Lila's POV It’s been two days since I met that weird guy at the elevator. I wanted to tell Brian about it when he came to my room that night, but I eventually decided against it. He probably didn’t mean it in a bad way, and since he was Dominic’s guest, I didn’t want to cause a fuss thereby leading to me disrespecting his guest. Maybe he just had a weird way of consoling people. That’s what happens when you’ve gone through a lot of traumatic shit—you become weird. Brian told me that their hospital was government-accredited and he could fix me a job there. I decided to send a letter to my boss at my original place of work, that I would not be coming in for a while, even though I knew he might end up telling me I’d be fired if I didn’t show up. But I wished I had better choices to make, my case with the werewolves was getting longer than we had expected. And the investigation was leading nowhere according to Brian. He told me all that went down in the dungeon, and I must admit th
Lila's POV Yes, Luis and I dated for two years, but it wasn’t a solid relationship. It happened in our first year in school; we both met at the school cafeteria. He was the only one eating at a table with an empty seat, so I had to join him. Out of courtesy we exchanged names and casually talked about how we were adjusting to the school. I left the cafeteria, not knowing I’d see him again; though our courses were different, there were times we had to take shared courses, so we met randomly in class and eventually exchanged contacts before we fell in love. I ignored Brian’s reaction to Luis’s words and proceeded to ask the question that had been on my mind since I laid my eyes on him. “So, how did you get to know them?” I asked, stretching forth my hand a bit so he would know I was referring to Brian and Dominic. “I should be asking you that.” He said, giving the weird look that I was used to since he looked at me like that a lot back then. I squeezed my face, hinting that I did
Lila's POV I didn’t turn to look at him even though I was taken aback by his declaration. I had no idea about what was going through his head. But one thing was certain; He's gotten bolder. I clenched my fist in an attempt to contain my rage.We broke up about six years ago and when I look back at our past relationship, it didn’t end well. We were both young and naive; like me, he was an orphan, so we both had our difficulties. I ought to blame and hate him for what happened but I had more pressing life issues than to think about a guy who broke my heart, so I eventually forgot him as time went by. But there he was some minutes ago, talking about still wanting me. That crazy jerk!The interview was brief, they asked about my past work experience and what I expect to be my salary. I assumed Brian must have spoken to them about my situation because compared to my former workplace, their interview was brief, and the questions they asked were simple. I stepped out of the room only t
Lila's POV Brian choked on the water he was drinking, spitting it out. Luckily, no one was close enough for the water to splash on them. My mouth widened in disbelief. Luis really said that. It wasn't new information, but his delivery was completely off.If it had been someone else saying it, I might have supported their point, but I couldn’t bring myself to agree with Luis. Though Dominic wasn't great to me, I would choose him over Luis— it was a choice of the lesser evil."Says who?" Dominic asked in a deep, authoritative tone, his hands calmly resting in his pockets. What trick was he trying to pull?It was already a known fact that we had rejected each other. I slipped my hand into my pocket as the pain in my stomach intensified.Luis shifted his gaze to me, “Lila, were you not rejected?” That bastard, why did he have to drag me into it? I laughed weirdly at Luis’s question, what was he expecting me to say? “Who told you I was rejected?” I asked without batting an eye. There w
Lila's POV I must have left them utterly speechless, their jaws hanging open in disbelief. They were too shocked to say anything.After that intense conversation, I retreated to my room.I wash away the day’s stress in a warm shower before sinking into the comfort of my bed. I lay on my stomach, the fabric of the sheets cool against my skin, hoping the cramping pain in my abdomen would subside soon.I heard a knock on my door, I decided not to answer, thinking whoever was at the door would leave if I didn’t respond. But I was wrong, the person kept knocking.Reluctantly, I peeled myself off the bed and walked over to the door, turning the handle to reveal Judith standing there, her expression a mixture of concern and determination.“Judith?” I asked in a soft voice, the surprise barely contained. She held a thermo bottle in her hands, its sleek design gleaming in the dim light, and I couldn’t help but wonder what was inside it.“I heard you were having cramps,” she said, her voic
Lila's POV “You are crazy Judith!” I said, throwing a pillow at her. What a ridiculous suggestion. I stood up and headed for the door. I swung it open and pointed outside. “You should take your leave if you have nothing useful to say,” I stated calmly. I needed to get rid of her before she polluted my mind.She kept laughing. She had been laughing after my exclamation; I knew she found it amusing, especially when she caught me blushing, too. She was beginning to get under my skin. “I was only joking. You shouldn’t be standing there.” She patted a spot next to her, and continued, “Come sit and let’s talk.” She raised her hands in the air as if she were surrendering herself. I rolled my eyes at her childishness. How was she different from Brian? But I could swear I’d kick Brian in his groin if he ever tried that shit with me. Instead of taking the spot she offered, I went to sit on the bed instead.“Now be serious,” I warned, my voice steady and stern. She dropped her hands, adju
