Page 33 of Hunt

"And we're yours," Dante rumbles. “You’re a fucking Carbone now, Bella, and we’re going to make sure every single motherfucking alpha knows it.”

CHAPTER 13

BELLA

The sun is just beginningto peek over the horizon, casting a soft golden glow across the expansive training room as I dodge Nic's swift uppercut. My muscles burn with exertion but I relish the adrenaline pumping through my veins. This is where I feel most alive—locked in deadly dance with an opponent, all other worries temporarily forgotten.

"You're distracted today, Bella," Nic grunts, narrowly missing my jaw with a sharp jab. "Thinking about your upcoming debut at the auction?"

There's an edge to his voice that sets my teeth on edge. I spin away, dark hair whipping across my sweat-slicked skin. "That's none of your business," I snap, channeling my frustration into a roundhouse kick that he barely blocks.

Nic's greenish eyes flash with something unreadable. "It is my business when I get chewed out by Alessio for not knowing you were popping illegal suppressants like candy," he growls. "Did you really think they wouldn’t notice eventually?"

Ice shoots through my veins and I falter, giving him an opening to sweep my legs out from under me. I hit the mat hard, air rushing from my lungs. In an instant, Nic is on top of me, pinning my wrists above my head. His body is a solid weight against mine, every hard plane pressed intimately close.

"Get off me," I hiss, hating the breathy quality of my voice. His proximity makes my head swim, his alpha pheromones trying their hardest to sink into me. He doesn’t affect me like he once did. Not now. Not after I’ve had the Carbones. Nic's eyes darken as he leans in closer, his breath hot against my cheek.

"You were reckless," he murmurs, his voice a low rumble that vibrates through me. "Everyone around you pays the price for your selfishness. Is that what you wanted?"

It’s only now that I notice the bruising under his eyes, as if he’d been hit hard. I know in my gut that one of my dads did that to him.

I twist beneath him, but he’s so fucking solid. "What I want is to be free of this life," I spit back. "Free of the expectations, the manipulation, the constant threat of being sold off to some prick with enough money or drugs to pay for me."

Nic's grip on my wrists tightens fractionally. "And you thought illegal suppressants were the answer? Damn it, Bella, do you have any idea how dangerous those are?"

Yes. Yes I do.

"I don't need a lecture from you," I snap, finally succeeding in bucking him off. I spring to my feet, putting some much-needed distance between us. "My heat, my body, my choice."

Suppressants have side effects. Serious ones that if gone unchecked, can permanently alter an omega. It can take away their ability to produce hormones, or it can cause her body to overproduce too. Either way, it sucks.

I shake off Nic's concerned gaze and stride back to the center of the training mat, every muscle coiled with tension. "Again," I demand, raising my fists.

Nic hesitates for only a moment before matching my stance, his eyes never leaving mine. We circle each other like twin predators, waiting for the perfect opening to strike. The early morning sun bathes us through the window in shades of gold and crimson, the air electric with unspoken words.

I lash out first, a flurry of precise jabs that Nic counters with fluid grace. We fall into the familiar rhythm of our deadly dance, trading blows and blocks as the rest of the world fades away. This is the one place I feel truly in control.

"The auction is in two days," Nic says between strikes, his tone carefully neutral. "Alessio expects you to be the star of the show."

A bitter laugh escapes my lips. "Of course he does. His prized breeding mare." I punctuate my words with a vicious kick to Nic's ribs.

He grunts but doesn't falter. "It doesn't have to be like this, Bella. There are other ways?—"

"Other ways?" I snarl, slamming my palm against his chest. "Like what, Nic? Running away? Hiding like a coward while my fathers hunt me down?"

Nic catches my wrist, his grip firm but not painful. His eyes bore into mine with an intensity that steals my breath. "I'm not talking about running," he says lowly. "I'm talking about fighting back. Taking control of your own fucking life."

I yank my arm free, my heart hammering against my ribs. "You're delusional."

Little does he know there’s already a plan in the works. The plan just doesn’t include him. I can’t trust Nic. Not after everything he’s done.

Nic steps closer, his broad frame blocking out the rising sun. "I have a plan, Bella. One that can get you out of here before the auction. But you have to trust me."

A harsh laugh tears from my throat. "Trust you? After everything that's happened between us?" Images of tangled sheets and desperate kisses flash through my mind, followed by the gut-wrenching pain of betrayal.

Memories flood my mind, overwhelming me. We were foolish and naive in our teenage years. Nic made a promise that he would ask his uncle Liam if he could claim me for his own when my heat came. But he never followed through. Suddenly, he disappeared for two years, and when he returned, Sam had taken his place as my protector. And in those two years, Nic had changed into someone just like Alessio and Liam.

Nic's jaw clenches. "I know I hurt you. But I'm not that same foolish boy anymore. I want to make things right."

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