Kate.
Staring at Bella with disgust and shock painting her beautiful features. Bella's eyes flickered to Kate's hand grasping tightly to her bandaged side and then back to her wide, watering eyes. Her mouth opened and closed as she grasped for something to say, but there was nothing that could be said. Bella had killed people, and Kate knew it.
Oh God. What if they had been Kate's colleagues? Or even her friends? Bella felt sick. Kate was never going to forgive her. Bella's mouth opened and closed in a mirror image to Kate's, still trying to find something to say that could even begin to compensate for how remorseful and sorry she felt.
"Shall we just leave you two love birds to it?" Lisa giggled.
Bella's back was to her, but Lisa's taunting voice was enough to make her eyes water and her hands clench tight with boiling hot anger. Finally, words seem to form between Bella's lips and she gasped them out as fast she could: "Kate, I can explain!"
"I can't even believe that you have the words, or the ability to explain this!" Kate hissed and turned away sharply, her head bowing with grief and shoulders tightening.
Bella's stomach rolled with revulsion for herself, which only seemed to get worse as Kate whispered, "they were my friends. People I knew, and have worked with for years. I know all of their families, their kids, their husbands, their wives, even their pets, Bella! I know these people! And you've just slaughtered them!"
Kate finished her screaming by whirling around, still grasping her stomach and staring at Bella with wide, disappointed, horrified and grief stricken eyes. Bella swallowed thickly, trying not to think of the families she had torn apart, of the husbands and wives and kids, and even dogs that would be waiting for their partner or parent or pet to walk through the door tonight.
Bella's eyes finally watered enough for tears to roll down her cheeks. "Kate, please, let me explain. It was Lisa! I was stupid enough to believe… she said tha-"
Kate shook her head sharply. "I don't want to hear it!" Her voice trembled as she shouted, but Bella talked over the top of her. "She said you would be in trouble, and that she had planted the bullet. Please believe me: they attacked me! I didn't mean to kill them, just immobilize them, but I was so focused on you and it all got out of hand, and I was in my wolf form and I didn't want to put the wolves at risk and-"
"I don't care who you were trying to protect, Bella. Me, the wolves, yourself - I don't care. You killed innocent people. You're as bad… no," she laughed sharply, the sound so harsh and full of anger that it twisted Bella's insides. "You're worse than Lisa. At least she takes responsibility for her actions. You just try and blame everyone else."
"Kate, it wasn't like that. I didn't want to kill them!"
"But you did," Kate stated bluntly. Then she continued with: "and how could you even be so stupid as to believe her about the bullet? She needs to keep hold of it, or she's got no leverage, has she?"
"I don't know what to say," Bella whispered.
Kate sighed harshly through her nose. "Just stop talking, Bella. I signed your discharge sheet. I just need you to leave me alone."
Before Bella could object to this, or continue to stumble over her words and try to form some sort of explanation, Kate had begun to walk away.
Bella let her.
Nearly a week later and Bella was locked up in her room once more. The Denali's had been trying to persuade her to come and join them in at meals, but Bella was making it clear that she didn't want to. Sometimes she hoped they would send her away so that she could stop hurting Kate, and bringing danger to them, and other times the thought made her feel sick.
Tanya had suggested working at the book store to get her out of the house but Bella declined and said she wasn't ready to be in public. She felt guilty every time, because she had been with the Denali's for weeks and even if she wasn't taking money directly off them, she wasn't contributing to anything she used either: food, heat, the bed she slept in, or water.
She hadn't spoken to Kate since that awful day and couldn't bring herself to do it either. Especially not when it was announced on the news that a large animal, unidentified, had slaughtered multiple police officers on a call out. She had the unfortunate pleasure of being in the living room when the Denali's saw it on the news.
Kate had given Bella the worst look Bella had ever seen grace someone's face. Grief and betrayal, hurt and anger. But worst of all was the fear. After all, Bella was a killer in Kate's eyes. What would stop her from killing Kate's whole family while they slept? What would stop Bella from joining Lisa and killing anyone they wanted?
Maybe the worst part of the week was having all of the dead officer's family come to the Denali's house to speak to Kate and seek solace in her arms and her words, because she was the sherriff, and she made this whole town feel safe and secure. Bella couldn't even look at them, instead she ran to her room and cried into her pillow.
Things got progressively worse as the days went by. There were no words from Kate, no comfort from the Denali's and not even Cali had tried to get in touch with her. Bella didn't want to go to the wolf camp incase Cali had heard about Bella killing the officers and turned her away from the pack. There was only so much rejection she could take.
