Tell me what you think of my graphics! I'm a bit rusty in my skills since it's been months since I've handled photoshop, but this has to be my favourite one so far! P.S you don't need to imagine Leila as Bella Hadid; that's the beauty of reading. You are the illustrator of the story.
Please do keep commenting; last chapters comments made me thrilled. I love the fact that I'm able to anger you all with my cliff endings *evil laugh*
Enjoy this chapter lovelies!
-_-
"Will you be okay sleeping alone?" Luca halted in his footsteps; forcing me to stop with him.
He was currently walking me back to my room, somewhat concerned that I may have had a difficult time navigating my way through the castle taking into considering what had just occurred. Little did he know that Slaiman was now second on my list of concerns.
That old lady was first on my list.
Her and her damned eyes.
Her lilac dress stayed ingrained in my mind and I was almost positive that I would dream about it. My brain had a knack for doing that. It's just that the entire ballroom was filled with young males and female; the oldest one being that wretched Luna. So what in the world was a woman that old doing in the annual castle ball?
He snapped his fingers in my line of vision, "Earth to Leila,"
Dammit. I should stop all this fretting.
"What was it you asked again?"
"Will you be okay sleeping alone?"
I thought about for a second. If I were to sleep alone I simply wouldn't sleep. I would remain eyes wide open until sunrise came about and it was time for me to visit Slaiman at the roof. My mind would just continue thinking and thinking and thinking until my next mission was up.
"I don't know," I let out a breath, "Maybe?"
"So that's a no?"
"A maybe."
"A no. Got it,"
"Why are you asking anyway?" I huffed.
"Well, I want you to stay at my place. Just for one night. I'll take the sofa and you'll have my bed," Luca took my wrist in his hand before looking me in the eye, "please."
I already had the answer.
"Ok, I'll stay with you," His eyes lit up, "but I have to get something from my room first, give me a second,"
"Don't be long," I heard him say as I entered my room, grabbing the pyjamas Dalal had laid out for me on the couch.
She was a sweet girl; always making sure I was well.
Once I had my toothbrush, nightwear and soothing oils, I snatched the key to the roof off the ground and walked back out, ready to be surrounded by Luca's addictive aura. He had this ability to make me feel warm and full in my chest. He made the hollowness not so hollow, and I hadn't felt that way in a long time.
That reaction may or may not have been somewhat related to finding out that my kin was still alive, but still, Luca played a large role in the way I felt.
"Give me those," He carried my items from me with ease, "what's the key for?"
"I'm going to meet Slaiman at the roof today. He linked me and said we should talk,"
Just the thought of us meeting was bringing me on the verge of cardiac arrest. I knew that his tone on me would be cold, that he would speak to me like I was not his sister. Something about him had changed. His once-bright aura and paint-stained fingers were no longer present. Now, he was covered in armour and had a stone for a face.
"I can feel your heart all the way from here, Verde. Calm down," He wrapped his boulder of an arm around my shoulder and pulled me to walk with him, "Do you want me to be present for when the two of you meet? I'll wait in the staircase."
"Yes please,"
There went my mouth blabbering again.
"What time?" He asked as we neared the entrance of his hall.
"He didn't specify," I frowned, "he said to meet him there by sunrise,"
"That's code for 5:30. You know. When the sun rises," He heard me huff and cackled, head falling backwards, "Put your things wherever you like,"
We arrived.
His section of the castle was largely different than mine, and I don't think I took the time to appreciate the architecture of his mansion-like home the last time I was in here. His ceilings were higher than the tall trees that graced the untamed forests and were lined with massive chandeliers.
It was furnished basically; a kitchen on one side with great marble countertops and a living room on the other. Right before the bedroom was a dining room with a table longer than the kitchen countertops; about 16 chairs in total.
Goddess, I wanted to live there.
"You can," Luca said, "and one day, we'll have a home far away from the castle, wherever you like,"
I spun to face him, confused.
"Your link was on,"
"Oh," My lips parted, "well that definitely won't be a problem,"
"It shouldn't be," Luca's brows furrowed, "Why would it be?"
He was offended. I could tell by the way his eyes shone.
"My brain is the only place where I can think freely. Its where I have privacy that is absolute," I confessed, "It feels weird to have someone prying in there,"
He let out a deep breath and walked so he was standing in front of me, his strides powerful "Leila," He ran a stressed hand through his hair, "I will give you all the time you need. And believe me when I say this, I would never force you to be with me, talk with me nor dance with me, but sometimes, it really feels like you dread every minute with me,"
My eyes widened.
Just as I was about to speak, his voice took over the conversation.
"Do you know how hard it was to resist you the minute your hands ran down my neck? Or how strongly I had to put my wolf in his place when we saw you in this dress?" He had trouble putting his thoughts together, "I am not prying in your brain, Leila. I would never do that. Don't take me as some ill-minded pervert,"
"That's," I stuttered, shocked, "that's not what I meant, Luca,"
"Every minute I lay with you is a minute I have to resist you with every fibre in my body," He professed, out of breath, "it's like you don't even have to try,"
I didn't know what to say.
