Layla’s words rang inside Zev’s head. It was like a bell that kept ringing and stirring his brain. He looked at the lady’s innocent face. She was still waiting for his response which made him feel more awkward.
‘How can she blatantly say that? Was it an invitation? A warning? A threat?!’ He couldn’t comprehend her motive by what she said. Furthermore, his hands were still on her body as he hovered over her. Zev swore he had no idea how to make things more uncomfortable.
“Master, your face is red,” Layla said upon noticing his reddened face. Why wouldn’t his face become red? His blood probably rushed thus it turned red. And it was all because of her stupid statement.
“Master?” she called him again. Zev threw her a menacing look, and he hoped that she understood why he was like that, or he could just throw her out again and feed her to the lions instead of w
The smooth texture of the white, cotton shirt tucked inside the khaki, wool pants was a breath of refreshment for Layla who used to wear rags. She tied her long, dark brown hair in a ponytail and checked herself once more in front of the mirror before leaving the room. A bright smile appeared on her face as she walked down the staircase headed to the huge, empty living room.“Oh,” she quietly exclaimed when she saw her master conversing with another man. The men looked in her direction, and she gave them a forced smile with a timid greeting saying ‘hi’.“Come over here, little Layla.” Zev gestured his hand, calling her to sit beside him.Layla nodded her head and walked to sit on his side. She held her head and was surprised to be welcomed by the sharp look in her master’s eyes. “Did… did I make you wait that long?” she asked with weary written all over her fac
The blazing sunlight could burn the skin yet Layla seemed to enjoy the day without any dangers coming her way yet. With the pouch she carried along, she hummed a random melody she thought was pleasant to listen to. The time was moving fast, and she still had no idea where exactly she would go.“Ah! Thank goodness my wounds were healed though I don’t know how it was possible. But this map is really hard to understand. How can I find the herb?” Layla muttered while studying the map in her hands after deciding to take a short break. She sat on the giant tree root while leaning her back on its trunk. Her brows furrowed deeper as she continued staring at the hand-drawn map made by her master. “Hmm… that man said that I could find the herb as long as I don’t leave the borders. So it could be anywhere on this forest,” she said, staring more closely at the piece of paper that Zev gave her before she left the mansion.&nb
Layla didn’t know what went wrong with her escape plan. She disregarded the distance she walked towards the south just to run away from the strangers she met. She thought everything went according to her strategy, but she was more than surprised to see her pursuers waiting for her ahead. Her mind was not only confused but was also running out of ideas about why she was still followed.The flood brought her to another part of the forest. The water receded like its only purpose was to distribute a little amount on every part of the woods. Layla found herself lying on the ground with her back. And when she opened her eyes, the last people she wanted to see were there, staring at her while waiting until she could finally grasp her situation.“Hoho~ we met again, little girl,” the red-haired man muttered while smiling at her. His smile wasn’t kind at all, and she had to reason to return it, so she gave him a scowl- the kind she always saw painted on her
“Is that Layla?” Zev mumbled to himself when he heard the high-pitched familiar scream. He knew for sure that aside from his little stupid, no other woman was in the whole peninsula. “Lucian, make sure to make the trap you set work properly,” he reminded the man who was quietly doing whatever he said.“Layla should be somewhere on the river,” the white-haired said and headed to the nearby river just a few meters ahead. “Prepare yourself, those intruders should be giving her a hard time. I want her alive, not dead,” was what Zev said before rushing to his destination, leaving the other who didn’t have enough time to respond anything.‘This should be it,’ Zev thought while looking around. There was no trace of interruption in the movement of water on the river and no signs of Layla yet.“AHH!” It was Layla’s scream from above that caught his attention. Zev quickly raised his head to check only to see the lady whom he thought was stupi
Wet hair and soaked clothes didn’t hinder Zev when facing the men sent by the blood clan. He carried the unconscious lady under the nearby tree as he waited for the enemy’s spies to attack. He thought it wouldn’t be a big deal at all since he believed he was always the strongest, and he would remain to be until the end of his existence. His mind was set to boost his pride and ego, and he spent years alone reflecting and appreciating his might and well-being. Zev Wesley was a narcissist molded by loneliness in his lifetime solitude. But Layla came and her feisty mouth seemed to break the invisible walls separating him from the rest of the world. Her presence was unique, like a precious gem that was yet to be discovered.‘Those blood-sucking demons need a beating. Hah, what do they call themselves again? Vampire?’ Zev wondered. He turned around to check the surroundings. He knew they were being watched.“Watch over her, Lucian,” Zev ordered while gent
Layla woke up to the gnashing sound of claws against a steel-like object. She opened her eyes and the sight of monstrous creatures fighting each other stunned her. She brought her hand to her mouth to prevent herself from screaming. After all, she was a lady who could get scared too. And seeing a pale guy with tattered clothes and blood all over him getting pummeled by the sharp and glistening claws of a white monster she never encountered in the past was enough for her to wet her pants in fear. What Layla feared was not exactly the horrendous faces of men battling in front of her but the fact that she was unaware of such existence. Other than her master, Zev, Layla thought no one could be so powerful.“Master? Where is he?” she blurted out when she remembered getting saved by her moody benefactor from drowning in the river. She hurriedly got up to look for the man when Lucian held her in place with his usual bored expression on the face. “Lucian, where’s my master?
It was that moment when Layla thought she was in a dire situation. She was always prepared to do whatever Zev would ask her but not to the extent of killing someone. It wasn’t because she was hesitating, not at all. She had killed wolves and even foxes before to survive, Layla sure would kill anyone who tried to get on her way. And it's all because of Zev’s given task. Her concern was, how could she kill a person who was obviously stronger than her?“What’s with that face? Aren’t you willing to do it?” Layla sighed at what Zev said. She faced him with a blank face as she thought of a way to finish the bloody guy who was laying down on the ground just a few meters away. Layla turned in Zev’s direction who was already sitting on the log prepared by his loyal dog.“No, Master. It’s not about being willing or not. I have no choice but to do it to curry favor from you. But I don’t know how to do it, Master,” Layla admitted. She smirked when she saw her d
Zev deepened his voice than usual as he coldly stared at Layla who was dumbfounded by his question. He didn’t even know exactly why, but he couldn’t be wrong. When he looked at her eyes and studied her facial expression at that moment, his guts were telling him something about her running away. And Zev would never want that to happen. ‘She’s mine,’ was what he thought when the idea of giving up Layla to the vampires popped into his mind.“I… Master, I would not dare!” Her voice was firm yet filled with conviction. Zev knew she was lying but what could he do with her? Punishing Layla wouldn’t make her trust him. All he wanted was to get closer to her, if possible, getting closer into her heart would be the ideal way for him to have her stay by his side and do whatever he wanted. It wasn’t like he believed in a superficial thing called love… what he wished for… Zev thought Layla could help him realize it.“Oh. You weren’t?” He stepped closer to her an