Chapter 125: Chapter 125 Storm Shelter Secrets

Bella’s POV

The storm raged outside like a living beast, hurling debris against the mansion walls with thunderous crashes that made my children jump at every sound.

"Mommy, will we be trapped inside forever?" Zack asked, his small voice barely audible over the howling wind.

Chloe’s spoon clattered against her bowl as another object slammed into the exterior wall. The sound echoed through the dining room like a gunshot, and I watched her shoulders tense with each impact.

"The storm will pass, little ones," Hugo assured them, his calm voice cutting through their growing anxiety. "These things never last forever."

I shot him a grateful look. The truth was, I felt just as unsettled as my children did. The darkness outside was so complete it seemed like the world had ended beyond our walls. Every warrior had been ordered to the back corridors where the reinforced servant quarters offered better protection.

Chloe jumped again as something heavy crashed nearby, her soup splashing across the table. Her hands shook as she reached for her napkin, and I noticed the tremor in her fingers. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Chloe, are you feeling alright?" I asked, studying her pale face.

"I’m perfectly fine," she stammered, though her voice betrayed her words.

The children finished their lunch with worried glances toward the windows, and I knew they needed rest despite their fears.

"Naptime for all of you," I announced, though Zack immediately protested.

"We’ll never sleep with all this noise, Mommy. It sounds like monsters trying to get in."

Hugo’s hand disappeared into his jacket pocket, emerging with small, pearl-colored objects that seemed to shimmer with their own light.

"These are enchanted earplugs," he explained, holding them out. "They’ll block the storm sounds for a while. Long enough for peaceful dreams."

Chloe’s face brightened with an intensity that seemed forced, almost manic. "Oh, how wonderful! The children will sleep like angels!" She clapped her hands together, the sound sharp and brittle.

Her behavior struck me as odd, but I attributed it to stress. The supernatural world was still foreign to her, and storms like this probably felt apocalyptic to someone raised in the human realm.

After the children finished eating, Chloe whisked them away for their nap while Hugo and I tackled the dishes. The domestic routine felt strange with royalty helping me dry plates, but I appreciated his presence.

"I should head back to my quarters," Hugo said as we finished, though his tone suggested he wasn’t entirely convinced.

"In this weather? You’ll be torn apart before you reach the other building." I peered through the kitchen window at the chaos outside.

"I heal quickly," he reminded me with a shrug.

Chloe reappeared then, her movements jerky and unnatural. "Your Highness, I’ve prepared Bella’s guest room for you. Perhaps we could all share some drinks together? Bella suggested it earlier."

I blinked in surprise. "Actually, Chloe, that was your idea—"

"But you agreed!" she interrupted, her voice rising slightly. Her palms rubbed together in nervous circles, and I caught the desperate edge in her expression.

"Well, if you’re staying anyway, we might as well," I told Hugo, who nodded slowly.

The timing felt right for finishing our interrupted conversations. With the storm raging, no one could disturb us—not even the other alphas.

We settled in the upstairs sitting room, and Chloe returned with drinks on a silver tray. But her hands shook so violently I thought she might drop everything on the carpet.

"Chloe, you’re trembling," I observed, concerned by her deteriorating state.

"I’m just anxious about the storm," she said quickly. "I thought alcohol might calm my nerves, but I think I need sleep more than drinks." Her words tumbled out in a rush, and I noticed her eyes were bright with unshed tears.

"Please, don’t let me ruin your evening. You two have important things to discuss, and I’ve already set everything up." She gestured frantically at the drinks before practically fleeing the room.

"She’s certainly acting strange," Hugo commented, settling into his chair.

"Strange how?" I asked, though I’d noticed it too.

"Parker believes Chloe and your late husband were involved," Hugo said bluntly, pouring wine into two glasses. "He thinks she was the only witness to whatever happened because they were lovers."

I accepted the glass he offered, considering his words carefully. "And what do you think?"

"Watching you two together? I don’t see it." He shook his head. "If you believed she’d betrayed you with your husband, your reaction would be completely different."

"How different?" I asked, curious about his perception of me.

Hugo’s laugh was low and knowing. "Bella, you’d have destroyed her by now. You never were one to suffer betrayal quietly."

My eyebrows shot up. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"You have fire in you," he said simply. "Always did. When we were close before, you never let anyone walk over you or those you loved."

I set down my wine glass with more force than necessary. "I wasn’t some wild hellcat, Hugo."

But his knowing smile indicated he clearly remembered things differently.