His confession had caught me so completely off guard I was left with my jaw slacked, staring at him like a doe in headlights, hands held to my chest. That feeling was back; the guilt swarming through my chest like white-hot fire. His eyes were angry but his face was stoic; almost like he was hiding himself from me.
It hurt me, that he was hiding away from me. What hurt even more, though, was that I was doing the exact same thing to him.
I was doing just that the minute I met him.
"Your bed is prepared. I'll just use the bathroom every now and then," He looked through my eyes one last time for any sign of emotion before sighing, "Goodnight,"
He walked away from me to enter his bedroom; most probably headed to brush his teeth.
My chest caved at the sudden feeling of singularity surrounding me.
I was such a piece of mould.
He showed me his heart the second he saw me; promised me things even my father couldn't and stuck to his word. Luca never lied to me; his level of transparency was something I envied, whereas I? I lied to him when I told him I was fine. I lied to him when I said only Slaiman was caught in the war? I lied to him like it was the easiest thing in the world.
Tears rushed to my eyes all of a sudden.
Why in the hell was I crying?
What in the cosmos was this?
I looked up so my head was facing the ceiling, ushering my tears back to where they came from.
This was supposed to be a happy night. One where I would remain awake talking to Luca of all the things Slaiman had helped me with, of all the ways we could hide his brute like body so my brother wouldn't find him; even maybe talk about us. Something we rarely did because of me. Because of my need to hide.
I couldn't lose him and right now; with the expression he last left me with, it seemed I was going to.
I didn't want him to stop being transparent with me; I didn't want him to ever lie to me.
A shiver ran down my spine; guiding a wave cold onto my skin.
The fear I felt right then and there was unimaginable; the fear of losing Luca.
The mountain of secrets I had submerged deep within me rose from the bottom of my throat, eliminating any possibility of hastening back down. It was so overwhelming I felt like I was going to rupture into a million unfixable pieces.
I burst through the door of his room just as he had exited the bathroom, eyes wide.
Just the sight of him made my tears almost impossible to keep at bay.
"Leila, what's wro-"
I hammered into him, wrapping my arms around his waist as if I was afraid he would disappear. My tears flew powerfully, like a wave crashing onto the shore.
"Leila-"
"It wasn't just Slaiman I lost in the war, it was- it was my parents too!" I croaked, desperate for his forgiveness, "My friends, my niece, my sister in law. Even my favourite teachers and bullies," I let go of him slowly, aggressively wiping at my tears, "I lost everyone, Luca. Picture this entire castle, empty. No maids. No Luna. No seers underground. Every single person in the entire world that you knew,
"My father dug a secret exit behind my closet that lead to the outskirts of the kingdom and I was only 12. I kept running till I lost my way back. I- I was stuck there," I was out of breath, my heart hurting in my chest, "for 6 years I was trapped in those forests. And I don't- I don't want to talk about what happened there, but it was a lot. It was too much. I lost too much of myself in there and I don't want to lose you now," My fists clenched beside me as memories rushed to my mind.
Luca's muscles turned rigid.
"Ugh, Goddess, I hate this," The tears wouldn't stop welling up in my eyes, "but I hate lying too. And I'm- I'm sorry for lying to you before,"
The burden of mothers death lifted from my shoulders in the slightest of ways.
I felt lighter, but also heavier at the abundance of monsters that had risen from the graves I'd built. It was complete emotional turmoil; a pain everywhere in my body.
"Leila," His voice made my breathing halt altogether, "Leila, come here,"
I paused, staring at his extended arms as though they'd morphed into snakes.
Did he really still want me?
I didn't want to think of the answer so instead, I leaned into him, appreciating the way his arms wrapped around me.
This may have been the last time I would see him.
No alpha would want to be mated to an orphan; a woman with no ties to bring wealth and coin into the family name. Especially me; a stray wolf with the status of a commoner. Just the thought brought me anxiety that would make my muscles twitch and brain fuzz.
"Calm down, Leila," Luca rubbed my back soothingly and laid a long kiss to my head, "I would never leave you because you're an orphan, Leila. Never in a million years would I leave you for such a thing. Even if it meant I were to lose my status,"
"But your mother would never accept such a thing," I mumbled into his chest, "she wants you to wed a wealthy woman,"
"To hell with her," He scoffed, tightening his grip on me, "she doesn't love me. She loves that I'm an Alpha,"
I wasn't going to disagree with him on that. Lara wasn't a Luna and her mother treated her like some scab on her skin.
Luca cupped my face in his hands and stared down at me. His eyes were filled to the brim with emotions I couldn't read nor understand. It moved something in me; the way he looked at me. Like I was the only thing in the universe. It was then that I understood why he so badly wanted to be inside my head, why he would get so happy when he go a whiff of my thoughts.
Because I wanted the exact same thing too.
