Draven's voice sounded calm and still, and it was probably the most terrifying tone I had ever heard. My eyes widened while my throat went perfectly dry, making me unable to swallow. Draven's eyes slowly roamed down my terrified body. Then he slammed me against the wall and caged me between his hands, on each side of my hand.
"I'm sorry!" I choked out hoarsely.
"Why are you here, Lilith?" His eyes drilled deeper, forcing me to answer his every question.
The raw force Draven released upon me, considering that he stood almost naked, should have felt as intimidating as arousing, but it was the intimidating part that swallowed my brain. Within less than a second, all the possible answers ran across my head. Every lie sounded ridiculous and had the potential to get me into even more trouble.
"I…" My throat clenched so tightly that a single sound felt painful.
Unknowingly, my eyes roamed down to my pocket, and his eyes followed. A tiny piece of th
I was the one who wanted to participate, and I was the one who agreed to be tested, but I hadn't expected a brutal wake-up before sunrise! Nonetheless, fifteen minutes later, I was wearing sports shoes, leggings, and a spandex top, following Draven to the training hall. It was still dark outside and hardly anyone was around the area, except for the patrolling guards, who were bowing to Draven as we passed them by. As soon as we walked inside, Draven went towards the table where a few swords and knives were prepared. "Pick your weapon," he said, pointing at the series of short, sparkling blades. I grabbed a ten-inch long tanto knife with a dark wooden handle. It was light, comfortable to move, and sharp enough to cut through werewolves' thick flesh. I raised the blade, presenting my choice to Draven, and he nodded, approving it. Then he smirked and walked to the middle of the training hall, dropping his sweatshirt along the way. "Attack me, Lilith." He grinned
Draven finally made me feel more comfortable by putting on a pair of sweatpants he had in a training locker. I could handle him being shirtless, and I didn't insist he wore a shirt without patching the nasty cut I gave him on the nape of his neck."I'm sorry," I said for the millionth time."Stop it, Lilith." Draven frowned. "I didn't go easy on you either, and it's good. Besides, I heal fast," he claimed with a sly smirk on his face and messaged poor Melinda to come over and patch us up.I had to admit that the bite Draven gave me hurt like hell. I limped over to the wall and leaned against it while waiting for the painkillers. Although the parts of my flesh stabbed by his teeth were already regenerating, I could only feel that the pain was getting worse. Draven stepped towards me and placed his hand on my forehead."You're getting feverish. That is my fault," he smiled apologetically."Now you're apologizing?" I chuckled, slightly shivering over
My head was spinning. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. I sat down on my bed with the phone stuck to my ear and sank into the restless silence on the other side of the phone."Lilith." Sariel exhaled my name, sending a tickling sensation across my body."Why… why do you have Martha's phone?" I asked, my voice trembling."She gave it to me… She said that you would answer knowing that it's from her," he explained.At that moment, I was both, mad and grateful for what Martha did. I thought that I would be better off without Sariel, but only after hearing his voice did I realize how badly I missed him. Nonetheless, along with the feeling of longing, heartache struck me hard."Why are you calling me?" I squeezed out of my throat. "The bond between us is already broken…""Did you seriously believe that it was the blood bond that made me be with you?" he asked softly."I think that not even the blood bond prev
I tossed and turned in my bed for long hours. My heart couldn't rest. The pounding overwhelmed my eardrums, making me deaf to any other sound. My mind replayed each one of Sariel's words over and over again. I could recall every audible breath he took and the taste that his sound left on my body. He used to be my addiction, and it hit me back hard. At that moment, I could take him back even though I knew it wasn't healthy. I think I reached the point where I couldn't differentiate whether I craved Sariel's love or love in general. It was simpler to establish what I didn't want, and that was to be hurt. As much as I couldn't deny the feelings I had for Sariel, I also knew that I was unable to trust him, especially when Elora was around. Nonetheless, with all my rationality applied and functioning, my heart still hammered for him like crazy. I needed a serious Sariel-rehab… The problem was, I couldn't just replace one drug with another.Speaking of the other potential dr
Draven grabbed my hand and led me to the seat he chose for me, which was on the left side of his. Of course, Beta Ari sat on Draven's right side. Draven pulled out a seat for me, smiling and gesturing like a true gentleman, but his kind behavior towards me quickly caused a wave of freezing air aimed at me from the opposite side of the table, where the hostile bitch was sitting. I heaved a sigh, trying to ignore my annoyance while the golden-eyed woman in front of me looked like she was preparing for a catfight. Turning my head to avoid her unexplained anger, my eyes quickly registered two more seats that stayed empty. Then I noticed that Ari was looking at the same spots with concern and impatience. Someone was running late. Draven checked the time on his watch and took a deep breath. "We'll wait," he said to Ari. "I will introduce Lilith in the meantime." Once his words sounded out, the golden-eyed stood up, hitting the table with her flat palms. "What is sh
I kept staring at the note. There was no doubt: it was the same handwriting I saw on the notes to Elora. My hands were trembling while my throat squeezed as if someone's invisible hand was wrapped around my neck, tightening the grip. I ran towards the balcony and looked through the window. There was no one there. Whoever had done this was long gone. I suspected that much, but I had to check.I wrapped my armsaround my chest as if I was trying to keep myself from falling apart. The sense of insecurity was excruciating. Someone was watching me. Which intimate parts of my life had he seen? How thoroughly had he known me? Had he hidden somewhere near me? Or was he still around to watch my every move…?Whoever it was, it must have been someone who either belonged to the pack or had access to its territory. Considering the tone of JD's notes to Elora, I doubted that he was someone who could just blend in and become an ordinary pack member. I'd rather assume that
Draven's eyes were burning with fury. He was panting dangerously close to my face, sending me an urge to step back, but I didn't. I looked into his eyes, struggling to keep my composure the best way I could. I didn't do anything wrong, and I wasn't his. The only thing I owed him was a simple explanation of my presence there, merely because he was an Alpha and I was living within his pack. "I needed to discuss something with Commander Kim. It was urgent," I explained calmly. "You looked like it was a very pleasant meeting." Draven grabbed my wrists and pulled me closer. "It must have been a very satisfying discussion." His unsubtle accusation drove me on the edge of irritation. A million smart-ass lines popped into my brain. All I had to do was choose the way to talk back. Nonetheless, I decided to be better than that. I hurriedly swung my wrists and released myself from his grip. "Patrick is my friend. He helped me with something, and I felt better an
After an additional hour of conversation with Draven, he agreed for us to start with a more friendly and less physical relationship. I was relieved by his sudden change. It put less pressure on us and allowed things to move at their own pace. I shoved away an urge to make Draven talk about his relationship with Jetta. I did it for my own sake… and because I knew she was in my group, and I would have plenty of time to observe her behavior towards Draven. Certainly, I was suspicious, but I got tired of unnecessary drama in my life.The next morning, Draven organized training on the grounds, where I could see the entire army working out. Draven assigned himself as my sparring partner. He did it as clearly as he could, announcing it aloud while wrapping his arm around my shoulder. Thankfully, Patrick was training his soldiers elsewhere. I bet he would burst out if he saw Draven acting the way he did…I stopped pushing Draven away. I decided to wholeheartedly