It was nearly six in the evening on Wednesday and Bella was alone in the Denali's. Everyone was at work or on their way back, and Bella was stuck in her room once more because she didn't want to face anyone when they got back. Boredom wasn't helping her loneliness. She had already browsed the library and lounged in the den, and she wasn't in the mood for the hot tub.
For the past couple of hours, she had debated going to Cali, just to determine if she had heard, and get it over with. If Cali was going disown her, and remove her from the pack, then Bella would rather that it was done with. She finally decided she was going after weighing the pros and cons and retrieved a coat and her shoes.
Bella searched the hooks by the front door and selected a pair of spare keys that Tanya had previously joked would be hers now and used them to lock the front door behind her. The walk to the pack was cold and stressful, but when she finally did reach the camp, it was busy. No one paid her any attention as she sought of Cali's hut.
Bella's heart was racing when as she located Cali and briskly walked up to her. Surprisingly, the blonde woman seemed relieved when she caught sight of Bella. As Cali turned her head to smile at her, Bella's stomach took a nose dive. She had a fresh scar on her neck. It was raw and bright red, very deep, infected and extremely painful.
"What happened?!" Bella demanded.
Cali simply shook her head, although she grimaced after. "That doesn't matter right now. What matters is that you're here! We must begin preparations." Cali grasped Bella's arm and dragged her inside the hut.
When they reached the dining room, Bella noticed a large, fairly skilled hand drawn map was laid out across the dark wood. Four people stood around it with hunched necks and shoulders, and bent elbows to get a closer look. They noticed Bella and Cali's arrive and moved out the way immediately, leaving room for Bella to get a good look.
As Bella looked over the map, drawn with varying light and dark grey pencil strokes, she noticed small pins impaled at various places in different colors: blue, red, green and yellow. Cali noticed Bella looking at them and not understanding their use, or significance and began to point them out as she explained.
"This is where we cut them off. One team will hit them from the back so that they can't escape." She informed Bella as she pointed at the red pin. She then moved on to the blue one. "This is our team, which will split into two. We'll hit them from both sides. Bella, you'll be grouped with me." Cali moved her long finger and tapped the green pin with an oval nail. "These will attack from the front and these," she moved her finger to the yellow pin. "Will join us after the first wave. Make no mistake: they're preparing for our assault, and they know we're coming."
Bella nodded, ready for a battle. She had nothing to lose. No family, no Kate, no new family with the Denali's and perhaps soon enough, she would have no home with the Denali's either. All she had left was the pack, and Cali. She could devote herself: her mind, her body and her life, to these wolves.
"Okay, so when do we attack?" She asked.
Cali glanced at her between a thick curtain of her blonde hair. She had a large, proud smile on her face. "In the cover of darkness. Tonight."
"I see," Bella mumbled softly.
Cali raised the one eyebrow that was not paralyzed and asked: "are you nervous, Bella?"
Bella shook her head. "No. I'm prepared to die, for the pack, if I have to. But I haven't said bye, or thank you, even I'm sorry to Kate, and the Denali's: my… family."
Cali smiled softly. "We're your family too, Bella."
Bella took a deep breath and nodded in agreement. "I know."
Cali reached over and rubbed between Bella's shoulder blades. "I understand, you know. We heard what happened."
Bella cringed, the shame nearly suffocating her and her eyes pricking with tears. Cali continued to whisper softly, "no one judges you, Bella. You made a decision because you were trying to look after your family, and the girl you love. Many of us have, and would do the same."
Bella flushed. "I don't love her; I haven't known her long enough."
Cali stepped back and looked closely at Bella. "Not yet maybe, but you're well on your way, aren't you?" Without waiting for a reply, she said, "why don't you go home, and say goodbye? That is, if it is goodbye."
Bella sighed softly. "She didn't come home last night, I think she stayed at her sister's club, but I have no idea where it is."
Cali grinned as much as she was able. "Centre of town, near a woodland shop. Trust me, we don't have many clubs here."
Bella thanked her before walking at a brisk jog through the village and running through the trees, past the Denali's home and into town. She roughly knew the shop that Cali mentioned so she tried to locate it from memory through the drizzling rain. After crossing a street and raising her hood to block the rain, Bella located the shop.
A curios glance inside displayed beautifully hand crafted furniture and ornaments. Bella slipped down the small alley on the side, hunting around back for the entrance to the club that was on off to the side of the shop. Bella came to the thick double doors, painted black with small red handles and a rapped a quick knock with her fist.
While she waited in nervous silence, she removed her hair from its sloppy bun and smoothed it over her shoulders, feeling the brown ends fall over her shoulders and curl right down to her back. She really needed a cut and re-shape. Bella jumped, startled from her random thought as the doors opened with a wrenching noise so loud her ears popped.
A large, bulky man stood on the other side and immediately stated, "we're closed."
