My Convicted Wife is My Mate (Bella and Kane) novel Chapter 32

chapter 27
KANE’S POV

Nina was yelling so loudly it turned heads from across the parking lot. Her hands were balled into fists. Her face was red, and she was actually stomping her foot like a child throwing a tantrum. I hadn’t seen a real foot-stomp since I was a kid watching pups protest at the end of a pack festival.

It was almost amusing. Almost.

She shouted a few more things about “calling the police” and “lawsuits” before storming off with Jane hurrying after her. The car sat there in ruins. Its windows were shattered. The doors were dented. The paint was scraped off. It looked like it had been hit by a truck — a really big one.

“Wow,” Bella said softly beside me. “I wonder what happened?”

I shrugged. “Who knows.”

We started walking toward the bus stop. The crowd behind us murmured in disbelief, but Bella didn’t look back.

“Well, it’s none of our business anyway,” she said.

I looked down at her. “You’re very calm, considering how she treated me. I thought you’d be a little pleased.”

She looked confused. “Why would I be?”

“She was rude to you.”

“So? I don’t wish bad on anyone.”

“Even people who’ve wronged you?”

She exhaled. “Nina was rude to me, sure. But that doesn’t mean I want her to suffer. Prison taught me something — there’s always a story behind every person. Reasons behind every action.”

Her voice was gentle, but her eyes held a quiet kind of strength.

“Is that right?” I asked.

She nodded slowly, looking down at her shoes as we walked. “I don’t think bad people are born. They’re made. Everyone’s just trying to survive the hands they’re dealt. Maybe Nina hasn’t had an easy life.”

This woman… she surprised me. She was always trying to find good in others, even when they’d spat in her face. I was shocked that she didn’t take pleasure in the pain of others who had wronged her. I, on the other hand…

“It’s noble to make excuses for people,” I said, “but everyone’s still responsible for what they do. A hard life isn’t a free pass to hurt others.”

She looked up at me then. “You’re right. Still, I have to admit, the things she said to you made me so angry.”

I tilted my head. “So maybe you found it a little satisfying when she was freaking out over the car?”

Her cheeks went red. “Maybe… a little,” she confessed, laughing softly. “But really, isn’t it sad? That her worth depends on a car? She even tried to tempt you into leaving me for her BMW. As if you’d be that shallow.”

Then her eyes widened in horror as she realized what she’d just said. “I-I mean, not that we’re together or anything!”

I couldn’t help the smirk that pulled at my mouth. This woman was amusing.

“You sure about that?” I teased lightly. “We are basically married.”

She blushed deeper, mumbling something about me being insufferable.

“Have you always been such a pacifist?” I asked.

She snorted softly. “No. Anna, my wolf, she had a temper.”

“So does mine,” I admitted.

She eyed me with disbelief. “I never would’ve guessed that.”

If only she knew.

As an Alpha, I’d had to be strong - ruthless, even. Whether in war or in business, survival demanded power. Mercy had its limits.

Her smile wobbled a little, but she nodded. “You’re welcome.”

She wanted to ask what was wrong — I could see it — but she didn’t. That was what I liked about her. She knew when to leave things alone.

Every night, she tried to argue that I should take the bed and she’d take the couch. Said it was “fair.” She was stubborn that way. But she never once offered to share the bed.

Part of me was waiting for that invitation, though I wasn’t sure what I’d do when it came.

When it was time for bed, we said goodnight. She hesitated at her door.

“Goodnight, Kane,” she said gently.

I nodded once. “Goodnight.”

When her door closed, I lay back and let out a slow breath.

I could tell exactly when she fell asleep. Her breathing evened, and her body settled. But for me, sleep didn’t come easy.

My dream came in flashes. The images were blurry but vivid enough to hurt.

In my dream, I was standing in our old pack mansion. The walls were cold, and the color looked wrong. There was a crib in the corner. My wolf was pacing inside me.

In that dream, I saw blood. I heard the sounds of my mother’s screams. I saw my dad do the cruelest thing imaginable to someone he was supposed to lov

My claws were out before I even realized it. They raked across something soft.

Suddenly, a scream filled the room. It was Bella’s scream.

And my blood ran cold.