Call me Bella: Alpha’s Fated Mate

Isabella Martini - POV

"Arlo," I whispered, which made him look at me. "What is the name of the other two elders?" I asked him, and for a couple of minutes, I didn't hear anything from him when I felt his breath on my left ear, making a shiver run down my spine. 

"The youngest-looking elder with brown hair is Elder Philip, and the elder that looks a little plum with black hair is Elder Ronald," Arlo said, and right then, the three of them looked at us. I know that they heard what we were saying, but they decided to not say anything. 

"We have been having conversations around the pack, and we got to know that you haven't conducted the mating ceremony yet?" Elder Philip asked.

"As I said earlier, we are taking this slow, Elder Philip," Arlo answered.

"Without a mating ceremony, without marking your mate, and not even having her admitted to your pack." Elder Ronald listed out.

"We cannot believe you two are really mates, Alpha Bianchi." Elder Micheal said. "You know what would happen if you lie about this, right?" he asked, but Arlo didn't say anything. 

"What do you want me to do to prove that she is my true mate?" Arlo asked the elders, and I saw a mysterious smile form on their faces. 

This is not going to end well for me.

"Have you had the ritual bath yet?" Elder Philip asked, and Arlo shook his head. "Then that is where we are going to start," he commented as he got up from his place. "I will speak to your beta to make the necessary arrangements." with that, all three of them left the kitchen. Right after I heard the elevator doors close, I turned around to Arlo, expecting him to answer what the hell is this ritualist bath that I have never heard of. 

"Don't worry, it's just a tub filled with soapy water, and they would add a few drops of a potion in it. Once both of us get inside it, it triggers the mate bond, and if we are lying about being mates, the water will turn red. But if we were telling the truth, then the water would remain colorless." 

"I have never heard of this before." 

"That's because these are outdated practices that no one does right now. But the elders would do anything to strip my title from me." Arlo said as he began walking away. 

"So, where will this take place?" I asked, and a smirk appeared on Arlo's face. 

"In my bathroom," Arlo said as he walked out of there. 

I have to find Sofia. 

As I left the pack house, I made my way to Sofia's house and knocked on the door while waiting for her to open. Five minutes later, I heard the door unlock, and Sofia pulled the door open. She was wearing a pair of shorts and a plain red T-shirt while she was covered head to toe in flour. "What are you doing?" I asked her as she stepped aside for me to walk inside.

"I am baking a cake. Anyway, what brings you here? I thought Arlo and you would be busy entertaining the elders." Sofia asked me as she led me into her kitchen, which was a mess. The sink was filled to the brim with dirty dishes, and her countertop was covered in flour and eggshells. I took a seat on the stool, and soon she brought me a cup of coffee while she took a sip from her own.

"The elders want Arlo and I to have a ritualistic bath," I told her casually, which made her spit out her coffee as she stared at me with a look of horror. 

"Are you serious?" she almost yelled at me while I nodded my head, but I could feel the fear fill my body. 

Is it that bad? 

"Why are you agitated about that? Arlo told me that we should just get into a tub of water and…"

"If you are not mates, the water will turn red. I know what it is, Bella. But do you truly know what you have to do?" she asked me, and I shook my head. "I have never heard of a ritualistic bath being conducted for a long time. I thought they didn't do this anymore." 

"Arlo said the same thing, but he said that elders have the freedom to do whatever they want to see if this is the real deal," I explained, and Sofia nodded her head. 

"He is right." 

"But what do you have to do in that, Sofia?" I asked her, getting curious, and just then, we heard her doorbell. 

"Give me a minute," she said, and I nodded my head as she walked out of the kitchen. Five minutes later, she walked into the kitchen with a white gift box and handed it over to me. 

"What is this?" 

"Why don't you open it," she said. I removed the ribbon on top and opened the lid when my eyes widened in surprise. There was a beautiful off-white lace frock inside. I took it out, and when I was able to clearly see how transparent the dress looked, my smile gradually vanished. 

"What the hell is this?"

"This is the ritual bath dress. Well, you won't be needing this went you get into the bathtub." Sofia casually said as she walked towards me to look at the dress. 

"What the hell are you talking about? Could you explain this in more detail?" I asked her.

"In a ritual bath, the man and woman should get into the tub naked, and the closer they are to one another is when the mate bond would be triggered, and only then the potion that is dropped into the water would work," Sofia explained, and I was shocked. 

No one has seen my body yet, and I don't want this stupid bath to be the first time either. If it was three months ago, I would have been more confident with my skin, but right now, it is littered with scars and burn marks, and this made an uneasy feeling swirl within me.