Bonds And Betrayals

10.

SASHA.

She recognized me.

That was the first thought that came to my mind. But how?

“Now now,” Bello said, his hand slipping down to my waist, drawing me into his body and tucking me in, as though I was a pet. His pet. “Where could you have met my girl?”

“Your girl? She's already your girl?” Alpha Turk asked, frowning.

Bello made a sound at the back of his throat, which reverberated through his whole body as he leaned down and inhaled the side of my neck. Deeply.

My legs wobbled, and if he wasn't holding me, I definitely would've fallen face first to the floor.

“Do you have a problem with that, brother?” He answered, his face still in the crook of my neck.

Alpha Turk didn't respond, instead, he kept staring at us. His eyes moved from my stiff face to Bello's buried face, expression unreadable.

Then he laughed. “No. Of course not,” he waved his hand. “You said she looked familiar?” he asked the fake me.

The woman regarded me, and I watched her back, refusing to back down. Or to cower, despite the trembling in my body. I was sure I had never seen her, nor had she seen me. And I doubted Abbati would have shown her my picture, knowing he had wanted me hidden from everyone.

But what if he had?

“Stop shaking. I've got you,” Bello murmured in my ears, licking the side of my neck. “I've always got you, Bellis.”

I shuddered, a small moan leaving my lips. I felt his smile against my skin. He was enjoying this. He likes making me uncomfortable in front of his brother.

And he called me ‘Bellis’ again. Something he suddenly started calling me out of nowhere.

What did it mean? And why did he call me that?

‘I like this type of uncomfortability. Even if he doesn't know about me yet,’ Ash purred.

“Come on, Bello. Can't this wait until you’re in the privacy of your own room?” Alpha Turk asked, clearly annoyed.

“Mmmhmn,” he made a sound, his warm mouth trailing down my throat. “Sorry for the show. I find it impossible to resist her. Now, if you have nothing more to say, we'll take our leave.”

He finally lifted his head, but his hand remained firmly on my waist as he slipped the other into his pocket.

Hot. Absofuckinglutely hot!

“Didn't you say something about her looking familiar?” Turk asked fake Jamilah again.

She smiled, her eyes fixed on me, but it shifted for a brief moment towards Bello before her smile fell slightly and she shook her head.

“I guess I was mistaken. For a moment, she looked like someone I knew back home.”

“Good,” Bello said. “Now that that is cleared, we'll take our leave, brother. Thanks for giving her to me. Oh, I’ll join you at the court meeting tomorrow. Let's put those old fools in their place and fully crown you Alpha.”

Ahh! That explained it. He was the Alpha, but not fully. More an acting Alpha than a real one. Hence his deal with Abbati, hoping Abbati’s influence in the region would give him more power.

“Anything for you, brother,” Alpha Turk smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. “Enjoy your time with her.”

Bello looked down on me, then smirked. “Oh, I plan to. Wholly.”

Then he was dragging me out of the hall and out into the cold night. Again. I said nothing, however, and neither did he.

Yet I couldn't help the pounding in my heart. The steady thud against my chest ever since he pulled me into the dark room. Which was totally unexpected, because I had thought he didn't want me, seeing how he didn't react and ignored me earlier.

But dragging me into that room made it obvious. He wanted me. He was only…playing at something? It was clear he and his brother had something going, and I seemed to be in the middle of it.

‘What matters now is that you are safe from Turk. I love the way he took us from him.’ Ash whispered, giddy with excitement.

‘He has this mysterious air about him,’ I murmured, sneaking a quick look at him before I looked away. He was really tall. Taller than anyone I had ever met.

And…dangerous.

I was dragging my feet after his long legs, and Bello seemed to notice that so he slowed down, and I couldn't help but smile.

Soon we approached a large house with a towering black gate at the southern part of the pack house.

“Barka da zuwa (welcome), Yallabai,” the four guards by the gate greeted, pulling the gate open.

Bello simply inclined his head as we stepped in, and didn't stop till we reached two twin doors that led to a beautiful living room.

I had no time to admire the living room however, when a flurry of women formed a line.

“Barka da zuwa, Yallabai,” the women chorused. There were three of them, all dressed in green and yellow polka-dotted ankara gowns that stopped at their knees. They were all smiling.

