He drops the pack of donuts and the beverages on the counter beside the bed before he hoists Leila on his laps, her soft behind pressing against him and he smirks at the slight jolt of pleasure that shoots through him.
Leila struggles to free herself, she doesn’t want to be intimate or affectionate with him, it will only worsen the wound he has left on her heart when he leaves her for his chosen.She is better off being treated like she doesn’t exist.Why treat her so coldly in the public only to show his care every time after? Doesn’t he know it’s the slight hope that’s the most tormenting?Tatum wraps his arms around her tight even as she writhes and he softly peppers her neck with kisses, every touch of his lips calming the raging effect in Leila’s heart.“I know you are mad at me and I deserve it. I’m sorry about the recent turmoil, it’s…uneasy times,” Tatum whispers into her ear, his voice soft and soothing and when Leila looks“Goo- good morning sir.”Clayton glares at the man who just walked into his office, disturbing his morning training.“You know the rules Fred, mornings are for my workout,” Clayton says coldly, dropping from the pull up bar and catching his breath.“But it's the Luna, she insists on seeing you, NOW.”Clayton eyes fly wide open, his already racing heart beating even faster.What could Leila want? Did the Alpha confront her with the divorce papers? But if so, the Alpha would be the one barging into his office because Leila would have told him she did not give the file to him.His brows draw close together in a deep frown, squinting into the distance as he grabs a towel and walks to his desk.“Send her in,” he orders the man who swiftly exits.Is Leila here to blackmail him with what he did yesterday? She said she would not take it up, he was a fool to trust her words, someone who betrayed her own best fr
Despite the bitterness churning in Leila’s heart, she puts a placid smile on her face.“Well, you have always been excellent at everything, Carry on,” Leila replies, turning to leave.Carmela is not half the cook she is, but growing up, Carmela would throw a tantrum and not talk to Leila for days if Leila bested her at anything, whether it was sports, cooking or even academics.Leila was raised to be humble, not to care much for accolades and to put others first, so she would deliberately falter her efforts, sometimes even secretly helping Carmela out so Carmela would come on top.As long as her best friend was happy, Leila was happy, nothing else mattered.“Oh don’t leave, I was hoping we could have breakfast together, the three of us,” Carmela holds Leila back, glancing at Tatum.“I have some more errands to run, I’ll join you for dinner maybe,” Leila replies, gently holding Carmela’s hand that is holding her elbow and giving h
Leila stares at her reflection in the mirror, her puffy eyes telling her not to cry anymore, her head throbbing with an intense migraine, her face completely ridden with gloom, her heart heavy with sadness.She has remained in her room for the whole day and Tatum doesn’t even bother to come up to check on her. She knows he is with his beloved, and she is again, the third wheel in their relationship, just like in the past.She was the one Tatum used to adore, the one he always spent his spare time with originally. He even resented Carmela and used to call her a spoiled brat.Back then, Carmela was the third wheel but Carmela got that mark and everything changed, Tatum pushed her aside, showering all his attention on Carmela.She selfishly thought everything could go back to the way it was these last two years, that Tatum would look upon her with that candid affection in his eyes again but she was wrong, his heart was and is for Carmela and now that Carmela is back, there is no room for
Leila knows what is about to come next and she desperately wants to avoid it, she tries to peel away from Carmela’s side to get back to her room and lock herself inside but Carmela hugs her.“Mother, no one is bullying me, Leila and I have made up and she doesn’t have a problem with me being around Tatum, right Leila?” Carmela squeezes Leila tight in a side hug, grinning from ear to ear at Adaline. Leila scrunches her nose and gently shrugs Carmela off her, glancing at Tatum who doesn’t move his face away from the TV.It breaks her heart when he does this, acting like she doesn’t exist when she needs him the most. His mother just called her a bitch and a bully but he acts like he doesn’t even hear it, like he’s not even in the room.Why else would that be but for the fact that he shares the same view as his mother? Maybe just like her, what he lacks is the courage to tell her that her time is up, that he is done with her and that he no longer needs her.“Yeah, sure,” Leila replies
Hearing him say that to his mother means she has a chance. Perhaps, she should bear everything and give him the time he requested.“What?” Adaline’s eyes bulge, her expression riddled with disbelief.“I think Carmela’s wolf got hurt during her time away, I’m still trying to find a cure for her. Once I do and our wolves can recognize each other—” Tatum pauses, glancing at Leila with something odd in his eyes.“The bottom line is, I’m not leaving my pack without a Luna until then.”Leila is immediately hit with mixed feelings. On one hand, she is glad Tatum won’t let her go so easily but on the other hand, she worries, when Carmela’s wolf heals and she turns out to be Tatum’s mate as prophesied, what happens then?“How is that even possible, for her wolf to be so hurt, her mate cannot recognize her?”Carmela heaves, her countenance falling, tears coating her doe eyes, her lips curving into a pout as she walks painfully slow towards
Life under the same roof as Adaline is not as bad as Leila expected, no, not one bit, she was completely wrong.What she got was ten times worse.The verbal abuse, the cynic comments, the lashing out for no just reason, finding the slightest excuse to mock and ridicule her, it was frequent, almost everyday.She acts like a shadow in her own house, sometimes a ghost and most days a zombie who just does whatever Tatum and his mother wants as long as it makes their precious Phoenix Luna happy.She doesn’t know how long she can put up with it honestly, she needs to get out of it. Everyday Carmela becomes bolder with her advances on Tatum supported by Adaline but what hurts the most is that Tatum just enjoys it, right in her very face like she doesn’t even exist or her feelings don’t matter whatsoever.She glances at him on the bed and notices he’s staring at her. “What?” Leila asks coldly, glaring at him.Tatum sm
