DEMETRIUS’S POVI knew there was more to the story than she is letting on. She was holding back the whole truth. I wished she could be free with me, open up to me, and tell me things. She wouldn't have shivered the way she did if what she remembered was good. It must have been a horrible moment for her. She stopped rubbing her arm when she saw me staring and following the movement. I wished I was the one rubbing her arms in comfort, but she still had that tall wall she had built to keep herself from any other person.What I wanted for her was for her to trust me enough to speak to me about her concerns, her fears, her anxiety, what kept her awake and tossing at night, what brought a big smile to her face, what she loved doing, and what she avoided at all costs. All of this was what I needed from my mate, but I still had to take baby steps with her. Around her, I had to control myself. I knew she could flex away from me at her own will, so I wanted her to talk to me when she was ready,
After Layla managed to get to her room in one piece, a knock sounded at her door. She groaned, wondering who it was. Perhaps Annabelle checking up on her to see if she was okay? She dragged herself to the door and opened it to find Lisa standing there with a bowl of hot water, giving her a small smile."I guessed you'd be needing this, and I was right," Lisa told her as she looked Layla up and down."You're wet.""I am. Thanks a lot, Lisa," Layla said, grateful for Lisa's thoughtfulness."Should I help you carry it to the tub and prepare the bath?"Layla couldn't ask that of Lisa, who had already done so much. "No, thanks, really, Lisa. You're a lifesaver.""You're welcome," Lisa said, passing the bowl to Layla. "You can skip kitchen duty today. I'll have your meal delivered to you soon.""You don't have to," Layla replied. "I'll come for it myself. Thank you.""Are you sure about that?" Lisa asked, wearing her playful look."Yes.""Okay, see you later," Lisa said and walked away.Lay
Demetrius observed the shock in Layla's eyes; she appeared scared, as if the attack was happening all over again. He couldn't fathom what was running through her head. The attack was a thing of the past, occurring a long time ago when his father ruled. He had ensured such incidents didn't repeat during his reign.Layla struggled to control her shocked expression. It was difficult to believe what the king had just revealed. If anyone else from the pack had told her that the Nightwalker pack had been attacked, she wouldn't have believed them. But now, the Alpha had confirmed it himself, so it had to be true.But how could the pack be attacked? The Nightwalker pack had the highest security and was ruled by the Lycan king. Who would dare to attack a pack with the king at its helm? A pack that had been attacked once was vulnerable to further attacks."You look so shocked to hear this," Demetrius said, breaking the silence and bringing her back to the present.She looked up at him, still con
Layla desperately wanted to pull her hand away from his grasp, but his hold remained firm. He knew that if she managed to break free, she'd likely run away without looking back. So, he held on tightly, causing her to break into a nervous sweat. Demetrius couldn't help but wonder what he had said to trigger such a strong reaction in her."I am your second chance mate, Layla," he calmly declared, though he couldn't hide the indifference in his tone. Layla's heart sank at his words. Was the Alpha playing some cruel game with her emotions?"Liar!" she yelled, tugging at her hand with the little strength she had left. She felt the shame of her body's betrayal taking over."Calm down, Layla," Demetrius implored, attempting to soothe her. "Don't you feel it? It's the bond between us.""No," she boldly lied, though her eyes gave away her deception. "No!"Desperation filled Demetrius as he called out to her, and in a bold move, he pulled her trembling body closer, hugging her despite her strug
ANNABELLE'S POVI watched as the other two ladies exchanged a secretive glance. It couldn't be that difficult, could it? Elena was their friend, and friends should be there to lend a helping hand when the situation arises. I just couldn't understand why the two ladies were hesitating. Or was there more to the story that Lisa wasn't saying?Lisa sighed, seemingly having reached a conclusion for herself. She leaned in closer to me. It appeared she didn't believe she could be of much help to Elena. Elena herself didn't seem interested in assistance. She rarely stopped for a minute around Lisa, except when she was hungry or during training. In those moments, her ears were closed to any interference, and Elena didn't appreciate Lisa poking her nose into others' business.I looked at both ladies, and it was clear they were yet to decide on what to do. They both knew that Elena really needed our help, but they wouldn't give in that easily. Especially Lisa – she might be aware of people's bus
Elena stared at Lady Annabelle as if she had grown two heads. What was she talking about? She knew it was rude to bang on her door like that, but Layla was really messing with her brain, and she needed to put an end to it. She was still standing in front of Lady Annabelle's chamber, arguing."What did Lady Annabelle just ask me? If I've killed Layla? Or does she wish I could do that to end her misery?" Elena thought. But she knew how angry that would make the king and how sad Lady Annabelle would be. "What?" she finally asked when she found her voice."I asked if you've killed Layla," Lady Annabelle repeated."I wish," Elena sighed."So, you haven't killed her yet. Good. So, what's the matter? Why are you here?" Lady Annabelle asked, rubbing her face in exasperation."How could you ask me to train her? She is wrong in every way I try to look at her," Elena complained."What angle have you just discovered now?" Lady Annabelle inquired, intrigued."Her wolf has never defended her. How
DEMETRIUS’S POVI shifted immediately upon leaving the pack house and ran into the woods. My wolf was elated to be free. Even though I had let him out the day before yesterday, he always yearned for freedom, and this could disrupt my personal schedule. My senses sharpened; I could see clearly, and my hearing was keen. The woods appeared lush and vibrant, and any potential danger ahead was highlighted in red, making it easy to detect threats or enemies. That's why I preferred fighting in my wolf form.The sudden news of my pack members shifting at such a young age didn't sit well with me. Something must be amiss; the only reason young ones would start shifting before the age of 17 was if there was a hidden danger lurking. I needed to get to the bottom of it, so I decided to check our borders to ensure the security was tight.My Beta, Lucas, would be waiting for me at the south border. I increased my pace and let my wolf, Demon, take over. This was one of the areas he excelled in, and
Layla's wolf, Linda, stared at Annabelle. Annabelle wondered why Layla was not changing back to her human form. She pointed to the clothes and then to Layla.“You need to shift back to your human form, Linda,” Annabelle told the wolf.Linda gave a small growl to convey her message, but Annabelle stood there confused. Linda walked closer to Annabelle and used her head to push Annabelle away, gesturing for her to turn around. Realization crossed Annabelle’s face.“Oh, sorry, Linda. I should have known,” Annabelle said, turning away. She walked back around the tree where she had shifted.LAYLA’S POVJust as I had shifted to my wolf form, I focused on shifting back to my human form. It took some time to complete the shift, so I quickly grabbed the dress and started dressing. We were both barefoot, and we didn't mind it. Feeling the ground under our feet, whether dry or wet, was strangely satisfying.“I’m done,” I called out to Annabelle.Annabelle emerged from behind the tree where she wa