Chapter 16: A little relief

Leila's POV:

I was shocked when he didn't ask for anything in return for all he was willing to do. I had been so certain that Drake was just like every other alpha I had known—driven by power, dominance, and the primal need to mark and mate with his chosen mate. That's all I had ever known alphas to be: creatures of control and possession. But Drake… he was different. He wanted me for something deeper than just the bond. He wanted my trust, my heart, things I didn't even know if I could give anymore.

To be honest, this whole concept of love—it was foreign to me. Pain, torture, suffering, and betrayal—those were the things I knew, the emotions that were familiar to me. Love was a strange, elusive thing, something I had never experienced or even thought possible. The idea of it both intrigued and scared me. Could someone like me even be capable of love?

I knew I wanted Drake, but I had convinced myself that it was just lust, just the effects of this mate bond pulling us together. That was natural, wasn't it? A chemical reaction, biology, nothing more. But as I stood there, listening to him speak, watching the pain in his eyes, I felt something stir deep inside me that was more than just physical attraction. It was confusing and unsettling.

Drake was a good alpha—better than I could have ever imagined. He didn't deserve a mate like me, someone who was broken, damaged by years of torment. Layla, my wolf, constantly chastised me for being so negative, for doubting our worth. She was happy—no, elated—when Drake told us he loved us. She was ready to submit to him completely, to surrender to the bond that connected us. She wanted to be his, to finally let go of the darkness we had carried for so long and find peace in his arms.

But I couldn't. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

Until I got my revenge, until I made those who hurt me pay for every drop of blood they spilled, every tear they forced me to shed, I didn't think I could ever be happy. Revenge was the only thing that kept me going all those years, the only thing that kept me alive. It was my fire, my purpose. How could I let that go? How could I allow myself to feel anything other than the hatred that had kept me moving forward?

Drake said he loved me, but could he love someone who had so much darkness inside them? Could he love someone who was consumed by a thirst for vengeance? I didn't know. And the worst part was, I wasn't sure if I could ever truly love him back—not while that rage still burned so fiercely inside me.

That night, after everything had been said, Drake surprised me again. He looked at me with those intense, stormy eyes, full of emotion I couldn't quite place. He begged me to sleep with him—not in the way I feared, but to simply be near me.

His voice was soft, vulnerable even, as he explained that his wolf was restless. He just wanted to hold me, to feel me close. He promised me, over and over, that he wouldn't do anything, that he only needed the comfort of my presence.

I could feel the raw desperation in his voice, a kind of need that went beyond the mate bond. It made something inside me ache, the part of me that was always fighting to stay distant. His words lingered in the air between us, creating a tension that was both heavy and fragile. A part of me wanted to resist, to stay guarded and protected. But another part of me—Layla, perhaps, or the part of me that was slowly starting to believe in something more than just revenge—wanted to give in. Just this once.

I looked into his eyes, searching for any hint of deception, but all I saw was honesty and that same relentless care. For a moment, I felt the walls I had built around myself begin to crack. He wasn't asking for anything other than my presence, something I had denied him for so long. Could I trust him with that? Could I trust myself?

I hesitated but eventually nodded, allowing myself to give in just a little. Drake let out a breath he seemed to have been holding, relief softening the tension in his body. Slowly, carefully, he pulled me close, wrapping his strong arms around me like I was something precious.

As we lay there, his warmth surrounding me, I realized how much I had missed this—being held, being cared for. Even though my mind was still at war with itself, my body relaxed into his embrace. His heartbeat was steady beneath my cheek, a gentle reminder that maybe, just maybe, not everything in this world was meant to hurt me.

I closed my eyes, letting myself drift in the comfort of his arms, unsure of what tomorrow would bring but knowing that, for tonight at least, I could let myself be held.

Drake's POV:

I couldn't let her leave. Not after everything she had told me, not after knowing the depth of her pain and suffering. The need to be near her was overwhelming, gnawing at me like a primal force I couldn't control. I had to see her, touch her, hold her—to make sure she was truly safe, right there in my arms. I couldn't let her slip away into the darkness she had lived in for far too long.

I begged her to stay the night with me. Not for anything more than the simple comfort of her presence. I just needed to hold her, to feel her warmth against me, to know that she was real and that I could protect her now. It was all I wanted—just her, near me.

When she agreed, something inside me eased, the tension in my chest loosening just enough for me to breathe again. As we lay together, I didn't dare move. I held her silently, my arms wrapped around her like she was the most precious thing in the world, because to me, she was. She didn't say much, and I didn't need her to. The rise and fall of her breathing was enough to calm the storm raging inside me.

I watched her as she slept, her face relaxed in a way I hadn't seen before. The weight of her past seemed to ease in the safety of the moment, and I swore to myself that I would do everything in my power to keep it that way. To protect her from whatever darkness was still lurking in the corners of her mind. She deserved peace. She deserved happiness.

I made a vow that night, as I held her in my arms, feeling her soft breaths against my chest. I would provide for her, shield her from every hurt that dared cross her path. I would show her that life wasn't just pain and torment. That there was joy and love waiting for her, if she could just trust me enough to let it in. I'd show her the other side of the world she'd never known—the side that didn't hurt, didn't betray.

And whoever had made her suffer... whoever had broken her spirit and stolen her light... I would destroy them. No one would ever hurt her again, not while I was alive. I would burn the world down if I had to, just to see her smile.

As the night went on and her body finally relaxed into mine, I knew that this was only the beginning. There was so much healing left to do, and the road ahead wouldn't be easy. But I would be there every step of the way. I would help her reclaim every part of herself that had been stolen, piece by piece, until she was whole again.

And in the process, maybe—just maybe—she would learn to trust me enough to let me into her heart.

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