Chapter 198

I had to do my best to not show fear.

The very thought of my mom being put at risk over something that had nothing to do with her was enough to cause my anger and stress levels to rise.

I fought to keep my voice as even as possible even though I wanted nothing more than to hurl myself over the table and claw the bitch’s eyes out. The wolf inside of me was simmering with rage.

I could feel it pacing and thrashing beneath the surface, wanting to come out.

“Really? You’d go after my mother?”

Cecilia offered a mockingly sweet smile and clicked her nails against the wooden table.

“You haven’t left me with much of a choice, you see,” she hummed. “I think I’ve been rather patient...I proposed the idea to Arthur weeks ago. There’s no reason why he, of all people, wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to be one of the most powerful Alphas to ever live.”

I sat back in my chair and kept my gaze leveled with hers.

“And if I recall, Arthur told you ‘no’.”

The corners of her eyes twitch with irritation. Yeah, this woman was definitely not holding a full deck of cards at the moment. The Cecilia Winslow that the world knew as a trendsetter socialite was nowhere to be seen now.

“Arthur had merely been blinded by a basic pretty face,” she hisses. “Once the two of you are bonded, he will return to the Winslow family stronger and more focused than before.”

“What if Arthur doesn’t come back to you?” I asked innocently. “What then?”

“That’s never going to happen.”

The silence that filled the room was so severe, you could hear a pin drop. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in.

“You’re really going to send a wolf hunter after a defenseless human?”

The woman across from me simply shrugged. “Well, you’ve been a very difficult target yourself, it would seem. So I figured it would be easier to send my friend after a mere human,” Cecilia explained.

“You really are screwed up, Cecilia.”

The corner of her mouth curved upward. “I am merely looking out for my family’s best interest, I’d advise you to do the same.”

Why couldn’t I dig up the same monumental anger that had washed over me when Liam had gotten stabbed by the hunter’s blade? Why wasn’t I able to make that powerful sensation rise to the surface?

Arthur told me that I could very well possess the untapped power to compel others. But it seemed that this unique ability was being selective. I couldn’t do it.

“Remember, Miss Belmont. You have until the end of the week,” Cecilia said with a disturbing smile.

She instructed the hired hunter to take me back to campus. I made the mistake of glancing down at my phone to see that I had over five missed calls from Arthur and Liam.

I already knew that I had a lot to own up to once I got back. The two of them were going to be furious beyond comprehension, I just hoped that they would be willing to hear me out.

When the car pulled up to my campus, I turned to glare at the hunter out of the corner of my eye.

“You have no idea how much I hope we never see each other again,” I muttered.

I grabbed my bag and got out of the car only to be confronted by Liam, Arthur, Bonnie, and Olivia.

Arthur and Liam shared the same temperamental expression.

“Where the hell did you go?” Arthur snarled.

“We’ve been trying to call you for the last hour.”

“Alright, alright. Please calm down. First off, you’re right. I should have messaged you to tell you what was going on but when you hear the whole story, you’re going to see why I didn’t.”

They narrowed their eyes.

“Well, see about that.”

“I just had a very bizarre meeting with Cecilia.”

All the blood drained from their faces. Their jaws had all collectively hit the ground and I was certain one of them was going to shout.

Liam growled under his breath. “...Ella.”

I urged them all to follow me back to the dormitory, knowing that this wasn’t an ideal conversation to be having out in the open. Once we were all within the safe confines of our dorm, I went on to explain the whole story.

“Arthur, your mother is seriously disillusioned with the idea that you’re going to return to her and become the next head of the Winslow family,” I told him. “She’s...She’s given me an ultimatum.”

Arthur and Liam went stiff.

“What do you mean?”

I took in a steady breath. “Arthur, you and I need to bond by the end of the week or else she’s going to send the hunter after my mother.”

Once more, the room fell into stunned silence.

“Ella, why didn’t you compel Cecilia to leave your mother alone?” Arthur asked lightly.

I shook my head in defeat. “I tried,” I explained. “I couldn’t find that same feeling I had when Liam’s life was endangered. Maybe I was too shocked and not enraged enough.”

I was upset that my mom’s life was basically being threatened, but it seemed to come easier to me when the danger was directly in front of me.

“I don’t know what to do.”

“What if we reported her to the family council?” Liam suggested.

Arthur nodded his head. “That may be a start, but because Ella’s mother is human they may not consider it a high-risk case to intervene with.”

My heart plummeted. “What about Aaron? Surely, he’s got to have some sway, he’s still considered the head of the family now.”

...

It felt like a last-minute decision, but the three of us headed straight over to the manor to consult with Aaron. The second Liam opened the door for us, a terrible shriek escaped the back of my throat as I stared at the horrible mass of blood that pooled all over the floor.

“What the hell?”

We followed the horrible trail of blood down the hallway, leading us to the study. Upon pushing the doors open, we immediately spotted Aaron crouched over on the floor. Both his arm and his leg were severely injured.

“Oh my God!”

We all rushed over to his side. Liam removed his belt and quickly secured it around Aaron’s upper leg to slow down the bleeding. Meanwhile, Arthur took out his phone and began dialling for an ambulance.

“What happened?”

“Cecilia...”

I couldn’t believe it. “She...She’s attacked you?”

He nodded. “She shifted. I wanted her out of the manor—overheard her wanting to meet with Ella. Told her to leave you alone,” he told us. “I think she’s losing control of her restraint on her wolf. It’s becoming too much for her to handle.”

Was that a thing? Could one lose control of their wolf?

“W-Why are you here?” he asked faintly.

I quickly shook my head. “That’s not important right now.”

Liam tried to get Aaron into a better sitting position. “We have to get you to a hospital.”

I glanced over at Arthur who looked disgruntled and enraged at the situation. We stayed with Aaron until the ambulance arrived and made sure that he was going to be alright before sending him off.

“He’s going to be alright,” I said.

Arthur shook his head in frustration. “Of all the security that was patrolling around this place, how could no one stop Cecilia from attacking him?”

“I don’t know,” I breathed.

But Aaron was truly our last resort and now that wasn’t possible.

We’d run out of options...