Lila's POV Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one taken aback this time. How could someone be so shameless? I shook my head as I tried fanning myself with my hand to cool the hotness I felt from within. I turned to Brian, who also had a shocked expression. “Is this one of the rituals she does every year?” I asked out of deep curiosity.“No, this is new.” He replied in a low voice. He proceeded to take a sip from his cocktail, clearing his throat right after as if he had something to say. “Juliana, everyone is watching.” He sounded irritated. That was probably the first time I’d heard Brian sound like that. Juliana didn’t reply, but instead, her eyes were fixed on Dominic who was probably in a daze or unbothered by what just happened. Anyway, I couldn’t figure out what was going through his head at that point. I had to applaud his composure in my head. “She’s so annoying,” Brian muttered under his breath, but it felt like he said it on purpose. I could hear him ‘cause I was sitting c
Juliana’s POV I couldn’t stop tears from rolling down my face. I knew Dominic had told me on several occasions, even before he met his mate, that I would never be more than a sister to him. We weren’t blood related so why should I be his sister? I remember how I used to follow him around when I was still a pup. It was uncommon for werewolves to joke about their child getting married to another wolf, knowing the wolf probably had a soulmate somewhere. But my dad wouldn’t stop talking about how nice it would be to have Dominic as his son-in-law. So, I grew up believing one day he would be mine. The moment I turned sixteen and I couldn’t smell him as my mate, I knew I’d have to double my effort in loving and trying to win his heart. And given the all-prophecy saga around his soulmate and how he was so not bothered about finding her from the get-go, I felt he was indeed finally going to notice me. But now what? Did he kiss her? How could he do that to me? I was certain he
Lila's POV I had to confirm my ears were working perfectly. How could he accept me as his mate when he knew it would be a sad ending for us? We’ve talked about it already and he knew it was best we stayed away from each other. I didn’t want him to die, and I certainly didn’t want to end up dead either. “So, do you all agree that she doesn’t need to leave now?” Leo asked, facing the crowd back. A guy with blond hair raised his hand. He had a worried expression, so I guessed he must have had a legitimate question to ask. “Yes, Elan,” Leo said, pointing at the blonde guy whose name was supposedly Elan. It wasn’t surprising Leo knew the names of all his pack members—he used to be the alpha after all.Elan rose to his feet, “What if she goes berserk one day?” Everyone turned their head towards him. He cleared his throat before he continued speaking. “My grandmother told me about vessels with multiple powers. If they can’t manage it well, they go berserk—the outcome is disaster.” He
Lila's POV He took steady and calculative strides towards the podium while the lady joined the crowd. I knew her, she's a pack member. So I assumed she had escorted him.His eyes were hazel, but they held a stronger expression of coldness compared to Dominic's. I saw how everyone went silent the moment he started walking, even I was shaken up a bit by the way he approached us. “Regardless or whatever, you shouldn't treat your Alpha's Mate with so much disrespect. I was sure I made several lectures regarding this so that the tragic event that befell shadowfangs wouldn’t repeat itself in history ever again. Did most of you sleep during those lectures?” He asked with a voice full of authority. The room boomed with his voice as it resonated throughout the silent hall.For him to have lectured them in the past, he must have been someone of a high reputation with immense wisdom, like a lecturer. But even so, why did he have so much power over controlling the rest of the werewolves? I
Lila's POV Brian explained what the meeting would be like on our way to the pack house. He told me to be mentally prepared that they are meant to say all kinds of words to me. Honestly, I was a bit scared since I’d have to face a large crowd while they judged me endlessly. “Do you plan to deny it?” Brian asked, jolting me out of my thoughts. I took a deep breath as he kept staring at me to hear my answer.“I don’t know, Brian,” I said tears welled up in my eyes again.” After hearing what actually happened to my mother, I couldn’t help but think that she was judged wrongly.” I continued,” “Yes, she had her fault. Revenge doesn’t end a problem but it rather adds to the existing problem. But on the other hand, I doubt I would have handled the situation any better if I were in her shoes.”I said truthfully. I felt bad for my mother, and denying her further would only make me feel more sorry for her. I was honestly torn between them since I knew accepting her would only make me face
