Avenging Luna
Chapter 46: My little pretty flower

Chapter 46: My little pretty flower

Leila’s POV:

The moment Raphael’s voice reached my ears, my blood turned to ice.

"My little pretty flower has grown up." The words slithered through the air like poison, dragging me back into the darkness of my past, to the nightmares I thought I’d left behind. I had hoped he wouldn’t recognize me, that maybe I had been forgotten, but I should have known better. Raphael was too cunning for that, too determined.

I had thought the library was a safe place to hide. No one ever came here, not anymore. It seemed perfect, quiet, and isolated—a place where I could catch my breath and escape the mounting tension between Drake and me. But as I sat there, tucked away behind the shelves with a book in hand, I let my guard down. And now, I was paying for it.

Raphael had found me.

Just like he used to when I was little. Raphael was a regular visitor in my pack. He usually sort me out no matter how had I tried to hide. I remember the day he had found me alone in the forest of our territory. I was fifteen then. I knew I couldn’t run from him fearing the punishment that awaited me, he usually told my father I had disrespected him whenever I tried running away when he found me. I also knew it was fruitless since I couldn’t out run him. "There’s my little pretty flower, I have told you, you can’t hide from me." He had said looking at me in a way one would when looking at delicious food he hasn’t eaten for a long time. "If only your father would let me have you I’d teach you plenty of games" he had told me approaching me. "Not to worry when you grow up I will come for you weather your father likes it or not." He had promised me with a wicked glint in his eyes while patting my head. As much as I hated my pack from all the suffering they had caused me I prefer it much more than being at the mercy of Raphael.

The sight of him made my skin crawl. Every inch of me screamed to run, but I was frozen, trapped in the same fear that had consumed me as a child. It didn’t matter how much I had grown, how much stronger I was now—I felt like that little girl again, hiding from the monster who stalked me every time he visited my birth pack.

"You’ve been a bad pretty flower, haven’t you?" His voice dripped with amusement as his eyes roamed over me, his leering gaze making my stomach twist. I felt disgusted, but more than that, I felt powerless. My wolf, Layla, growled in the back of my mind, but even she couldn’t shake the paralysis that gripped me.

I stood there like a fool, rooted to the spot as Raphael approached, his presence suffocating. He always had a way of making me feel small, weak—like I was nothing but prey to him. My mind screamed for me to fight, to link Drake, but the fear had me in a stranglehold. I couldn’t think straight. All I could do was stand there, reliving the horrors of my past.

"You know, I kept coming to your pack looking for you, but I never found you." His voice was like nails on a chalkboard, scraping at my sanity. "I thought you had gotten better at hiding, but here you are, with my nephew. Mmmh, from the mark you gave him, I can see you’ve started the games I promised to teach you."

His words made me want to vomit. The innuendo, the suggestion in his tone, sent a shiver of revulsion down my spine. How could someone so vile have been allowed to exist for so long? My father had known—he always knew what kind of man Raphael was, but still, he had let him roam free. Still, he had allowed him near me.

Raphael stepped closer, his hand reaching out as if to touch me, but I couldn’t move. My body refused to obey, locked in place by the weight of old trauma. "You’ve grown up even more beautifully than I imagined," he purred, his eyes glittering with the same twisted desire that had haunted me for years.

I hated him. I hated the way he spoke to me, the way he looked at me, as if I were nothing more than an object, something to be possessed. The memories of my childhood, of him chasing me through the pack, of the cruel way he taunted me, all came rushing back. I remembered the punishments, the way he smiled as I was scolded for displeasing him, the way his fingers dug into my skin when he pinched my cheeks, whispering sick promises of what he would do when I was older.

Now, here I was—grown up, just as he had always wanted.

I felt trapped, like the walls were closing in around me. The fear was suffocating, wrapping around my throat like a vice, and all I could think was how wrong this was. How I shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t be facing this monster alone.

’Fight.’ Layla’s voice was faint but insistent in the back of my mind. ’You’re not that scared little girl anymore. You’re stronger now.’

But the fear was too overwhelming. I couldn’t shake it. I had fought so hard to bury this part of my life, to lock it away where it couldn’t hurt me, and now it was all crashing back in. I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t ready to face him.

"Come now, Leila," Raphael cooed, stepping even closer, his hand brushing a lock of my hair. I flinched at the touch, bile rising in my throat. "Don’t be afraid. We’re all grown up now. Let’s not play those silly hiding games anymore."

I wanted to scream, to push him away, but my voice felt trapped in my chest, my body frozen in place. He was here, and I was alone. Just like before. The panic was rising, choking me, and for a moment, I thought I might pass out.

I stand there, paralyzed, unable to move as Raphael’s voice echoes in my mind. His taunting words hang in the air, suffocating me. I try to will my body to move, to run, to scream for help, but nothing happens. My limbs are frozen, and my heart pounds in my chest as panic claws its way up my throat.

