Chapter 25: Cora...

After that day, Fenris changed. He turned colder and more calculated. Not just towards me, but everyone around him. However, every day in our room, Fenris would hold me until he was satisfied. Even as the years passed, that never changed.

Was it to make me depend on him or something else? I wouldn’t know. He shared very little with me. It wasn’t like he did before, but I knew he was holding more back. Before, he would tell me about his day, but now.

He never got into it. And while outside of this room, he completely ignored my existence. If it were to please others or because he was insecure about me, I wouldn’t know. But Layla stuck to him like glue.

Perhaps it was to please her, but he also showed little interest in her. Often, he would be spotted pushing her away. By the time I was twenty-three, I got used to the way things were. Fenris was being groomed to be the new leader of Cerberus.

All while I spent my time secretly studying to close the gate within myself. My goal was to free Fenris from his servitude to me. Even if my head would roll when the gate wasn’t in me anymore. Part of me wanted it to roll. Wished it.

Sadly, in all these years, I didn’t get any closer to my answer. The gate merged with my soul, making it inseparable. The only way would be to destroy the gate itself. But that was impossible for someone like me.

And with my limited resources, it made it impossible to even attempt anything. Although, I was sure the order itself had its people trying to get it out of me, too. Even if it seemed like a dead-end, I refused to give up. For Fenris's sake, I had to find a way.

Most of the time, I would be at the library. Even though it was a reminder of the incident that happened there all those years ago. The information I needed was on these bookshelves. All I had to do was find it.

They composed the library of millions of different grimoires and research. However, I was unwanted in there. Even when I tried to mind my business, eyes would always fall on me. When that happened, I knew it was time to leave.

Especially when the usual nasty whispers around me erupted into an uproar. They were worse than the demons inside my head. Closing the book I had, I headed to place it away. That was when Cora, a vampire who was trying to befriend me for the past half-year, came towards me to surprise me.

Instead of having the desired effect she was looking for, I walked away from her as if she did nothing at all. I tried to not get close to anyone, but she was relentless in her efforts to interact with me.

No matter how many walls I tried to place between us, she would smash right through them every time. Grabbing onto my arm, she prevented my usual escape. It was like she didn’t respect my personal space.

Though, I never complained.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Cora struggled to keep me in her presence.

"I’m sorry, but I have to go." I apologized with a smile.

She grunted, hating my fake smile. Too forced, she called them. This vampire was too much.

"No, Lilith! Don’t do that! Your pretty face doesn’t deserve that." She squealed, tightening her grip on my hand.

I sighed, gazing away from her. She never gave up.

Unrelentless…

Yet she was the only one around that tried to get to know me.

"If you aren’t letting me go, then hurry and tell me what you want. I really am busy." I gave in a little.

She was too pushy.

Why can't she leave me alone?

Any social interaction was useless.

"Not fair. You’re always busy! When can you spend time with me?!" Cora whined, pouting.

The sigh train continued. It was no use. She wouldn’t let me go.

"Fine, let’s just go somewhere else," I suggested.

The stares of disapproval were stacked on us. Those would be my last words before she squealed, dragging me down the halls. My legs could barely keep up with her, gliding on the floor. Shade struggled to hang on to my dress.

We swiftly moved through the building until reaching the entrance. Even though we had been far from the ground floor, we somehow ended up here. For a moment, I hesitated to step outside. I wasn’t allowed to leave the premises unguarded and without permission.

It had been years since I last left. She was gazing around to see who was around.

"Cora, I don’t know about this." I tried to withdraw my hand from her, but she kept pulling me along.

"It’s fine! I have the perfect place in mind too!" she beamed.

Before I knew it, I was outside. It reminded me of that time Fenris pulled me out of the alley and into the sunlight. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt the sun on my face. Taking a breath of fresh air, I spotted Fenris, Liam, Ezra, and Owen all sitting at a table.

They were all enjoying the sunlight, eating lunch. They hadn’t noticed us, as they were deep into conversation. Though they were loud, too. I hadn’t seen them together since…

"Ah! Man, I just can’t get a break! These girls break up with me like I’m nothing!" Owen complained, face planted onto the table in defeat.

Much to his dismay, his friends laughed at his troubles.

