Bella, what are you doing here? (Annabelle)

Before I could question him, he abruptly turned and left. Days went by without his return, and everything seemed to be going smoothly until the seventh day when I overheard the maids gossiping.

"Alpha must be exhausted. It's unusual for him not to visit Bella."

"That's absurd. He..." another maid started to say, but I accidentally knocked over a vase, causing a commotion.

"Miss Bella," one of them said as they hurried away. Zion had returned, yet he hadn't come to see me. I longed for his presence, but I had a sinking feeling that May would be the one to be dismissed.

Today, I planned to confess my love to Zion and have him mark me, solidifying my she-wolf identity. I returned to my room, donned my sexiest lingerie, and covered it with a silk robe.