All I know was that my heart was in pain, immense pain that I had no recollection of how I went back to my room, or how I managed to make it through the night. By the time morning came, the sun filtered through the slightly opened curtains, peeping in soft golden lights across the room, a huge contrast to what my heart was feeling.
The spot beside me on the bed, where Matt should have been, was cold and empty. I felt none of the warmth I’d once enjoyed waking up beside him.
He hadn’t returned early last night, and even when he finally did, I couldn’t find peace, couldn’t sleep. His words from when he left echoed in my mind, his flimsy excuses taunting me.
He had told me his great uncle, Sebastian Salvatore, would be in town soon to expand his business. In Matt’s world, that meant he needed to be on his best behavior to get on the man’s good side. He mentioned needing to ensure everything was perfect for the meeting.
But after what I’d discovered, I knew it was a lie. He left to see her—Faye.
Now that I thought about it, maybe he met her all those times he claimed to be going out for work. He probably just wanted more time with his lover while I played the perfect fiancée, clueless and devoted, thinking he was pursuing his dreams. All the while, he had been pursuing something else, someone else.
The truth shattered me more than I wanted to admit. The very thought of it churned my stomach. The worst part was knowing he’d been taking my blood, draining me like some danm vampire, only to give it to her.
When would it end? Would he keep going until I dropped dead? Would he be satisfied then? Perhaps he’d wanted me dead all along.
A tool—that’s all I was to him. Not even a person, much less a wolf.
And yet, pathetically enough, I couldn’t bring myself to confront him. I didn’t know why. I wanted to—I really did. But for some reason, as I watched him get ready and leave, I could only sit there, doing nothing. Even when he leaned down to kiss my cheek goodbye, it felt like nothing more than an act he’d perfected over the past two years. It felt hollow, a robotic gesture, not an act of love.
I hated it. I hated everything that had led to this. I hated that I could only sit and watch as it crumbled. I hated that I still couldn’t face him.
More than anything, though, I hated how much I loved him, and how that love had left me feeling so betrayed, so broken-hearted. When the door finally clicked shut behind him, I released a shaky breath, my shoulders slumping and my knees weakening. If I had been standing, I might have fallen.
My mind raced, replaying everything that had happened over the past two years, every lie I’d believed, every sacrifice I’d made. The silence in the house felt oppressive, my mind looping through the betrayal, the anger, the disbelief.
How had I let it come to this? How had I allowed myself to be deceived for so long?!
To think that I’d been giving him my blood all this time, believing he was doing it for my sake, only to find out I was nothing more than a fool in his eyes—and in hers. How long had he been with her? Was she the reason he got with me in the first place? Was I the other woman here, or was she?
The more I thought about it, the more suffocated I felt. I desperately needed an escape. I needed to get out, to talk to someone—anyone—to lift some of this weight off my shoulders.
Without a second thought, I reached for my phone and dialed the one person I could count on: my best friend, Gracie. She was the only person in the pack who genuinely understood me, who had ever been kind to me.
She picked up on the second ring, her cheerful voice flooding the receiver, instantly calming some of the storm inside me. “Hey, baby girl!” she greeted, as upbeat as ever. “What’s up?”
My heart hammered in my che-st, my voice thick as I tried to speak. “Gracie,” I croaked, hating how weak I sounded. Tears pricked my eyes, but I blinked them back. “Can we go out tonight?” I cleared my throat, hoping my voice would steady. “I just… I need to get out of here, please.”
There was a pause on her end, a beat, then another. Gracie knew me well enough to sense something was wrong. Her voice softened, and I could practically see the frown on her face. “What happened, Leila?” Her cheerfulness had vanished, replaced by a fierce, protective tone that nearly brought me to tears again. “Did Matt do something?” It sounded like a question, but we both knew it wasn’t.
Gracie had never liked Matt, even before I joined the pack. No surprise she guessed he was the cause of my distress.
I hesitated, unsure how much to say. Finally, I decided against explaining over the phone. “Not now,” I said, shaking my head, even though she couldn’t see me. I gripped the phone tightly, my heart aching. “I’ll explain everything when we meet. Can we go to the club later? I need to clear my mind.”
“Of course, babe, of course,” she said gently. “I’ve got your back, always. I’ll pick you up around six. Is that good for you?”
“Yeah,” I managed, swallowing a lump in my throat. “Six is good.” It would give her time to finish work, and it worked well enough for me, too.
Some of the weight pressing on me eased at the thought of spending time with her. It had been weeks since I last saw her, and it felt like forever. I needed some girl time, desperately.
After a few more words, I hung up and collapsed back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Tonight, I thought. I’d let it all out tonight, even if only for a little while.