“Tatum, please…..it’s nothing,” Leila replies, clutching the phone against her chest with trembling hands, her eyes full of fear at the rage in Tatum’s voice.She hasn’t even read the text from Kelvin to know what it is but she doesn’t want to have any issues with Tatum because of him.After the recent fight they had because of Kelvin, Tatum went from barely noticing her and giving all his time to Carmela to completely cold towards her, sometimes even ignoring her on purpose.As much as she is mad at him, as much as she hates the way things are between them, being able to still talk to him, to still spend a little time with him, to be in presence and bask in his smell, it is these little things that give her some sanity in her insane world.No matter how little attention he gives to her now, she cherishes it greatly, she doesn’t want him to take it away because of his misconceptions about her relationship with Kelvin.“I thought I made my
“For the last time Carmi, Tatum and I had an argument but it wasn’t about you,” Leila replies to Carmela, stirring her tomato sauce.Just like she expected, Tatum never returned to the room last night and he left the house very early this morning without saying a word to her.She plans to apologise to him when he gets back, bringing up divorce is a big deal and she honestly did not expect him to refuse outrightly.Even if it’s just because of the Luna position, it shows he values her in some way.“Are you sure Leila? Because he has been so nice to me and spends all his time with me, I hope it’s not making you jealous, because there really is no need to be. Tatum and I are just friends,” Carmela replies with an innocent smile on her face and glee in her tone.Just friends? Leila resists the urge to scoff at Carmela, turning off the cooker so her spaghetti is not overcooked.There was a time she used to cook for everyone in her hou
“Good morning my angel,” Kelvin plants a kiss on Tatiana’s cheek and he drops a tray of breakfast beside her on the bed.Tatiana makes a face, giving him puppy eyes before staring at the plate, her heart thudding slowly with joy and she wraps her hand around Kelvin’s neck, stealing his lips in a deep sensual kiss.“I’ve missed this,” Tatiana says, breaking the kiss and glancing at the plate of eggs, sausages, peas, bread, a glass of orange juice and milk.“And I’ve missed cooking for you,” Kelvin replies with a smile, planting a kiss on her forehead.“Don’t worry hubby, I’ve been learning how to cook, so I’ll be cooking for you too,” Tatiana says in a shy manner, setting the tray in front of her.“Hubby?” Kelvin says, the words rolling off his tongue with a huge smile on his face, his heart beating with excitement. “You’re going to marry me, aren’t you?” “Of course my angel,” Kelvin replies but then the smile on his face falters, his tone dropping lower, “I fear your brother will di
Antonio’s eyes bulge in shock as Leila utters the words of rejection.“I, Leila Rogers, under the all seeing eye of Selene, reject you, Lycan king Antonio Darkside as my second chance mate.”‘How?’ He ponders in his head, blinking to remove the shock from his eyes before anyone notices and he keeps a cheerful smile on his face like a parent proud of their child for making the right decision.When Leila utters the last word, she gasps and her knees buckle making her stagger backwards but Tatum’s hands are safely behind her to stop her from falling.She shrugs Tatum’s hands off her roughly, glaring at him and at the same time mindlinking him. ‘Thank you my knight in shining armor.’Tatum also steps back, keeping a cold face as he replies. ‘You did it.’Antonio’s rage continues to fester inside him, making him restless as he stares at Leila regaining her composure. She should not have been able to do that. Not even Alpha’s can break free from his Alpha command with their own will power
Antonio scoffs, looking at the woman in front of him with utter disgust and contempt in his eyes. What does she think she’s doing?She finally got a glimpse of what it’s like to be the king’s woman? She’s seen the power at Carmela’s disposal since belonging to him and she suddenly remembers that they are mates?There was a time when he wanted her, wanted to taste and ravish her but now he almost finds her repulsive, he sees her for what she really is, nothing but Tatum’s second hand cargo.He smirks at her in a cold manner, a soft yet deadly scoff escaping him and he takes his hand from Carmela and points to Leila.“What in the world makes you think you’re anything compared to this goddess?” His eyes shift with admiration to Carmela who is beaming with a smile, enjoying every bit of his adulation.“Tell me Leila, why would I give up a gift from the goddess herself and pick the trash that nobody wants?” His harsh words cut through the air and murmurs fill the open space from the littl
“What?” Tatum asks, his voice fleeting from shock to what sounds like joy. “That’s right,” Carmela steps out from behind Theo and locks arms beside Antonio with a coy smile on her face, “my king and I are leaving your miserable pack,” her voice is haughty and snobbish. Antonio removes his hands from hers and curls it around her waist, pulling her close to him and he pecks her on the lip with a smile on his face. “How can you call this pack miserable when it gave you to me, my queen?” “You’re right but I’m the only thing not miserable in this pack.” Carmela rolls her eyes at Tatum and the rest of the group who have just stepped out of the car, wondering what the public display of affection is for before she looks back at Antonio. “I can’t argue with that one,” says Antonio, his eyes looking directly at Leila and without breaking eye contact, he rubs his palm across Carmela’s stomach. “You and our child are definitely not miserable.” Leila’s eyes widen in visible shock, unwilli
On the ride back home, Kelvin begins to tell them his findings and the group listens with rapt interest. “Contrary to what we’ve been made to believe, the first Lycan was never created by the goddess, he was an ordinary werewolf, a tyrannical Alpha who seeked more power than one man should have and he ended up getting it but it came at a huge price, a curse. Tatum glances back at him from the steering wheel, “I think I’ve heard this tale before, I just never believed it to be true.” “Wait, what curse? Are you saying Amara is cursed? According to the prophecy, she’s the next Lycan queen,” Leila asks, her voice full of worry. “No. I don’t think so. Every Lycan has been from the bloodline of the first Lycan and she’s not from that bloodline, plus she was born like that. The first Lycan on the other hand was born a werewolf but he stumbled upon an ancient curse, one that would take away his ability to love in exchange for more speed, strength, size and power and he accepted the curse.
