98Lilian My heart sank at his words, but I forced myself to stay calm, though every part of me wanted to lash out. “Why?” I asked, my voice almost breaking. “Why would you do that, Lucas?”He gave me a look of exaggerated disbelief. “What? A guy like me can’t settle down?”“You and I both know this isn’t about settling down,” I said bitterly, trying to keep the anger from spilling over. “You’re playing a game, as always.”Lucas shrugged, completely unbothered by my accusation. “Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. What does it matter? Grace is head over heels for me, and I thought, why not? Might as well have a little fun.”“Fun?” I repeated, my voice rising despite my best efforts to keep it steady. “You’re talking about someone’s life, Lucas! Grace actually believes this is real!”“And whose fault is that?” he shot back, his smirk fading just slightly. “She chose to believe what she wanted. I never promised her a fairy tale.”“You proposed to her!” I spat, unable to contain my frustration a
Chapter 1: Rejection . "I choose Cassandra Lancaster as my Luna," Lucas stated firmly, his eyes never leaving hers.My heart stopped, and I could feel the tears pooling in my eyes. "Lucas...please," I whispered, hoping against hope that he would change his mind.We have been best friends since we were children. Despite me having had a crush on Lucas for years.But he didn't change his mind, and my world came crashing down around me. "I'm sorry, but my decision is final," he said, turning away from me.I stumbled back, the pain too much to bear. "But...we had something..." I choked out, my voice barely audible.The day before , we had a one night stand, after he became the alpha of the pack ,he took my virginity , and I thought that meant something to him.Lucas looked at me, his eyes softening just a fraction. "It was a mistake, a momentary lapse of judgment. I never meant for it to get this far," he said, his tone gentle but firm.I felt like I was suffocating. "So, that's it? You'r
Chapter 2: Unexpected reunion.Lilian POV:I was shocked to see him and couldn't believe my eyes.I stared at the man in front of me, my heart racing as memories of our past flooded back. Lucas Storm – the man who had shattered my heart all those years ago."What do you want, Lucas?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. I was feeling overwhelmed."Lilian," he breathed out, his green eyes filled with regret. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't urgent. My father's sick, and I need your help."I shook my head, my hands trembling slightly. "I can't come back to the pack. I have a life here, Lucas.""I know that, Lil," he said, leaning closer. "But please, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. We need you."I hesitated, my mind racing. I had left the pack behind years ago, after Lucas had chosen Cassandra Lancaster as his Luna. It had been a painful decision, but I knew I couldn't stay and watch him fall in love with someone else. I had fled to the human world, determined to start a new
Chapter 3Lilian POV: I tore it open, unfolding the letter with trembling hands."Dear Lilian,I hope this letter finds you well. I apologize for my abrupt departure earlier. It was not my intention to upset you further.I realize that seeing me must have brought up painful memories and emotions. I want you to know that I never meant to hurt you all those years ago. I was young, foolish, and blinded by my responsibilities as an alpha.But now, my father's health is deteriorating, and we are in desperate need of a doctor. Lilian, you are the only one I trust to help him. Our pack doctor does not have the expertise needed to treat his condition.I understand if you are still angry and do not wish to come back. I know I have no right to ask anything of you after what I did. But I am begging you, Lilian, please find it in your heart to help us. I am willing to do anything to make amends and make things right between us, for the sake of my father. He has always cared for you like a daught
Chapter 4Lilian POV:"Oh my God, what's happening?" Lana screamed."I don't know, but hold on tight!" I yelled back.Suddenly, we jolted and shook violently. I could hear the sound of metal crunching and glass shattering. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest that I thought it might burst.When the car finally stopped moving, I took a moment to gather myself before turning to my children. They were both crying."It's okay, it's okay," I said, trying to comfort them. "We're okay."But it wasn't okay. My heart was still racing, and I knew we were lucky to be alive.Once we had parked, I got out of the car and pulled my children into a tight hug."Mom, what happened? Are we going to die?" Liam sobbed."No, we're not going to die. We're okay," I repeated, not sure if I was trying to reassure them or myself.As we drove home, we were all quiet, lost in our own thoughts. When we finally arrived, I saw that Damien's car was parked out front. He had come home early today."Hey, babe," he
Chapter 5:Lilian POV.As I opened my eyes again, I found myself chained to a bed in a small room. I tried to scream, but a cloth was stuffed in my mouth. I looked around, taking in my surroundings with horror. The walls were bare and white, and there was only a small window high up on the right side of the room. The only furniture was the bed I was chained to and a chair in the corner. Tears fell from my eyes as I realized I had no idea where I was or who had taken me.Suddenly, the door opened and Lucas entered the room. He saw I woke up and came over to me. I glared at him, my eyes full of anger."What the hell is going on?" I demand, my anger rising. "You quidnapped me?" I asked as soon as the cloth was removed from my mouth. "What kind of sick joke is this?""Please calm down, Lilian," Lucas said, his voice filled with concern."How can I calm down when I'm handcuffed and kidnapped?" I snapped "I had no other choice." He said. "I had to do it," Lucas explained, his voice pleadin
Chapter 6Lilian POV.As I took a deep breath and focused on stabilizing Elijah, Lucas paced anxiously beside me."Is he going to be okay?" he asked, worry etched on his face."I'm doing all I can," I replied, administering some emergency medication and carefully monitoring Elijah's vitals. "It's touch-and-go for a few minutes, but he should stabilize soon."Lucas let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I don't know what we would have done without you.""Just doing my job," I said, trying to remain calm even as my heart raced with adrenaline. "But we need to be careful with the medication from now on."Before Lucas could reply, Elijah let out a groan and stirred slightly, his eyes fluttering open."Wh-what happened?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice."You had a reaction to one of the medications," I explained gently. "But you're stable now."Elijah looked around the room, taking in the worried expressions of his packmates. "We have to tell them," he said firmly."Tell them what?