Maybe Gracie would have an idea—a way out—because I certainly couldn’t think straight. But deep down, I knew my time with Matt was over.
It had to be, one way or another. Now, it was just a matter of when.
Now my priority was to start planning my leaving.
As Gracie and I had agreed, I was dressed and ready for a night out by 6 p.m., ready to let loose. I’d chosen a slinky black halter dress that hugged my body and accentuated my curves, reminding me of the confident, bold woman I used to be before I met Matt.The reflection staring back at me in the mirror looked like a stranger—a bold, beautiful woman I hadn’t seen in a long time. Matt had preferred a more subdued version of me, so I’d molded myself to fit that image. I’d become the perfect, timid mate, trying to be everything he wanted. I should have known I’d never be enough.A car honk sounded outside, signaling Gracie’s arrival. I grabbed my purse and phone, adjusted the straps on my heels, and headed for the front door. I didn’t bother leaving a message for Matt. He hadn’t been home all day, and frankly, I didn’t care whether he came back or not. All I cared about was getting out.I spotted Gracie’s car parked outside and made a beeline for it. She rolled down the window, waving
The nightclub’s music thumped through my body, but all I could focus on was the haze in my head. How did I end up here? Oh, right—Matt. His lies, his excuses, all his fake promises. “Working for his uncle” or “expanding his business”? Yeah, sure. He was probably with her. Just the thought made me throw back another drink, trying to drown out the anger.Was he with her now? Laughing, touching her? My chest tightened. I needed to stop thinking about him.I had thought that Matt would be the one. He seemed so gentel and kind, but I guess that wasn’t the case. After this, I felt like never falling in love again.Gracie grabbed my hand and pulled me to the dance floor. “Come on!” she shouted over the music. I followed her, letting the beat take over. For a moment, I could forget. The crowd, the rhythm—it all blurred together, and I felt like myself again.After a while, I left the dance floor, the drinks catching up to me. On my way back, I crashed into someone—hard. My ankle twisted, and
The air in the room is heavy with the scent of our bodies merged together, the tension between us so thick and suffocating it filled every space of the room. His hands wee every where, sliding over the bare skin of my thighs and pushing the hem of my dress as his lips became more intense, kissing me deeply, and his scent overwhelming me as a whole, stealing every bit of rational sense left in me.I was left with no thought but that of him in that very moment, his body on mine, his intoxicating sense that drowned me in him. His lips moving on mine were rough, insistent, and I let myself drown in it…in him too.I am not sure how we ended up in one of the rooms at the club, a vip room I supposed but my brain was too much of a mess and a haze for me to recall exactly how the events escalated. One minute we were kissing in the hallway, and the next, my back was hitting the bed as he hovered above me, his entire being taking me away to nirvana. Most of the alcohol was out of my system by t
Matt: Reply me immediately you see my messages.Matt: I mean it, Leila.If I was not in my right senses up until a while ago, and I am not, the messages cleared the entire fog of lust on me. My stomach twisted in uncomfortable knots, and the surge of desire vanished as cold clarity dawned on me on what I was just about to do.Fuck, what was I just about to do? What was I doing? I was about to cross a line, a line that I could not come back from. No matter how upset I am, I should not have stooped down to Matt’s level, this cannot be the answer. Two wrongs do not make a right.I hesitated, my breath uneven as I looked back at the man. His eyes were on my phone, his expression hardening and growing even more colder than ever. There was a flick of something that masked his expression, almost like a realization suddenly dawned on him and almost as my touch burned him, he withdrew his hands back, his intensity cooling.Without a word or so much as a look spared in my direction, he straight
LEILA MILLER The morning might filtered through the opened windows as I stepped into my house with Matt of two years. Except today, the usual enthusiasm and affection I had for this place I had poured my all into making it my home is no longer there, and in it's stead, the weight of everything from last night weighed me down as well as everything that has happened in the past few days as well. My head is throbbing, a full reminder of the mistake I had almost made last night. I had not gotten a wink of sleep last night entirely, simply tossing and turning in Gracie's Bed where I had seemed shelter the night before, not wanting to return to this place with my thoughts scattered all over like that. Despite Matt's message, I could not stand to look at him or seal with anything that has to do with him in any form last night really, especially not while still under the influence of alcohol. Now though, as I walked into the room, something within me has shifted, more like a fierce de
