(Bell'a POV)

We sat in the car in silence. No one spoke.

But it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. It was more of a 'Lets all take a second and wrap our heads around the fact that I'm alive and we're all reunited' kind of silence.

I looked towards my left and I saw Braxton starring at me.

God... He's gotten so much older and mature looking that I could see why he was an Alpha. He just had this aura that made you want to bow down to him.

I smiled at him and he looked away. Eva was right he was kind of hard.

But I knew it wasn't personal he just had to get used to the fact that I wasn't completely dead.

Or dead at all. Maybe he was in shock?

He sat like an Alpha though. His hair looked like a mess but then again it didn't.

It was more of a messy and neat type of style that he could actually pull off.

He had a little bit of a beard growing and you can tell that his suit was expensive.

But I guess it really does pay to become an Alpha.

I really can't believe this is happening. I remember the last time I saw him...

We were outside playing a game I really can't remember which game it was but I'm pretty sure it was hide n seek.

I was hiding from him and the next thing I knew someone was putting their hand over my mouth and I knew that it wasn't a game anymore.

I tried so hard to scream and kick but nothing was working.

Until my mom came. I don't know how she knew but she knew I was in trouble.

She saw Jo grab me and automatically she was a wolf... and let me tell you she was gorgeous.

She had his sandy beach color of a fur and bright green eyes that would remind you of mint.

I remember calling her 'Minty Mommy' because of her eyes.

She had this laugh that if you would hear it you would just start to laugh with her even if you didn't know what she was laughing at you would just join in.

And her hair.... It was as long and wavy as vines that danced on a 20ft wall. It was just amazing.

She was amazing.

I remember when she shifted she was surrounded by four wolves. She tried to fight off as many as she could. But it still was a lot for her to handle.

I remember hearing Braxton in the background screaming something but I don't know what.. I was too focused on the blood that was coming out of her body.

Jo passed me over to someone else and all I could do was scream.

"Mommy!!!! MOMMY HELP!!!!"

But she was still too busy to listen but I knew she heard me because she killed two rogues after I screamed.

I thought she was going to win until she went up against Jo.

They circled each other and I was scared for her. I was so scared for her.

But she was winning. It was like she knew what he was planning on doing next so it made her one step ahead of him.

But it wasn't enough. He somehow pinned her and she looked up at me.

And I remember seeing blood everywhere on her body and I knew she had killed most of them because she tried to get to me but all I wanted to do at that moment was to help her.

"I'm so sorry Arabella. But I need you to do something for mommy.... close your eyes sweetie. Mommy loves you okay?"

And at the time I didn't know why she told me to do it but I did.

I felt the air around me move and when I opened my eyes I was in the back of a truck.

Maybe that's why I didn't know she was dead... Because I never knew what happened after I closed my eyes.

Of course a small part of me knew she was gone but a really big part of me was hopping that she was alive.

I cried that whole day begging and pleading if I could see my family but Jo didn't let me.

He said I was his new family now.

That only made me cry more.

The car stopped moving and I had just noticed that we got the pack house and it was no longer light out.

It was dark.

I wonder how long we were in the car for.

I know it was hours but I didn't think it would be pitch black outside.

"Welcome home honey." I looked at my dad and smiled.

Home.

It was a weird word that I hadn't used in a long time...

"I will show her to her room." I looked at Braxton and nodded my head.

But he just grabbed the bags from trunk.

It kind of hurt not seeing my brother happy.

My dad must have noticed because I felt his hand on my shoulder.

"It's going to take some time to get use to. Things have been different since you and your mother..... left."

I looked back at Braxton who was already taking my bags inside the pack house.

"I know." I whispered but I followed after him with my dad by my side.

No one was outside but the pack house it was beautiful.

And it was really really big.

For some reason I always pictured it differently. I don't know why maybe I just created a different vision in my head of what the pack house actually looked liked.

It may not be what I thought it was but it certainly was way better.

We walked inside and the smell of cookies just hit me like a ton of bricks.

I looked to my left and all I saw were little kids eating and watching tv in one of the living rooms.

"Oh wow." I smiled at the smiles and happiness that was shown on their little faces.

"Those are the pups of the pack. They start training next week." My father said as he smiled at them.

Kids. I never really thought about kids until now.

But considering my mate was engaged to someone else, I knew I wasn't going to have them anytime or with anyone soon.

Thinking about Jackson made my heart skip a beat. God, my mate is an Alpha and hes just perfect.

But I wish things were different with he and I. And that women.... she was gorgeous.

I don't think I could compete with her. She had this beautiful full blonde hair, big brown eyes, and a glass figure as a body.

Her voice was a little too pitchy for my liking but I think its because I haven't been around anyone in a while so tone of voice is still new to me.

"Honey c'mon this way." I turned towards my father and followed him down the hall.

There was pictures and certificates from what I'm guessing the past and present Alpha's have accomplished.

Again, no one was even in the hall ways. Everything was quiet.

"Everyone is in bed, just in case you were wondering. There is a curfew for different age groups but no one is allowed after dark after 10. If you want to leave the perimeter you must ask to leave first and Braxton is to give consent. If a rule is broken then you pay the price.... no exception."

It's not like he was telling me the rules I think it was more of a warning...

Either way I knew I wasn't going to break them.... and even if I did would he actually punish me?

I don't think he would... would he?

But then again I remember the things Eva would tell me about how cruel can be.

How heartless he could be and how his reputation proceeds him. So would he punish his sister that was already punished?

I was so busy thinking about the "what if's" I didn't see that I was about to run into someone.

I walked right into their back and fell to the floor.

My butt hit the floor and I hissed as I felt the wooden floor break my fall.