Chapter 7Lilian POV."You seem a little tense," she noted.I forced a smile. "I'm just nervous about the results."She raised an eyebrow. "What results?""The medical exams," I replied quickly. "I've been experiencing some symptoms, and I just got the results back.""Well, good luck with that," she said and walked away.I let out a sigh of relief, grateful that I had narrowly dodged the truth, I had narrowly avoided getting caught. But the stakes were high, and I had a mission to carry out. I can't let my guard down.Later, I retrieved the test results and examined them closely. "Damn it," I muttered. "Nothing conclusive."The examinations had given nothing concreteI couldn't see clearly what was wrong with Eli-Dad, and I knew I couldn't let my guard down. My job depended on it.I needed to leave, but I couldn't bear the thought of going without seeing my children. I went back to our house, but it was empty, and my heart sank. I knew Damien, my fiancé, had taken the move forward with
98Lilian My heart sank at his words, but I forced myself to stay calm, though every part of me wanted to lash out. “Why?” I asked, my voice almost breaking. “Why would you do that, Lucas?”He gave me a look of exaggerated disbelief. “What? A guy like me can’t settle down?”“You and I both know this isn’t about settling down,” I said bitterly, trying to keep the anger from spilling over. “You’re playing a game, as always.”Lucas shrugged, completely unbothered by my accusation. “Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. What does it matter? Grace is head over heels for me, and I thought, why not? Might as well have a little fun.”“Fun?” I repeated, my voice rising despite my best efforts to keep it steady. “You’re talking about someone’s life, Lucas! Grace actually believes this is real!”“And whose fault is that?” he shot back, his smirk fading just slightly. “She chose to believe what she wanted. I never promised her a fairy tale.”“You proposed to her!” I spat, unable to contain my frustration a
97Lilian I stood there, frozen for a moment after Grace left, her excitement lingering in the air while I was trapped in a whirlpool of my own thoughts. Damien hadn’t said a word since she left, but I could feel the storm brewing inside him. His shoulders were tense, and he kept running a hand through his hair, something he only did when he was stressed beyond measure.I cleared my throat, trying to ease the tension in the room. "Damien, what’s going on?" I asked softly, stepping closer to him. "You’re clearly not fine."He stopped pacing, his eyes meeting mine, and I could see the frustration brewing behind them. "Lilian, we need to talk," he said, his voice low but sharp. My stomach clenched. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear what was coming next."What’s wrong?" I pressed, hoping to keep the conversation calm.He took a deep breath, rubbing his temples like he was trying to gather the right words. "It’s about the money."I blinked, confused. "The money? What about it?""You’ve been
96Lilian A few days later, I sat on the sofa, half-watching a TV show that I wasn’t really invested in. My mind kept drifting back to Lisa’s situation and the overwhelming feeling of helplessness that had gripped me since my conversation with Rebecca. The tension in the house was palpable, but I was trying to distract myself, anything to escape the weight of reality for a little while.Suddenly, I heard a loud knock at the door, followed by the unmistakable sound of someone letting themselves in. Before I could even process what was happening, Grace came barreling into the living room like a whirlwind."Lilian!" she shouted, her voice brimming with excitement as she practically leapt at me. I barely had time to react before she was hugging me tightly, her energy infectious. “Grace, what—?” I started, trying to get a word in as she pulled back and thrust her hand in front of my face. I blinked, trying to focus on what she was showing me.Her eyes were practically glowing with joy as
95Lilian As I pulled into my driveway, I was surprised to see Damien’s car parked outside. It took me a moment to remember that today was Wednesday, his usual day to come home early. I entered the house and found Damien in the living room, lounging on the sofa with a book. He looked up as I walked in, his eyes narrowing slightly with concern. “Hey, Lilian,” he said, setting the book aside. “You’re home early. Everything alright?”I hesitated, trying to concoct a believable excuse. “Oh, um, I wasn’t feeling well, so I decided to come back early,” I said, forcing a weak smile.Damien’s expression softened, but there was a note of reproach in his voice. “I told you not to push yourself too hard. You should really take it easy. If you’re not feeling well, it’s better to rest up for a few days.”“I’m fine,” I insisted, though I knew it was a lie. “I didn’t think it was that serious.”“No, Lilian,” Damien said firmly, rising from the sofa and walking over to me. “You need to stay home a
