Laura - Paul’s villa
My knees quiver as his hands grab my face and compel me to gaze at him. Suddenly, I feel weaker and more vulnerable than when I feared I would be imprisoned indefinitely by the strigois.
“Now tell me. What do you have to say in your defense?”
I'm trying to find the words to answer him, but they don't come easily. I can't deny it. An omission is also a lie. And I lied to him.
His warm hands soothe me while his gaze and voice send a wave of fear through my body. Do I fear what he can do to me or what he’ll refuse me?
I can't take my eyes off him, especially now when he's just an inch away. From his eyebrows to his jawline, all his facial features are perfect. I can stare at thi
Paul - His villaI’ve never been so enraged, not even when Alin challenged my decision in front of everyone, nor when my father or Lexa left me. There’s something inside of me, a weakness I need to smother.Laura’s presence transforms me into a person I don’t recognize. I don’t want to change for a woman who’s not mine to keep. A sad chuckle comes out at the thought that I claimed her nevertheless. What was I thinking?Why do I insist on seeing her as anything other than a selfish bloodsucking strigoi? Blood boils inside my veins. I can't explain what's happening to me, but I'm certain of one thing. I should have killed her on the spot.Marching like a blind lunatic, I bump into Ana, who is dusting a table in the corridor. She op
Laura - Bellu CemeteryOn my way to the cemetery, I stop to purchase a flower pot and a hat. I bring a flower pot and pay the caretaker to assist with maintaining the flowers every time I visit my parents' grave. What will I do with this flower pot? Every spot is already taken; there is no place for new ones. That's what happens when you come every month for more than two decades.I can conceal my identity quite well with this hat. Those attending the resting place of their loved ones often gaze at each other, and a few even recognize one another. It would be a mistake on my side to seem permanently youthful.I tuck my hair beneath the hat and pull its bill down to obscure my face even more. Angel statues watch over the tombs as I stroll to the location where most of my family is buried. Outside of a book, only this
Paul - An apartment buildingLaura comes to a halt in front of a third-floor flat. I'm not sure why she's brought me here, but I'm intrigued enough to wait as she rings the doorbell.An old lady with pristine white hair opens the door and immediately smiles at Laura. Her eyes widen as she catches a glimpse of me.“And who’s this handsome man?” The old lady winks at me.“Oh, let me do the honors. Beatrice, this is Paul, my… friend?” She raises an eyebrow, and I nod.“Nice to meet you.” I take Beatrice’s wrinkled hand and kiss it.“Oh, a gentleman in this era?” The old lady looks at Laura. “Wh
Laura - On the way to Paul’s villaThe dusk sky brews with thick clouds over the bustling traffic and the tall buildings. Paul is focused on driving and hasn’t said a word since we left Beatrice’s apartment. The weight of his silence presses heavily over my chest.When I glance at him, he doesn't meet my eyes. Instead, he looks straight ahead, though I bet he knows I'm peeking at him. I fiddle with my fingers in my lap for a while. But no more. What’s enough is enough.“You don’t believe me.”"What you've told me about your mind-reading abilities is difficult to swallow. Allow me some time to think about it."His eyes are still on the road, and he doesn’t look at me at all
Laura - Paul’s villaI run to the window. To my surprise, Alisa is standing next to the gate under the thin canopy of a tree. She dislikes going outside on a sunny day, but here she is.Her voice pierces inside my room. “Do you think I can’t barge inside? I have super-strength, you know?”The poor wolf at the gate tries to make her lower the volume, but she gets even more pissed off. More curses come from her and I cover my face, ashamed from behind the curtains.Looking down, I realize I’ve slept in the clothes I wore last night, my dress now all wrinkled up. I open up the closet and take out a bathrobe. It’s easier to put on and covers my nipples, which are swollen and visible through my dress after my wet dream.
Paul - His villa(“Into the mouth of the wolf” is a Romanian saying which has the same meaning as “Into the belly of the beast”.)After a long day at the office and countless mind-numbing meetings, I pull up in front of my house's driveway. People have already begun to flow through the gates. I have to suck it up and prepare myself since the worst meeting of all is yet to come.I'm getting a headache as I go through the wolf swarm. Handshakes, hugs, and back pats are all part of the ritual anytime we meet outside of the real world. Although many of them work for my firm, we maintain a professional atmosphere in the downtown office building.Laughter fills my living room and brightens my mood. The large table in the center of the ground-floor ballr
Paul - His villaI huff in disbelief. I didn’t think it would come this far. "You can’t be serious. That custom is from the medieval era, and we’ve grown and evolved past the obtuse visions of the dark ages."While the others remain silent, I sense their dissatisfaction. The conflict in their eyes reminds me of how much I hate to see them unhappy.Tamara leans on her walking stick, her piercing eyes pleading to give in. "I don't ask for a bloodied sheet to prove she's a virgin since no one would expect it from a strigoi. But let us hear your zeal and her ecstasy. There is no mating ritual without them. We'll wait here since we have excellent hearing. Only then will she be recognized as the Alpha's mate."I open my mouth to protest, but Laura takes my ha
Laura - Wolves Inc Office BuildingSince yesterday night, I haven't seen Paul. When I arrived downstairs in the morning, everything appeared as if no one had been there just a few hours before. Dan was already waiting for me. Paul had apparently already departed for work and assigned Dan to give me a ride and show me around.The tour is quite thorough, leaving nothing unexplained. I follow him through a layout of several long corridors, each lined with glass walls and white marble. As we pass an open space area, people with headphones talk simultaneously in a cacophony of voices.“Here is the call center for customer support. Most of them are wolves with abilities related to empathy and emotions, very suited to this line of work.”I stop as I hear Dan&r