“Is the bath water ready?” Bello asked as he finally let go of my hand and yanked at his tie.

“Yes, Yallabai.”

“And the food?”

“Also ready.”

“Dismissed,” he waved his hand and the women scurried away.

“Food first or bath?” He asked, his eyes burning into my skin.

Goodness! How could someone's stare be this intense?

“Food.”

He smiled. “I thought so. Let's go, I’ll feed you.”

“What?” I asked, brows furrowed.

“You don't want me to?”

“I…you…I…”

“Come on,” he took my hand again, pulling me down a long hallway before we stopped by a door and slipped in.

The room was dimly lit, but I could see the faint outline of a bed, a settee, which I was being lowered into, and a centre table with food warmers.

I really shouldn't have taken that potion as much as I did, I thought, squinting my eyes.

‘Called it!’ Ash rolled her eyes.

‘Shut up.’

Then Bello was lowering before me, completely tugging off his tie and unbuttoning the two top buttons. I wish I could catch a glimpse of what was underneath.

“I know you are hiding something,” his deep voice dragged me out of my gaze. “And I won't force you to tell me just yet. But you will. Soon. Now more than anything, I wish to be the one giving you a bath and feeding you,” he swallowed, that much I could see as he gently took my right hand in his and brought it to his lips.

He didn't kiss it. He simply stared at my fingers as he kept talking, his hot breath making goosebumps appear on my skin.

“But I am struggling too much to hold myself back, Bellis. I'd hate to rush you into this, because while my instincts are screaming at me to take, like I always do, my heart is telling me to give you time to adjust.”

Then he pressed his lips to the back of my hand, and inhaled deeply.

“I want you to be comfortable around me. I want to kiss your skin in places the wind has yet to touch. I want to lick you in places eyes have yet to see. Places only I can devour.”

I was breathing hard now.

“More than anything though, I want you to accept me. And you will accept me, Bellis, because I don't plan to leave an inch of you untouched by my yearning for you. And I mean every inch of you, Bellis.”

I was a panting mess now, and I was not even sure what was happening. All I knew was that something was at play. The mate bond? My feelings? What…

I winced, snatching my hand quickly and placing it over my birthmark.

“Is everything okay?” Bello asked, voice carrying an edge.

“I…” I winced again, this time louder than before.

“Does it hurt again?”

I nodded, unable to speak as tears stung my eyes.

“Has it always stung?”

I shook my head.

“Maybe it's the mate bond magic,” he whispered, cradling one hand behind my neck and pulling me to his chest. “I've got you,” his voice was louder now, which meant he didn't mean for me to hear the mate bond part.

But the pain wasn't subsiding, and soon, I was a crying mess in his arms.

“It…I…argh!” I groaned, shutting my eyes tightly as Ash yelped, prancing around my head.

“f**k!” Bello cursed, wrapping his hands tightly around him, my face pressed into his chest. Somehow, my cheeks made contact with the little skin exposed from the undone buttons, and the pain eased just a bit.

Skin to skin contact?

I shuddered, another wave of pain hitting me. My face felt like it was on fire, especially my right cheek. It was burning. Sizzling. Like a hot plate had been smacked right across it.

Then Bello was setting me back on the settee, and the pain doubled up. His touch seemed to be the only thing helping.

“Tou…ch…touch…me…please…” I cried, my eyes still shut as tears rolled down.

I heard shuffling around. Then movement. Before my shoes were removed, my hair was removed from its ponytail, and my dress slipped down expertly.

I wasn't even worried about my nakedness at that moment, the pain was unbearable. Clad in only my underwear.

“I've got you,” Bello said again before I felt myself being lifted. My skin pressed against warm, sturdy skin.

I sighed in bliss, the pain easing more.

Then he lowered us onto a bed, my body atop his, his arms securely wrapped around me.

I sighed again, slowly feeling my senses returning.

“Feeling better?” Bello’s voice was gravelly, like he was the one that had been crying for a while.

I nodded.

“Good. I think it's the mate bond acting. You are probably too weak for the magic, hence the reaction,” he explained, his hold tightening around me.

Was that it? Or was this another consequence of the potion?

“Rest,” he kissed the top of my sweaty forehead. “Like I said, I've got you, Bellis”

And that was how I drifted off to sleep.