Thirteen
1382 Words
Lila
I woke up with a splitting headache. It hurt so bad that I couldn’t lift my head. I groaned and rubbed my forehead slowly trying to remember what happened last night.
That was right. I had been running away from Kaiden and his pack. Emma had chosen to stay with them and I had been pissed at that. But then, he caught me so easily. And I was guessing he had knocked me out as well.
That made me pissed. I looked around and found myself in a room. It was different from the one I had first woken up in. This wasn’t a hospital. It was a bedroom.
I could tell from the fresh wood that filled the air. There was a masculine fragrance in the air. A male cologne? I couldn’t tell, but the scent was incredibly familiar.
Two figures were standing at the far end of the room. One was tall, brooding while the other was short, succumbing to the presence of the first one. The short one was a woman who was much older than the tall, brooding figure.
I could tell that the tall figure was Kaiden. Even though my vision was vague, I recognized those features perfectly.
“I got this under control,” he whispered to the woman.
The woman shook her head and turned to stare at me. I still couldn’t see her face probably. But I could tell that she had a sad expression on. And then, she turned around and left the door.
As the door clicked shut, I sighed and lay down on the bed shutting my eyes in the process. The headache seemed to be fading slowly, and I felt relieved by that.
Footsteps were coming towards me. I heard them on the wooden floor. My heart skipped a beat as I realized that Kaiden was close to me. The strong masculine fragrance seeped into my lungs.
I opened my eyes slowly and found him staring at me with his arms folded. He was wearing a black shirt with the sleeves folded. His brows were furrowed as they stared at me, his green eyes piercing through my soul.
“You’re one stubborn girl, you know that right?”
It sounded good to hear his voice, but at the same time terrible that I was back here. I sighed and closed my eyes again hoping that he would go away. I opened them after a while and still found him staring at me. My heart skipped a beat.
“Why can’t you respect my wishes?” I asked softly.
“What wishes? Wasting your life?” He replied. “You’ve got frostbite on your wrists. It could have been much worse.”
I shook my head staring at the ceiling.
“Why do you even care so much, Just let me go!” I cried out.
I could swear I saw him flinch when my eyes fell on him. His eyes were fixed on me and something was glittering in them. Sympathy and concern. I was confused by this.
“I made breakfast if you’re hungry,” he said.
He made breakfast? An Alpha? I found that hard to believe. But I couldn’t say a thing. He had saved my life last night. I would have died of the cold if he hadn’t shown up.
Speaking of the cold, I stared at my body and found myself wearing a flower dress. My cheeks grew scarlet at the thought of him undressing me.
He noticed this quickly and took a step backward.
“I—I didn’t do that,” he said. “My aunt, the one who just left, gave you a warm bath and had you changed as I requested.”
I furrowed my brows at that, but didn’t complain further.
He shoved his hands in his pockets as things got awkward.
“I’ll be waiting downstairs when you’re ready,” he said.
And with that, he left the room.
***
Kaiden
I trudged downstairs, the wooden steps creaking under my boots, my mind replaying last night’s chaos. Finding Lila in that filthy cave, shivering and stubborn, had stirred something in me—something I couldn’t name but felt deep in my bones.
She had been half-dead from the cold, her lips blue, frostbite creeping up her wrists. I’d knocked her out with a quick press to her neck, just enough to stop her fighting me. Carrying her limp form back to the SUV, her weight light but heavy with meaning, I had felt my wolf stir, restless.
My aunt Rachel had torn into me when I brought Lila home, her voice sharp as she bandaged the girl’s wrists.
“You handle her like a sack of flour, Kaiden! She’s not one of your enemies!”
I’d shrugged it off, but her words stung. Lila wasn’t an enemy, but she was hiding something, and I needed to know what.
In the kitchen, I set the table, the clinking of plates grounding me. I’d cooked bacon, scrambled eggs with herbs, and toast, the savory smell filling the air. It was simple, but I’d always found comfort in cooking—it kept my hands busy, my mind steady.
The kitchen was like my sanctuary, all polished wood and organized shelves, a stark contrast to the chaos of my life. I sat at the table, the food steaming, and was about to dig in when soft footsteps padded down the stairs.
Lila appeared, her flower dress swaying, her chestnut brown hair messy but catching the morning light. Her hazel eyes widened, taking in the neat counters, the steaming plates. She froze, clearly shocked I had made breakfast.
“Sit,” I said, gesturing to the chair across from me.
She hesitated, then slid into the seat, her movements wary. We ate in silence, the only sounds the scrape of forks and the faint hum of the morning outside. She took a bite of the eggs, her eyes flicking up in surprise.
“You really made this?” she asked, her voice soft but genuine.
I chuckled, leaning back.
“Yeah?”
“It’s… delicious,” she admitted, her cheeks flushing before she dropped her gaze back to her plate.
I stared at her as she ate, a question lingering in my mind.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
She paused before looking up at me. She dropped her fork and bit her lip before answering.
“It’s Lila.”
Lila. It sounded perfect. She was perfect.
We finished eating in silence, the tension between us thick but not hostile. I wanted to ask her what she was running from, why she was so desperate to leave, but her guarded eyes kept me quiet. For now.
I stood, gathering the plates, and started washing them in the sink, the hot water soothing my hands.
Then I heard it—a soft creak, the shuffle of feet toward the front door. My senses snapped alert. I turned, moving fast, and caught her wrist just as her fingers brushed the doorknob. She gasped, her hazel eyes wide with panic.
“Why do you keep trying to escape?” I asked, my voice low, frustration bubbling up. “What are you so afraid of?”
She froze, lips parted, but no words came. Her pulse raced under my grip, and I hated how it made my wolf stir, urging me closer.
“Just let me go, Kaiden,” she begged.
There was fear in her eyes. It made me wonder if I was the thing she was so scared of. But despite that, I couldn’t let her go.
“I’ll lock you in my bedroom if I have to,” I said, my tone harder than I meant.
Her eyes flashed with anger, her jaw tightened, and the air between us crackled, intense, like a storm about to break.
Our stares locked, hers defiant, mine searching, and I wondered if she felt the same pull I did.
A sharp knock on the door shattered the moment. Lila flinched, and I let go of her wrist, pulling her back gently.
I opened the door, and there stood Emma, her blonde hair wild, blue eyes wide with relief.
“Lila!” she screamed, lunging forward with joy.
- Writer
