Hey guys! I just want to take this time to thank all of you who have stuck with me since the start and never gave up on this story even though at times, I took eternity to update. The story will be coming to an end soon. It will probably end at Chapter Twenty and then an Extra Epilogue Chapter. I'm really grateful to all of you who have supported me and gave me kind comments which really motivated me to keep writing till now. Thank you once again! Please vote, share and comment as usual! xx
4 years ago
"So, what do you think of it?" Dar looked at us expectantly and excitedly.
"I prefer the original movie," Chase said nonchalantly.
I cursed silently, did he have to be so honest? We were watching the Beauty and the Beast movie Dar directed 5 years ago.
"Well, I think it's great, especially for an eight-year-old." I smiled at her encouragingly.
"I like the last scene," Adri smirked, his arm snaking onto my shoulders, "my Bella did such a great job."
I elbowed him in his stomach in which he gave a mocking gasp.
"Adri! I want your true opinions!" Dar protested.
He smiled, "honestly, I think it's not bad at all. And like Belle said, you were eight when you filmed this. I'm sure if you tried it again now, it'll be nothing short of amazing. Don't listen to Chase, we aren't comparing this to the original movie."
My heart skipped at beat at his words. He could be really sweet and sensitive when he wanted to. If only he could be like that more often when he was around me, instead of teasing me so much. It was so embarrassing.
"Besides, it was because of this project of yours, did we have our first kiss. I'm sure you remember it, my Bella." He gave me a peck on my cheek.
My eyes widened, but I managed to calm myself down and retorted, "I remember no such thing, I only remembered that I was really into it, and I almost thought you really died."
"Do you want to watch the scene again? We can watch it as many times until you remember it." He winked as he reached for the remote control.
//
Present
I took the knife out and it fell onto the floor with a loud clang. I caught Adri in my arms as he fell. We fell onto the floor and my tears flowed out uncontrollably.
The scene before me took me back to nine years ago when we were filming Beauty and the Beast. Adri was the Beast and i was well... Belle. The Belle in the movie thought the Beast was dead and started crying. We had to follow exactly to the movie and I remembered how it went. Just like now, I was holding Adri in my arms with his head on my lap, and I was crying and crying, pretending that he was dead.
And then I remembered, it wasn't the first time I told Adri that I loved him. I told him that nine years ago during the filming. How adept that nine years ago I found it hard to say those three words to him, but right now, I could shout it out to him at the top of my lungs. In fact, I wanted to do that.
So I did.
"I'm sorry, Adri. I'm so sorry." I had to act like I was following Daryl's plan.
"I love you, I really do. Please believe me. I'm sorry." I chocked on my tears. "Please forgive me," it came out in a whisper. I really deserved an award for this.
Tears were pouring and I didn't even have to force them to. All the tears that I've been holding for the past few hours since that phone call that flipped our world upside down came rushing out like a tsunami.
If it wasn't for the sound of hands clapping, I was sure I could have sat there and cried until I had another fit or breakdown.
Immediately, my head snapped up. The scene that greeted me felt like it came straight out of a movie.
The Dark Fire Pack emerged in our backyard in a triangular formation with Daryl at the peak. Jeff and Brian were at his sides. Brian had Darlene gripped at her neck, as if ready to snap it off anytime.
There were only a few ways to kill a werewolf.
One - Snap off their necks.
Two - Pull their hearts out.
Three - Infect them with a drug called liefer.
Duct tape was stuck on her mouth, but she was still struggling slightly.
My parents were no where to be seen but I could feel their presence nearby. I couldn't reach out to them nor Dar through the pack mind link, meaning those guys must have gave them something.
"Well done Belle!" Daryl's exclaimed victoriously. "I must say I never expected you to do this. After all, you guys are mates after all... opps, pardon my slip of tongue, I should say were."
He said it really loudly, purposefully trying to get the attention of our pack. Many of the pack members have heard his voice and came out to see what was going on. I could imagine their look of shock and disgust when they have seen what I have done to their Alpha. And none of them knew Adri and I were mates, the truth was finally let out of the bag.
"You can let them go now," I said, glad that my voice sounded stronger than how I felt.
