Chapter 10
Bella’s POV
I sat beside my father’s hospital bed, gripping his fingers tightly, as if by sheer force I could will life back into his body. Tonight, Tristan’s
mansion was eerily silent, with only the soft golden lights flickering in the corridor outside the medical wing.
The only indication that my father was still here was the gentle hum of the monitor—the sound. that betrayed he was still present, even though he lay silent beneath the darkness stolen from
his coma.
“I’m so sorry, Dad,” I whispered, my voice thick with the lump in my throat. I pressed my forehead against the back of his hand. “I should have known. I should have protected you better. I let them destroy us-I let him destroy our pack.”
Tears slipped down, falling onto the blanket at the edge of the bed. I felt so small in this sterile room, so different from the spacious halls of
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the estate we once had.
“I’m so tired.” I breathed out, my voice trembling. “But I swear… I will take everything back. I will avenge you, for myself, for Mom. I will destroy Alpha Jason for everything he has done, for stealing my pack, for taking my pup away from me. I swear.”
There was no response, only the soft beeps
from the machines. His chest rose and fell
rhythmically, but he felt so far away. I kissed his knuckles, lingering until my shoulders stopped
shaking.
As I finally walked out of the corridor, I realized I had taken a deep breath, as if the night wind from the open terrace beckoned me forward,
waiting for me.
I saw Tristan leaning against the stone, his sleeves rolled up, a glass of whiskey steadily placed on the railing. He glanced at me but didn’t speak immediately. Since he brought me here, we hadn’t really talked. He was busy with meetings, phone calls, locked doors, while I spent my days hiding in my father’s room, avoiding him.
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Tonight, there was nowhere to hide. Tristan finally broke the silence.
“I managed to convince the investors in the Pack Alliance,” he said, his tone steady as if discussing a minor inconvenience, not the storm that had torn everything apart. “They’re on our side now. They know what Jason did,
what kind of Alpha he is.”
I nodded and stepped closer, unable to meet his eyes. The air between us was thick with
unsaid words. We just… stared at each other.
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to voice the
words stuck in my throat.
“If you want to mock me,” I said softly, “do it now. I know you’ve been waiting for this. We’ve been adversaries for so many years, I used to call you enemy-now I’m a fool to come to you for help.”
Tristan raised an eyebrow, a spark of dark hunger flaring across his face.
“Mock you?” he whispered, stepping closer. “Is that what you think I’ve been waiting for?”
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He reached out and grabbed my chin, lifting my face. In an instant, his lips crashed onto mine
—hard, stealing my breath away. This wasn’t a gentle or sweet kiss. It was claiming.
My eyes shot open, and I pushed him away, gasping, fingers brushing over my still-tingling lips. “What the hell was that?”
Tristan chuckled, a low, sharp sound. “Do you
even need to ask? That was a declaration.”
I stared at him. “A declaration?”
He closed the distance again, filling the space l had just vacated.
“Did I never tell you?” he murmured, his hand sliding to the nape of my neck, pulling me closer until our foreheads almost touched. “You’ve always been mine, Bella. I’ve had enough of watching you suffer for those who don’t deserve you.”
He kissed me again, this time slower, as if making a promise. My chest tightened, my hands wavering between pushing him away
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and pulling him closer. When he backed off, his eyes were alight with a dangerous sparkle.
“From now on, prepare for the bonding ceremony. I won’t give Alpha Jason any chance to come near you. I should have killed that bastard long ago.”
My voice came out weak and hoarse. “You still care for me? After everything?”
Tristan’s smile was wicked and heart-stopping; he leaned in, his lips brushing lightly over mine. “Like hell I do. I’ve always wanted you. Even when I hated you, I desired you. Maybe I wanted you even more when I hated you.”
I couldn’t help but let out a trembling, incredulous laugh. “You’re insane.”
“Only for you.” He kissed the corner of my mouth in affirmation. “So? Are you ready to truly belong to me?”
I gazed at him-my former enemy, my savior, now transformed into something new, still unknown. My wolf stirred in my chest, not in fear, but in liberation. Hope. Maybe even
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something warmer.
“Alright,” I breathed softly.
Tristan’s smile was filled with devilish delight. “Say it again.”
“Thank you…” I added, my throat tightening. “Thank you for saving my father. For saving me.
I’ll do anything you ask of me. Anything.”
His eyes deepened, laden with heat and something more profound.
“Anything, huh?” He tilted his head teasingly. “You say that so easily. Are you sure?”