LEILA MILLER He move closer to me his presence shadowing over mine as he closed the distance between us. Before I could react and prepare myself for what he will throw my way, he took a hold of my arm in a bruising grip, and the shoved me hard against the wall nearest to us.A gasp escaped my lips as pain registered from where he gripped, and from the impact of my back being pressed against the wall. Panic flared within me, especially when I saw his eyes glow and it grew even more when I gent his other hand move to my dress, tugging the fabric roughly with care to my feelings it appears."What the hell are you doing, Matt?!" I claimed, the surge of panic within me growing as I struggled against him but he was stronger than I am, especially since my body is now greatly weakened.I could see the anger flaring in his eyes, it was clear as day." You really think you can say whatever it is you want to me and gt things done your way?" he hissed, his hand still fumbling with my dress, his m
LEILA MILLERPerhaps, I should thank Matt’s uncle’s sudden arrival because Matt’s grip loosened as the words register, and then, he stepped back, his eyes narrowing as if trying to maintain his composure but barely getting a grasp of it, I could tell from the way his shoulders were still stiff and his expression hard as steel.“Get dressed properly,” He said, his voice and tone as cold as it could ever be, devoid of any form of warmth. “We should not leave my Uncle waiting for long.” Of course, Matt would never want to upset his Uncle so of course he would need me to act in place and not out of it.I could only nod though, grateful for any form of distraction that would take Matt’s attention off me, even if it happens to be in the form of his Uncle. My fingers trembled as I rushed to pull back my dress, fixing it so it covers my body while smoothing it down. Matt had never been tis violent before. He was not exactly the calmest when pissed, but I have never seen him lose his calm like
LEILA MILLER I froze, my breath caught in my throat as the words registered, vibrating through my entire being. Mate? No, that can not be. So this is what my wolf has been trying to tell me since last night but I blocked her out. She was trying to tell me that the stranger I am with is my mate. I have been with Matt for years, there was attraction and love on my part certainly, but there was never something like this. This felt different. The lull the magnetic force drawing me to Sebastian, it as undeniable. My wolf has never said something while sounding so sure, so certain like this time around, and as much as I wanted to deny it, I too could feel it. My mate is none other than Matt's Uncle, Alpha Sebastian Salvatore Dr Luca. Fuck, fuck, and Fuck. Sebastian's cool gaze met mine, his expression impossible to read and for a split second I wondered if he knew, if he could feel the same thing I am feeling and if he knew we were mates. But there was no flicker of recognition in his e
DYLAN MILLER.Gracie seemed like she had something to say about the whole thing, but she did not. Instead, she caved in wordlessly, shutting herself as she did before. I asked her if there was anything she wanted to do before we leave, but she shook her head otherwise. So, we both bid Sarah farewell, before we made our way out together, getting back in my car. This time around, before I could open the door for Gracie and strap her in, she did so herself. She did not spare me a glance, and seemed as though she wanted to make a point clear.That she does not want me.Too bad. I may not be cruel, but I can be selfish. And when it comes to my mate, I will be as selfish as I need to be in order to keep her with me. The drive to the pack house took a while, as it was a bit farther from the city. The pack closest to the city and occupying most of the territory is Salvatore's, ours is a bit farther.I appreciated the drive really, because it gave me more time with my mate before we head to t
DYLAN MILLER.Sarah finished the soup, and then handed it over to Gracie who thanked her with a soft smile on her features, and in that moment I realized the two have become close somehow. Then again, Sarah is easy going, and my mate seemed so as well. The way she smiled, she seemed much more beautiful really, and i could only hope one day she would be able to smile with me the same way. Sarah after preparing my breakfast as well, quietly left the kitchen for the two of us, not before giving me a look I knew as her encouraging me to make some effort into stirring something upw ith Gracie, but how could I do so without making her hate me more than she already does?I quietly ate my food as she did as well, but she was quick, as if wanting to finish it up as soon as she can and leave. She finished in record time, and then made a move to get off the stool, but I was having none of it."Sit." I said, my tone firm, while finishing up my food as well.She folded her lips in, glancing at me
DYLAN MILLER."Where is Gracie?"Things have been a whirlwind really, a rollercoaster of emotions that it felt as though there was too much ongoing, and too very little time to process it really. Somewhere in between leaving my mate back at my house, returning to the pack borders to fend off the rogues, whom retreated at the very last minute that is, giving us the victory this time around, and in between getting a call from my Beta about Leila's disappearance, there was too much ongoing really.But, everything that happened afterwards, from trying to reach out to her to no avail, to tracking her phone to Sebastian Salvatore's house, and what went down between us passed by pretty quickly. I did not even have time to process and wonder why she would go to his house of all people. Could it be because of Matt? Does she still have any feelings for him? Is he why she went to his Uncle's place or otherwise?Now thinking back, after everything has blown down, Matt was nowhere in sight at the