"Not so fast," Daryl smirked, as if he had the upper hand. "Moon Light Pack, everyone, come and see what your future Luna has done to your Alpha."
My heart felt like it was going to burst. He just had to pour salt on my wound, didn't he? Gritting my teeth, I did my best to control my anger and impatience. I really wanted to give him one of my punches, even when I knew it would only hurt me.
"Adrian's dead!" He laughed manically.
Gasps could be heard when their suspicions were confirmed. How could they believe so easily? I wanted to ask, but I guess when the truth was right in front of you, it's hard to think otherwise.
"And now! I'm going to be your new Alpha!" He continued.
He was wrong. Adrian did not hold the whole Alpha position, he must not have known. He would have to have a showdown with Uncle John if he really wanted the position, but I wisely kept my mouth shut.
"Come here, little Belle." I shivered at his nickname for me but did as I was told.
Slowly, I lifted Adri's head from my lap and placed it on the grass before walking towards him.
It was the longest walk in my life, but eventually I made it.
When I reached him, he flicked his hand out, signalling for Brian to let go of Darlene. Chase was there in a matter of minutes, bringing her away.
"My parents?" I questioned, making sure I lifted my head in confidence.
"Your parents?" He laughed, pulling me towards him. "Adrian for Darlene. Now I need two more sacrifices for your parents. It's only fair, don't you think?"
"But you said-" I immediately protested but was cut off from his evil laughter.
"I was just kidding, little Belle. Aren't you adorable?" And before I knew it, his lips landed on mine roughly.
Everything about him disgusted me, but I couldn't move away. Not when he had me in a steel grip and my parents as hostage. I stood as still as I could, not responding to him but he wasn't one to be easily satisfied. He bit my lips roughly, causing pain and shock to course through me and for that split second, my mouth opened. Not wasting the opportunity, his tongue delved in. My mind screamed 'get away' but I knew otherwise. This was for Adri and my parents. I would put up a good show for him and make him think he's winning. So, against all the warnings in my head, I tried to pretend that I was kissing my mate and responded to him. But there was no sparks. All there was was disgust. I did what I could, allowing him to do what he wanted to, all the while cursing him in my mind.
When he was done, I looked up at him with the biggest smile I could muster and purred, with one hand on his chest, the other on his arm.
"Now will you let my parents go?" I tried to act as innocent as possible. Perhaps a distraction would be good?
Before he could say a thing, I pushed a finger against his lips and whispered into his ear. "Let them go, so that I don't have to worry while you bring me up and make me yours."
I hoped that sounded seductive and to my disgust, I could feel him being aroused down there. He had me pressed against him.
Nodding with a mischievous smirk, he signalled to Jeff whom immediately moved aside to reveal my tied up parents. Relief blossomed through me at the sight of them - though disheveled but otherwise fine. I had the urge to run up to them and give them a huge hug but it wasn't the time now.
Now was the time for some action.
Adrian's POV
The pain from the stab through my heart was not anything less than how a human would feel. It was just that being a werewolf came with really quick healing. Therefore, as soon as my heart was stabbed, it was immediately healing itself, preventing me from dying. With that said, the pain was so real I went unconscious for a minute. Which was good in a way, as it sped up the healing process.
The plan Belle and i thought of was going well underway. She was able to trick Mike into believing that she had prepared to stab me with a knife coated with Liefer, which was a kind of drug made to slow down a werewolf's ability to heal. Instead, she secretly switched it with a normal knife that would not kill me.
I was woken up by Belle's cries. Her words were familiar, and that was when I remembered. Nine years ago. The acting... and our first kiss. I still couldn't believe Belle was my mate. I've secretly been in love with her for so many years but kept it from myself so that I would be fair for my future mate. I wouldn't have guessed that Belle would turn out to be my mate. But I thanked God for it, because I knew I wouldn't love any other girl more than my Bella. Not her, not the girl I've loved since I could even remember.
She was gorgeous - strong, brave and kind... She was my best friend, my confidante. How dare that weakling try to steal her away from me?
I would never allow that, even if I was dead. That bastard was going to pay for it.
Everything was going as planned. After Darlene was set free, Chase was able to attack Mike by surprise and tie him up so as to prevent him from trying to sell out our plan. I'm not even going to go there with him... I would deal with him when this was over. If only he had let us known earlier.
