The memory of that almost-kiss in the bath chamber still lingered like a phantom's touch. The yearning in her gaze was like a silent plea that had me wrestling with the urge to pull her into my arms. Her hand, wary yet venturesome, had traced a path along my jawline, igniting a flame I hadn't known was dormant until it was snuffed out all too soon. The questions hanging in the air between us was as clear as day, spelled out in the flicker of her eyes towards my lips. As I leaned down, every inch closer felt like crossing an abyss, agonizingly slow and filled with anticipation. She mirrored my movements, her warm breath dusting against my skin and setting me aflame, our lips tantalizingly close. It wouldn't have been a step toward us being together, but a plunge. A dive into the unknown and I welcomed it.
Yet, fate had other plans, and I cursed it for its cruelty. A servant's ill-timed intrusion shattered our moment like fragile glass, prompting Lila to retreat swiftly behind the safety of clothes and distance.
Fast forward two weeks from that stolen moment, and the chasm between us had only deepened further. I found myself rooted by the castle window, my gaze drawn to the display unfolding beneath me in the courtyard. Lila and Elijah were strolling side by side.
The sight of them together felt akin to being disemboweled by a silver dagger laced with wolfsbane. It twisted my thoughts into grotesque shapes of jealousy and outrage.
Their faces were angled toward each other in what seemed like an intimate conversation. The sight proved to be more difficult to witness with each passing moment. Lila's copper hair danced under sunlight's tender caress, transforming into fiery strands of gold. A ghost of a smile graced her lips as she nodded at something Elijah said.
Over the past two weeks, Lila had begun to respond with simple nods and shakes of her head. But when complex questions arose, her gaze would dart away, and a shroud of sadness would descend over her. Her defenses rebuilding around her until time passed and questions less pressing were asked.
Elijah's presence seemed to comfort Lila in a way I could not. He smiled at her and carried on with the conversation, pointing to things in the distance like he was painting the world around her in colors that only they could see.
An acidic surge of resentment clawed its way up my throat, and I fought to repress it, my knuckles whitening as my fists curled tightly at my sides. Every muscle within me screamed for action, to descend upon them, to pry her from his grasp and stake my claim over her. But I remained rooted in place, ensnared by the promise I made to myself.
Lila's happiness took priority. I refused to be the one to cage her, to pressure her into a bond she didn't desire. Even if it meant watching her find comfort in the arms of another.
The sentiment ate at me now more than ever, a poisonous sting that seared through my consciousness. Tazz thrashed within me, raging against the confines of our shared mind and body. Snarls and curses, berating me for my weakness and reluctance to seize what we both craved. The memory of her warmth against my skin lingered like a hypnotic melody. The tantalizing scent of her desire entwined itself around us amidst clouds of steam in the bathing chamber. For that fleeting moment, I allowed myself to believe that she could be mine. That she sensed our connection as deeply as I did.
Nonetheless, beyond those fading moments, Lila maintained a cautious distance. She skitters from my presence like a frightened hare, seeking refuge in the company of one of my Betas instead. With Elijah, she radiated a sense of calmness that escaped us. Maybe he was destined to fix her fractured mind and breathe life back into her wounded spirit.
I should have been happy seeing her smile bloom again or noticing how fear's icy grip on her loosened with each passing day. But each sunrise brought with it an intensifying uproar of envy and bitterness. There were moments when I felt compelled to retreat into the dungeon, fearing that, if left unchecked, my fury might wreak havoc. She would be safer with me locked away until I gained control over myself. The nurse had looked after me, reminding me that it bore no shame to take the medicine for this pain. I knew she meant well, but it only angered me more thinking about having to give in to the drug.
YOU ARE READING
Tangled Fates
Paranormal**Blurb:** Lila is trapped in a nightmare. Imprisoned by Zander, a rogue alpha with a twisted obsession, she endures daily torment, her wolf suppressed by doses of wolfsbane that leave her vulnerable and weak. Zander's disturbing desire for her grow...
