Chapter 007

Lila woke up that morning with a strange emptiness in her mind. Something was missing, a part of her was gone, but she had no idea what it was.

She sighed and held her head. Her forehead felt burning hot, and her cheeks were warm. She had no idea where the heat was coming from. The room was cold, and the air conditioner was running.

Her attention was drawn to the window. She had closed it the night before, so why was it open?

She looked around. Maybe she was mistaken. Perhaps she had never closed it, or maybe she hadn't closed it properly.

She didn't think much of it. She slipped out of bed and went into the bathroom. A few minutes later, after finishing her morning routine, she left her room wearing her pajamas. She had no work or classes today, which meant she had to stay home and face Ryan.

She went downstairs, assuming Ryan was asleep, only to find him in the kitchen.

"Ryan, what are you doing here? Why are you making breakfast yourself? Where are the servants?"

Ryan didn't turn toward her. He answered without even looking at her.

"The servants and the head housekeeper are on vacation. I gave them some time off. I don't like having too many humans around me, and I'm not a child. I don't need them here right now. They'll return when my father does."

Lila pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow disdainfully.

"Fine. Make me some breakfast too."

Ryan turned toward her with a mocking smile.

"Make you breakfast? And you expect me, you stupid human, to make breakfast for you? Me, Ryan, make breakfast for you? Make it yourself or don't eat. Starving to death won't make any difference to me."

Then he turned his back to her again.

Angrily, Lila moved closer to him. She wanted to punch him, hit him, scream in his face, and curse him with every insult she could think of. But he turned around while carrying a plate of scrambled eggs. He hadn't noticed that she was approaching him.

When he suddenly turned, he collided with her. Lila nearly fell, but he quickly caught her. The eggs spilled onto his clothes, yet he barely noticed.

He didn't notice at all.

He looked at her.

That scent that drove him insane...

For a moment, he nearly forgot what had happened, where they were, and who was standing in front of him. But he came to his senses, took a step back, and pushed her away irritably.

"Idiot. You'll always be an idiot, ignorant and stupid. Do you know what you've just done? Do you realize that even if you worked for twenty years of your miserable life, it still wouldn't be enough to pay for the shirt I'm wearing, you idiot?"

Lila was just as flustered as he was. The strong arm that had held her tightly only moments ago, the intense closeness between them, the feeling of her body against his chest... everything left her flustered.

Lila swallowed. Her throat felt dry, as though she were trying to swallow a rock. She cleared her throat and glared at him.

"Stop calling me a human as if you're some kind of alien. Fine, I know you're not human, because if you were human, you'd have a heart that could feel. But you don't have one. So you're not human. That makes you suspicious, doesn't it?"

Ryan looked at her.

"Really? Do you consider me a friend? Or do you actually think I've become your big brother? Listen, Lila..."

He stepped closer and continued.

"Listen carefully, Lila. I will never be your brother. Sharing the same family name does not mean, ever, that I agreed with what my father did or that I acknowledge you as my sister. I will never acknowledge you, Lila."

Lila clenched her fists angrily. She wanted to punch him, but how could she punch a wall? He was nothing but a solid mass of muscle.

She gathered her composure and smiled mockingly at him.

"Fine, Ryan. I don't want you as my brother either. So let's be realistic and honest. We'll pretend in front of our parents that we're good and loving siblings. I don't want you to ruin my mother's relationship with your father, okay? Otherwise, you'll have to deal with me, Ryan."

Ryan smiled mockingly.

"Really? You'll confront me? And what are you going to do? Bite me? I can bite too, Lila. But my bite hurts. A lot."

Lila remembered the day he had cornered her against the door. She knew she was weak around him, but she had no choice except to be stubborn and pretend to be brave in front of him.

She knew she could be foolish sometimes, and that her fake courage often put her in ridiculous situations with him, but she couldn't stop. She couldn't let him see that she was weak. She couldn't allow him to take advantage of her, humiliate her, or upset her mother and make her sad after finally seeing her mother genuinely smile again.

"Listen, Ryan. I don't want to get dragged into a fight with you, and I don't want to put myself on equal footing with you. I don't know why you hate me, but I truly won't ever let you ruin my mother's marriage. I don't like this marriage either, just like you. So we'll share this pain, act like adults, and endure it for our parents, so they can be happy."

Ryan stared at her in astonishment.

When had this girl grown up?

When had she become so mature and sharp, making him want to devour her, possess her, and have this beautiful fiery spark for himself?

He remembered when she was little. She used to cry whenever she saw him and tremble all over because he had been able to smell her since childhood and would chase after her. He had wanted her to be his, his mate, his beloved, but he had never smelled that scent on her before.

She had been afraid of him, crying and running away from him.

Ryan laughed at the ridiculous memory.

Lila was surprised that he was laughing in her face after having been hostile toward her, but he paid no attention to her now. That memory danced through his heart before it even reached his mind.

He hadn't forgotten the gentle, innocent feelings and happy memories he had shared with her. Back then, she had been around him, her parents, and his parents. But becoming siblings, suddenly making her forbidden to him after he had finally smelled that scent on her...

It nearly drove him insane.

How could she be his mate now?

After all these years, after he had finally given up hope, and now... now that his father had decided to marry her mother, making the two of them siblings?

He sighed in frustration, pulled off his shirt, and threw it into the trash can before turning his back to her.

"Don't talk about this now, Lila. Go upstairs to your room or go anywhere else. I don't want to see your face right now."

His voice was muffled with anger, deep and rough, as though he were fighting against something.

Lila stepped back, her heart pounding. Her breathing quickened, and she felt embarrassed. Her cheeks flushed with shyness. He was standing half-naked in front of her, and his muscles and thick body hair stirred something strange in her heart.

"You know what? You really look like a dog. As if you have fur instead of hair."

She said it mockingly, then quickly ran out of the kitchen, her footsteps hurried as if she wanted to fly away from him.

Ryan smiled and placed a hand over his chest, running his fingers through the hair there as he whispered,

"If only you knew, Lila... If only you knew, you wouldn't look at my face again."

He sighed sadly and continued preparing his breakfast.

What was he supposed to do?

She was here with him.

Just the two of them, in this place far from the prying eyes of humans and the disturbance of anyone else.

Just the two of them.

The thought pounded inside his head like the drums of war. He felt as though his blood were boiling, and something was clawing at his ribs from the inside.

He wanted to get out and pounce on her.

To mark her as his.

To make her his.

But how?

She was his sister now. He had to control himself. He couldn't frighten her. He had promised his father, and he had to keep that promise.

He left the kitchen in frustration and anger. He was furious. He strode away quickly, his footsteps pounding against the floor, determined to shut himself away in his room.

He wanted to get away from her so he wouldn't weaken, so he wouldn't let out everything he was desperately trying to keep buried inside.