I had shut off my mind link from the pack, allowing them to think that I was already dead. My heart had already resumed pumping, but it was impossible for them to tell with everyone's heartbeats. It had to be done for their reaction to be real. Daryl was naive, but not an idiot.
When Belle was called to him, I knew what was to come. But the pain that came from it was far greater than how I would have ever imagined, more than the pain it came from the stab through my heart. But I took it, I took it as a punishment for all the things I've done to Belle. I'd bet the pain she went through was far worse than mine. I was so stupid not to realise it.
When his hand snaked up my precious Bella, I had had enough. Removing the shield I placed on my mind link, everyone's voices filled up my head in an instant. They were all buzzing - worried and shocked.
Listen! I demanded, using my Alpha's voice. And at once, they were all silent.
I'm not dead. I explained. This is all an act. Now I need everyone to get ready. All the children are to hide in the basement and the women to stand guard there. Eric get the weapons. We're waiting for them to release Beth and Jared. Wait for my command. This is what we've been training for all these years. So don't be afraid. Go out there and fight for our pack!
There were times I wished I was deaf and this was one of those times. Those words that Belle whispered to him were like burning arrows straight through my heart. Even though I knew she didn't mean it, it hurt. That must be how rejection felt like. And God knows how many times I've done it to her. I deserved it.
As soon as her parents were set free, I screamed through the mind link, "ATTACK!"
Belle's POV
"ATTACK!" Adri's voice boomed through our mind link and in that instant, all hell broke loose.
With a sudden surge of confidence, I lifted my knee and hit Daryl right where the sun didn't shine. However, being an Alpha, he wasn't that easy to beat.
"You lying bitch!" He screamed and before I knew it, his arm was around my neck, tight, so tight I found it hard to breathe.
Adri appeared as soon as he could, but I was already held hostage. "Adri!" I tried to call out.
"If you come any nearer, I'll mark her and then you'll never be able to have her!" He threatened, his sharp fang ready, grazing my skin. "If you still want her, give me your pack!"
Before Adrian had any time to react, Daryl's hold on me released and in a split second, he fell onto the floor, unconscious.
"Don't you dare talk bad about my best friends!" Looking up, I was both relieved and elated to see Darlene holding a freeze gun with a triumphant smile.
"Catch!" Dar threw me a freeze gun and I immediately got into fight mode.
Whipping around, my eyes zoned in on Brian. I would never forget what that bastard did to me.
One hit K.O. I have to say my shooting skills are top notch.
By the time I lowered the gun, all ten members of the Dark Fire Pack were sedated. The freeze gun, designed specially by Eric, was made to knock werewolves out. And with all the skilled werewolves on our pack, it didn't take long for them to be taken out.
"Belle!" Ari's arms were around me in a matter of seconds and all I could do was hug him back with all my strength.
It's over. It's finally over.
Adrian had called the werewolf council before the plan had begun. By the time we took them down, they were here to collect the Dark Fire Pack.
"We'll take care of them from here." The werewolf council head had said before taking them away. Hopefully, we would never have to see them again.
Though they were finally gone, our job was far from over.
Adri called for an emergency meeting. It had to be done. After all that had happened, the pack had the right to know exactly what happened.
"Thank you, everyone, for tonight. It was an unexpected fight, but I'm proud to say our efforts have not gone to waste. Because of the preparation we have made all these years, we were ready for them and we put up a great fight. Well done!" He addressed the pack while I stood by his side, hand in his.
When the clapping had subsided, he continued. "Now, you have the right to know what happened so let me explain. Those wolves, if you don't know by now, are from the Dark Fire Pack, who have recently moved into the neighbourhood. They were smart and covered their tracks so we couldn't find much about them and report them, even when we knew they were up to no good. But they had been planning behind our backs, and with the help of a spy, they managed to capture Beth, Jared and Darlene. What did they want from us? You see, Daryl tried to overthrow his dad a few years ago when he found out that his dad wasn't planning on giving him the Alpha position. However, he had lost. His plan was to take over our pack so that they could go back to his old pack and take revenge. And he planned to do this by using Belle to kill me. So we went along with his plan and did some pretending. And with all your help, we managed to take them down. I would like to thank all of you once again."
