Matthew’s P.O.V.I don’t know what happened, but by what I can see; I have come to accept the fact that Mason is at fault. The way he came running towards me and asked if Bella told me anything; about her whereabouts, where she is going or why she is angry. Even a blind person could see it, that Mason knows that he was at fault; it was clearly evident on his face. The moment he saw me in the corridor, he came running towards me like a madman and asked one simple question, “Where did she go?”
Rose and Caleb were right beside me and the way he asked about her in a panicked state, we knew something was up. Rose is my Luna as well as the softest and kindest woman in our pack but let me tell you this; when the situation involves Bella, she turns scarier than me. Mason was not expecting this, at least not from Rose when she shouted, “What the fuck do you mean?” He was taken aback by the sound of it and looked at her as if she just lost her mind.
“Watch your tone Miss” was his RUDE reply.
She scoffed at his reply; she literally scoffed and then sassed back, “You think I’m scared of you. Listen here you asshole. I don’t care if you are said to be the most ruthless and scariest Alpha. If you hurt my best friend, I WILL END YOU.”
I couldn’t help but smile at her comment, it was true. No one messes with her best friend; she turns into a fire breathing dragon. I’ve had experience with it myself. Mate or not, if you mess with Bella, you have to face the storm coming your way; that storm being none other than Rose McKinley. Mason was stunned by her threat; he just shook his head and turned towards me. I was looking at him with sheer concentration, so I could read him out properly. He shifted a little in his place and said, “Just tell me where she is and I’ll handle it.”
“I don’t know” was my barefaced reply.
Before he could say anything else, Caleb was charging at him about to throw punches and shouted, “What did you do to her?”
Rose gripped him by his collar and pulled him away from Mason, his back hitting the lockers. Caleb hissed in pain and turned to her, about to shout when Rose opened her mouth to throw a snarky comment his way, “You’re the one to talk?”
Mason’s eyes shifted back and forth between Rose and Caleb, anger burning in his eyes with a passion. He was fuming when he shouted, “What the hell did you do?”
“Excuse me. You don’t get to play the victim here Mister” was my lady’s blunt comment and Mason’s dumbfoldedness was ironic. He was silent, muted, robbed of his own voice by Rose’s comments.
There was silence until Mason released an audible breath and spoke again, “Please Rose. I know you think that I’m the jerk here. But trust me when I say this, she means the world to me and whatever happened today was unintentional. I would never do anything like that to hurt my woman.”
“Your woman?” scoffed Caleb.
“YES. MY WOMAN” shouted Mason.
He turned towards Rose and regret was clearly visible on his face. He looked guilty and in pain too, like hurting Bella eventually hurt him. And that exact look softened Rose. She placed her hand on his shoulder, which brought Mason’s attention towards her. Giving him the sad look, she said “Look I don’t know what you did, but I can say that you didn’t do it intentionally. It’s written all over your face.”
“You can?” was his dumb question.
“Yes and once Bella’s calm, she will understand it too. It’s like you just happened to do, whatever your mistake was at the wrong time. I seriously don’t know where she is. But I promise you, once I know about it, I’ll let you know” said Rose.
“Thanks a lot for believing me.”
One thing was for sure, Mason was guilty about his mistake and Goddess knows what it was. But that guy really took Bella as one of those important people already and I could sense it in his panic when he first came running. Thinking about this, we made our way towards the class. We knew that Ryan went behind Bella, to just keep her safe; but there wasn’t any news from his side yet and it was making Rose go crazy.
The way that woman was typing on her phone was ridiculous and no reply form Ryan’s side was making her furious.
“I’m going to kill him when I get my hands on him” was what she mumbled to herself.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at her behavior. I pulled her to myself and said, “Babe, Calm down. It’s Ryan. If there’s anyone in this whole world who cares for Bella more than anything, it’s him.”
She looked at me a little offended, but then looking at my Duh expression; she nodded and said, “I know. It’s just that a lot happened yesterday and she usually doesn’t entertain you guys after such situations. I’m just scared what if she pushes Ryan away. She needs me Matt.”
I gave her a quick peck on her forehead and replied, “I know and Ryan will inform you about her whereabouts. How about you go to your class and as soon as Ryan contacts me, I’ll take you to her.”
She nodded, agreeing to my request and made her way to class. I tuned to enter my own class followed by Caleb. Mason was still talking to his friends, when we left from our Lockers. Within a few minutes, Mason enters the class too and settles beside me. I nudge him with my shoulder and give him an assuring smile accompanied by, “Don’t worry man. Bella is not the kind of girl who would ruin things because of some silly mistake you did. She’s been through a lot of shit in the past few hours. Give her some time.”
He nods and replies, “What happened? Why is she upset?”
After contemplating with myself whether telling him about yesterday’s situation now would be a good idea, I decide that it’s better if I speak to him in private. Somewhere with a lot less people and when he has a calm and open mind.
