Bella’s POV

Facing Parker again felt like swallowing broken glass. I kept my gaze fixed on the conference table, refusing to meet his eyes, but the intensity of his and Derek’s stares burned into my skin like brands. Their scrutiny made my nerves crawl until we finally addressed the real reason for this meeting.

I thought I could handle their penetrating looks, dismiss them as meaningless posturing, until I posed what should have been a straightforward question. Instead of receiving the answer I expected, Derek lobbed a devastating accusation at me that made my blood freeze.

"What exactly are you implying?" I demanded, deliberately ignoring Parker’s previous inquiry.

Derek’s voice cut through the tension like a blade.

"She’s got three kids now. And here’s the interesting part - those children appear to be exactly four years old."

My pulse hammered against my throat. Parker’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, his predatory focus locked entirely on me.

"But you weren’t carrying a child four years ago when you disappeared, were you?" he pressed, his tone sharp enough to draw blood.

"What kind of interrogation is this? Why are you dissecting my private affairs?" I crossed my arms defensively, trying to create a barrier between us.

"Because yesterday evening, do you want to know what transpired, Parker? His little girl wandered into the forest and began displaying symptoms of the sickness," Derek announced with a venomous smile, as if he’d successfully cornered his prey.

Rather than showing concern for my children who were battling the same lethal condition, he seemed determined to savor his perceived victory.

I inhaled sharply, my grip tightening on the research file.

"How could that be possible? If you departed that evening claiming menstruation, then how did you conceive with someone who isn’t human? Because how else would your offspring exhibit these symptoms? Only werewolf children with at least one active werewolf parent develop them."

Parker’s growl reverberated through the room as he nearly brought his fist crashing down on the table. I rolled my eyes harder, having no legitimate explanation to offer.

"Unless you deliberately deceived us that night," Derek continued, his words practically handing me an escape route.

I pivoted to face him, waiting for him to elaborate further.

"That wasn’t our child that evening. You were aware of it. That’s precisely why you fled, correct? You knew we’d demand paternity testing. We weren’t fools who would simply accept your word." Parker’s accusations sliced through me, and momentarily I felt like that same vulnerable girl they had shattered that night.

But I wasn’t that person anymore, so I drew a steadying breath and shook my head, settling back into my chair.

"That’s completely false. I wed my husband and conceived my children one month after entering the human world," I fabricated, watching their expressions contort with confusion. I needed to construct a timeline that maintained my children’s current age of four years.

"Then how is your daughter manifesting symptoms of the sickness? It’s impossible for someone without an active werewolf parent to contract the illness," Derek challenged, while Parker continued his relentless stare, demanding an explanation that would appease them. I never imagined I’d endure this torment again, but this time I refused to let them emerge victorious.

"Well, since you’re so insistent, I sensed my wolf stirring a month ago. It was merely a brief awakening, but I felt it," I declared, taking a measured breath. The lie was enormous and altered everything, including my position in the human realm, because no one with an active wolf was permitted to remain in human territory. Those were the established laws. The human world belonged to humans and omegas whose wolves never emerged.

They observed me in stunned silence.

"When will your transition occur?" Parker inquired, his fingers drumming against the table surface.

"I have no idea. I only know my wolf is an exceptionally late bloomer. That’s all. I refuse to discuss this further. Have I expressed myself clearly? Should we concentrate on the children, or are you so fixated on my existence that you still can’t accept the fact that I was menstruating and none of you were the fathers?" I smirked, attempting to provoke their alpha pride. My strategy succeeded as Derek began to chuckle darkly.

"She believes we desired offspring with an omega like her," Parker scoffed. I clenched my teeth.

"For your information, Miss Bella, I’m blissfully married now," Derek informed me with a malicious grin spreading across his features.

"Congratulations to you both. Regarding the delay medication, I need it promptly. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll spend time with my children." I rose, experiencing a strange tightness in my chest.

As I approached the exit, I collided with someone whose appearance shouldn’t have startled me, yet it did. Before me stood a towering figure at six-foot-seven with brilliant gray eyes and fresh tattoos decorating his neck.

He glared down at me, then growled, "Bella."

That single word, the way Alpha Hugo spoke it, sent chills racing down my spine. His fury differed from the others. His brown hair appeared thicker, and he seemed broader than in our youth. Instead of owning the moment and confidently responding, I remained silent when I witnessed how he straightened his posture and escalated the confrontation.

"Why the hell are you here?" he snarled, shocking me with his venom.

"Hugo, she’s the researcher, the one meant to help us develop a cure," Alpha Derek explained hastily, but Alpha Hugo maintained his threatening glare. The expression on his face was terrifying, so I squared my shoulders and raised my chin defiantly.

"Next time you approach me like that, remember I can report this to the council. You all signed agreements stating I won’t be tortured, abused, or mistreated here. Do you understand me?" I forced my voice to match Hugo’s intensity.

Hugo had always been the quiet one, capable of inflicting damage without utterances. He was the most enigmatic and unsettling among them. People claimed that once you encountered Hugo, he discovered everything about you. He tightened his jaw while studying my face, and momentarily his gaze lingered on my hair before dropping to examine my body, then forcing himself to look elsewhere.

"And you expect someone human like her to assist us with the cure?" Hugo hissed at his companions, his antagonism unmistakable.

"She’s an award-winning researcher," Parker mocked from the sidelines. I turned toward him and noticed him quickly adjusting his stance and scratching his neck nervously.

"If you have objections, present them to the council," I retorted, meeting Hugo’s stare directly. He gave a slight nod, stepped aside, and gestured toward the door, permitting my passage.

When I walked past him, I detected his scent - that spicy musk blended with sandalwood and other complex notes. It was disturbing that such proximity still sent shivers through me.