This time, there were clapping and cheering. Everyone approved of what Adrian, their Alpha, had done. I was so proud of him. But he was not yet done.
"One last thing," He said as he looked at me fondly. "You've all heard it but I would like to formally announce this - Belle here is my mate and your future Luna."
There was a pause and all I could here was blood rushing to my ears and the pounding of my heart. But before I knew it, the cheers and claps erupted once again. I couldn't help but break into a relieved smile. It was really important for me to get their approval. For a second, I was afraid they might think that the attack was all my fault.
"Alright, the meeting is dismissed. Everyone please do get some rest."
As everyone dispersed, Adri's parents and my parents quickly came up to us.
"Mum! Dad! I was so worried!" I exclaimed, diving into their embrace.
"We're sorry, we were caught off guard!" Dad smiled sheepishly while my mum exclaimed, "We're so happy and proud of you!"
I was just glad they were fine.
"Son, you did great out there." Uncle John praised Adri. Uncle John was an amazing father but he rarely praised Adri, probably because he wanted Adri to stay humble, so his words of praise meant a lot to Adri.
"And you've finally found what you've been looking for for so long!" Rose exclaimed, looking at me excitedly. "When did this happened? Why didn't you tell us?"
Adri smiled at me before looking at her mum. "It's a long story and we're all tired. Maybe..."
"Of course of course! I'm sorry you guys want some time alone!" Rose winked at us, as if she knew what we were thinking about when all I was thinking about was how relieved I was that everyone was alright.
"Rose, I know what happened! Let's stop disturbing them, I'll tell you what i know." My mum said, smiling knowingly as well.
With that, the four of them went off laughing merrily.
Giggling, I looked up at Adri. Just when I thought we were finally free of our responsibilities, shouts of disagreements interrupted us.
"We are very disappointed in you Darlene!" It was her father.
My heart clenched at what he had said. How could he say that to her daughter? She didn't do anything wrong! They didn't even ask if she was okay? They had always been this way, no wonder Darlene was insecure. All they cared about was themselves.
I was about to march over there to defend her when Adri caught hold of my hand. Shaking his head slightly, I knew what was thinking about. This was Dar's problem. She had to settle it herself.
"I didn't do anything wrong," She said defiantly.
"You - you... bitch!" Her mother said and my blood ran cold. How could she?
"Enough!" Chase cut in. "I won't allow you to say such things to my mate, especially when they are untrue."
"Why is he here, Darlene? Haven't we told you to stay clear of him? What's the use of a mate who only knows how to take orders and follow the Alpha around like some dog?" Her mother continued, ignoring Chase.
"Stop it, mother! I won't have you say such things about him. He's the best thing that has ever happened to me. He's the only person who really loves and cares for me, unlike the two of you. The two of you who are supposed to love me, not use me! You have no idea how much I wish for your love, and I've worked so hard for so many years just to make you proud. But I give up, because now I finally know - no matter how much I try to make you proud, you'd never be satisfied. I have been miserable for so long, I'm not going to listen to you anymore. Go ahead and scold me, I don't give a damn anymore!"
Her parents looked as if they were going to have a heart attack. Before they could say anything else, Adri went forward to intervene, bringing them somewhere else. It was enough. I'm sure everyone in the pack knew that too. We all had eyes, and we could see how horrible they were as parents.
"Dar, you don't just have Chase. You have Adri and I too. You know we all love you." I told her, wrapping my arms around her tightly.
I knew that when she said she didn't care anymore, she was lying. Tears were swelling and she choked, hugging me back with all her strength.
"Belle, I'm so sorry. I didn't listen to you... I -" She apologised.
"Don't, you didn't know. You couldn't have. Let's just forget it. It was a nightmare, but it's over. We're all here now, that's all that matters." I stroked her head gently as she finally let out her tears.
"Everything's fine now," I cooed.
Chase, who had been silent through the whole thing, wrapped his arms around the two of us. It was warm and soothing, yet Dar only cried harder.
"You guys are horrible, how can you leave me out of this?" Adri joked before joining in our embrace.
And that made Dar crack. It was a beautiful sound, something we hadn't heard in a long, long time.