94Lilian Once I was in my car, I pulled out my phone and quickly searched for the best private detective agency in town. After a few rings, a calm, professional voice answered.“Good afternoon, Zenith Investigations. How can we assist you today?”“Hi, this is Dr. Lilian Grey,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I need to hire a private detective to investigate someone. It’s urgent.”“Certainly, Dr. Grey,” the receptionist replied smoothly. “May I ask for some details? Who is the subject of the investigation, and what exactly are you looking for?”I hesitated, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. “Her name is Grace Walters. I suspect she might be involved in something... illegal. I need someone to dig into her background, her recent activities, everything.”“Understood,” the receptionist said. “We’ll assign one of our best detectives to your case. When would you be available for a meeting to discuss this further?”“Right now,” I said, not wanting to waste any more t
93My jaw tightened as I struggled to keep my composure. “That’s great to hear, Grace.”Lucas looked at me with a mixture of surprise and unease. “Lilian, I didn’t expect to see you here.”“Apparently,” I said, my tone sharper than I intended, “neither did I.”Grace’s smile faltered slightly, but she quickly recovered. “Well, Logan and I have been working through things. He’s taking responsibility now, and I really believe we have a future together.”I fought to keep my eyes from rolling. “I’m glad you think so.”Lucas shifted uncomfortably, his gaze darting between Grace and me. “Lilian, I—”“Don’t,” I interrupted, my voice cold. “I don’t want to hear it.”Grace’s eyes widened, her enthusiasm dimming as she sensed the tension. “Is everything okay, Lilian?”“No,” I said, my frustration bubbling to the surface. “Everything is not okay.”Grace looked between us, her confusion evident. “What’s wrong?”I took a deep breath, trying to control my emotions. “Lisa Hackerman is in jail, and yo
92**Lilian’s POV**I sat in my car, the engine humming softly, and stared at the police station. The building loomed in front of me, a cold reminder of the mess everything had become. I took a deep breath and forced myself to get out of the car. I needed to see Lisa, to understand what was happening from her perspective. With a determined stride, I walked to the entrance and was met by a stern-faced officer.“I’m here to see Lisa Hackerman,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the knot of anxiety in my chest.The officer raised an eyebrow, his gaze scrutinizing. “You’re allowed five minutes. Follow me.”My heart pounded as he led me through the maze of corridors. I tried to ignore the gnawing worry that threatened to overwhelm me. Finally, he stopped in front of a cell and unlocked the door. As it swung open, Lisa looked up, her face lighting up with a mixture of surprise and hope.“Lilian!” she exclaimed, her voice cracking slightly. She rushed to the bars, her eyes wide
91I stood there, staring at Lucas, feeling the frustration and anger boiling inside me. The tension between us was thick, and I struggled to keep my voice calm as I asked, "So, you’re still with her?"Lucas nodded, avoiding my gaze, and that small movement made my blood boil. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. "Yeah... for now. I need to figure things out, Lilian. Everything’s so messed up right now."I clenched my fists so tight that my nails dug into my palms, trying to control the storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. "Lucas, this isn’t just about you figuring things out. Grace deserves to know the truth, and so does Lisa. You can’t keep stringing everyone along like this."“I know,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. His eyes met mine briefly, filled with guilt and weariness, before he looked away again. "I know," he whispered again, almost like he was ashamed to admit it. "But I’m stuck, Lilian. I don’t know how to make this right."I could feel the frustration a
90Lilian's POVThe next day, Damien left early for work, his usual confidence masking the tension that still lingered between us. I felt a knot of frustration tighten in my chest as I watched him go, his words from the night before still echoing in my mind. I couldn't shake the doubt he’d planted, but I also couldn't let go of my belief in Lisa's innocence. I needed to talk to someone who might understand, or at least help me see things more clearly. I decided to visit Lucas. I had to know what he thought about Lisa’s arrest. Maybe he could offer a perspective that would ease my troubled mind. As I walked to his apartment, my heart pounded with a mix of anxiety and determination. I wasn't sure what I was hoping to hear, but I knew I needed to talk to him.When I reached Lucas’s door, I hesitated for a moment, my hand hovering just inches from the wood. Finally, I knocked, the sound echoing through the hallway. A few seconds later, the door creaked open, and there he was, looking a l