Bella:
The horrific image of Beta William going up in flames still burned in my memory. I couldn't believe the entire pack had done that to him without consideration. The boys and I were ushered back into the house as soon as the arena became rowdy, but we couldn't forget. We all sat still in the living area, staring into blank space.
"Bella!" Hazel called out, throwing her arms around me, drawing me back to reality. My body shuddered underneath hers as I spread out my arms to take her hug.
She pulled away, then placed her hand on my forehead. "Took away your memory of being a hybrid," she whispered, then walked over to the boys, who were still seated in one spot.
They came back to life with Hazel's touch.
"I do not think I am enjoying this holiday," Kai said, and we all sighed simultaneously. Once more, I felt terrible for dragging them into a mess like this.
The times they had planned the holidays, it turned out much better, but with me, all they got was chaos.
"I think we should get ready for our flight," Finn said, getting to his feet. We followed him. This was definitely no way to mark a break, and what scared me the most was the fact that we had worse still coming.
Halle's warning was slowly beginning to sink in, and it scared me to know those vampires were still on the loose, and we had no idea what they were planning to do next. Halfway through packing, I heard a knock at my door, and Dad opened it, walking in. For a moment, I stood still with my clothes in hand, staring at him like I had seen a ghost. The fact he almost died out there scared the hell out of me.
As he walked toward me, I tossed away the clothes at hand, throwing myself at him. Our relationship was imperfect, and I had all these feelings all over, but watching him die would have killed me.
"You were really going to kill yourself because of me," I choked out the words with a sniff, allowing tears to fall from my eyes.
He pulled me away from him, cupping my face in his hands.
"I am not going anywhere, baby, and I am sorry things have gotten messy. Life will keep getting tough, but I will try to be tougher to understand my little girl has grown. I love you, baby, and I would die before I let anything happen to you." A smile formed slightly on my face, then he pulled me in again, kissing my forehead.
My phone rang, and I pulled away to get it.
"Mum," I muttered as I checked the caller, then Dad put up a finger with his other hand in the pocket of his robe. "Could you not tell her what happened today in the pack? I know she is going to freak out, and I want to be the one to break it to her." I nodded as he said this, then I picked up the call.
**
After a long hour of flight, the five of us finally made it back to the Frost Pack. As the car came to a halt, I glanced at my mates, all seated around me in the car. Hazel pressed her index finger and thumb together, drawing it across her lips.
We all got out of the car to find Alpha Fred and Mum standing in front of the house.
I stared at Mum, trying to figure out where everything had gone wrong and how we suddenly wanted to spend time with each other. Nothing in my life felt right at the moment, and it seemed as though I was just passing time.
"Mum," I managed to call out, and she pulled me into a hug, pressing my head to her chest.
I felt that empty pit in my stomach again. The one that came when I got treated like a victim. I liked the fact that everyone seemed to care, but it seemed like I was some sick patient or an outcast who everyone tried to show pity to. It gnawed at me so much, and I wished things could go back to normal.
With a deep exhale, I pulled out of the hug, staring into my mother's eyes.
"I am good, Mum, and you do not need to worry," I said to her, but before she could respond, the front door swung open, and I saw the Alpha's men taking out some luggage.
My eyes went back to my mother, who had a smile on her face.
"When you called, I knew we had to do something to keep your mind off whatever happened in the pack," she began, and I raised a brow. "Now, honey, you do not need to go into details, because I know you won't. But I know you are sad, so I organized a little girls' getaway for the both of us."
My mouth dropped at once, and I glanced back at the triplets and Hazel, who had shock written on their faces. "Jus..."
"Just the two of us, honey," she said, pulling slightly at my cheeks.
Then she grabbed my hands.
"This will be a great opportunity for us, and it is on Soluna Island. Fred has this beautiful property you are gonna love." I shot Alpha Fred a killer look, and he glanced away as my mother grabbed my hand, walking me toward the
car.
"But Mum, I just got back, and..."
"You can sleep through the entire flight," she said, opening the door of the car.
I waved my friends goodbye as I got into the car. Then Mother closed the door, kissed Alpha Fred, and got in close to
me.
"Bring it in," she said, throwing open her arms. I took a deep breath, leaned into her, and placed my head on her lap. "There. Nothing as comfortable as Mother's lap," she said, patting my head gently.
**
The next time I gained consciousness, I found my body on a very soft material. Too soft and comfortable for the situation I found myself in. This caused me to open my eyes to see that I was in a beautifully furnished room. My eyes darted across the room to explore it, but nothing prepared me for what I saw next.
"Mum!" I screamed as I saw her seated on the bed, watching me.
"You are sleeping too much for someone supposed to be on a fun vacation!" she said, getting to her feet and making her way to the window.
She drew open the huge curtains, allowing the stream of sunlight to capture my face. In anger, I pulled the cover over my face, groaning underneath. This was all new to me, and she was not even trying to let me process my feelings about her and everything that had been going on in our lives.
"Breakfast will be ready in thirty minutes, so get ready," she said, and I heard the door opening. "Also, we are going shopping today. The island is beautiful, and it would be great for us to get out more."
The door shut, and I sighed, throwing the cover away. My phone beeped, and I reached for it to see texts from the group.
"How is the mother-and-daughter vacation going?"
I groaned, tossing my phone away and pressing the pillow to my face as though it would take away the emotions swirling around me. A few minutes later, I heard my mother's footsteps approaching, causing me to push myself out of bed. I rushed to the bathroom, locking it before she could open the door. Then I took a deep breath with my eyes shut as I walked to the shower to take a bath.
About thirty minutes later, I was dressed. I went down for breakfast, surprised to find the kitchen empty. On the island table sat a bowl of freshly cut fruits-pineapple, kiwi, and mango-next to a plate of smoked salmon on sourdough toast, topped with avocado and sesame seeds. A glass of orange juice and a steaming carafe of coffee completed the spread. I took a seat at once, reaching out for the bowl of fruits. I took out a pineapple and brought it to my lips when I heard Mother call out to me.
"Bella!" she gasped, startling me, causing the pineapple to slip from my hand. I turned to see her standing by the stairs in a white bodycon gown, which accentuated her curves. She had a huge black hat on and some shades to match. "You are eating without your mother!" she finished, and I sighed, my brows crumpling.
"Mum, you scared me, and it is not funny," I said. She chuckled, walking toward me and taking a seat.
"I am sure it was, but you do not need to admit it." I rolled my eyes at her words, then I picked out my food.