"Seems like your mate is here," Raphael says, his voice dripping with amusement. His smile is cruel, and his eyes hold that same predatory gleam I’ve seen before.

His mocking voice echoes in my head, threatening me, dangling my secret over my head like a noose. "Don’t tell him anything about us if you want me to keep your little secret," he warns, his voice low and dangerous. My stomach twists with dread at the thought.

"I’m afraid I’ll have to pluck my pretty little flower another time," he adds, his tone lighter, as if this is all a game to him. He even winks before leaving, as if the threat isn’t real, as if he hasn’t just stolen a piece of my soul. My body shakes with suppressed fear, and I hate how powerless I feel.

He’s gone now, but his promise lingers, the sound of his voice like a dark shadow. "I’ll find you again," he whispers before leaving, his parting words making my blood run cold. "No matter where you hide, like always."

I felt trapped. I hated the way Raphael had made me feel—weak, helpless, like prey in the claws of a predator. I had spent years building walls, crafting an image of strength and survival, only to have it crumble in the presence of a man I despised more than anything.

And now, I was stuck here, alone in this library, my body still locked in that unnatural paralysis, my mind racing with fear. The familiar scent of Drake filtered in as I heard him calling out for me, his voice steady, warm, filled with concern. "Leila?" he called again, searching for me.

I wanted to answer him, to scream for him, to beg for his protection, but my voice wouldn’t come. I could only stand there, paralyzed, waiting for him to find me.

The moment Drake saw me, he froze, his eyes widening with worry. He rushed over, his strong arms wrapping around me as he pulled me close. The warmth of his embrace should have comforted me, but all it did was break the dam I had been desperately holding together.

The tears came before I could stop them, hot and heavy, spilling down my cheeks in torrents. I couldn’t hold it in anymore—the fear, the frustration, the helplessness. I collapsed into Drake’s chest, sobbing uncontrollably, my body shaking with every tear that fell.

"Leila," Drake whispered, his voice soft but laced with concern. His arms tightened around me as he tried to soothe me, but nothing could ease the storm that had been brewing inside me. "What happened? Talk to me, please."

But I couldn’t. How could I tell him? How could I explain that the very man I feared the most had found me again? That he had threatened me, taunted me with the knowledge that he would always come for me, no matter where I ran?

I hated myself for crying. I hated how weak I felt in Drake’s arms, as if I couldn’t stand up for myself anymore. I had trained for years, endured the worst kinds of pain, survived torture and torment—and yet, here I was, broken in the face of Raphael’s threat.

"I—" I tried to speak, but the words stuck in my throat. The fear was too thick, too consuming. Drake pulled back just enough to look at me, his eyes searching mine for answers. He was so patient, so understanding, but I knew I couldn’t tell him the truth. Not about Raphael. Not about what had happened between us in the past.

I wiped at my tears furiously, ashamed of how I had crumbled. I wasn’t supposed to be like this. I was supposed to be strong, supposed to face my fears head-on, not let them destroy me.

Drake cupped my face in his hands, wiping the stray tears with his thumbs. "You don’t have to be afraid," he said softly, his voice soothing. "I’m here. Whatever it is, we can deal with it together."

But that was the problem. I wasn’t afraid of facing Raphael. I was afraid of Drake knowing the truth. I was terrified that once he knew who I really was—who my parents were—he would never look at me the same way again. He would hate me, just like Raphael promised.

I wanted to tell him everything. I wanted to pour out my heart and soul, to share the weight of this burden with him. But the fear of losing him was stronger than the need for honesty.

"I’m sorry," I whispered, my voice barely audible through the tears. "I’m so sorry."

"For what?" Drake asked gently, his eyes filled with concern.

"For everything," I said, shaking my head. "For... for not being able to tell you everything. I want to, I do. But—"

"But what?" he asked, his brow furrowing. "Leila, whatever it is, you can tell me."

I shook my head again, the tears flowing freely now. "I can’t. I wish I could, but... you wouldn’t understand."

Drake’s face softened, his thumb still tracing the line of my cheek. "Try me," he said softly, his voice full of warmth and patience. "Whatever it is, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere."

But that wasn’t true. If he knew the truth—if he knew about my past, about Raphael, about my parents—he would leave. He would have to.

"I love you," I whispered, my voice trembling. "But I can’t... I can’t tell you everything. Not yet."

Drake’s expression tightened for a moment, a flicker of hurt crossing his face. But he nodded slowly, his hands still cradling my face. "Okay," he said softly. "I trust you. But don’t shut me out forever."

I nodded, feeling the weight of his words settle in my chest. I had to figure out a way to deal with Raphael, to protect my secret and keep Drake safe. But for now, all I could do was hold onto him, hoping that when the time came, he would still be there to catch me when everything finally fell apart.