"Maybe it’s the fact that you’re too laid back and don’t clean after yourself. Girls aren’t maids, you know." Fenris pointed out, smiling.

Owen shot back at him. I hadn’t seen him have fun like that in all the time he was with me.

"Well, excuse me! Not all of us are future leaders here! All the Lycan girls love you! Poor Layla will have to chase them all away after the festival!" the yellow-hair wolf defended himself.

Fenris stuck his nose somewhere he didn’t want to go into. It was clear in his expression.

"That’s right! You have to marry her after the blood moon. What are you turning now, twenty-five? Man, how time flies. Have you gotten any action in before Layla ties you down?" Ezra nudged Fenris, catching him off guard.

A soft smile rose on my lips, seeing him like that.

"W-What are you talking about?" my wolf answered with a question, trying to avoid the topic.

So... He also stutters when caught by surprise. How cute…

"He probably has little time to deal with ladies. After all, he has to be near his charge at all times." Liam tried to defend Fenris's honor, but Ezra had no off button like always.

The grey wolf wanted a definite answer from his future alpha.

"Fuck that! I want to know how many ladies you’ve done the deed with. Set an example for our dearest alpha." Ezra snickered, enjoying having the upper hand on Fenris.

The silver wolf seemed to get uncomfortable with the topic.

"I don’t know how that concerns you." Fenris countered with a slight growl.

"Man. That makes me feel like you’re a virgin. At this rate, you must try it before you get married in a month! Layla’s pretty and all, but isn't it boring to have the same over and over?" Ezra pressed on, rolling his eyes.

In an instant, my wolf’s cheeks turned bright pink. He…

"Geez, you just won’t drop it. I have already. Leave me alone now." Fenris’s cheeks turned redder with every moment that passed.

Owen jumped into the conversation. They seemed like such close friends to tease each other like this.

What could have been if I never destroyed…

"Oh? With whom? How many??? Man, I had like ten." Owen commented with a sly smirk on his lips.

Liam studied his friend’s reactions.

"It doesn’t matter with who. And just one, if you must know. Just change the topic already." Fenris answered finally.

Just one...

My heart skipped a beat when he said that.

Does that mean Fenris was pure when he did it with me? That would mean it was his first time.

I could feel my cheeks wanting to fall off, trying to soothe my racing heart. Cora seemed annoyed at the boys, who were being too loud. Yet I wouldn’t move. The wolf who owned my heart captivated me.

"Just one?!?!? Impossible!!!" Ezra snorted.

Fenris glared at him.

"What is that supposed to mean?" my wolf got defensive.

Ezra pointed towards him.

"You need more than just one! Man, you don’t know what’s good for you! How long have you been with this girl?" Ezra scoffed, triggering Fenris to twitch his eyes.

It was the first time I had seen someone get under his skin.

"I only need one! I am not willing to whore myself out like you! And why the fuck does that matter how long I’ve been with my girl? I’ve held her for nine years and every day I still feel the same for her as I did when I first started!” Fenris growled, getting worked up.

His eyes glowed a bit, too.

“Maybe there’s something wrong with you?!?" he huffed.

My wolf's cheeks seemed red as a tomato when he realized what he said. The rest of the boys seemed to be shocked, too. However, Liam, as cunning as always, finally spoke up. He had been studying Fenris the entire time.

"Oh? Nine years and you never mentioned it to me? Is this a love triangle I’m sensing?" the brown wolf commented calmly.

Though the annoyance in his eyes was present. His closest friend hadn’t confided in him about a long-term relationship and that bothered him.

Fenris seemed to lose his cool. Struggling to find his words, he glanced down at the table in defeat. However, Cora was to the rescue. She had enough of their loud conversation.

"Arg... Men are so nasty. Should we show them how wrong they are with our future love?" Cora suggested.

I stared at her, bewildered, trying to calm my heart.

"What?" I mumbled, confused by what she meant.

She suddenly yanked me towards her.

"Hey, men! This is how it’s done!" Cora screamed, catching not just the boys' attention, but everyone that was around.

Before pulling me into a kiss, leaving me stunned to my core. After the brief brush of our lips, she swiftly picked me up in her arms. At least my heart had gotten settled.