Leila’s POV:
I didn’t want Drake to leave , but I understood that he had his own responsibilities. So when he left at the pack healer’s place, I didn’t complain. The healer, a sweet lady in her mid-thirties, stayed with , keeping company with light conversation. It helped distract from the incident with Raphael, if only for a little while. But deep down, I knew Drake was becoming more suspicious of , and I had to find a way to keep my secret safe.
As the evening wore on, Nelly showed up. "I ca to see you. The baby has been taking all my attention," she said with a smile. "I’ve really missed you, but I can’t just leave the poor pup. He’s so adorable, considering the bitch that bore him. I still can’t believe Lily left him all alone. Who does that? Who leaves a newborn baby without even caring who’ll take care of him?"
She told she had just left him sleeping after feeding him, and I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. Despite everything, Nelly still had a kind heart. I decided to accompany her to see the baby. As much as his mother, Lily, had caused imnse pain, I couldn’t help but feel a soft spot for him. He was innocent, unwanted just like I had once been, and he didn’t deserve to suffer for his mother’s evil deeds.
We arrived at Nelly’s house. She and Lucas didn’t like staying in the crowded pack house, so they had their own cozy place. It was sweet, a little sanctuary away from the pack’s constant hustle. When we got inside, the baby was already awake, wailing. Nelly quickly went to fetch him, and when she brought him to , I couldn’t help but smile at how adorable he was.
I couldn’t understand how Lily could leave sothing so precious behind. When I asked to hold him, Nelly handed him over without hesitation. His tiny blue eyes looked up at , and I could see the innocence in them. He reached out, fascinated by my wavy black hair, giggling as he touched it, and my heart swelled with warmth.
"What did you na him?" I asked Nelly, watching the baby curiously tug at my hair.
"Michael," she replied, a shy smile on her lips. There was sothing so tender in the way she said it, like naming him gave her a sense of purpose, of protecting the little life Lily had discarded so easily.
We chatted for a while, cooing at the baby as he made little noises, trying to grab at the world around him. It was peaceful, but as much as I wanted to lose myself in this calm mont, my thoughts kept drifting back to Drake. The incident with Raphael still hung over like a dark cloud, and I could feel the pressure building inside. I hadn’t told Nelly or anyone else. It was too dangerous, but the guilt gnawed at .
Drake didn’t deserve to be kept in the dark, but I didn’t know how to tell him the truth.
Saying my goodbyes to Nelly and baby Michael, I headed ho, my thoughts still in a whirlwind. I needed a shower, sothing to soothe both my body and my raging mind. The incident with Raphael haunted more than I wanted to admit, and it was getting harder to hide the fear from Drake. The longer I kept the truth from him, the more distant he seed, and that hurt in a way I hadn’t expected. But how could I tell him? How could I share the ugliness of my past with him when I couldn’t even face it myself?
The mont I entered our room, Drake’s scent hit , wrapping around like a warm blanket. It was comforting, grounding in the present, and for a second, I felt the tension in my shoulders ease. Breathing in deeply, I let his scent calm my racing thoughts. This was my sanctuary, our room, the only place where I felt safe. At least for now.
I headed into the bathroom, craving the feel of hot water on my skin. As the shower’s warmth cascaded over , my mind began to clear. The water soothed , washing away the anxiety, if only temporarily. It was just what I needed to relax. My eyes closed, and I let myself drift into a mont of peace, forgetting about everything—Raphael, my fears, my secrets—just for a little while.
I was almost done when I heard the faint creak of the door. Assuming it was Drake, I called out to him, "Drake?"
But there was no response. I waited for a mont, but only silence greeted . That’s strange, I thought, but I shrugged it off, figuring he didn’t hear . Smiling to myself, I dried off quickly and slipped into one of his long shirts, the fabric draping over like a shield of comfort. It reminded of the first ti we t, the way he had looked at as though I was the only person in the room. I chuckled at the mory, letting myself get lost in the silly thought.
But when I stepped out of the bathroom, the air in the room felt different, colder. Sothing was wrong. Then, I froze.
That scent.
Raphael.
My heart raced in my chest, and all the calm I had managed to gather disappeared in an instant. Fear gripped like a vice, turning my limbs heavy, but I bolted for the door, desperate to escape. I was just inches away when a hand snatched from behind, yanking back. My entire body went rigid, panic surging through my veins as I felt his breath on my neck.
The little girl in , the weak, terrified girl who had endured this tornt before, resurfaced. I hated it. I hated how powerless I felt in his presence, how easily he reduced to this trembling, broken version of myself. His grip tightened, and I whimpered.
"Where does my pretty little flower think she’s going?" Raphael’s voice was a sickening whisper against my ear. His chuckle was low, wicked, and I could feel his breath against my skin. "I promised you, didn’t I? I said I’d see you again."
I could barely breathe. Every nerve in my body was screaming for to fight, to run, but I was frozen in place. "Please, Raphael, no..." My voice was small, shaky. I hated myself for how pathetic I sounded, but I couldn’t stop the words from coming out.
He laughed darkly. "Oh, co now, my little flower. You don’t think I wouldn’t notice that clumsy Beta keeping an eye on ? Drake is a fool if he thinks that will stop from seeing you." He paused, inhaling deeply. "Your scent... it intoxicates . I couldn’t stay away, even if I wanted to. And seeing you all grown up... so beautiful, so tempting, I couldn’t resist."
My stomach twisted in disgust, and I felt bile rise in my throat. I struggled weakly, but it was no use. I was trapped, just as I had been before. Raphael’s hand road up my side, his fingers digging into my skin, and the terror paralyzed . I was no longer the strong woman Drake knew. I was the scared little girl who had been helpless under Raphael’s control for so long.
"Hush now, my little flower," he whispered, his lips brushing against my ear, sending a shiver of revulsion down my spine. "I don’t have much ti. That annoying nephew of mine will be back soon. But I promised you, didn’t I? I’d take my ti with you, savor you."
Tears welled in my eyes as I choked out a plea, my voice barely a whisper. "Please... don’t..."
Raphael only laughed, twisting my words into sothing grotesque. "Oh, my little flower, if you’re going to beg, I’ll make sure you enjoy every second."
He lifted up and tossed onto the bed like a rag doll. My mind scread at to fight, but my body refused to listen. I felt his weight on top of , his hands pinning my wrists above my head, and I struggled, but it was useless. I was trapped, powerless, just like before.
His hand fumbled with his zipper, and I felt my world collapse around . This was it. Life had played a cruel joke on , allowing to believe I could find peace, love, safety. I had been fooled into thinking I could escape this nightmare, but it had found again.
Just as all hope seed lost, the door burst open with a deafening crash.
Drake:
His eyes were blazing with fury, glowing a deep, blood-red as his face partially shifted into his wolf. His muscles tensed, and he lunged at Raphael with a roar so primal, it shook the room. The sound was filled with raw rage, unlike anything I had ever heard from him before.
In an instant, Raphael was ripped off and thrown across the room like a rag doll. He hit the wall with a sickening thud, but before he could recover, Drake was on him again, his claws ripping into his flesh.
Raphael scread, but it was drowned out by the deafening growl that tore from Drake’s chest. His wolf had taken over, and the violence in his eyes was terrifying. Raphael was no match for him—not now, not ever.
I could barely move, frozen in place as I watched the scene unfold, my mind still reeling from the fear, the trauma. But as I lay there, watching Drake tear into the man who had tornted , I felt sothing shift inside .
The scene around blurred as my vision darkened, my mind shutting down from the overwhelming stress of it all. The last thing I saw before everything went black was Drake’s enraged face, covered in blood, as he exacted the justice I had longed for.
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