LILA I stirred and slowly opened my eyes. The first sight that greeted me was Blaise, his figure emerging from the closet, his muscles subtly defined beneath the snug fit of workout shorts and a t-shirt. Sunlight streamed in through the window, outlining his frame in a soft glow that seemed to pulse with the rhythm of his strides. "Oh, great, you're awake," Blaise chirped, striding up to the bed and taking a seat by the edge, the mattress dipping slightly under his weight. It had been five days since I was discharged from the hospital, and I felt vibrant and ready for anything. However, Blaise wouldn't allow me to leave the bed, let alone the room. He treated me like royalty, but it felt like I was helpless. He brought me breakfast in bed, helped me into the shower, although he left the room while I showered, and even selected my daily attire. The only time he permitted me to venture outside was for our evening garden walks. Despite my protests of feeling fine and strong, I cher

LILA The moment Blaise entered the house, his presence was announced by the thunderous slam of the front door that sent a tremor through the walls. His footsteps reverberated with a foreboding echo, as he traversed the living room, paced down the hallway, and assailed the staircase, each step sounding louder, like he was crushing spiders beneath his feet. He muttered commands to someone, though I couldn’t make out the words. It made my heart race; I knew something was terribly wrong.Blaise burst open the bedroom door, startling me, but I pretended to be asleep. His silhouette lingered, framed by the doorway as he exhaled a burdened sigh, an unspoken surrender to the quiet, before moving slowly and quietly toward the side of the bed. My body tensed as I felt the weight of his gaze tracing the contours of my form, but he didn’t speak or touch me. When he didn’t move, I cautiously opened my eyes just enough to see his face. His jaw was clenched, and he stared down at his fingers in

AUTHOR'S P.O.V. In the stillness of the night, a massive black wolf prowled gracefully around the slumbering men scattered on the forest floor. His nostrils flared as he meticulously sniffed each of them before dashing across the boundary where another wolf, cloaked in rich brown fur, waited in anticipation. They stood, nose to nose, an unspoken dialogue flowing between them, until the brown wolf yielded, melting back into the embrace of the dark woods. The black wolf hurriedly returned to the sleeping warriors, only to be interrupted by the rustle of leaves and the muted sounds of approaching paws. "Erick," boomed a voice tinged with disbelief and the weight of betrayal. The other wolves, concealed in the shadows of the woods, emerged from their hiding spots. They encircled the big black wolf, teeth bared in a menacing display of hostility. Leo, taking on his human form, stepped out of the darkness, holding a cloak in his hand. "You are the traitor," Leo stated ca

LILA I was running mad. I had not set my eyes on Blaise for two days and no one was eager to tell me what was going on. There was no sign of Erick anywhere too, which made it even worse. My nerves were frayed, twitching with the anxiety that gnawed at my insides, but the only thing that had kept me a little insane was that Leo and some of Blaise's inner circle members were not around. Maybe they were on a mission or something, but why didn't he tell me before he left? I couldn't concentrate on anything because my mind had been running wild ever since. I was still grappling with the shocking revelation Erick had disclosed to me, and I was unsure how I would react when I finally laid eyes on Blaise. I tried to convince myself that everything was fine, that the warriors' mysterious behaviour and their vigilant surveillance of me, tracking me as if I might evaporate with a blink were normal, but deep down, a sinking feeling persisted, an unease I couldn't shake. After snapping

LILA "You should wear a smile on that face, Lila. There are cameras everywhere, and we wouldn't want anyone suspecting that things aren't going well between us. Remember our agreement in the contract?" Blaise whispered in my ear as we took our seats, Amanda having just left our table. Fury simmered within me, but I managed to force a smile and turned to face him. I saw his own smile unfold, but I could see the falseness in his eyes. To any onlooker, we appeared to be a loving couple. "I can certainly pretend everything's fine if you stop behaving like a complete jerk," I hissed, my teeth gritted in suppressed fury. "I'm not as dumb as you seem to think, my dear husband. I do know what the contract stipulates." I reached out and rubbed his arm, underlining the sarcasm in my tone. His smile remained, but there was a fiery intensity in his gaze. I knew he wouldn't dare do anything in front of these people, so I felt emboldened to push his buttons further. " Stop bei