LAYLA The silence hung over me like a thick mist as I looked around the room. He had left very early in the morning.Because he disliked leaving anything undone, he must have left early to supervise pack matters. I felt a pang in my chest and guilt.He was doing too much already and needed rest so he doesn't break down but Del was stubborn.I secretly hoped that I could relieve him of some of his troubles even if only temporarily. With gentle footsteps on the floor, my maids entered as the door softly opened. They bowed and began arranging the table to set breakfast for me.After everything that had happened, the delicate arrangements, the fine china and the little luxuries that had once been so reassuring now seemed far away.“Good morning, Luna Layla,” one of the maids, Anna said , smiling gently. After setting the tray on the bed next to me, she took a step back and the other maid did the same. “Your meal has been prepar
LAYLA The packhouse was too still and too silent. It seemed as though the world outside was very different from the suffering I was experiencing within, even though I could hear the maids working below, the kitchen staff getting ready to serve breakfast to everyone. I couldn’t get rid of the sensation that something had changed. I had lost my baby and Adrian was gone and I couldn't stop blaming myself though. I didn't want to think about anything, but somehow I found myself going down memory lane, my head swirling with thoughts I should have avoided I squeezed the tears that had I had resisted from falling earlier out of my eyes and closed my eyes briefly.I had lost my baby, it was the only thing that had connected me and Drake but I had wished everyday to see my child. And now, I wondered if Drake knew that I was pregnant when I left? Or maybe he knew but was acting like he didn't? Or maybe, it might be one of the reasons why he wanted me back.
The thick silence of the mansion was broken by the low but piercing voices on the other side. Del's normally,calm voice had taken on a darker tone of anger, suspicion or something else I couldn’t quite describe. “Someone inside the pack helped Drake.” Del had said in a quiet but clear voice. I felt like I was frozen in place by the words which came like a thunderclap. I didn't think this was even possible at all and I was getting tired of the whole issue.He lowered his voice to a murmur. He spoke slowly like he was deep in thoughts like he was thinking about something. “We are up against an enemy and the worst part is we don't know who.”“Del, we have discussed this. We lack evidence. You can’t just—!”“ Finn, I don’t require proof. “I've been observing everything going on lately.” Del said, his tone growing icier and more piercing. “I saw how the guards behave around me, anxious looks, averting my gaze when I pose inquiries.
DEL MORINO I sat in my study staring out the window. This morning the expansive estate seemed incredibly peaceful. Birds were chirping in the distance as the sun which had just begun to rise shone over the well-kept gardens. But the quiet was oppressive as if something were dangling in midair just waiting to move. I absently scanned the edge of my desk with my fingers, letting my thoughts stray to the same things that had been on my mind for the previous few weeks. I heard a knock and I turned slightly in anticipation of seeing a servant as the door creaked open. But my brother Finn was standing in the doorway. Today, his normally composed manner seemed strange. His posture had a kind tension that I couldn't quite place. I noticed a change in his expression and a lift of the weight in my chest upon seeing him. “Finn,” I said, my voice rising above the silence. “Come in.” His boots clicked softly on the marb
DEL MORINO I shifted slightly in bed and although my body was still weak, the fog in my head was beginning to clear. Following what seemed like an eternity of confusion, the gentle sheets touch against my skin felt reassuring. I was reassured when I opened my eyes to find Del sitting next to me.I knew something was off.Did Drake return to fight the pack with his minions? I adored his smile because it was so sincere and comforting. But yhis smile though was different. The warmth and familiar spark that gave me a sense of security and love were absent. His intense gaze which conveyed a lot and made me feel understood was not on me as it usually was. I couldn’t pinpoint it but I could definitely feel the hesitation in his eyes and the faint flicker of something being held back. Despite being subtle, it still bothered me and sent a shiver up my spine. I knew that something had changed. “ Del.” I said with a crack
DEL MORINO With the burden of the past few days bearing down on me, I left my study. Now, the reports I had been quickly reading, the never-ending pile of papers and the incessant ringing of my phone were all meaningless. It was all irrelevant. One person and one thing had taken up all of my thoughts. Layla. I was unable to concentrate on anything else. Not while she was struggling for her life and now one of the maids had delivered the piece of goodnews I had been waiting for. Not when each moment without her was like a knife piercing my chest more deeply. Every step felt like a test, a challenge to my own resolve as I moved down the hallway. I stopped when I got to her room, my hand lingering over the doorknob,. excitement and fear pinned me down as I exhaled.I didn't know what to expect, the burden of Adrian's death was still weighing me down and the last thing I wanted was for the doctor to te