Bella
Daphne pulled me up from the table and led me upstairs. We passed my door, and the doors to the brothers’ rooms, to another door farther down the hall. “This is my room,” she said easily. The room was very, very purple. The walls were a pale violet color, the curtains were deep indigo, which matched the plum bedspread. Even the throw-rugs on the hardwood floors were various shades of lilac.
“I know, right? I went through a purple phase in high school.” She said with an easy laugh. “I even dyed my hair purple. Well, it came out kind of magenta. I’m over it now, I suppose I could redecorate the room, but ya know…” She shrugged and patted the bed next to her. “Come on, let's talk.”
I eyed the bed cautiously. Sitting on the beds had been strictly forbidden in White Pines. But Daphne smiled and tilted her head, and I found myself walking over and sitting awkwardly beside her. She turned and crossed her legs, “So…” She eyed me, “How are you doing, really?”
I kept my eyes down and picked at my fingernails. I’ve never had a friend, I never had anyone I could confide in. I wanted to talk to her, but I really didn’t know how.
“Are you missing your home pack?”
“Oh no,” I answered quickly, shaking my head for added emphasis. “My home was… terrible. There is nothing to miss there.”
Daphne nodded her head in understanding, but I knew she couldn’t really understand. She was the sister of the Alphas. I can assume that also made her the daughter of an Alpha. She had grown up with privilege and luxury and… and a purple room. She had a family and people who loved her, and no doubt the favor of the whole pack. I remembered how Hailey had come to kiss her on the cheek. She had no idea how harsh life could really be. Still, I appreciated the sympathy behind her eyes.
“Then you are happy here?” She pressed.
“Umm,” I glanced up at her searching blue eyes and then away again. “Your brothers have been very kind to me.”
She leaned closer, “Then what’s wrong, Bella?”
“I…” I felt hot tears burning behind my eyes and my throat wanted to close. I would not cry. I would not cry. I cleared my throat. “I do not know where I belong here. In White Pines my life was miserable, but I knew my place, I knew what was expected of me. I knew how to survive. Here…” I shook my head and rubbed the heel of my hand into my eyes, willing them to dry up.
“I bet you are feeling really confused right now,” She said softly. I could only nod my head in agreement. Confused was just the tip of the iceberg. She took ahold of my hand. I couldn’t help but notice how small and soft her hands were, compared to mine. Mine were rough from years of work, and it made me feel unfeminine by comparison. “I’m really glad you are here, Bella. And I’m happy my brothers found you. I’m super excited to have a sister.”
A sister. I really liked the sound of that. I didn’t really know what it was like to have a family. How many times had I envied April and Jenneth at White Pines? The girls had always had each other. They played together, they confided in each other, and sometimes they even fought like they wanted to kill each other. But by the next morning, they were always back, whispering together and holding hands.
“Th-Thank you.” I mumbled because I didn’t know the appropriate thing to say.
“My brothers are really good guys, Bella. I mean, sure they are kind of clumsy and emotionally stunted, but they would never do anything to intentionally hurt you. I can tell they already love you, and that’s really saying something. I’ve never seen them serious about a woman before.” She squeezed my hand. “Please give them a chance.”
I felt my face going red. I hoped my hair was hiding it, but I had a feeling that Daphne was too perceptive. “I... I don’t know how.”’
“Oh, that’s easy. Just let them love you.” She said with a bright and happy smile. “We’ll teach you everything you need to know.” She jumped off the bed. “Let’s head downstairs and watch a movie!”
Wyatt
I walked in and found Byron trying to tape some colorful paper around a box, and really making a mess of it. It looked like a four-year-old’s attempt to wrap a gift. “What are you doing?” I growled. I was in a foul mood. I was angry at myself, mostly, but it just made me irritable with everything and everyone.
“I’m wrapping Bella’s present.”
The tape came unstuck and the paper opened to reveal the box. Byron had bought her a laptop. It was a good idea, and I was annoyed with myself that I hadn’t thought of it first. Byron swore and tried to force the paper back around the box, tearing off a six-inch piece of tape. He tried to smooth the paper down, but only ended up ripping it. He cursed again and ripped the paper off altogether.
I snickered, and he glared at me.
“Why don’t you help me, instead of standing there like a moron?” He growled, his blue eyes flashing. I knew he was still annoyed with me too, for messing up with Bella this morning. Under ordinary circumstances, I would have left him to struggle with the task, and laughed at the results, but since I was feeling guilty, and the gift was for Bella, I pulled the mess out of his hands.
I took the wrapping paper and the scissors and began cutting a new swath of paper into a nice, neat square. This is how I liked everything: clean, precise, and orderly. I folded the paper in crisp straight lines, wrapped it tightly around the box, and used small pieces of tape to hold it perfectly in place. In moments, I had neatly wrapped the package. It wasn’t that hard, it was just a square box. If only dealing with our mate was that simple. I handed him back the laptop.
Byron took it back. “We could make it from both of us if you want.” He offered generously.
I shook my head. “Nah, this was your idea. And I think it's good if she sees us as two separate people, you know?” I stuffed my hands back in my pockets. “I’ll think of something else to give her.” My mind was already turning with some ideas. It wasn’t like it was hard to think of presents I’d like to give her. I had the compulsion to give her anything and everything her heart ever desired.
I sighed and kicked the chair. “I messed up.”
Byron, always the more philosophical one, pushed back in his chair. “I don’t think so. I mean, yeah, you scared her, but you didn’t mean to. And I don’t think you did any permanent damage.”
“I feel like… a bull in a china shop around her,” I confessed. “She’s so damn fragile.”
“Yeah,” Byron said, “But she won’t be like this always. She’ll get stronger. She’ll get to know us and trust us. She’ll learn that you are a hot head, and I am absolutely perfect in every way…” I shot him a dirty look and he chuckled, “And she’ll love us for who we really are.”
I lowered myself into the chair opposite him. “You know the mating bond doesn’t guarantee love,” I said darkly. “It's only sexual attraction.”
“Gods, you are such a pessimist. So is that all you feel for Bella? Sexual attraction? Is it just pheromones for you? A chemical reaction?” Byron teased me, poking at me.
I wish that were all it was. That would be easy to explain, easy to understand, and easy to deal with. A purely sexual response could be satisfied. But, of course, it was a thousand times more complicated than that. I was emotionally enmeshed, and it was messy and confusing. I wanted to protect her. I wanted to make her happy and see her smile. I wanted to take away that haunted look in her eyes. I wanted to kiss away every scar on her body.
I wanted to kill the person who had done that to her.
I ran my hands through my hair and pulled at it. “What I mean is that the mating bond doesn’t mean she’ll automatically love us.” I gritted my teeth and finally spoke the fear that was in my heart. “What if she doesn’t love us, Byron? Or what if she doesn’t love both of us?” What I was really afraid of was that she wouldn’t love me. I could already see that Byron was better with her. He was gentle and patient and he knew how to comfort her. He seemed to understand what she needed and anticipated it in a way I couldn’t.
“Hey man,” he stood, and he put a hand on my shoulder, “You need to relax, and have a little faith. She was chosen for us, and we were chosen for her. We will fit together.” He gave my shoulder a squeeze and then went out of the office, with his present tucked under his arm. I watched him go, still wearing a worried frown. Then I whipped out my phone and tapped in the web address for a florist.