08 - Dante's POV

Dante's POV

Lunch ended. Mische and her husband volunteered to clean up the mess. I quickly went to my bedroom to have some shuteye.

I exhaled loudly to shake off the heavy feeling brooding inside me.

It had been a stressful few weeks. I was so spent that I could no longer handle my feelings properly. I was becoming an ill-tempered irrational jerk without any control whatsoever. This was dangerous.

I hadn't had any proper rest since Lily died. Dreaming about her became my only solace, if I could dream. She looked peaceful and ethereal everytime she showed up, never taking off the smile on her face. It has calmed me down, but it would always die whenever my eyes opened a few minutes after.

I laid to bed with one of my arms resting on my forehead, staring at the ceiling while I began to self-reflect about my feelings for...

I became too hot-headed and impulsive with Lia. I had never hit any woman–at least not out of anger or shock. In my mind, I needed to push her away from me as far as I could. But it was better that I had hit myself instead of her already sore hand... 

She sure did catch me off guard. She looked so hot and raw and real that I wasn't able to hold back the urge of my flesh. I was still grieving.

I'd never do that again. I'd never leave an opening. 

We can never be together. Even if I can sense the palpable sexual tension between us. She instantly liked me because she thought I saved her life, but I was just desperate enough to bring down my half-brother.

I closed my eyes and muttered under my breath, "I'm a monster, Lia. And that's how you should remember me. My family ruined your life."

'Yes, Dante, keep up the act. Attraction means nothing, it's fleeting. This'll be over in three months,' I told myself. 'When Rogin dies, everything will go back to what it once was; Territo will start to heal.'

Tok, tok!

Somebody knocked on my door. I casually went to open it and saw Lia trying her fourth time to knock. I felt my eyelids expand a bit.

My heart raced at the sight of her. Lia's beauty was undeniable. But I had to shut her off.

"I'm sleeping." I stared at her coldly. I hoped she picked up the cue that I didn't want to be bothered.

"Mische is busy so she wanted to let me give you your medicine." Lia tried to reach for my hand but she saw it hiding in my pocket. My other hand was on the knob. She stretched her lips flatly and backpedaled while giving me the medicine bottle.

"I don't need it." Then I shut the door in front of her. I turned around and walked a few steps but someone knocked on the door again.

"What? Lia!" I thought it was Mische. I was starting to get annoyed at her for wanting my attention. I slammed the door shut but she put one her foot between the gap and braced her forearm on the door panel.

I was a bit surprised with her daring move, I was the one who went on the defensive.

In one quick second she pushed the door open and stormed inside my bedroom, hastily walking toward me. I avoided any physical contact with her so I took a few steps back, until I held my ground. I was calm the whole time.

Lia stopped walking. "Drink." She stared at me, her brows looking serious and angry. 

I held my ground and warned her. "I’m just tired. And don’t tell me what to do.”

"This is non-negotiable, Dante. You're getting unstable. Drink or else I'll force you to." 

"Get out before I do something else to you." I was still calm but my tone was getting foreboding. I grabbed her forearm and hastily pushed her out of the room but she yanked it to take my grip off her.

Lia told me bluntly, "why don't you want me to care for you? Do I look so disgusting to you?"

'No, Lia, I really want you, but I had to do this to guard us from each other.' This thought swirled into my head, but I couldn't let her know. That would be chaotic.

I just stared at her without saying a word, kept all my feelings bottled up. 

She started to get frustrated with the silence. Lia shook her head, looking sad and defeated. "You know what, I'll just put this right here." She placed the bottle on my bedside table.

She walked until she reached the doorway and glanced back at me. "And I'm not gonna push myself on you anymore. I hope that makes you happy." Then she went on her way and closed the door behind her.

Funny, it should make me happy because my plan was way more important than her pretty face, but I felt a deep sting inside my chest instead.

'It's for the best', I just convinced myself.

***

Mische and Jared went home. It was evening and I needed to brief Lia about her heiress backstory. Her fake backstory.

Rogin didn't know all about Lia's existence. Only me, Father, and Mother knew about her, so it was easy to come up with a fabricated background of Avalia Lunne, the Lost Lunne Heiress.

I finished creating her backstory. I needed to brief her about it.

I went out of my room and saw her in the kitchen. She was busy preparing dinner for the two of us.

She was wearing a sleeveless dress, and it looked beautiful and modest on her. I felt a hot sensation all over my body so I breathed deeply, keeping my composure calm. 

It was weird that I wanted to bite her along her neck, mark her as my mate. But who in werewolf's name still does that today? We already lost our glands hundreds of years ago.

I kept calm and took in more deep breaths. She noticed me leaning on the kitchen door frame, staring at her. I kept it cool like I was waiting for her to notice me.

"Glad you noticed. We need to talk, sit this down on the sofa."

Lia was clueless. "About...?"

"Avalia Lunne, the Lost Heiress." I went down the kitchen table and dropped a 10-page backstory of her fake life. "Remember this by heart."

I withdrew to the living room to check on the news while waiting for her, but Lia suddenly called me.

"Dante... aren't we gonna eat? I cooked steak and I just wanted to–” She quickly cleared her throat and shook her head, "you know what, forget it. Whatever you do is none of my business. I'll check the file after I finish eating."

I didn't reply and sat on the sofa. I had no words to say.

Everything suddenly became calm and quiet between us, and it was bothering me. Sad–yes, but it also felt strange, gloomy, like Lia already resigned to her fate without putting up a fight.

She must've gotten tired that I kept trying to push her away from me. She must've felt rejected and dejected.

'This will totally kill her libido and appeal. She needs to crave for flesh or else she'll be a worthless femme fatale', I surmised in my thought. 

I had become too emotional as well, too cautious, too blind to see the opportunity laying in front of me.

I had to make use of her feelings for me.

Can I do it... without losing myself in the process?

I started trying. I went back to Lia in the kitchen. 

She was busy in front of the stovetop, cooking while small beads of sweat started trickling down her forehead. She swiped the edge of the lid with the red sauce and licked her finger to taste it. 

"Hmhm... now it's right." Lia continued to stir the pot. 

I closed in on her until I was behind her, a few inches away from touching the hem of her skirt. 

She hadn't noticed me. I stretched out my hand, planning to hold her by the arm but–

"Woah, Lia, it's just me!" I was shocked how fast she moved behind me, locking my head with her arms.

She knew it was me but she still didn't let go of her grip. She must be waiting for me to get out on my own.

I had no choice but to use my manly strength on her. I lifted her elbow behind my head to loosen her restraint on me. She fell on the floor and I quickly pinned her down on the ground. She kept thrashing but couldn't set herself free.

I hovered over her and made things clear with her. "Lia, don't worry, it's me, Dante. I'm not pretending to be him nor I'm testing out your reflexes." 

She was surprised. I released my hold on her and we both sat on the kitchen floor.

I went on explaining myself. "I think we need to talk."

"About what?"

I stared into her eyes, into her soul. I've seen her loneliness, pain, frustration. "I want to ask you something."

Hope filled Lia's eyes. "What is it?"

I paused before answering back. "What would make you happy?"