"Oh damn my b......." the person stopped talking and I looked up to this stranger.

But he wasn't a stranger. He was my friend. It was Josh.

"Arabella?" He looked like he just saw a ghost, and I don't blame him.

He looked different but then again he didn't. He actually looked the same but he was just much much older than the last time I saw him.

I didn't even bother to say anything as I jumped up and threw myself in his arms.

He didn't hug me back at first but then its like he snapped out of it and I felt his strong arms wrap around my body and twirl me around.

I laughed missing the feeling of him always doing that to me. He wasn't just a friend he was my bestfriend.

"I cant believe you're here." He let go of me and cuffed my face with his hands.

He stopped smiling and he I looked into his eyes and saw nothing but guilt.

"Hey, look at me." I grabbed his face with my hands this time making sure he was looking at me when I told him this.

"You have nothing to be guilty of. You couldn't have done anything we were all kids then."

It broke my heart to know that Josh had felt like this. And I meant what I said. We were all kids and there was nothing anyone could have done to stop what happened.

He sighed and closed his eyes.

"I thought I lost you forever. We thought we lost you."

I looked behind him to see my brother and dad standing there and watching us. Braxton nodded his head once, and walked away.

My father smiled at us and walked towards me.

"There was nothing anyone could have done Joshua. Just as Arabella has said you were all very young son."

My father put his hand on Josh's shoulder and josh nodded his head and smiled at me.

"I just cant believe you're back. When they called and said they found you we just thought it was another pack who found another missing girl. Over the years we've gone out to packs all over the world that claimed they found you. I stopped going because I was tired of getting my hopes up. But now....."

His voiced started to crack so I just hugged him and he hugged me back.

"I'm home Josh. And I'm not leaving ever again."

He hugged me tighter knowing that I wasn't going to go anywhere.

"Arabella your brother is waiting for you in your room. I will show you the way. Tomorrow you may reconnect with all your old friends."

Josh let me go and kissed my forehead.

"If you need me I will be down the hall do you understand me?"

I nodded my head and smiled a him.

"I'll be fine but I'll call you."

He nodded his head, said his good nights and left.

My father started to walk and I followed in his direction.

"The pack house is beautiful. Different than I last remembered it."

My father nodded his head and laughed.

"Yes, I suppose so. But you were a child when you were.... when you left."

I just looked at my dad as we continued to walk. It must be hard for him to talk about the day I was taken.

He stopped walking and turned around to me.

"Did they...... did they hurt you?"

It wasn't a random question and I was waiting for them to ask but I just got home. I didn't want to bring my past into this house. This was my new home.

I wanted to start fresh.

But I nodded my head anyways.

"Did they .... touch you?"

When he asked that question it broke my heart. Event though they didn't I could only imagine the guilt and worry that my father had to deal with for years.

But I shook my head and he nodded his head.

"You must understand If there was something I could to change this whole thing, or go back in time some how to do things differently I would." His eyes got watery and I just had to hug him.

"I miss her. I miss mom. But I wouldn't change things one bit. Everything happens for a reason. I don't hate any of you for what happened."

He hugged me tighter and it felt so good to be loved again.

He let go and I wiped the tears that were streaming down his face.

"You look just like her you know? Your mother. She would have been proud."

I nodded my head and hugged him again.

" I know." I said.

He yawned and it just dawned on me that he must be exhausted.

"You go to bed. I can smell Braxton from here."

My father looked unsure at first but with a little convincing he finally agreed and went his own way.

I used my nose and sure enough I found my own room. The door looked exactly the same.

It had purple and pink butterfly stickers on the front and the name "Bella" in gold cursive letters.

I pushed opened the door and sure enough there was Braxton sitting on one of the chairs that were pushed up against the corner of the room.

But that's not what caught my eye. It was all these presents wrapped in different birthday decor. From small boxes to big ones. I guess Braxton had noticed that I had noticed them because he spoke.

"We still got you presents. These are years worth of presents from Dad, Joshua, and I. Do what you may with them, they are yours."

The way he spoke he sounded so cold. So... heartless.

"Oh. Well thank you, it means a lot to me." He stood up and didn't say anything.

He just kept looking around the room and then his phone rang.

He opened what I was guessing was a message and he just broke the phone in hand.

He took a few calming breaths and all I did was watch and stare.

"It is last minute and you have permission to not attend if you don't wish to, but tomorrow is the funeral for Evangeline."

He was about to walk out of the room but I stopped him.

"She loved you, you know. She would talk about how to the world you were a vicious person. How heartless you were to rogues and anyone who disobeyed your rules. She would also talk about how cold your words would be to others... but not her. You were all these horrible things but the way you treated her was nothing but love. The way you would protect her, the way you would hold her, how your touch felt against her body. And how your eyes drew her in the most. But most of all she talked about the way you would say her name. The love, kindness, and gentle tone you used to speak to her made her whole body catch fire like if she was in her own personal hell because the thought of you was her biggest sin. She loved you. And I know you loved her. I'm sorry Braxton. I am so sorry that I couldn't protect her."

He didn't say anything but he held his composure. He stood there with his hand on the door and one foot out of the door.

"I don't love her. I didn't love her. Because I never gave myself time to love her. But now she is gone and there is nothing I could do about that."

With that he walked out of the room leaving me with a cold, dark, empty room.

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So guys the story is coming to an End.

BUT this isn't the last chapter. I still have a lot of lose ends that I need to tie up first. So I will be doing that in the next two chapters than I think the story will be over :(

COMMENT & VOTE tell me what you think!

Thanks again for reading and stay safe tonight!

P.s that is Arabella in the photo above ✨