I Will Never Love You

Puppy Training

The majority of the day consisted of Bella and Beta Slade staring each other down. She had tried on numerous occasions to spark a conversation but the young Beta was having none of it. She would have taken out her phone to text someone but she didn't know who or what to say.

Hey Mom, just letting you know my psycho mate is keeping me locked up. Love you! Bye.

Yeah, for some reason Bella didn't see that going over so well. She would have to contact her family soon to let them know that she was alright, but they knew what had happened. Her not coming home was the all they needed to know she had found her mate. What they wanted to hear she was okay, but she wasn't sure if she was.

Steps fell in an unbearably steady pattern from down the hall leading to the doorway. They were far too heavy to be Cassandra on her way to save her from boredom which really only left Bella with one reasonable option. Too bad she's hoping for the unreasonable appearance of the human mythological creature known as Santa Clause. The silence that she was surrounded by all morning had eased her anger and she'd rather not have a certain hard-headed brute ignite it all over again.

The large frame of her so-called mate glowered in the doorway behind her guard. Beta Slade's perfect posture became as straight as a rod that was most likely shoved up his ass. Lucian's dark eyes flitted over his second in command and fell on Bella's lone figure in the room.

"Leave." He growled out his dismissal. Beta Slade didn't need to be told twice and was on his merry way. Or as merry as that man could be.

Bella was left alone with her terrifying forced roommate and she suddenly longed for the suffocating silence of the stoic Beta. At least then she could control her thoughts. She hated to admit it, but Lucian looked good. He wore black pants with a white button up that gave off a professional aura. The top few buttons were left undone, taunting Bella with the wide landscape of muscles that laid beneath.

"What have you learned today?" He asked her while he carefully took off his dress shoes.

"That you're an asshole and the Moon Goddess must have been on crack to pair us together." She replied without missing a beat. Lucian froze for a second before continuing to place his shoes next to the chair by the door. He turned around to get a good look at Bella's serious face.

"This is why you have to stay here." Bella's left eye twitched. How dare he act so innocent while talking about locking her up. The last time she saw him he punched a fucking hole through the wall and threatened to lock her in the cellar with the dead bodies of her loved ones. "I can't have the people of my pack watching you be so disrespectful and weak."

"Weak?" She scoffed. "What's disrespectful and weak is you locking your mate up like a dog." His eyes flashed to her. Her insults easily ignited his anger that she was sure he was famous for.

"If you're going to act like a bitch you will be treated like one." His deadly calm voice practically wrapped around Bella's heart and tried to strangle it. As much as she's putting up a front, she is scared shitless of her mate. She was designed to love him and he was supposed to love her, but that just doesn't seem likely. She wouldn't put it past him to lock her in a cage at this point.

His eyes narrowed as they watched Bella's body shake. He scoffed at her and turned around to head back to the door. She tried to gain control of her body but watching him walk out on her stirred her own anger.

"How can I respect someone who treats me like this?" She called out before her mind could catch up and scream at her to stop. Lucian froze in the doorway, his right hand resting on the frame. Bella's soft blue eyes scanned his rigid body and worried that he would come over to her and put a hole through her head.