Delilah's POV:I tried to sleep but I just couldn't. With a million things going on in my mind, I was unable to sleep even though I was mentally exhausted.After an hour of tossing and turning restlessly, my eyes finally fluttered close as sleep took over.Even while sleeping, my thoughts were all over the place. After only about a few hours, my eyes snapped open and the first thing I did was to hurl my arm on the other side of the mattress. Cold and empty. No signs of Xee ever returning at night.I strained my ears to hear any commotion in the washroom but it was all quiet. My stomach churned as unsettling thoughts nudged in my mind. Where was he? Did something bad happen to him? Why didn't he return yet?Sitting up, I glanced at the clock. It was 5 in the morning. As it was impossible for me to go back to sleep now that worry had taken hold of me, I rubbed my eyes and climbed out of bed. Collecting my hair at the top, I tied it in a messy bun while making my way to the balcony.My ey
Delilah's POV:Breaking the staring contest, I gave him a look of disbelief and stepped toward the door. Xee sprang forward and stood in front of me like a strong wall, blocking my way into the office where an injured man was still wriggling in pain.Thunderstorms were raging in his gray eyes as they pierced mine. The anger was pouring out of him in waves. If it had been anyone beside him, he would have ripped them apart for going against his will. But me? I was not afraid of him because I knew in my heart that this man would never hurt me no matter what.I watched the vein in his neck bulging with strain as he tried to remain under control. Exhaling heavily, he uttered sharply, "It's between me and Daniel. Please, do not interfere in this as it's not just about me, Delilah." I knew what he was referring to. It's not just about him but about his people.Placing my hands on his chest, I pushed him backward and hissed, "Then you should have kept it out of my eyes, at least."I knew that
Delilah's POV:I pressed the matter, "How can you justify such a cruel act?"He kept staring at me and then cocked his head to the side, "Just like you justify the abduction of dozens of humans over the last few months...?"I was taken aback by his words and screeched in shock, "What do you mean by that?"Daniel leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees, "Oh, really? You have no idea what am I talking about?"I exhaled a massive breath, "Trust me, I am in no mood to play games at the moment, okay?" Glaring at him sharply, I whizzed, "So, it'll be better for you to answer what you are being asked."The muscles in his jaw twitched, "Fair enough," and then he snarled, "For the past few months, humans have been kidnapped from all over the city."My head jerked to Xee standing beside me. The shock glinting in his eyes told me that he was totally unaware of that. His fists clenched at his sides as he hissed at Daniel, "That has nothing to do with lycans or werewolves."I turned my g
Delilah's POV:Folding my hands in front of me, I nibbled my bottom lip while processing the bits and pieces of information. The more I thought about it the more I believed that it was all a sham. It was fucking impossible that Xee remained totally unaware of the wrongdoings of lycans and that too for the entire six months.I wasn't saying that they were unable to do such a heinous crime but I did believe that Xander would have known if such a thing ensued by his people. The next morning of every Full Moon, a thorough report was sent to him from all over the city which he assessed himself. So, it was not possible that such a huge crisis slipped away from his attention.I glanced between Xee and Daniel who were giving each other a death stare, "Do you suspect anyone else who would do such a crime?"Daniel snickered, "I would have said vampires but they have not been heard of for over the decades."Xee and I flung our heads in each other's direction. I wondered if he was thinking the sa
Delilah's POV:Xee was adamant not to take me with him to the Shadow Realm. To be honest, I had no problem with that. I didn't put up any fight because I was not fond of that fucking realm so I was not interested in revisiting and reviving those horrible memories I was still trying to toss out of my mind.Also, without Akira, I was of little to no help to them in case any danger crossed their path. So yeah, I decided to stay back and start my search for Dorian and Akira. For that, I had no solid plan but just a vague idea in my head.After our discussion in the office, Xee called up Ragnor Zephyr and relayed the whole situation to him. I had only heard the stories about Ragnor from Adeline and had never actually met him in person but the way Adeline's face brightened up while she talked about him gave me an idea that he must be a nice person.I didn't have to remain in suspense for long as it didn't take him long to reach the mansion through the portal. My eyes roamed up and down his