So badly did I want to ask him: why are you looking at me like that? What are you thinking right now? Are you happy? Are you disappointed? Am I still worthy of you?
"Your eyes," He whispered, "I've never seen anything greener than them,"
His breath fanned my face; the smell of mint gracing my nostrils.
It made me lean further into him without noticing.
"Your hair," He curled a loose strand of hair in his hand, "they're waves of the finest silks,"
He ran his finger down my cheekbone, all the way to my jaw and stopped at my chin. He held my chin with his thumb and index finger; so lightly. Yet it felt like I was about to melt in his arms.
"Your lips," He took a deep breath, "they were sculpted by the goddess herself, Leila,"
Warmth erupted throughout my entire body.
I'd never felt like this.
Such desire for a person.
It's like you don't even have to try, he said.
Oh how wrong he was.
"I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again," His eyes glowed a bright amber, saturated with desire and dominance, "if it were up to me, your neck would have my mark and your lips would have tasted mine by now. Your status doesn't mean shit."
The muscles in my body clenched as a foreign emotion rushed through my veins.
Without thinking I clenched the fabric of his dress shirt unknowing of what I was feeling.
Was this lust?
He looked down at the way I fisted his shirt and let out a short breath laced with a growl.
"Fuck it,"
He smashed his lips onto mine turning my entire body to flames; flames that could melt a bullet flying faster than light.
I moaned into his mouth, evoking his grip on my neck to tighten as our lips moved in synchronization; a key sliding through a lock and twisting ever so perfectly.
His lips were made for mine.
His entire body was made for me.
My dress felt too hot and his shirt suddenly bothered me. Without a second thought my fingers began undoing the buttons lining his shirt with ease I didn't know existed. Luca smiled against my lips as I pulled his shirt out of his pants; giving life to a thousand butterflies in my stomach.
I was flying through a million clouds and I didn't want to stop.
Luca snaked his hands through my hair and pulled downwards giving himself full access to my neck and downwards. I gasped as he laid a wet kiss to the base of my throat and sucked the skin there; tickling the sensitive nerves that once laid ever so peacefully.
My hands instinctively ran up his neck as he attacked my sweet spot; forcing a foreign wetness to acclaim in between my legs.
"One day," His tone was laced with a growl, "your neck will be marked with my initials,"
"Not if I do it first," My own voice sounded different; so concentrated with desire and velvet.
I pushed him onto the bed, a surge of dominance overtaking my senses, and straddled his hips. I felt his girth in between my legs, hard and strong, and shivered.
As a virgin, I was terrified of it.
"You'll never get the chance," Just as he was about to pull me under him, I laid a sweet kiss to the base of his neck.
His muscles melted.
This power I had over him was addictive in every way possible. Euphoric. Hypnotic. Spell binding.
My lips ran up how throat until they landed on his sweet spot; an area of skin that made him groan in approval but also at the growing discomfort between his legs.
He placed a hand on my exposed thigh, squeezing, "Leila, stop,"
I didn't want to stop.
But I did.
His wish was my command.
"If you don't want me to take you right now, I suggest you get off me," The look of frustration on his face was severely entertaining, but I complied nonetheless, "goddess, you drive me insane, woman. You really are nothing like the others,"
I cackled as I laid beside him; dress still on and heels strapped to my feet.
"I just want to know, with kisses like that, who's lips did you go around gracing with your own," Luca's tone was light but I could sense his jealousy from a mile away.
I shrugged, "I guess I'm just a natural,"
"Ah, so there is someone else!"
"Your jealousy drives you to stupidity Luca," I sat up, facing him, "I was 12 when I left my pack, who could I have kissed? The 8 headed beast I slayed?"
His lips parted, "Apologies, I forgot about that,"
My brows rose, "Do you really not care that I hold no status? Or that my parents have no wealth? Or the fact that I'm littered with secrets?"
"That means absolutely nothing to me. Your secrets are your secrets. Unless you want to spill them to me, which I'll admit, I would love, I have no business prying around in them,"
"I'll try to," I lowered my eyes, "it's just that- it's not fun,"
"You know what else is not fun? This." He pointed to his erection and I swatted him across the chest, "ouch!"
"That is highly inappropriate, Luca!"
"And our 6 minute make out session wasn't?" He exclaimed, rubbing his peck, "I need to take a cold shower, and when I come back, I am expecting you to be asleep on the bed where I will also rest,"
"Yes, sir,"
He gave me a look of warning and stood up. Before leaving he leaned down and laid a chaste kiss to my lips, "Go to sleep, verde,"
And I did.
I fell asleep to the sound of him showering and the scent of him swarming.
-_-
I'm so bad at writing 'intimate' scenes I'm actually considering asking others to write them for me. Whoever would like to volunteer, please do comment.
The confrontation is coming next chapter, are you guys excited?!
Also please tell me if these snippets of Luca and Leila are annoying. I could lessen them and focus on the plot more. Or I could balance them out. Comment whether or not you want them, want a good balance (and if I'm doing a good job balancing them)