Drake’s POV:
The weight of Leila’s fear clung to , after the incident at the library. I couldn’t shake the image of her frozen in terror, her beautiful face etched with a fear so raw it made my blood run cold. The fact that she wouldn’t tell what caused it only fueled my obsession. Who—or what—had done this to her?
I needed answers.
After leaving her in the care of one of the pack’s healers to rest, I went straight to my office. The pack house was quieter than usual, but the tension in the air was tangible, at least to . My thoughts kept racing back to Raphael. My uncle had been missing at the sa ti Leila was, and that coincidence gnawed at like a festering wound. The faded scent I slled in the library was exactly like his added to my suspicions - though it was almost faded so I wasn’t sure. I wanted to trust him—he was family, after all—but sothing didn’t sit right.
Lucas arrived within minutes of my summons, his usual calm deanor doing little to soothe the storm brewing inside .
"Alpha?" he asked, his brow furrowing as he sensed my tension.
"I need you to keep an eye on Raphael," I said, my voice low but firm. "Quietly. Don’t let him catch on that we’re watching him."
Lucas didn’t ask questions, just gave a curt nod. He had been with for years and knew when not to pry. If sothing was off, I trusted him to find out without raising suspicion. I couldn’t confront Raphael yet, not without proof. But if he was responsible for Leila’s fear, I would make sure he paid for it.
After Lucas left, I started questioning the pack discreetly. I needed to know where everyone had been during the ti of Leila’s panic. I spoke with the guards, the staff in the pack house, and anyone who had been nearby, asking casually if they’d seen anything or anyone unusual. But nothing added up. Everyone had been accounted for, and no one ntioned anything out of the ordinary.
The lack of answers frustrated to no end. How could Leila have been so scared, yet no one had seen anything? I knew she wasn’t the type to scare easily, and the fact that she wouldn’t confide in only made things worse.
Each dead end I hit drove my frustration deeper. I spent hours replaying the events of that night in my mind, trying to piece together the puzzle. There was no sign of a struggle, no obvious danger that had crossed our borders. So what had caused Leila to freeze up like that? Why had she looked so broken?
The more I thought about it, the more certain I beca that Raphael was involved. But I couldn’t just accuse him, not without concrete evidence. And even if it wasn’t him directly, there had to be soone or sothing lurking in the shadows, sothing she was too scared to talk about. I had to protect her, even if she wouldn’t let in.
I stood at my window, staring out into the night, my fists clenched in frustration. Leila was my mate, my everything, and I couldn’t stand the thought of her suffering. She was hiding sothing—sothing big—and I knew that if I didn’t figure it out soon, it could tear us apart.
I wouldn’t let that happen.
I swore to myself, right then and there, that I would get to the bottom of this. I’d find out what—or who—was tornting her, and when I did, I’d make sure they never hurt her again.
Frustrated that the entire day had yielded nothing, I marched back to the pack healer where I had left Leila, only to be t with disappointnt. They told she had already gone back to the pack house—Nelly had co for her. At least that offered so comfort, knowing Nelly was watching over her. But with Nelly now occupied, caring for Lily’s abandoned child, I knew she didn’t have enough ti to focus on my mate the way I wished she could.
Lily. The very thought of her na ignited an old anger within . I had hoped, after the fiasco with her, that things would settle, that I could finally focus on protecting my mate and getting vengeance for her. But things were spiraling out of control faster than I could manage.
Lily had vanished without a trace, leaving her child behind like an afterthought. No one knew where she went. She hadn’t said a word to anyone, didn’t even look back. How could soone be so heartless? How could she leave her own blood behind?
I clenched my fists, my jaw tightening as I thought about it. I shouldn’t be surprised. Lily had always been a coward. Years ago, she’d left too, running off with her mate like it ant nothing. No explanation. No farewell. I was left standing like an idiot, waiting for a ceremony that would never happen. Now she had done the sa thing to her child, abandoning him the way she abandoned —like neither of us mattered.
I shook my head, trying to force her from my mind as I approached my room. The weight of the day pressed down on , frustration boiling in my veins. I just needed to see Leila, to hold her, to know she was safe.
As I neared the door, I heard sothing—soft at first, then louder. A commotion. My heart skipped a beat, dread pooling in my gut. I flung the door open, and the sight that t was enough to make my blood run cold.
Raphael.
He was on top of Leila, his hands gripping her as she thrashed beneath him. Her clothes were torn, her skin exposed, and tears stread down her face, her eyes wide with terror.
I froze. The world around seed to blur, my focus narrowing only to the scene in front of . Leila’s cries echoed in my ears, sharp and heartbreaking, as she struggled beneath him, helpless.
Raphael didn’t even notice I was there. His attention was completely on her, his grip tightening as she sobbed, her voice weak and broken. My vision went red, fury rising so fast it nearly knocked off my feet.
But I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think. My body locked up, torn between the rage burning inside and the disbelief that my uncle—my own blood—was doing this to my mate.
And then, with a sickening calmness, Raphael turned his head toward , his expression unfazed, almost... smug.
The monster in snapped.
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