Chapter 260 Chapter 260

Chapter 260 Chapter 260
BELLA

It’s almost as if I felt her presence, the moment she’d stepped out because there was a significant shift in the air.
I knew instantly that Ariana was close. From the moment I woke up and knew where we were headed, I dreaded meeting her.

Not because I was scared of her, but because I didn’t want to face my pain and anger head on.

I had grown up looking up to Ariana. She was born as the Golden girl of the entire family. My father had admired her, given her everything she wanted and groomed her from the start to be the Luna simply because she had “greater potential” than I did. I didn’t dare walk in a path Ariana hadn’t already threaded on while we were being raised and I never held it against her.

I have always loved Ariana despite being neglected. I cheered for her when she’d been announced as the next Luna and was willing to be involved as much as possible in the whole planning process.

I never thought a day would come when I’d look her right in the eyes and curse the day we were both unfortunate to be born in. Every time I saw Ariana, I knew it was like staring into a mirror, just that I’d be looking at a darker version of me that has a cruel heart.

I sigh and look away as she stops abruptly. I hate that the universe is forcing me to relieve all this agony again. I don’t want to be with Brad, I hate the way my anger suddenly spikes in my blood at the sight of Ariana. I detest the fact that I am aware they’d have probably been united as one if I hadn’t somehow materialized here today and worse, I hate that I know how much it’d have hurt me.

Brad reaches out to take my hand but I pull back from him and glare at him. Lucian just stands behind him, a desolate look in his eyes. He keeps stealing glances at little Damien and his confusion only seems to grow.

I can see Ariana slowly inching towards us and Damien’s grip on my arm grows firmer to my surprise. I’d thought he’d desert me the moment he set his eyes on Ariana, but it seems like he only wants to depend on me even more now.

“I know I can make things right, Bella, but I can’t just let you disappear again. After everything that has happened—” Brad continues, but I am barely listening to him as my eyes finally lock with Ariana’s.

Her face goes pale with shock, drained of all its color and her jaw hands loosely. Those composed eyes are wide with disbelief and she slowly shakes her head, refusing to accept reality.

“Mama!” Damien’s sharp voice cuts through the night and Brad instantly goes silent. I look down at Damien, who is shaking and squeezing my arm even tighter.

That tiny, sharp voice doesn’t carry relief or excitement. He is even more frightened at the sight of her, as though he can’t believe that she is truly here. I hold on to him even firmer and pull him closer.

Ariana takes one stumbling step forward and Lucian suddenly frowns. He stares at me, utterly stunned and with an annoyed look in his eyes. He walks past Brad to my side, his narrowed, unfriendly gaze locked on Ariana.

“This child is hers?” he whispers into my ears furiously, “you wanted me to take care of her child?”

“He’s just a child, Lucian,” I mumble and swallow hard, “I don’t want him to suffer for—”

“Damien!” Ariana cries and suddenly begins to run towards us.

The child suddenly scurries behind me, stealing glances at his mother behind me. I frown in confusion, wondering why he’s suddenly so terrified of her when it’d seemed like all he wanted to do was meet her earlier.

Her eyes are filled with tears, but they are also bloodshot with an anger I can’t understand. She glares at me like a deranged woman, veins popping out of her temples, “You!” She says, her voice ridden with rage and a wicked growl that makes my heart clench.

Brad stops her as she tries to come at me and she gasps when she shoves her back hard. Her eyes widen, tears running down her cheeks, “What the hell, Brad! Have you gone crazy? Is this why you called off our wedding?!” She screams at his face, then that rage almost disappears completely when she cranes her head and tries to look at Damien.

“Darling,” she calls in a soft voice I have never heard. It’s almost a wonder that she actually has the capacity to be a human.

There’s no manipulative, calculating look in her eyes now, just a soft, vulnerable look as she tries to beseech her son. “Damien, my love. Come to me, please.”

“No!” Damien screams in a shrill voice that sends goosebumps all over my skin, “you lied!”

Brad stares at me, his eyes confused and utterly perplexed. He takes a step back and frowns, “What the hell is going on here?” he asks and his stunned gaze shifts to Ariana, “is that…your child, Ariana?”

Her tears roll down her cheeks now and she suddenly crumbles to her knees. When she looks up at Brad, her eyes are so murderous that I nearly flinch. Veins snake through her bloodshot sclera and her iris shimmers with a glint of her wolf.

“You know absolutely nothing, Brad,” she says flatly and shakes her head, “none of you know anything.”
She swallows and glares at me, “And you…you went after my son? Is that why you’ve been in that pack, huh? So you can enact your revenge?”

Brad stares at me, “What pack, Bella? Where have you been?”

I step back, taking Damien with me, “I don’t owe you or anyone an explanation, Brad. And I do not care what you think of, Ariana,” I say, staring right into her eyes, “We might look the same but we are very different. I am not a monster like you and that’s why even if you’re the reason my child died, I couldn’t look at yours in danger and walk away.”

Her eyes widen with shock and she just stops drastically.
“What…I–I don’t understand what you’re saying, Bella.”

“It’s actually quite simple, Ariana,” I reply flatly, looking at her with disgust, “you left your child behind…I didn’t.”