DYLAN MILLER.I am not a saint, nor the holiest out there. I am not a man without any history with women, I do have, quite a lot.But, that was in the past, when I was much younger and in my teenage years. I am not using that to defend myself, not that there is anything to defend really. I am just saying, I have my own history and moment with women, quite a number of it, and it is now in the past. It has been something over thre eyears since I have entertained any women, or thought of being in any fling or casual relationship with anyone. Since I took up the role of the Alpha, I have devoted myself to it wholly, giving it my all. I kept aside my habit I had prior, knowing I now have a lot of people counting on me.My parents, my sister, and my pack--they were all depending on me and there is no way I would let them down. That is not something I could afford, so, I dropped it aside and focused on becoming a good Alpha. Of course, I see those around me finding their mates, and building
LEILA MILLERAfter I was discharged from the hospital, my parents refused to let me go back to my apartment in the city, and instead practically forced me to go along with them back to the pack house. I tried to get Dylan to help me out but who am I kidding? Of course he would not offer me the lending hand I want. So, I succumbed to their wishes and followed them back, though deep down I knew I would prefer being back at home for the meantime as well. I am still not fully healed and if I am being honest, I am not fully satisfied with the thought of going back home alone, only because I know if I do so I would be alone and keft to wander away with my thoughts.I could not afford that. So, I would pick being back home and pampered any day.And pampered I was, because my parents would not even allow me out of bed unless when extremely necessary. They arranged for everything to be brought to my room at my own comfort so I would not have to stress out and continued to hover over me like I
LEILA MILLER.I suppose I was mistaken. Sebastian was not the one who saved me. And perhaps, it was wishful thinking on my part that he was, given our last interaction, how it went down, and who I saw him with.I initially thought perhaps, he was the one, and even thought he would come visit me in the hospital or something. I do not want my family to know about us, but in that moment I could not give a single damn really. He could have showed up and they would all know, or he would sneak in when there is no one, I did not care. I just wanted him close, I wanted him to be here, I was craving for his warmth and his touch. I wanted him to wrap me in his embrace and assure me that everything is going to be okay, but I got none of that. Sebastian remained like a shadow in my memories, and I could not find him anywhere no matter how I tried to reach out to him.I even swallowed my pride and texted him, called him even because I so much believed he was the one that saved me. I was so sure i
LEILA MILLER A dull ache welcomed me the moment I tried to peel my eyes open, my head pouring as the bright light in the room threatened to blind me. I closed my eyes almost immediately, taking a few seconds to accustom myslef to being conscious again to begin with before I slowly parted my eyes open again. My gaze fell on the white ceiling first, adorned with bright lights that made the place seem more clinical. The scent of disinfectants was heavy in the air, along with beeping from beside me. I need not look around to know where I am. The hospital. Fuck. A slight groan escaped my lips as I tried to move, only for a painful force to push me back down, stopping me from doing even the simplest action of moving. The fuck? My body feels heavy, and I could not move my lower body as a whole while moving my upper body simply felt like a huge struggle. Thankfully, my groan seemed to have gained the attention of the others in the room, whose presence I had not realized earlier on. “My
LEILA MILLER.With Faye's last words, the door was pushed open, and the two men from earlier came, with another third rogue that was not there before, all of them stinking of dead and rotten flesh. If the scent off them did not make me recoil and feel nauseous, then the dirty and disgusting looks they flashed my way surely does.And to make matters worse, Faye's voice then came. "Well, do not be shy, boys..." She said in a song like, mocking voice, chuckling at the repulsive look that took over my features. "...you can have your fun. Just, do not ruin her face...yet." She grinned, her eyes meeting mine when she then added. "...we need Miller and Uncle Sebastian to be able to recognize her when they arrive. I want to see if any of them would still want her then."The men all grinned, their eyes stripping me and I felt all the more disgusted. One of them then cracked his knuckles, licking his lips as he took a few steps in my direction, the glint in his eyes predatory and repulsing. "Sh
SEBASTIAN SALVATORE."Eric, prepare ten million dollars in cash for me as soon as you can." I snapped the very moment the call ended, realization dawning on me that maybe, this can be solved by me giving them the ransom money.I know it might be a trap, and that they are just using the ransom money as another win for them, but I cared not. All I want to know is where to find those rogues and Leila, the world can burn for all I care if I get to her. Eric's brows drew in, his eyes wide as the words registered in his mind. Still, he must have been been able to tell from my tone that it is urgent because instead of asking me why, he asked instead, "How soon do you want it?" "In thirty minutes at most." They gave me an hour to prepare the money, but I could not afford to waste even an hour leaving leila in their hands. Who knows what they are doing to her? I would lose my mind of something bad happens to her truly. With that thought in mind, I shook my head, then snapped my gaze in his d