All Chapters of MARKED BY DECEPTION : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

☆☆THEO☆☆College with Rowan was hell. People didn’t just respect him because he was the Alpha’s son. If they weren’t scared of Darco’s position in the clan, they were scared of the grip he had in the business industry. Rowan didn’t have to lift a finger to do anything, doors just opened for him.I used to watch the way professors bent the rules for him, the way the other students trailed after him like shadows trying to gain his favour.Me? I had nothing. Lila’s father took me in after my parents died, but that didn’t make anyone respect me. If anything, it made them wait for me to screw up. I had to fight for every inch, prove myself over and over just to be seen as a contender. Nothing about it was handed down. I had to earn it.But none of that matters sitting across from Lila now.Lila’s giving me that same doubt in her eyes now, like she’s still deciding what side of me she believes. She doesn’t remember the work, the nights I clawed my way up. All she just sees is the guy who left

☆☆LILA☆☆The pack house looked even bigger than the last time I was here, the same tall stone walls, the same heavy silence. The building was beautiful, almost unreal, but it didn’t make me feel at ease. Kai walked beside me, focused on his phone even before we got out of the car. When it suddenly rang, the loud sound startled both of us. He checked the caller ID, and his expression changed. “I need to take this,” he said quietly. “Go ahead. The Sage is expecting you.” I nodded, pretending I wasn’t scared to go in alone. “Okay.” He gave me one last look before walking off, his voice authoritative as he answered the call. Most times, I forget Kai is the head of security for Moretti Industries. He’s always so playful, until he’s at work. Then he’s like a completely different person. I stopped in front of the main door, took a slow breath, and reached for the handle. But before I could touch it, the door opened on its own. Ms Renard stepped out. Of course. Out of everyone I could’

☆☆LILA☆☆I left the garden more lost and confused than before.That was not the kind of answer I was seeking. All that talk about rivers and fate, it didn’t help. I still didn’t know what to do. When I walked into the living room, Kai and Raya were sitting on one of the couches, chatting like the world wasn’t busy collapsing inside my head. “Hey, Lila,” Raya said. I managed to give her a shy smile. “Hi.” Kai glanced over his shoulder at me. “Hey. Did you get what you were looking for?” “Yeah… I guess I did,” I said, though my voice didn’t sound convincing, even to me. Raya studied me for a second before saying, “You look like you just wrestled with a ghost.” I smiled weakly. “Something like that.” She leaned forward, her eyes bright. “Then you need a break. You should actually see what our world looks like when it’s not trying to bite your head off. Let's go to the Moon Market." Kai frowned immediately. “That place is crawling with other clans. The last thing we need is her

I sensed Lila panicking while I was downstairs with Nanny Rosa Even from downstairs, her heartbeat was too quick, uneven and the sound of her breathing scraped against my senses like static. She was panicking again. I told myself to wait. To give her space because she has made it obvious that she doesn't want to see me right now. But then her breathing got shallow, and my wolf stirred, restless.Before I knew it, I was halfway up the stairs. By the time I reached her door, I could hear Kai and Raya talking inside. Their voices were low and careful. Lila’s voice was softer, trembling. I knocked once but didn’t wait for an answer before pushing the door open.They all turned to me. Lila’s eyes met mine for a second before she looked away immediately.“Am I interrupting?” I asked, keeping my tone casual even though my pulse had already picked up. “No,” Kai said quickly, a little too defensive. Lila was sitting on the bed, clutching a cup of tea like it was the only thing keeping he

☆☆LILA☆☆“Lila?”Raya’s voice pulled me back before my thoughts could spiral any deeper than it already had.I blinked, realizing she was watching me closely from across the room like she was waiting for my reply. “What?”She tilted her head, frowning. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”I tried to smile, but it felt tight. “I’m fine.” I looked around to see that Kai was no longer in the room with us anymore, I did not even notice when he left.“Are you sure? Cause I have been asking you a question since but you've just been staring into space.”Her tone was light, but her eyes weren’t. They looked at me keenly like she didn’t believe a single word I said.“I just—” I started, then stopped myself. What was I supposed to say? That I’d just realized a wolf had been standing outside my window the night of the last full moon?Yeah. That would definitely help calm her down.I shook my head instead. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”Raya didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t push it either. She jus