a deep breath before turning around to face her.

"How did you get here?"

"By car of course. There's no way I would have run here and ruined my dress. Are you blind?"

"I meant, where are you from?"

"Will you believe it if I tell you I've been living in the apartments for two weeks now?"

Right. If he'd made his routine rounds yesterday, all the drama that had just happened could have been avoided. But Roman had offered to go so he could finish up his work before going on his honeymoon. Talk about the universe f*****g with him. Couldn't she have chosen another day to show up? What was he supposed to do with her?

"Would you like something to drink?"

"No thanks. But I'd appreciate it if you lent me your car. Or drove me back so I can pick up my stuff"

"You want to stay here?"

"Do you expect me to leave? Are you going to reject me?"

"No. That's not..."

"Good. Because if you think I'm the type of woman that will take a rejection lying down, think again" She took a step toward him and another one until she was inches away from him "I don't like you, Nigel. I hate the fact that we met here and in this manner. I'm disappointed you didn't wait for me. But now that I'm here, don't expect me to run away. That's not how I do things"

"So how long are you planning on staying?"

"Forever"

"What?"

"You're stuck with me"

No, he didn't want to be stuck with her. She had no place in his carefully laid-out life. But he also didn't know how to ask her to leave without rejecting her. It would be cruel to do it right after they'd just met. What if he waited for a few days before doing it? She'd said she lived in the apartments which meant she had left her pack or family behind or she didn't have one. The least he could do was make sure she would be taken care of after they parted ways.

"I will talk to the Alpha about your staying here..."

"And I want that woman to leave"

"What woman?"

"The one you were about to mate with. If I bump into her, my wolf might give in to the urge to tear her apart for coveting what's mine"

"Violet is a member of Hell Manes. This is her home. She is not going anywhere"

"Then you're okay with her dying?"

"Bella, you can't..."

"Yes, I can. I will end her. I will kill any woman who thinks they stand a chance with you. She better be gone by tomorrow morning"

Who did she think she was?

"You don't give orders around here. You want to stay? Fine. I won't kick you out. But keep in mind that you're a guest. You have no right to make any decisions much less demand a member leave. I'll have some of my enforcers drive you back to your place so you can pick up your things. Don't forget that no one in Hell Manes is a pushover. And if you'd like your head to remain attached to your neck, refrain from offending the Luna. Do you understand?"

"So the rumors about her are true? Interesting" The smile on her face had him making a mental note to keep an eye on her. She wouldn't be the first one to test Beverly.

The tattoo peaking from the slit on her dress drew his attention. Only a small part was visible but somehow, he knew the rest of it. As if he'd seen it before. But where? Wasn't this the first time he'd met her?

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