Delilah's POV:The TV was turned off and the lights of the lounge were dimmed. Heaving up on the couch, I rubbed my eyes, lazily looked around, and mumbled sleepily, "Addy? Where are you?"I was met with utter silence. All of a sudden, worry swelled inside me. Where could she have gone? I was not getting any good vibes, so I climbed off the couch, switched on the lights, and my heart sank when I didn't find her anywhere.Heaving a panicked breath, I sprinted out of the TV lounge and turned toward the stairs but halted suddenly when I glimpsed Isabella in the kitchen.She seemed busy preparing for lunch but watching me in a hurry, she got alerted, "What happened? Are you okay?""Where is Adeline?" I quaked in urgency.She appeared confused and replied, "A while ago, she came in here with empty dishes, washed them in silence, and then went out of the kitchen." Shaking her head, she said thoughtfully, "I didn't watch her after that."Turning around, I climbed up the stairs. Taking two at
Xander's POV:With a last look at Delilah, I crossed the portal and joined the rest of the team on the other side. Unpleasant memories flashed in my mind as I stepped into the Shadow Realm. I got to relive all those agonizing moments without Delilah, the darkness that prevailed in my heart, the excruciating pain of every moment of not knowing where she was or whether she was even okay or not.Noticing my unrest, Lucas stepped beside me, and mumbled under his breath, "That nightmare is over now. Your girl is all okay and safe in the mansion."My jaw clenched and I nodded tightly. My train of dark thoughts halted as Daniel screeched while turning 360 degrees, "Holy fucking hell."Inhaling sharply, I muttered, "It surely is."Stepping forward, I gestured at everyone to follow me and moved toward the castle entrance. Ragnor flicked his fingers and a few dazzling balls of light floated in the air, illuminating the otherwise dark corridors.From the last time, I remembered the way that woul
Xander's POV:Isabella shuddered under my angered stare and croaked out, "Back to her hostel."Fang went all crazy in my mind at the fact that Delilah was not within these safe walls of the mansion. My heart clenched tightly at the thought of something bad happening to her. Again.Breathing heavily, I opened the mind-link and tried to reach her through it. Whether she was doing it by choice or she was actually in some problem all I met with was a blank walls around her mind.It became hard to keep the anger inside me. Fang jumped forward and I threw a heavy punch on the countertop. The marble scraped off from where it landed but it wasn't soothing. Isabella cowered to the other end of the kitchen as I let out a high, deadly growl and stormed out of the mansion.Storming toward the gates, I glared lethally at the guards positioned there. They cowered away from me and stammered, "Alpha...we tried...she..."Fang surfaced forward and bared his deadly teeth. He was going crazy with rage an
EPILOGUE AFTER 7 YEARS: Delilah's POV: "But Mommy, I asked for the chocolate cake. I do not like pineapple one." Elina stated with finality. "Why does it matter, Ellie? It's okay if mommy couldn't get a chocolate cake," responded Liam. At that, Elina narrowed her eyes menacingly at her brother and reprimanded the innocent soul, "Some of us do have tastes and standards, Lee. It's my birthday, I get to have all that I want today." "As if that doesn't happen every other day of the year," Adeline chuckled. Elina pretended to gasp and hooked her hands on her hips, "Aunt Addy, that's not fair. You ought to be on the girls' team." Liam reminded her as an afterthought, "By the way, it's my birthday too." Eline tried to roll her eyes, another thing she had learned from her beloved Aunt Addy, "Ugh, please don't keep reminding me that. I don't like the fact that I even have to share a birthday with you, Liam." I have no idea how I got to have two kids with completely different personali
Delilah's POV:A moment later, the whole lawn glowed in the soft, golden glow. The whole setup was looking even more beautiful at night, exceeding all of my expectations. His footsteps halted as Xee was taken aback by the arrangements. Tilting his head to the sides, he assessed the whole area twinkling in the fairy lights and fresh flower decor. And then, his eyes widened as they landed on me. He took his time to gawk at me from head to toe multiple times, reincarnating all the butterflies in my stomach. Resuming his steps, which were slower now, he walked over to me. Grabbing my hand in a gentle hold, he lifted it and placed a soft kiss on its back, "I am 100% sure that I am not forgetting any important date. It isn't your birthday today nor any important day for us." I let out a soft chuckle, "You are kinda right." Letting go of my hand, he wrapped his big palms around my waist and whispered in my ear, "Then to what do I owe the pleasure to behold such a glamorous beauty today?"
