"Is she awake yet?" Lucas asked, his eyes locked on the screen before him. "Just stirring now," Jake replied, leaning against the desk. "You really think she’s gonna like it?" Lucas didn’t answer immediately. He watched as Lila sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes. His heartbeat picked up when she noticed the small box resting on the bedside table. For a moment, she didn’t move, just staring at it as if it were something foreign. "She’s hesitating," Jake noted, folding his arms. "She’s curious," Lucas corrected. "Just give her a moment." On the screen, Lila reached for the box. She lifted it slowly, fingers brushing over the velvet surface. Her expression remained unreadable as she unlatched it, revealing the delicate silver pendant inside. Lucas held his breath. Lila’s thumb ran over the tiny engraving on the pendant. Something flickered across her face—something Lucas couldn’t quite place. Hope flared in his chest. Then, without a word, she snapped the box shut. Luc
"I'm telling you, Lucas, she's not going to make this easy for you," Jake said, his voice low and serious."I don't expect her to," Lucas replied, his eyes fixed on the screen in front of him."You're really going to just sit there and watch her sleep?" Jake asked, raising an eyebrow.Lucas didn't respond. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Lila's peaceful form.As he stood there, a pang of longing struck him. He wished he could hold Lila like Jake once did, feel her warmth and closeness. The thought tormented him, and he knew he had to be near her.Without thinking, Lucas made his way to Lila's room. Her scent stirred deep emotions within him, and he felt his wolf stirring. He stood by her bedside, longing for her touch but holding himself back."I shouldn't be here," he whispered to himself, but he couldn't bring himself to leave.Instead, he reached into his pocket and retrieved the pendant. He had given it to her as a symbol of their bond, but she had rejected it. Now, he was det
The softness in her tone caught him off guard. It was a subconscious call, a whispered admission that she was aware of his presence. Lucas's heart skipped a beat as he wondered if she was truly awake or simply dreaming of him.For a moment, he hesitated, torn between the desire to stay and the risk of shattering the illusion. Her unexpected tenderness tempted him to linger, to see if she would say more, but he knew better. He decided to leave before the spell was broken.As he turned to leave, Lila's sleepy voice halted him. "Where are you going?" she asked, her words barely above a whisper.Lucas froze, his back to her. He didn't dare turn around, fearing what he might see. "I'm just going to...check on some things," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.There was a pause, and for a moment, Lucas thought he'd gotten away with it. But then Lila spoke again, her voice a little stronger this time. "Don't go."The words hung in the air like a challenge, and Lucas felt his resol
"You don't know what you're talking about," she told him, feeling overwhelmed by her emotions. It had been weeks since she had seen him. It felt like she had finally found a part of herself that had somehow gone missing."I don't?" he questioned, watching her darkly. "Then tell me, Lila. Why must you keep pushing me away? Why do you keep ignoring me? Why do you hate me so much?" he pushed. "I want to know everything."She could burst into flames at that moment as her darkest memories flashed in front of her eyes, reminding her of all those years she had to spend orphaned and nearly homeless. The sense of loss she felt then made it seem like her life had ended and there was nothing left for her to live for.It made her feel so alone, deserted, lonely, and insignificant because the only people she mattered to were gone forever. It shattered her devastatingly. No matter how much she tried to be strong on the surface, her darkness always found a way to seep through.She wanted to yell at
His breath hitched, and his hands roamed down her body, gripping her waist firmly. “You push me away, and then you pull me back in. You’re driving me insane.”“Then let me fix it,” she whispered, arching against him. Her lips found his neck, her teeth grazing his skin as she fought the overwhelming hunger inside her.Lucas groaned, his grip tightening. “Tell me you won’t disappear after this. Tell me you won’t shut me out again.”She hesitated. A part of her knew she always ran, but she didn’t want to think about that now. She just wanted him, only him.“Right now, all I know is I need you,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.His gaze darkened. “That’s not enough.”She flinched at the intensity in his voice. “Then make it enough,” she challenged, her nails digging into his back, silently begging him to close the space between them.Lucas let out a deep, shaky breath before capturing her lips again, his kiss demanding, possessive. His hands slid under her shirt, his finger
"Lila, you awake?" Jake's voice cut through the haze in her mind. Lila barely moved, staring at the ceiling, her thoughts tangled in the events of the past. The sheets were cool against her skin, the silence of the room pressing in around her. A shadow shifted by the door. "Come on," Jake continued, his tone lighter. "Don’t make me check if you’re breathing. That would be awkward for both of us." She sighed, rolling onto her side, meeting his gaze. "I’m breathing." Jake smirked, stepping into the room. "Good to know. But judging by that look on your face, you’re either plotting my murder or contemplating the mysteries of the universe." Lila didn't answer. She wasn’t sure she had an answer. Jake sat on the edge of the bed, too close for her liking, yet she didn’t move away. His warmth, his presence—it was a reminder that she wasn’t entirely alone, even if she wanted to be. "You slept longer than usual," he observed. "Want to talk about it?" She let out a short laugh
