LEILA MILLER"Are you doubting my options now, Miss Rivers?" Everyone recognized his voice almost immediately, their heads turning around in his direction. My gaze lingered on Kristen Rivers for a second longer as her slightly wide and taken-aback eyes fell on him. Her lips parted slightly, and then she went on to ramble. "M...Mr. Salvatore..." She got on her feet, just as everyone else did.I heard him round the table, coming in the direction of the seat at the helm where he is supposed to be seated. My gaze met his just as I got on my feet; my head turned in his direction as he came to settle down at the seat at the helm, right beside me. His gaze held mine for a second longer before he gestured for everyone else to settle down.We did just that, his pointed gaze falling on the woman from earlier, his expression cold when he then asked. "You did not answer me." He pressed, arching a brow, his tone arctic cold.She smiled uncomfortably before she quickly went on to try and save hers
LEILA MILLER.A giggle escaped my lips as Sebastian pulled away from the kiss, one of his arms still wrapped around me and the other resting on the side of my face. And then, he murmured against my lips. "I missed you so much, Malyshka." He said, his voice deep and husky.I grinned, unable to help myself. My arms were wrapped around his neck, but one rested on the side of his face, caressing his growing stubble before I found myself muttering. "We saw each other just yesterday," I said, as a matter of fact. "And how are you back so early? I thought you said it would take a few days?" I had already put it at the back of my mind that I would not see him until in the next few days, and as much as the thought had me disappointed, I still accepted it.Now though, having him here with me, I love it more than I would like to admit. It took everything in me not to scream and jump into his arms when I saw him walk in earlier. But, of course, work is work, and I did not want to cross that limit.
SEBASTIAN SALVATORE."What is going on between you and Dylan Miller?" I found myself asking, vocalizing a thought that has been lingering in my head for a while now. She has not mentioned him in a while, but she is still always around him.She still has not agreed to be with me officially, but she was not giving me the cold shoulder or anything for now. I knew it would not take long for her to agree. However, there is a hindrance in our way and that hindrance is none other than Dylan Miller, her boss, that she for some reason is close to. Leila ran a hand down her shirt, smoothening the small wrinkle due to our earlier act, though she looked a bit of a mess, I loved her that way. However, I knew she cared about her image, and I would not want her to feel somehow so I reached out and fixed the collar of her shirt, something she missed.She muttered a quick thank you, pushing her hair over her shoulder before she met my gaze with her cool ones, answering my question. "He is my boss." S
LEILA MILLER."I feel like it has been forever since we last hung out." Dylan said, from where he stood by the refrigerator, rummaging through it as if he had kept something there—and maybe he has, because this apartment is as much his as it is mine.He stocks up my refrigerator whenever he comes around and there is nothing to eat, which he complains about, just as I know he is about to do, any minute now."And why don't you ever have anything to eat?" Yup, there it is. I told you. He closed the fridge, coming to a conclusion: there truly is nothing to eat there. "We are going grocery shopping tomorrow after work. Remind me. For now—""For now, we are having takeout, as always." I completed for him from where I emerged from my room, making my way towards the living room. I looked up from my room, our eyes meeting as I offered him a tight-lipped smile, raising my phone to gesture to the order I had already placed. "It will be here in fifteen minutes at most."Dylan gave me a pointed lo
LEILA MILLERI was torn in between two great shocks at one.One, Sebastian had been attacked by rogues and if what my brother was saying is true, he might have been seriously injured. The second, my brother and Gracie are mates.Both are situations I did not expect to go through really, and it had my brain on pause for a moment, trying to grasp either of each and make sense of it.“What do you mean Alpha Sebastian was attacked?” I found myself inquiring first, the curiosity of that overweighing the other thought. But it does not seem my brother was paying any heed to me, or the person on the other end of his phone call because he had his gaze fixated on Gracie, a look I could not quite decipher flicking through his gaze.I blinked, shaking my head as I tried to focus on the current situation in front of us. “Wait, I mean…you two are mates?” It never once crossed my mind, the possibility of it that is.But I do not hate it. On the contrary, for that moment, I felt as though this is th