Leila and Tatum make their way up the tunnel and then down the basement of the castle as described by Tatiana. The air in the basement is musty, like no one has been there in ages. Sounds of creeping things skittering across the floor irritates Leila and she yelps when she steps on a bug. “Who’s there?” Kelvin’s voice comes faintly from ahead of them. Leila’s heart leaps with joy and she hugs Tatum arms. “Kelvin?!” “Leila?! Leila is that you?” Leila pulls Tatum ahead as they run towards the sound of the voice. “Kev, where are you?” Leila asks, confusion taking over her happy expression. Kelvin's voice sounded like it was just ahead but it’s nothing but walks around them. “I’m right here,” Kelvin replies. This time his voice sounds even closer but they still can’t see him, it’s like his voice coming from the walls. “Damn that Antonio, it’s probably some sorcery again,” Tatum says with a deep frown on his face. “Oh, oh, it’s not sorcery, it’s science, there’s a lever somewhere
“Leila!” Tatum rushes towards then with his heart pounding in sheer fear as the guard aided by some spell of some sort plunges the knife into Leila’s back. The sound of her scream peirces the air as the guard yanks out the knife from her back, about to stab her again when his head gets completely torn off his body by a brutal swipe by Tatum. Leila groans in pain as she slams to the ground. Tatum crouches, taking her in his arms. “No, please, stay with me, you’ll be fine.” He looks down at her wound and she’s not healing. His heart lurches at the realization that the knife was spelled, it was not an ordinary knife. His heart pounds in terror and he rips his shirt off, making it into a ball to apply pressure on the wound and to stop her bleeding. Leila heaves slowly, her body quaking with unimaginable pain and she is not speaking, just taking short rapid hung breaths with pain in her tear filled eyes. “Over here!” The heavy footstep sounds of more guards approaching along wit
“Get in the car,” Antonio orders Carmela hours ago at the Blood oak pack. “Where..where are we going?” Carmela stutters, looking up at Antonio with fear in her eyes. Antonio gives her a full grin, leaning close to her, his voice soft yet sinister. “My dear fiancée, we are going to the hospital to test for our baby.” Carmela’s heart jumps in her chest, dread drenching her. This is Tatum’s fault. If he had given her the fake test results, Antonio would be convinced by now. “Why can’t you just believe me? Do you really think I’d lie to you?” “Get in,” Antonio replies coldly, the grin on his face vanishing as he circles to the other side of the car and gets in with her. Carmela’s heart thuds, her palms becoming sweaty, her legs shaking, her mind discombobulated. If things go south for her, she needs something to put her on Antonio’s good side back. “I think I know where they are going, it’s not for a vacation. They’re going to rescue Kelvin, you have him right? You should go and st
“No, no, you can’t come,” Tatum replies, turning to face her with a worried look on his face, “you stay here as well, I'll handle it.” If the warriors in there are as dangerous as Tatiana says, he doesn’t want her anywhere close to them. If it’s just him, he can fight tooth and nail like a savage if anything goes wrong to get out but if she comes, he’ll have to constantly be watching her back. It’s best if he does this alone. “I’m not saying you can’t handle it, but if the warriors in there are as dangerous as she says, what if you can’t take them on by yourself, you need to let me come with you,” Leila replies in an assertive tone. Tatum sighs and scratches his brows, if there’s one thing he’s learnt about this woman since she returned, it’s that she’s become very stubborn. If anything happens to her, he’ll never forgive himself, he cannot let her come. “Let me go alone, Leila, so if Antonio finds out, it won’t involve you and no trouble will come your way.” “Antonio can go to h