Chapter 32

Isabella Martini - POV

"Oh God!" Sofia let out a sigh for the fourth time when she paused her hairstyle and walked to stand in front of me. "You have ruined the makeup for the fourth time, Bella. Could you stop crying?" Sofia asked me, getting irritated, and I would do too, if no one told me the reason as to why I was crying. 

"I…I can't." I mumbled as I grabbed a tissue and wiped my cheeks when I saw that the tissue wiped off some of the foundation and the mascara that was running down. 

"Why are you even crying?" she asked as she placed the curling iron on the table and looked at me, waiting for me to answer. 

"You know how much I wanted to impress Arlo, right?" I asked her, and she nodded her head. "I know I am not the best cook in the world, but I tried. I thought Arlo would like to give my food another chance, but he bluntly rejected it." I hiccuped, and this made her raise an eyebrow at me. 

"So, is this why you are crying?"

"Maybe, I think I feel rejected. I mean, my mom would always say that the way to a man's heart is through food. And if someone rejects it, then that would mean they reject you as well." I said, and when I looked up, I saw that Sofia looked clueless. 

"I have never heard of such a thing before." 

"It is actually our family traditions. Well…" it is true and it is one of the most important traditions that not only my family, but my pack follows as well. I know it sounds foolish. I know the last time I cooked, it didn't turn out well, but today's breakfast was fine. 

Ever since that ritualistic bath, I felt like Arlo had become a little closer to me, but I am afraid that it is all a charade for the elders to believe. "I wouldn't blame, Arlo. I mean, you do know what happened to my brother after he had your pasta, right?" Sofia asked me when a frown appeared on my face. "He had nonstop diarrhea for an entire day." She walked closer to me and placed her hands on either side of my shoulder. "Trust me when I tell you that Arlo is falling for you faster than I could have guessed," she said when she stood back. "So, are you done crying?" she asked me, and I nodded my head. 

Minutes later, Sofia was done with my hair and makeup, and I walked toward the floor-length mirror to look at myself. The floor-length dress was beautiful, with a slit on my left leg that finished just an inch below my knee. 

But what I loved about this dress was that it wasn't backless, which made a smile form on my face. 

Arlo remembered how uneasy I felt to show my skin. 

"Let's go, Arlo is getting impatient," Sofia said, and I nodded my head, grabbed my clutch, and walked out of the room. As we reached the foyer, I saw a black Range Rover parked in the driveway, Jacob was standing there with Arlo, who was wearing an all-black suit like always, but there was a small triangular piece of purple fabric sticking out from his pocket. 

"You look stunning, Bella," Jacob commented when he saw us, and a smile appeared on my face.

"Thank you." 

"Let's go." all of us looked at Arlo, who was already making his way to the back seat. 

"Enjoy your night," Sofia said as she hugged me before I got into the vehicle. 

"We are here," Arlo spoke after an hour, which made me look outside. This was a freaking mansion in the middle of nowhere. 

"What pack is it?" 

"This is not a pack territory," Arlo said, and this made me look at him. 

"What? You know that would be dangerous, right? I mean, the rogues could easily attack, and…" words got stuck in my throat when I felt Arlo's warm hand on top of mine, igniting the sparks. 

"This is a territory that is protected by the Venatores. No one is stupid enough to cross their borders."

"So, would the venatores be here?" I asked him, but he shook his head. 

"No, this is a place for alphas to make deals. They would not meddle with our business." Arlo's voice was now a whisper as I felt his breath just an inch away from me, which made my eyes momentarily flatter close. "Don't venture around and stay close to me." 

"Alpha Bianchi, we are here." the warrior's voice broke me out of my trance as I quickly pulled away. 

Alpha Gael Romano - POV

I never wanted to attend this stupid ball in the first place, but I know that if I didn't, people would think that I had gone weak after my mate left me. It's been several weeks, and there is absolutely no trace of that bitch. I downed my tenth glass of alcohol, but nothing seemed enough for me to forget about what Isabella did.

After she ran away, most of my pack members began thinking that I was weak since I couldn't even keep my fucking woman under control. There have been a few stupid men who challenged me for my Alpha position, but after everyone saw how they died in my hands, no one challenged me henceforth. 

I wouldn't have been this concerned about finding her if I had not received a letter from the elders last week. Claiming that if my mate isn't by my side by the end of this month, my position as alpha would be stripped. 

"Get me one more," I growled at the bartender, who nodded his head and immediately went away to make another glass while I was looking around at the crowd in the ballroom when a particular couple caught my eye. 

It was Alpha Bianchi and his lovely mate. Her eyes scanned the entire crowd when they finally found mine, and I saw her face pale as her body began to tremble as a smirk adorned my face. 

Well, looks like you have made my life easier, Isabella.