“How about having that dinner you were talking about tonight?” I asked, continuing, “Still up for it?”
He nodded, so I continued, “Cool. I’ll see you tonight at 8.”
“Where?”
“Barkley’s Dine In?” I confirmed.
“Sure” was his reply before he moved his attention to his laptop again.
The bell suggested the end of our first lecture, the professor was packing up his stuff and so were we. Caleb was unusually grumpy and to think that he was a victim here would be a lie, so just like earlier today, I plan to ignore him. This basically makes me a shittier friend but seriously, I don’t care right now. Whatever he said about Bella was totally uncalled for and he needs to understand that. Whereas on the other hand, Mason’s sighs were making me feel bad for that poor guy, he was miserable. I turn towards Mason after hearing his hundredth sigh in the past hour and something catches my eye.
Did I just see Rose, running like our house was on fire?
I quickly make my way towards the corridor to check if it was really Rose whom I just saw running past my lecture hall. But the crowd is too much to even recognize her in them. I take my phone out and start calling her, when she doesn’t pick it up even after a few rings my thoughts about the person being her is confirmed. She never ignores my calls, unless and until she is driving or having a girl’s night with Bella. And any sane person can guess that she was driving off to somewhere, hence the avoidance. She running off and ditching her classes mean only one thing, she knows where Bella is.
I am brought back from my thoughts by someone calling out my name. I turn to realize that it was Mason. He comes towards me and asks, “You okay man?”
“Yeah” is my reply with a small smile.
I start walking towards our second lecture with Mason walking beside me and Caleb nowhere in sight. I find it odd and ask Mason, “Where the hell is Caleb?”
“Probably already in class by now” he retorts back.
I nod and turn towards the class, as soon as I enter it; I realize Mason’s words were definite, Caleb was really settled in his usual seat in the hall. We walk towards our seat and get settled, staring our laptops; the professor arrives in the next minute and starts his lecture. My thoughts are still drifting towards my mate who just ran somewhere, to be with her best friend; that to without informing me.
It’s almost 30 minutes since the second lecture started when my phone starts buzzing. I know its Rose, by the continuity of vibrations arising from it. I slowly take my phone out and see a couple of messages from none other than my lovely mate.
Rose: I’m leaving right now. Ryan found her. YOU KNOW THIS.
Rose: don’t aSk anytHing about hEr.
Rose: I am going to check up on her and See if she is okay.
Rose: Are you lisTening?
Rose: Tell me tHat you gEt it.
Rose: Caleb can go to hell for All I care, total Bitch he Is, so much for being Nice.
What the hell is she talking about? Okay I got it that she left to check up on Bella and Ryan found her, so Ryan is basically with her. But the thing that disturbs me the most is the typing style. Anyone who knows Rose can say that this is not here usual typing way. She is more sophisticated kind of a person, never any typing mistakes or even spelling mistakes for crying out loud.
She always bugged us so much whenever we used typos in text and spelling mistakes are a total No-Go for her. I read her text again and again and again, when I suddenly feel someone beside me looking at it as well. I know who it is and my response is blocked when he whispers, “She found her?” I nod at him and turn my phone off. He asks again, “Where?”
I shake my head to address him with an expression that said I don’t know. He closes his hands to form a fist, as if controlling himself from going at war with me or more like himself right now. He whispers again, “Please man. I know you do.”
I turn my phone on and show him the messages, after checking the texts he nods and turns back to his screen with a feeling of dejection. I turn my attention back towards the professor when I hear him mumble, “Your woman has some serious typo issues.”
I turn my attention towards him and say, “What?”
“I didn’t say it to offend you dude. It’s just that she uses block letters in between of small letters. That is just something weird.”
Block Letters in between of Small letters. Fuck. It’s a coded message.
I turn my phone back on and read it again. Now focusing on only BOLD LETTERS, I start joining them up for decoding her message.
“S H E I S A T T H E C A B I N”
She is at the CABIN.
Genius. That’s what my mate is. She knew Caleb or Mason will be around me and she coded a message only I’ll be able to decode. Having a smart ass mate has its own perks. I grin at her message and reply back.
Me: OKAY. Got it sweetie. Just let me know if you need anything.
I smile at myself before closing my phone and turning back towards the screen in front of me to focus on my lecture.
After a few minutes I get another text from her which just said, ‘Smart boy’.
As I move my focus back to the class, I feel eyes on me. I peek at both my sides to see that Caleb as well as Mason was looking at me. Caleb had a confused look whereas Mason had a look of relief as well as determination on his face. Where I was sure that Caleb had no idea about what was actually happening, Mason was damn sure that I knew something and I was purposefully not telling him about it. He was determined to find it out and I was scared, not of Mason’s thoughts or ideas to get to out from me; but from the notion of how Rose will react to it and what will happen to me if even by mistake I spill it out to him.
Boy. Was I Ensnared?