章 9: Not Forgotten

L eila POV:

It was already night, and I hadn't seen him since our spat. I knew he expected me to sleep in his room—'Our' room, as he'd called it earlier—but something rebellious stirred inside me. Ignoring the pull, I chose instead to retreat to the guest house down on the second floor. The events of the day had drained me, leaving me too tired to fight off the sleep that claimed me as soon as my head hit the pillow.

That's when the nightmare began.

I was back in my father's pack, the air thick with tension and the weight of my past. Alpha Vanvil stood before me, his eyes gleaming with that twisted hunger I knew too well. My heart pounded as the familiar fear gripped me. I could already feel his hands—rough, cruel, unforgiving. I begged my father, pleaded with him, tears streaming down my face as I promised to be good, to obey, if only he would protect me from the monster before me.

But my father said nothing, and Vanvil's laughter echoed through the space. It was the kind of laughter that chilled the blood, full of malevolence and control. The sound wrapped around me, tightening like a noose. I screamed, my voice raw with desperation, but the nightmare wouldn't let go. The air felt too thick to breathe, the ground too unstable to stand on.

And yet, from somewhere far away, I heard a voice. Soft, soothing, like a whisper against the storm. I wanted to reach for it, to pull myself toward the comfort it offered, but I was trapped, my body heavy with fear. Just when I thought I would never escape, I felt him—my mate. His touch was gentle, his hands pulling me back from the brink of madness. The nightmare began to unravel, loosening its grip as I surfaced from the darkness.

My eyes snapped open, and I was no longer in the clutches of my past. I was in his arms. He held me close, his warmth seeping into me, his eyes filled with concern. But the terror hadn't faded. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut: he was an alpha, just like my father. Just like Vanvil.

Panic clawed its way up my throat. My breaths came fast and shallow, my mind spinning with memories of cruelty, power, and dominance. I couldn't think, couldn't reason. All I knew was that I had to get away.

In a blur of fear and instinct, I shifted into my wolf, my body twisting and contorting as my bones snapped and reformed. Then I bolted, fleeing from him, from the room, from everything that reminded me of the nightmare I had just escaped. The forest called to me, promising safety in its shadows, and I ran until nothing but the sound of my own frantic heartbeat remained.

My legs burned as I ran through the forest, branches whipping against my skin as I tried to outrun the terror that still clawed at my mind. My heart pounded, each beat echoing with the remnants of the nightmare that had consumed me. I needed to get away, to be alone, to escape from the overwhelming fear that threatened to swallow me whole.

But I wasn't fast enough.

Before I could even think, I felt him—Drake—catch up to me, his presence so overwhelming that it sent another jolt of panic through me. I expected the weight of his wolf to crash into me, but instead, his human form tackled me gently, his arms wrapping around me as we tumbled to the ground.

I thrashed beneath him, desperate to break free, to put distance between us. But even in my panic, I couldn't bring myself to hurt him. Something deep inside me recognized him as my mate, and despite the fear that clouded my mind, I couldn't bring myself to bite or claw at him. He held me down, his touch firm but careful, his body a protective cage around mine.

Then, it happened.

My wolf form faded, and I shifted back into my human self, my body trembling uncontrollably as the weight of everything crashed down on me. I couldn't hold it in any longer—the sobs broke free, raw and unrelenting. I felt the tears streaming down my face as I buried myself in his arms, the only solid thing in a world that felt like it was crumbling around me.

Drake held me tightly, his strong arms never faltering as he let me cry. His warmth seeped into me, grounding me, even as the storm of emotions raged on. Slowly, the sobs began to subside, my breathing evening out as I struggled to regain control. The nightmare was over, but the fear lingered, coiled tight inside me like a venomous snake, ready to strike at any moment.

When I finally looked up at him, my cheeks flushed a deep shade of red as I realized the situation we were in. We were both naked, our bodies pressed together in the most intimate way possible. The realization hit me like a wave, and I quickly covered my face with my hands, embarrassed beyond belief. How could I have been so vulnerable, so exposed?

But Drake's soft chuckle broke through my mortification. His voice was low and soothing as he murmured, "Don't worry, love. You're safe now. I've got you."

His words, meant to comfort, only made me more aware of our closeness. My skin tingled where his touched mine, and I could feel the heat radiating from his body. The intensity of the moment made my head spin, and I wasn't sure whether to feel more embarrassed or more comforted. His teasing tone didn't help, either, as he added with a playful grin, "As much as I like holding you like this, we need to get clothes before I go all nasty on you."

My face burned even hotter, and I scrambled to my feet, turning my back to him as quickly as I could. "Don't look!" I yelled over my shoulder, desperate to regain some semblance of dignity.

I heard him laugh, that deep, rumbling sound that always seemed to resonate through me. It annoyed me how easy it was for him to make light of the situation, but at the same time, his laughter was oddly reassuring. I could hear him rustling around behind me, and after a few moments, he called out, "Here, catch!"

I spun around just in time to catch the clothes he tossed at me, but not before noticing the smirk on his face. "I told you not to look!" I shrieked, feeling my face flush with a mix of embarrassment and frustration. I turned my back on him again, clutching the clothes tightly against me as I quickly slipped them on.

The shorts were ridiculously large, and I had to hold them up with one hand just to keep them from falling down. The t-shirt wasn't much better, hanging loosely off my shoulders like a child playing dress-up. I could feel his eyes on me, and it only made me more self-conscious.

"They're too big," I muttered under my breath, trying to roll the waistband to make them fit, but the effort was pointless. The clothes were determined to defy me, slipping down no matter what I did.

Drake's voice was filled with amusement as he commented, "Yeah, I can see that." I could practically hear the grin in his voice. "The t-shirt isn't much better either. You look like a kid in their dad's clothes."

I shot him a glare over my shoulder, my cheeks flushing again. "Not helping, Drake," I muttered, trying to keep the shorts up while adjusting the shirt.

He stepped closer, and despite my irritation, I couldn't help but notice the playful grin on his face. "I don't know, I think it's kind of cute."

I rolled my eyes, fighting off the small smile that threatened to break through. "You're impossible," I huffed, doing my best to maintain my composure. But even I couldn't deny that his presence was starting to calm the storm inside me, little by little.

Drake's tone softened as he stepped closer, his voice filled with sincerity. "Look, I know you've been through hell, and I don't want to rush anything. But I'm not going anywhere. We'll figure this out together, okay?"

His words were like a balm to my frayed nerves. I looked up at him, searching his eyes for any hint of insincerity, but all I saw was warmth and understanding. After a long pause, I finally nodded, my voice barely a whisper as I replied, "Okay."

The smile he gave me was so genuine, so full of care, that I felt a glimmer of hope stir within me. Maybe, just maybe, I could trust him. Maybe he really could help me heal.

"Good," he said, his voice lighter now. "Now, let's head back before someone else finds us like this. I don't think either of us wants to explain why you're holding up your shorts like that."

A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed it to show. Despite everything, he had managed to make me smile. And in that moment, it was enough to make me believe that maybe, with him, I could find a way to feel safe again