Page 10 of Resisted

“Which is it—thinking or wondering?” I teased, but it didn’t lighten her mood any.

“Both,” she admitted, then paused to aggressively sprinkle another snowflake. “I like you all well enough.”

Gee, thanks. “We like you too.”

“But I was wondering if maybe we could find my family.”

Pain seared my heart. “We are your family.”

She swallowed, then squared her shoulders as she looked me directly in the eyes for the first time since this entire conversation began. “I mean my birth family.”

God, I wished I could for her. I’d have been lying if I said that I hadn’t used every spare moment I had since that day in the forest to search. I wanted to give her back the family she was missing. I wanted to know my true mate’s name. In some ways, even though she was a huge part of our lives now, I wanted to return her back to her home and forget. Because each time I was around Bella, I thought about how much more she looked like the nameless woman. I wondered if she were alive, would they act the same? Which mannerisms would Bella mimic? Would they sound the same?

I should have told her I’d been looking. But if she knew I never stopped, that could deflate what little hope she had. So I lied, the first lie I’d ever told her, and fuck, it was the last. “I can’t promise I will find them, Bella. It’s been seven years.” And the memory was still so fucking strong. “It could take years once I start searching. There isn’t much to go on.”

She nodded her head like she understood. “I know. But promise me you will look. Promise me you will find them, Silas.”

I wished she hadn’t asked me to promise, because if I broke it, whatever trust she had in me would be decimated. I couldn’t break her trust because as much as I didn’t want to admit it, I needed that trust. I needed to know that if the world got too real around her, she would always feel like she could come to me. That she could seek me out. Instead, I opted to give her the comfort I could, a promise that wouldn’t mean breaking her heart into a million tiny shards. “I promise to try, Belladonna. I’ll always keep trying.”

Chapter 4

BELLA

Five years later

It was a party—avery prestigious party. A party I absolutely had to go to if I wanted to show my face at school again. Not like anyone in this house would understand. No. My mom and dads insisted I stay home, while Silas and his pack watched me and they got to go have fun. It was unfair. I needed to go to this party. And I most definitely didn’t need a babysitter, or three, while my parents were out of town.

My objections were ignored. The importance of the situation brushed aside. My parents left, and in their place, was a bunch of grumpy old men who didn’t have a fun bone in their bodies. But that didn’t mean I would not try to change things. I would lie and beg my way with all the conviction I had in hopes of just the smallest chance they would cave.

I plopped down on the couch next to Silas, crossed my arms over my chest, and stared at the screen he was watching. Some action show, boring as hell. But I wasn’t about to anger him right off by mentioning it.

“Mom said I could go to a birthday party tonight,” I blurted out.

He dragged his eyes away from the television and gave me an annoyed look before moving his gaze back to the screen. “Okay.”

Okay? Just like that? No arguing? No yelling? No making me fight tooth and nail to get my way? Just okay? “Okay?”

“Okay,” he repeated.

I tried to make my walk back to my bedroom completely normal, but the moment I closed the door, I was dancing like a crazy woman and trying to muffle my screams of joy. I hadn’t thought it would be that easy. If anything, Silas should have been the hard one to convince. He was the stricter of the three. Vincent would have argued but eventually caved, and Boyce wouldn’t question a single thing, but Silas… Silas was known for asking questions, wanting details, and this time, he just…didn’t.

I spent the day on the phone with Lynette as we planned our outfits. She was going to meet me at the party, which sucked. I wanted to spend the hours leading up to our first real party doing manicures and pedicures, but as long as we met up by the door, I guessed I would have to deal with it.

It was eight o’clock when I nearly stumbled down the hall. My dress was a strapless navy number that I’d never once worn but had bought with my allowance on sale the last time I went to the mall with Lynette. I walked out into the hallway, cursing the heels, and Silas looked up.

“No.”

No? “But you said I could go!”

“I said you could go. I did not say you could go in that dress. You’re fourteen, Bella.” His eyes roamed over it again, his brows pulled together.

“It’s just a dress,” I argued.

“I said no.”

The front door slammed open, and Vincent strolled in. He stopped in front of me, staring for a moment. “No.”

I felt anger bubble up. Who did they think they were, regulating what clothes I could and couldn’t wear? “Mom said I could wear this.”

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