300 Days With The Alpha Beta Triplets
NO MEMORY

Bella:

For a moment, it felt as though the ground had been snatched from beneath me. All I wanted was to disappear. They had gone through my phone, and I wished they had kept it to themselves.

"So?" Ryder asked, crossing his arms over his chest. I took a deep breath, steadying myself.

"Sebastian was my boyfriend in the Rune pack. His father is beta, and we were close growing up. Then something happened last year, causing a separation. That's why I came to this pack."

Ryder scrunched up his face. "I thought your mum said it was her turn to raise you or something like that." I looked at the innocence in his face, wondering how it would shatter when he realized he'd been living with a murderer.

I shook my head, staring down at my feet.

"So, what happened?" Finn asked. He was sitting on the couch with his head thrown back, his legs together, and his hands clasped.

I paused, trying to keep my tone steady. "I can't share that with you." My voice shook, causing their expressions to soften.

"Please don't pity me. I don't need it," I said, turning to leave, but Ryder grabbed my hand.

"Bella, if something is hurting you, we want to know. That's why we're mates, and-"

"No!" My tone was raised and hostile, startling Ryder as I yanked my hand away. "It's almost six. I need to get back to school," I said.

I went back to the room, grabbed my coat, and collected my belongings. When I returned, I saw Kai and Ryder lying on the couch while Finn stood up.

"Are you ready?" he asked. I muttered a "yes."

He walked towards me, and the others stayed put, clearly not wanting to join us. I felt a tug in my heart, but I tried not to let it bother me. If that was what they wanted, I wouldn't push them.

I left the apartment without looking back. Even when we got to the car, I didn't say a word to Finn. The atmosphere was tense, so I got into the back seat instead of sitting up front. Finn turned on the ignition and looked at me through the rearview mirror.

"Bella, we just want you to be okay. That's all."

"I know," I replied, sinking into the back seat.

My heart was heavy. I wished I could share everything with them, but the fact my mother lied to Ryder made it clear it would be unwise. She asked me to be patient, but days had passed, and all she did was show fake kindness at school while I suffered in silence.

'I'm sorry, Bonnie. Please, stop punishing me,' I thought, trying to hold back my tears as I shut my eyes.

The car soon came to a halt. Finn blared the horn at the gate, which opened, and then he drove onto the school premises, stopping in front of the dormitory.

"Thank

you,"

," I said as I got out. Finn got out too, grabbed my hand, and pulled me towards him, giving me a brief kiss on the lips before breaking it.

"I hope you'll be fine. We love you." He kissed my forehead, and I pulled away, walking to the dorm without a word. Facing Hazel was going to be one of the hardest things I'd have to do today. Last night was a mess, and I hoped she had come to her senses, although it seemed unlikely.

My heart thumped as the elevator doors slid open. I walked down the hall to our room, my heartbeat racing with each step. When I reached the door, I took a huge breath and pulled it open. Hazel was lying on her bed with a book in hand and her legs resting on the wall.

"Bella, where have you been?" she asked, tossing the book onto her chest and turning to face me.

For a moment, I thought I was dreaming, and my mouth was mute for a split second.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, sitting up. "Did I do something absurd last night?" Her eyes widened. "Oh my God, I did." She gasped, getting to her feet.

She walked up to me, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me.

"Please tell me what I did last night, Bella. I woke up this morning with only memories of us discussing the party yesterday afternoon, and I can't remember anything else," she said, drawing my full attention back to her.

She lost her memory? That was unusual. The only way that could happen was through compulsion, and Fae had an anti-compulsion ring. She must have discovered something at Sebastian's place.

Hazel's shaking was jumbling my thoughts, which made it unable for me to think.

"Stop, stop!" I said, and she let go of me. "What do you mean by that? Where is Sebastian?"

She began to pace around the room.

"I think I scared him off with whatever I did last night. When I woke up, he was gone, and one of his father's men brought me back. I asked questions, but he wouldn't tell me where Sebastian went. I've texted him, but he hasn't replied, and his phone isn't reachable."

That was typical of Sebastian. A leopard that could never change its spots. He had done something, but I couldn't tell what.

"So, you don't remember a thing from the party last night?" I asked. She paused in her tracks.

"That's what I've been saying for the past ten minutes." She pressed her lips into a hard line, and I took a deep breath, walking to my bed, debating whether to tell her the truth. "Come on, you have to tell me," she insisted.

She looked worried, but we were on good terms, and I couldn't risk that. Plus, having her not angry with me would help me get to the bottom of what was going on.

"The party was great, and you got really high. Sebastian had to take

you

home early."

"Shit! I must have thrown up in his car or embarrassed him."

"No, no. You were fine. This is just Sebastian being Sebastian, honey." I pulled her down to my bed. "He might be busy right now, but he'll come around." I tried to sound neutral. She pulled me into a hug.

I had my best friend back, but Sebastian had a skeleton in his cupboard. I was about to discover it, and this time, I was a step ahead.