Jake’s voice was soft, careful. "Does it hurt?" Lila glanced down at her cybernetic arm, fingers curling slightly as if testing its weight. "No," she murmured. "Not really." He reached out, hesitating just before touching it. "Can I?" She tensed. No one had asked before. The doctors, the engineers—they had handled it like a machine, something separate from her. But Jake… he asked. Lila gave a small nod. His fingers brushed over the metal, gentle, exploring. "It’s warm," he noted, surprised. "It adjusts to my body temperature." Jake hummed thoughtfully. "That’s… kind of amazing." She didn’t answer, too focused on the way his touch made something in her chest tighten. He wasn’t looking at her arm with pity, wasn’t treating her like something broken. For some reason, that made it harder to breathe. "You know," he continued, voice light, "you could totally use this as an advantage. Punch someone, and they’d never see it coming." Despite herself, Lila huffed a small l
Chapter:The Jake, with his companion nestled close, providing nourishment, felt an unparalleled joy. He envisioned repeating this ritual daily, a constant source of anticipation. Lila was the center of his universe, his personal sun, radiating warmth and contentment. Yet, a shadow lingered. He recalled the previous day's painful exchange between Lila and Lucas, his brother. Lucas appeared shattered, a sight that caused the Jake considerable unease. He felt a strong urge to discuss this with Lila, to understand her reasons for rejecting Lucas. However, he hesitated, wary of jeopardizing the fragile trust she seemed to offer him. He knew that pushing her too hard could cause her to retreat further into herself. After the Jake finished feeding Lila a specially prepared breakfast, designed by the chef to be richer and calorie-dense to aid her wolf's rapid recovery, he inquired about her readiness. The meal, however, had made her drowsy, an unfamiliar sensation. She responded with a y
"Where is Jake?" Lila’s voice cut through the morning stillness, sharp with unease. She barely touched her breakfast, the plate in front of her nearly untouched. Lucas, sitting across from her, stirred his coffee with deliberate calm, seemingly unaffected by the tension crackling between them. "Handling something important," Lucas answered vaguely. Lila’s fingers curled into fists. "Something important? That’s not an answer, Lucas." His gaze flickered up to meet hers, steady and unreadable. "It’s not something you need to worry about." Her stomach churned. "Not something I need to worry about? My servers are missing, Lucas. Do you even understand what’s on them?" Lucas set his cup down with a quiet clink. "Yes, I do." "Then tell me why you’re acting like this is nothing!" Her frustration boiled over, her voice rising. "Do you have any idea how much damage could be done if that data falls into the wrong hands?" Lucas sighed, rubbing his temples. "We’re looking into it."
Lucas's hold tightened slightly, his warmth grounding me in ways I hadn’t expected. "You don’t have to figure everything out right now. Just… let us in."I wanted to. More than anything. But the walls I had spent years building weren’t so easily torn down. Every time I let myself believe in this—in them—a whisper of doubt crept in, reminding me of all the reasons I shouldn’t.Jake sighed, almost as if he could hear my thoughts. "You overthink everything."Lucas smirked faintly, his gaze softening. "It’s what she does best."I let out a shaky laugh, and something shifted in their expressions—like a weight lifting, even if only slightly."Better," Jake murmured, his thumb brushing against my jaw. "I like it when you laugh."My throat tightened. "I don’t know how to let go."Lucas’s grip never wavered. "Then don’t," he said simply. "Just lean on us instead."That was the real fear, wasn’t it? Letting go felt like losing control, but leaning on them… That was different. That was trust.Ja
Lucas leaned in, pressing his forehead against mine. His warmth seeped into me, soothing the tension I hadn’t even realized I was holding. "Are you okay?" he asked, his thumb tracing soft circles against my cheek. His expression was open, vulnerable in a way that sent my heart racing."Yes," I breathed. "I want this—I want us."Jake let out a slow breath, as if he’d been holding it in, waiting for those words. His hand brushed against my shoulder, grounding me, steadying me in a way I hadn't expected."You don’t have to be afraid," he murmured. "We’re not going anywhere."Lucas’s fingers tightened slightly around mine, a silent reassurance. "It’s okay to be scared," he admitted. "But you don’t have to carry it alone."I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of their words settle deep in my chest. No one had ever told me that before. No one had ever wanted to carry anything with me. I had spent so long convincing myself I had to be strong, that I had to keep everything locked away—but now
