The following morning, a knock woke Annabelle up from her deep slumber. She stumbled to her door and opened it. Lisa stood behind the door, and before Annabelle’s mind could register why she should block the door, Lisa pushed her way inside the room and stopped, taking in the entire room. Her eyes zeroed in on the girl on the floor who was still fast asleep.“What is that?” Lisa asked.Annabelle cursed and moved back as Lisa turned to her. “You shouldn’t have seen that.”“Is this what you have been hiding for days?” Lisa asked. “I should have suspected this.”Annabelle wondered what the time was and how Lisa caught her at it. “It is not what you're thinking.”“And how will you know what I am thinking about?” Lisa asked with a raised eyebrow at Annabelle, who looked flustered.“I… well, Lisa,” Annabelle said frustrated. “You won’t say anything to a single soul.”“Give me a reason why I should hold my sealed mouth.”“Please.”“Who is she?” Lisa asked, turning back to look at the lady sl
Layla and I made our way out of the chamber and walked down the corridor to the left. People stared at Layla as we passed, so she moved closer to me, but she still stood out with her pale skin and dark black hair. I knew it was better to present the case to the king immediately when he arrived rather than keep it until later.I saw one of the king's personal guards relieved of his duty for the day as he made a beeline for the kitchen. He stopped when he saw us and bowed.“Hello, Lady Annabelle,” he greeted.“Vernon, welcome back,” I replied.“Thank you, Lady Annabelle,” raising his head, he noticed Layla but said nothing.“Is the king free?”“Yes.”“Thank you,” and I turned to the door, knocked, and entered the room. It was an ancient office; everything about the office was old but still looking good. One side of the office was filled with books, and the other side had armor. Walking deeper into the room, we heard voices at the far end of the office, where there was a big table and a
LAYLA'S POVAnnabelle and I spent the day together in my new room, and after that, we both went to the kitchen where Lisa served us dinner. Lisa informed me that I could start my work in the kitchen the next day, and I had no problem with waking up early since I was an early bird. With a big smile on my face, I retired to my room for the night, making sure to bolt my door before climbing into my bed. I fell asleep immediately, my head sinking into the feather-like pillow. I was amazed at how relaxed I felt in the pack and hoped the next day would be great and interesting.A week had passed since I became one of the pack members, and I had yet to encounter the king. I wondered if he was even in the pack, but Annabelle made it clear that she saw him every day and even spoke to him.I was sitting across from Annabelle in her room. She was busy scribbling something on an empty parchment, her attention so intense that I felt like I would melt if I were that parchment.“Annabelle?” I spoke
Layla found herself in a state of contentment within her new pack. She diligently attended to her duties, enjoyed the company of Annabelle and Lisa, and found her nightmares becoming less frequent. She couldn't help but feel grateful for the positive change in her life. Since the incident at the beach, where Annabelle couldn't stop talking about the Alpha, Layla saw little of his attention. She had managed to develop a good rapport with the pack members, and they accepted her without much question.However, not everyone in the pack shared in Layla's happiness, especially a close friend of Annabelle named Elena, who had returned from her mission representing the pack. Elena was a formidable warrior, and her mere presence intimidated Layla. Her large stature and perpetually stern expression made Layla anxious, so she made a point to avoid Elena whenever possible.Layla looked up from across Annabelle in the sunroom as Elena joined them. Elena shot a glare at Layla before sitting down bes
Alpha Demetrius waited for Layla to put on her sandals, and they made their way out of the coven and walked down the beach. They didn't notice the person approaching, and it was too late for Layla to do anything else.“Layla,” Elena called as she stopped in front of them. She had a killer look on her face and focused her gaze on Layla.“Elena,” Demetrius called, surprised to see her there. Elena bowed to him, but her attention remained on Layla. He then left the two of them alone, understanding that they must have something to say to each other. Elena was thankful for the space, but Layla was far from thankful. She wished the Alpha had never left, leaving her to face Elena. She knew Elena's intentions were to talk down on her. What would she think now? Seeing her with the Alpha must have bothered her. Would that mean more hatred from her?“Being clingy with the Alpha now?” Elena asked, her voice deadly cold.“No,” Layla said quickly. How was she going to explain to Elena, and would sh
The next day, Layla was hardly awake when Annabelle came and dragged her out of bed. Layla quickly changed clothes and put on sandals that Annabelle had prepared for her. Annabelle pulled her out of her room and down the hallway to the training ground, where a few warriors were waiting. Annabelle pushed Layla towards Elena, and Layla felt her heart race, unsure of what was happening. She had assumed she would be fighting against Elena.However, Annabelle beamed down at her and said, “Watch and learn.” Then, Annabelle greeted Elena and dashed away from them before Elena could return her greeting.Layla moved a bit to the left to leave some breathing space between herself and Elena. She focused her attention on what was happening in the training circle. This was the first time she was surrounded by the pack's warriors, and it brought back terrible memories. She closed her eyes and wiped her face to regain focus. This wasn't about her. They weren't going to attack her. With that in mind
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