"I'm here to see Sherriff Denali," Bella answered.
The man heaved a great sigh as if he couldn't be bothered for her, or who she needed to see. Instead of scowling or moaning, he simply said, "wait here," and closed the doors again.
Bella only had to wait a few more seconds as the rain got heavier for the doors to open again. She expected the bulky man to tell her to buzz off, Kate didn't want to talk to her and they "weren't open," but she was surprised when Irina stood on the other side. She looked very profession and attractive.
Her blonde hair was curled and half pinned up and half left to drift over her shoulders, her make-up was bold with smokey eyes, contoured skin, stark red lips and thick eyeliner, and she was dressed in a tight, red pencil skirt that looked to be leather and an equally tight shirt tucked into the skirt. Bella wondered how in the hell Irina was managing to breath.
"Hi, Bella! What are you doing here?"
"Here to see Kate," Bella answered, flushing red.
Irina raised an eyebrow, her arms folding over her chest while Bella wondered how a button didn't pop and fly away from her shirt. "Why is that?"
"It's important," Bella diverted, biting her lower lip.
Irina narrowed her eyes slightly before uncrossing her arms and gesturing Bella inside. Once through the door and into the darkness, Irina closed the doors behind them and gestured to the stairs. "Kate's up there. Room 33."
Bella nodded and Irina disappeared, murmuring things about her office and paper work. Bella made her way up the stairs, glancing over the black décor. It was very red and black, sinful and lace but otherwise clean and comfortable. As Bella got closer to Kate, her heart started racing. She didn't really know what to say. What do you say when you might die?
So engrossed with her own thoughts, Bella walked straight into the door Kate was behind, loudly announcing her arrival. She rubbed her nose briskly and pushed open the door. It seemed silly to politely knock now that she had just walked right into the solid frame. Kate was just muttering, "walk right in," sarcastically when she noticed Bella.
Bella eyes landed on Kate and her chest seemed to light on fire. The blonde was lounging on a small couch, flipping through a magazine and wrapped up in a towel with another wrapped around her head. Bella's eyes were staring at her smooth, long legs but then caught sight of some stitches.
Kate noticed because she stopped lounging, put down the magazine and sat up, all at the same time as she cried, "Bella!"
Bella smiled awkwardly, still unsure of her wording and now thrown off kilter from her mix of emotions. "Hi, Kate. How are you feeling?"
"Better," Kate answered smoothly. Too smoothly. "What brings you here?" She asked.
"I just came to see you," Bella muttered, evading. "I was worried."
"Okay…"
"No." Bella shook her head at herself and took a deep breath, looking Kate in the eyes. "That's not really what I came here for."
"Okay?" Kate looked perplexed but intrigued and her exposed skin flushed pink.
"I came to ask… to beg, for your forgiveness. I know it's not easy. What I did was disgusting but I am so, so sorry. But I also want to thank you."
"Bella…" Kate whispered softly, looking nervous and unsure of what to say, or how to respond.
Bella shook her head again, cutting her off. "Let me finish… I want to thank you for what you did for me. Both you, and your family. You took me in, and gave me a home. You kept my secrets, you lied for me, you burdened yourself and made me feel cared for. I haven't felt like that in a really long time."
"Where is all this coming from?" Kate asked, her eyes now worried and tense.
"There's a… fight tonight, with the pack. I might not be coming back."
Kate suddenly shot to her feet, surprising Bella into stepping back. Kate winced at her sudden movement, most likely due to pulling stitches and Bella took a step forward again, reaching her hand out before letting it fall back to her side. "Careful," Bella whispered.
Kate ignored her, her cheeks now pink and her eyes dark and angry. "Not coming back? Are you leaving?"
"No, I wouldn't do that. I'll only leave if you don't me around anymore," Bella answered honestly.
"Then what?" Kate demanded. "Are you going to die?"
Bella shrugged uncomfortably. "It's a possibility."
"A possibility?!" Kate repeated with disbelief, several octaves higher than Bella had said it. She then carried on in a loud voice, "fuck me, Bella! Why are you doing this? Why do you want to die for a bunch of wolves?"
"Shh!" Bella hissed, pressing a finger to her own lips and looking at the door before looking back to Kate. "Keep your voice down," she warned.
Kate's lips pressed together tightly as she stared at Bella with hot, shimmering eyes and an expression that Bella found equal parts terrifying and arousing. "You know why," she answered into the silence. "This has to end. It's time to get rid of Lisa, and I'm the only one that can do it."
"So this is goodbye?" Kate whispered.
Bella's heart stumbled and tripled in speed within a nano second. "Yes, this is goodbye."
AN: Thanks to my beta LeighJ11. This chapter is short and not a lot happens but the next one will be full of action!