LEILA MILLER.Dylan was quick in having some of the guards arrive at my place to patrol in disguise, but I know them all well enough to be able to spot them from a mile away. But I know my place better than they did. It would be better for me to heed to Dylan's words and stay home, especially since he sent security over it had to be important, but I would run out of my mind simply staying at home and not knowing what situation Sebastian is in exactly. My wolf was on edge as well, so simply staying at home just would not cut it. I called Sebastian, though I was not expecting him to answer. He did not, which only solidifies my thoughts that there is indeed something wrong. He always picks up my call, and if he is in a situation where he could not, his messages follow soon after.This time around, there was no picking up, and no follow up messages, which only adds to my growing pile of worries.After a few minutes of simply standing there and weighing my decisions, I decided to screw i
LEILA MILLER.I fiddled with my fingers but nodded regardless. At least by waiting here, I knew he would come back, so I took that option. The butler left and later returned with some refreshments, but my mind was not on it in the slightest. I could not even sit and simply resorted to pacing back and forth in the living room, glancing at the clock every once in a while to take note of how much time had passed by so far. About an hour passed by like that, with my anxiety levels growing off the chart and higher than ever. I even resorted to nibbling at my nails, my heart thumping behind my ribcage. I know Sebastian is a strong man but what the hell is going on? Not knowing is making me lose my mind. Is he alright? Was he hurt? How badly is he hurt? Why is he still not back yet? My train of thoughts were halted when the sound of my phone ringing came, piercing through the silence. I was startled for a second by the unexpected sound, but I recovered and pulled out my phone, the sight of
LEILA MILLERMy head was pounding, a loud ringing echoing in my ear. My whole body felt as though it was being weighed down by something heavy; I could not move an inch. And when I finally mustered enough strength, I managed to peel my eyes open ever so slowly, only to close them back when the room felt too bright for my liking. After a short while of uneven breaths, I opened my eyes again slowly, this time around for a while longer as I looked around the room I was in. Turns out, it was not that bright. I was just out for a while longer than I should have been, hence why I thought it was bright.The smell of the room was nauseating, courtesy of the peeling walls and the water leaking from the ceiling. As I looked around with the little strength I could muster, I realized it was more like a small room, kind of like a dirty and stinking basement as well. There is a lingering metallic blood scent as well in the air, as if someone had stayed here before me, and the person might not have
LEILA MILLER."Miss Miller." Ian gave me a nod of acknowledgement, his lips curling into a teasing smile as he gave me a nod. "A dance, please?" He extended a hand out to me, hoping I would take it.I shook my head, unable to hide the smile on my face. "Of course, Alpha Abbot. How can I turn you down?" I stretched my hand out, carefully placing it in his, and his hand instantly wrapped close around mine, wrapping it in its warmth. Ian gently pulled me into his arms, one hand going to rest on the small of my back while the other held my hand. Then, carefully, we started to sway to the music, side to side, slower than when I danced with the others which I very much appreciated because my feet were aching. "And please," I found myself saying, finding his gaze. "Just call me Leila. I prefer you call me that." Miss Miller feels too formal--a name that would be used by those I am not particularly close to. Ian on the other hand, though I am not close to him, I feel is better than a strang
LEILA MILLER Everyone in the hall clapped in acknowledgement, but I think I broke some people because they all seemed too frozen in their position in shock. Two people in particular. One, Matt fucking Wilde. And two, Sebastian asshole de Luca. Oh and of course, Anastasia who watched with a mouth that fell open, it nearly touched the ground. If I was close, I would have reached out and helped her close it because with the way it was wide open, something might actually fly into it. Though I think I would love to see her face as she chokes really. I ignored them, grinning as Pa turned around to face me. “My princess,” he started, “My daughter. Happy birthday.” He reached out and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his embrace. “Thank you, Pa,” I leaned into his embrace, loving how secure and protected I felt being in his arms. And then he pulled back after a while, Ma coming in next as she pulled into her embrace. “Happy birthday, honey.” She said, giving my back a pat.
