First

Fear.

110

He has never felt fear like this before but when he realises what Leila is about to say, it dawns on him heavily….so much so that the hairs on the back of his neck are up.

He grew up learning that as an Alpha, fear is the last feeling he should ever have right before he learned that his feelings must always come second to his pack but the thought of Leila divorcing him is dreadful.

This is the third time she is bringing it up, he has been avoiding it because he doesn’t know what to do, she has every right to demand a divorce but he just doesn’t want to let her go because he knows the truth.

Before the phoenix mark, before the night Carmela was kidnapped, before all of it, he always wished she was the one, the one with the mark, the one that will be his mate but it went to Carmela and his duty to his pack comes first.

He must honour the prophecy but when fate presented him with a chance to keep her close to him, he took it. It was to protect her but it wasn’t just to protect her.

She never loved him, but she has never looked at him with such pure hatred. He feels dread for the look in those eyes that he was once drawn to, those blue, happy and warm eyes that are now cold and hateful.

He wants the warmth back in them, he wants them happy again.

“You are my wife Leila, I don’t want to hear it. You don’t f**g say those words to me,” Tatum’s grip is firm over her mouth, his voice sounding colder and harsher than he intended it to.

“Tatum…it’s okay, let’s go….” Carmela quickly says in a sad tone, hating the way Tatum calls Leila his wife with such assertiveness.

“Theo, take Carmela back to her room. Amanda, leave us,” Tatum replies coldly, his alpha aura blazing as the command leaves his lips.

“Tatum, I’m-”

“I said go!” Tatum turns to Carmela with a cold eye, his eyes flashing red, his voice becoming animalistic, finding it hard to control his rising temper.

Leila looks down at him but she doesn’t feel the warmth she expected to feel in her heart seeing Tatum choose her over Carmela for the first time.

It just feels….cold.

He broke her already.

Tatum-releases her mouth as the three leave the room, his eyes holding emotions that Leila cannot read. How does he fix this situation? Why is she so hellbent on divorcing him when despite the pressure from the council of elders and his mother, he refuses to do so.

“What is your problem Leila? What has gotten into you? How can you openly disrespect me like this?”

He doesn’t know how to wipe the coldness out of her eyes. His image is the one thing she cares about Every time she throws a tantrum, everytime she wants to back out of the marriage, he doesn’t know what

to do. How does he change her mind?

Leila scoffs, a vain look in her eyes. “Spare me that crap Tatum, you disrespected me first! We both know she didn’t have any scar on her until today and yet you take her slide and shut me up like a damn fool. You’re the one who doesn’t respect me.”

Tatum purses his lip, hating the way her words sting with such venom in them, how does he explain himself to her? There’s so much he cannot say, not now…..

“Leila, you can’t just accuse her ope-

“Yes…..I can’t accuse her, how dare I accuse the phoenix luna? She is above the law. Did you even ask yourself what she was doing at the summit? Did you not ask her not to go? So she can disobey you and get away with it but I can’t even call out her b**it without getting reprimanded?”

Leila fires at him, not holding back the pain and hurt in her voice.

Tatum opens his mouth to reply but he can’t find the words. She is right but Carmela saved the day, Carmela saved her, what would he have done if something happened to her? He would never have forgiven himself for being unable to protect her, again.

He can’t possibly punish Carmela for that.

He drags a chair and sits in front of her, his eyes becoming sullen, he tries to take her hand but Leila folds it across her chest, looking away from him coldly.

“If Carmela didn’t save you from-”

“She didn’t save me!” Leila barks at him.

She squints her eyes and massages her temples from the agonising pain ripping through her head. “She didn’t save anyone,” she says in a softer tone but her anger is still very palpable in her cold blue eyes: “It was Carmela who struck me and the rogue had already released the other lady after I gave myself up for her but whose praises are everyone singing? I’ll be the unsung hero, it’s fine. I’m already used to it.”

Collins Patrick

Hi my dear readers, I just wanted to thank you all for coming this far with me on Leila’s journey. Buckle up, things are about to get more interesting and if you love this story, please let me know on the review page and be generous with your gems. C0pyright © 2024 Nôv)(elDrama.Org.

They both mean a lot to this budding author.