Lila's POV Everyone was now gathered in Dominic’s office after hearing the news about Sophia’s death. Morinda was quite shocked; she said she never wished her dead, even if all Sophia ever wanted was her property. But the fact that she died suddenly could only mean one thing.“Was an autopsy conducted?” Brian asked, facing Jonathan. “Even if an autopsy was conducted it wouldn’t reveal anything as long as witchcraft was involved in her death,” Morinda said, hitting us with reality. “But one thing is certain—-she must have been in a cohort with the witch you are looking for.” She said what I was sure everyone was now aware of. “You mentioned that only the royals could erase other’s memories, right?” Dominic asked in a stoic tone. His expression had turned cold ever since heard the news. The look he had at that moment was a look that said he would murder anyone. He must have been really pissed at the whole situation. Morinda adjusted in her seat so she could face Dominic before sp
Victor’s POV The candlelight in my room flickered weakly against the dark stone walls, casting a weird shadow that seemed to be struggling to breathe, twisting and writhing like silent specters in the corner of the room. The air was thick with the smell of herbs, and the faint coppery smell of blood. A sign that a dark ritual had just taken place there. I sat on the office chair in my room with my hand under my chin, and my fingers tapping impatiently on my left cheek. I locked my gaze on Morgana, who was standing before me at that moment.She paced the room in elegant steps that felt captivating and also unnerving at the same time. She moved in a smooth and calculative way like she was deciding on how to feast on her next prey. Her silver hair, which I always mistook to be a wig, spilled over her shoulders, almost reaching her waist. She glanced towards me and a sly smile curved on her bright red lips, her blue eyes glowing with mischief. In her hand remained the bottle of el
Lila's POV Dominic walked up to me, took my hand in his, and eyed me from head to toe.”Are you hurt?” He asked, his eyes beamed with worry, and for a moment I mistook it for fear—or maybe it was fear. “Lila, are you fine?” He asked again, bringing me out of my train of assumptions. I nodded my head at him as I looked at the hand he was holding that was dripping with blood. I almost forgot that I cut myself.I tried to remove my hand from his but he held onto it. Before I knew it, someone was running towards us with the first aid kit box. Dominic must have given out the command through mindlinking. He let go of my hand to accept the box, then he proceeded to place it on the ground. I looked around to see what people were saying while Dominic’s attention was on the box. As I expected their gazes were fixed on me—demanding an explanation. I owed them one.“It’s going to sting a bit,” Dominic said before grabbing my hand to apply the disinfectant. I winced a bit, making Dominic smi
Lila's POV When Morinda mentioned that she would be using my blood, everyone went stiff. We all thought she meant something bigger than life itself. Eventually, she explained that a small cut would be made on my palm, so the blood could fizzy out, and then the spell would be recited by me. Everyone eventually calmed their mind and started heading out of the room one after the other.First, it was Brian—I bet he was the most affected by the meeting we held and he couldn’t wait to leave. Probably to go and think or even subject himself to something worse. I wanted to follow him, but the look in his eyes only showed that he wanted to be alone. He was followed by Judith, who somehow avoided making eye contact with me. By that time, I already understood how her duty as Genna had mattered to her more than anything. I figured that out during the time we spent reading books together. To her, I was still a potential threat to everyone, and the powers within should be neutralized. I r
Lila's POV I understood why Dominic and the rest were so against me going through the test to see if I was one of the royal witches but my mind had been made up. I felt bad for my birth mother, and I also felt bad that I might have to be labeled as a bad person all my life, just because I am a witch. “Lila, I know you are feeling overwhelmed at the moment, so your emotions might be all over the place, but I want to be rational and take your time to think about it.” Jonathan tried to reason with me. I stood up from where I was, not looking at anyone in particular. “I believe I have the right to decide on a matter like this based on my choice and what I want.” I protested solemnly. “Lila, it’s not as easy as you think.” Judith raised her protest. “What if you end up endangering everyone?” She asked, and as always, she proved again that what mattered was others, not me. “You should think care….”“Let her do it, if that’s what she wants,” Dominic said in a cold tone, his hands fold
Morgana's POV The misdirection I created was perfect. After meeting the witch I misdirected him to, he must have been occupied with trying to get her to speak, so he must have totally forgotten about me and the things happening in Shadowfangs. At least that was what I had thought. “I can see your plan worked out perfectly this time. It’s been almost five days and we haven’t heard from Dominic. He must have totally forgotten about you.” Victor said, raising his glass filled with wine for a toast. I gave him a big smile with my luscious lips. Things had been going well between us after his wife’s funeral. Though he was a bit bothered about sending his daughter off to one of Dominc’s schools, thinking he would use her as leverage against him one day. But after noticing that my plan had worked out, he asked her to enroll in Dominic’s school, so that she could go if she wanted to. I wished things would stay calm like that until I got my hands on Lila. She was the only thing I wanted