LEILA MILLER.Pa's words had everyone keeping shut, the entire hall becoming so quiet, a pin drop could be heard. It turned still, breaths held in anticipation, as curious eyes looked around the room, as if the birthday girl would mysteriously show up. I pushed Sebastian away from me, my heart hammering behind my ribcage so loudly I feared he would be able to hear it, and thankfully, he did not hold back, letting me get back up on my feet though his strong arms remained around me to ensure I was standing on my feet steadily. But, he did not move away, and instead stood beside me, almost protectively. My gaze fell on a fuming Anastasia who tried to fake a smile on her face but it was not working.She was rather glaring between Sebastian and I. Still, she forced a smile on her face, her lips curling uowards almost robotically before she then parted her lips and said. "Sorry. My hand slipped." She said, her apology half baked.I scoffed. As if. Who is she trying to fool?My scoff seemed
SEBASTIAN SALVATORE DE LUCA.The Millers sent out an invitation to their birthday party, and they allowed me to take two guards of my choice, and a plus one. Now, rationally, I chose to go with Eric and Drake, leaving Xavier and my Delta to look after the pack. And for a plus one, I really did not want to take anyone. But apparently my health status was still in jeopardy. I did not believe it before, but when I started getting dizzy out of the blue, it became apparent that there might be a need of Anastasia closeby, which was why I had to take her with me as well. I already Drake in the background searching for a good toxicologist doctor as well that would fill in for her. And once I get one, which i am hoping would be soon, I would have, then she would be out of the picture. I could not keep her around any longer, and I know what I am saying. It already is a stretch having her here. The Millers decided to host it at one of their hotel's grand halls, a smarter choice than having a
LEILA MILLER.Truly, why was I not surprised to see her in his arms? She was with him that night as well. I still remember what was said that night at the fundrasing gala, something about them being together before. I guess, they got back together, and I no longer matter. That must have been why he ignored my messages and calls. Great, just great.On the other hand, I could feel Matt's piercing gaze on me as well, but that was the least of my concerns. I moved my gaze away from either of them, holding my head up as Ian and I walked past them, and we made our way to a table amidst theirs, one where I spotted the Abbot name tag sitting there nestled perfectly. My brows drew in surprise, and I found myself leaning forth to ask him. "Who are you exactly?" I could not help but ask, because by all indications, he is a very important person to get front row seat, but I could not remember where I must have heard his name before or heard of him.Ian folded his lips in for a moment. "Yeah, a
LEILA MILLERRecognition dawned on me as I remembered the familiar face and scent, the memory of our meetup clicking in my head like missing puzzles of a jigsaw. It was as if something in my mind clicked, and in an instant, I was taken back to where I knew him from, and how we met. The man outside my apartment that day, the one I hid behind when evading my brother’s beta as I ran away. I had only been with him for that brief moment I hid behind him, using him as a shield until I made my way out of the apartment building. We did not even speak, at least I told him that I owe him one, and then ran off before he could say a thing.I did not think much into it, I just thought that if by some chance we run into each other, I owe him one for helping me that day. But of all the places I thought we would ever cross paths, my birthday party was not one of it.What is he doing here? And who is he?My confusion only grew when he offered me a warm smile, and then he helped me get back on my feet
LEILA MILLER.The birthday party was set to take place in on Eid the hotels our company has. They initially wanted to host it at the pack, but they figured it would be a high security risk to allow so many people into our pack lands. So, they decided to have it in the city, which is practically no man’s land, a place where all the guests would feel much more at ease being as well.Ma and Pa left earlier, as they wanted to arrive and welcome the guests first. We were supposed to go with Dylan, but his Beta came to accompany us instead because Dylan apparently had an unexpected work call that came through so he would be joining us later.Gracie seemed a bit disappointed when she heard that but she did not let it show for long. All I could do was offer her smiles of encouragement and assure her that he will be around later, and it will be worth it when she sees his reaction.The drive to the hotel seemed too much longer than I would wanted it to be. Or perhaps I was just too stuck in my
LEILA MILLERBy the time Gracie and I had our makeup and hair done, we had basically transformed into more beautiful versions of ourselves. Personally, I know I am beautiful, and I own it, but in that moment, I could not help but stare at my reflection in awe.Who is that beauty? She’s is so fine.I glanced at Gracie, who was staring at her reflection as well, her lips parting as she fan over herself. She truly looks good. Her usual glow and ambience these past few days was dimmed, making her glow disappear but it was back in that moment.I could tell she felt that as well judging from the way her eyes seemed to have this glint as she stared at herself in awe.I parted my lips, and then threw in an earnest comment. “We are about to have my brother down on his knees.” I stated, because I just know it. I gave her low whistle. “Damn girl, you are getting some tonight, even if I find it disgusting to even think about my brother doing such things…” I shuddered, before I grinned and then ad
SEBASTIAN SALVATORE DE LUCA."DAMN IT! WHY CAN'T ANY OF YOU FIND HER?!" I yelled, pushing away the content on top of my work desk, sending them flying across the room as I heaved out heavily, my hands tightening around the edge of the table, my knuckles turning white. From behind me, I could feel them exchanging looks amongst themselves. They were quiet for a while, and then Eric's cautious voice came as he took a step forward. "Alpha, she could be well for all we know...""Then why can't you find her?" I snapped, turning around to look at him as I gritted my teeth, my nose flared. "Huh? Why can't any of you find her anywhere if you are so sure she is alright?!" It has been hours since I woke up, and there has not been a single second where my mind was not flooded with the thought of Leila. I went to her house earlier, and I have waited there for a while, but there was no answer on the other end. I had to check in with the receptionist, but she said Leila has not been around in days