He smirked. “You eat, don’t you?” She stared at him. “I—of course, but…” She hesitated. “What are you making?” Asher opened the fridge and pulled out a pack of ground meat. “yambeef.” Elena blinked again. The powerful Alpha—the man who had just silenced an entire pack with a single growl—was now casually talking about yambeef. She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be more confused. Still, something about the abrupt change in mood made her relax. At least a little. She folded her arms, tilting her head. “You cook?” Asher glanced at her. “Do I look like someone who doesn’t?” Elena hesitated. “…Honestly?” One brow arched. “Careful, Elena.” A small, unexpected smile tugged at her lips. For a moment, the weight of the day lifted, and she allowed herself to simply watch him move around the kitchen. The way he effortlessly grabbed ingredients, the way he seemed completely at ease in his own space. Her gaze drifted across the room again—the wooden beams, the large
"Sit," Asher’s deep voice commanded. Elena hesitated, hovering near the doorway of his home. Her eyes flickered over the elegant black couches, the wooden table, the fireplace flickering with golden embers. The place was beautiful. It suited him. Dark. Refined. Commanding. But she—she didn’t belong in a place like this. Still, Asher was watching her, waiting. Slowly, she moved forward and sank into a seat at the kitchen island, her fingers gripping the cool marble counter. Asher walked past her, opening the fridge. The sound of the door creaking open, the soft clink of glass against metal—it all felt too normal. Too mundane, given the chaos of earlier. Elena swallowed hard. The tension in her shoulders refused to ease, even as Asher casually pulled out a plate of food. His presence was the only thing grounding her—the warmth of his body as he moved past her, the occasional brush of his fingers against her skin. The firm, steady weight of his hand resting
...The moment hung in the air, thick with anticipation, the prelude to the complete and utter claiming that was about to unfold. A hush fell over the room, broken only by the sound of Lila’s ragged breaths. Lucas, his eyes locked on hers, moved with a slow, deliberate grace. He positioned himself behind her, the tip of his cock pressing against her slick entrance. The anticipation was almost unbearable, a delicious tension that coiled tight in Lila’s belly. With a deep breath, he began to push forward, the slow, gradual entry stretching her, filling her with his heat.Lila gasped, a sharp intake of air as she felt him slide inside her. The initial stretch was intense, a sensation that teetered on the edge of pain, yet was quickly overtaken by a burgeoning pleasure. She clenched her muscles around him, instinctively pulling him deeper, craving the fullness of his presence. A low moan escaped her lips, a mixture of surrender and anticipation.Jake's voice, a low rumble in her ear, soot
The air in the room thrummed with unspoken fears, a palpable tension that clung to Lila like a second skin. Her eyes, usually vibrant and full of life, were shadowed with a deep, primal anxiety. "Don't... don't leave me," she whispered, her voice barely audible, a raw plea against the phantom of abandonment. Her fingers, trembling, clutched at the soft fabric of Lucas's shirt, her knuckles white. "I can't... I can't lose you. Either of you." The words were a fragile confession of her deepest vulnerability, a desperate attempt to anchor herself to the two men who had irrevocably claimed her heart.Lucas's hand, warm and reassuring, covered hers, his strong fingers intertwining with her own. "Lila," he murmured, his voice a low, soothing rumble, "we're not going anywhere. We're yours, completely and utterly. There is no 'losing' us. We're bound to you, heart and soul." His gaze, intense and unwavering, held hers, promising a loyalty that transcended mere words. Jake, standing beside hi
She buried her face in her hands, breathing in shakily. “For so long, my purpose was revenge. I let it consume me. I spent years chasing ghosts, believing that if I avenged my father, I could somehow make sense of his death.”Jake's expression darkened. “And now?”She let out a humorless laugh, leaning against the headboard. “And now? I don’t know who I am anymore.”Lucas took a step forward. “Then figure it out. But don’t let the past define you.”Lila sighed, fingers tracing the jagged scar along her forearm. “You think I don’t know that? But the Moon Goddess didn’t make it easy. She gave me you two. The very men I was supposed to hate.”Jake’s lips pressed into a thin line. “And when you denied the bond, what happened?”Lila's throat tightened. The memory of fire, of screaming, of pain so unbearable it nearly broke her came rushing back.“The explosion.” Her voice was hollow. “The moment I turned my back on fate, I was punished. I lost my arm. I lost everything.”Lucas' gaze soften
“I hate you!”Lila's voice rang through the dimly lit hotel room, raw and filled with a fury that left the air crackling with tension. Her chest heaved, fists clenched at her sides as she glared at Lucas, her entire body trembling with emotion. The words had escaped before she could stop them, before she could swallow down the storm that had been brewing within her since the moment he had spoken those words—*Do you want to have sex with the man who killed your father?*Lucas stood unmoving, his gaze unreadable, his expression impassive. But Lila saw it—the flicker of something behind his cold exterior. Guilt? Regret? Maybe both. Yet it wasn’t enough.The hotel door swung open.Jake stepped in, his brows furrowed as he took in the scene before him. His gaze bounced between them, his usual easy-going demeanor vanishing in an instant. “What the hell is going on?”Lila sucked in a shaky breath, her mind spinning. She turned sharply to Jake, the intensity of her emotions still gripping her