Delilah's POV:It was that time of the year.The Claiming Ball was to be held by the Lycan/ Werewolf Council so that all the unmated males and females come in proximity and have a chance to meet their fated mates.As a member of the council, I and Xee were invited to attend the Claiming Ball and we had a good chuckle at the remembrance of our bittersweet memories of the last Ball.I was standing at the side while unmated males and females indulged themselves in the dance as per ritual. My eyes spotted Xee busy in a conversation with the other members of the Council.I was just about to make my way over to him when a tall figure blocked my way. I lifted my head to find a young man whom I had never seen before.I tilted my head to the side, "Have we met before?"He kept staring at me and then finally shook his head, "I hate to say this but no, we haven't met before."My eyebrows creased together. He was probably from some other territory who was attending the annual ball in the hope of
Delilah's POV: The next morning, I woke up to the sound of commotion. My eyes peeked open and I yawned, already feeling the soreness in my body. I winced at the pain when I stood up and slowly walked to the window. My eyes widened with shock as I saw Ethan standing in front of the mansion, hollering at the top of his lungs, "I don't give a fuck. Let me go inside this instant or otherwise..." He clamped his mouth shut when a new guard stopped by the gate, "The King said to let him inside." The guards opened the gate and Ethan huffed angrily before making his way inside the mansion. What the hell was he doing here? Quicking donning my PJs, I made my way downstairs slowly, thanks to the soreness. I arrived in the hall just in time to see Ethan entering. Xee was sitting on the couch in a suit, sipping his black coffee whereas Ethan was looking all disheveled and upset. He stopped in front of Xee and yelled, "What the hell is wrong with you?" Xee kept his calm and only raised his eye
Delilah's POV: As a wedding present, Xee had gifted the Europe tour for Luke and Addy. Due to some issue with tickets, they had to leave the night of the wedding day. After the reception was over and the guests were gone, we returned to the mansion. Everything seemed to happen in a fast motion and none of us rested until after bidding farewell to the newlywed couple for their honeymoon. It was only once they were gone had I returned to my room. It was such a hectic day and I couldn't wait to don my comfortable PJs and hit the soft mattress. Standing in front of the vanity, I was removing my makeup when the door flung open. In came the Lycan King, looking heavenly gorgeous in the black tuxedo. Hot lava spilled inside me as I noticed his eyes traveling down my body. His hand curved around the nape of his neck and he smiled, "You were looking so beautiful today that it was practically impossible to peel my eyes off of you." I knew he was right. I had constantly felt a pair of eyes g
3 Months Later: Delilah's POV:"I am really getting concerned about you, Delilah," I heard Xee behind me.I looked over my shoulder and found him with a tray in his hands, "Why is that?"He placed the tray holding a glass of milk and cookies on the coffee table and walked over to my desk, "Because for the last 3 months, you've been working nonstop."I let out a soft chuckle, "Now you are exaggerating."His eyebrow quivered higher, "No, I am not. Can't remember the time when I've not seen you hunched up on the desk, sticking your nose in all those books, jotting down your notes, and whatnot."Well, he was kind of right about that. Lately, I have been having a really hectic routine. After waking up early in the morning, I'd go to training. After breakfast, I'd be in the clinic that Xee had recently built me in his territory. I have been working hard to polish my skills as a Healer.I have started treating patients and I loved interacting with all the people. Occasionally, I'd even go on
Delilah's POV:Once again, I became the target of everyone's attention but I didn't let the nervousness or panic get hold of me as they all turned their eyes toward me.Instead, I took a deep breath and got up from my seat. Addy rushed in my direction, "What happened, Dee? Why are you interrupting?"I made a mental note to have a proper talk with Addy after returning to the mansion but for now, I had something more important to take care of.Without responding to her, I turned around and jumped down the stage. Gasps chorused around me as I landed on the Duel Ground but I paid none of it any heed.I kept walking to where Xee was pinning Ryan to the ground. The frown between Xee's brows deepened. He opened the mindlink, "What are you doing here?"He didn't sound pleased at all. Well, we were on the same page then. Shutting the mindlink down, I reached him. I tried to keep my calm but my nostrils still flared when I ordered Xee, "Get off of him, Alpha."A flash of betrayal shone in Xee's
Delilah's POV:"What have you been doing all day?" Addy asked curiously.I closed the journal I was writing on and shrugged lightly, "Just working on a few important things."Her gaze shifted to my study table but she passed no comment. Nodding her head, she said, "I am waiting downstairs. Be quick."Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I turned toward my closet and took out a pair of black jeans and a black shirt. It took me no more than fifteen minutes to get ready.When I climbed down the stairs, I noticed that the mansion was eerily quiet and empty. My eyes swept the area, "Has everybody gone to the duel?"Addy raised her eyebrow and remarked, "Who exactly would want to miss the chance to experience such a duel?"At this point, I was confirmed that my best friend had gone crazy just by living among the lycans for a few months.The car was already waiting for us outside the mansion. As soon as we settled inside, the driver revved up the engine and started driving toward the Council
Delilah's POV:In the room, I kept pacing the floor restlessly with a thousand thoughts swirling in my mind. It was only when I heard a knock on the door I took a breath of relief.I rushed to open the door and inhaled sharply at the sight of Isabella standing on the other side with a cup of coffee.I ushered her inside and closed the door behind her. She smiled lightly and placed the cup on the coffee table. She was about to go back when I blocked her way to the door.She eyed me nervously. I wondered whether she was thinking the same thing that I was.My eyebrow quivered higher as I inquired, "What do you know about Ryan Hooper, Isabella?"Her eyes widened as she swallowed the lump in her throat, "We are not to talk about him in this mansion."I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to make her understand calmly, "I don't care about that, Isabella. Just know that it is very important for me to know all that you do."She fidgeted her fingers together nervously, weighing her options.