Days went by quite fast for Lila. In no time, she was up and about. Albeit her physical weakness which resulted from a long time of malnutrition, she looked better. Her wounds were healing at a normal human pace too. Since she was a rogue, no one questioned it.
Ian stayed true to his words. With Lila placed under his protection, he ensured that she was well-fed and had a comfortable place to sleep. She wasn't assigned any specific job as of now. The day began as usual. With the sun overhead, shining brightly upon them.
Once again, Ian found the girl looking listless. What he didn't know was that while for the rest of the world a new day was a sign of hope, for her, it signified a new day of torture. She had no will to live. Life and death for her were separated by a thin line.
What she had was a mission in life. Revenge. This fueled her desire to wake up and see another day despite the hatred she felt. Nights were her favorite times of the day. The perfect camouflage that made equal the beauty and the beast.
No matter how much deformation one had, the darkness was the right time to wonder. Maybe that was why the Vampires used it to hunt, the werewolf shifted to run while the criminals used it to commit crimes.
Who was she to judge? She wasn't innocent either. She has done things that others would find hard to believe. As she sat on the doorsteps of Ian's home, she was lost in her thoughts. Lila was like that. She preferred her own company and spoke very little.
Before she gets comfortable with people, she could stay unnoticed in a crowded room and get away with it. Even so, this was not always the case. Each time she was among people, her features that were naturally attractive make her prey.
She ends up getting attention from people she had no desire to attract. Once they realize that she isn't much of a talker, they take it as though she was easy to bully. Regrettably, appearances could be quite deceiving and she was one good example to prove true the statement.
Kai watched her from the shadows. He could feel the coldness emanating from her. He was a predator after all. At first glance, he comprehended that she wasn't as innocent as she looked. It is always the powerful beings that stayed low-key.
How dangerous was she? He wondered. Like every other being, he was attracted to danger. The thrill of the chase and the possible peril. His wolf wanted to play. Despite how fast his heart was beating in his chest, he was feeling giddy from anticipation.
He saw Ian walk towards the girl from the corner of his eyes. The initial glint disappeared and it was instantly replaced by a foreign type of coldness. Why does he hate seeing Ian getting closer to her? His wolf was threatening to come out and claim the girl.
Ian felt a chill rise all over his spine and he suddenly shivered. He halted in his steps as his smile faltered for a second. Was there someone plotting his death? Unknown to him that was exactly what Kai was doing.
Feeling ashamed of how first his feelings fluctuated, the king disappeared. He hated it. The feeling of dependency that he felt. All his life, he grew up being a loner. The only person who stuck by him through it all was Ian.
He made it on his own to this point in life. Why then was his heart feeling empty each day that he failed to see the girl? Was it because she possessed a rare beauty, unlike any he has seen before? That must be it. He must be attracted to her beautiful face.
Maybe it was time for him to resume his old habits. He had plenty of women around who were ready to serve him at any given time. He disappeared from view as silently as he had appeared with a new resolve.
At this time, Ian stood before Lila. His signature smile was in place as was the enthusiasm that radiated from his entire body. The girl was getting used to his bubbly nature, slowly but surely. He brought a certain kind of warmth with him.
"Hello, angel. Are you feeling better today?" He asked. He was also getting accustomed to her few words. He didn't mind it much. He can do the talking for two or more. It wasn't the first time he encountered a silent person.
"Lila. It's my name. Not angel. Mmmh."
Aaah. How could he forget, irritating her was the only way he could get her to say a full sentence. Ian chuckled as he ruffled her hair lovingly. "Do you think you can take up a chore? Are you strong enough to do something? I am afraid that the people around won't let you be in peace any longer. There are already complaints from others."
Lila's eyes were alight with joy. She has been waiting forever to be given a task. She felt bored sitting around all day doing nothing. So when he mentioned this, her eyes smiled at him as the coldness sipped away as fast as it came.
This was something Ian enjoyed. He liked making her smile. From the minute he set his eyes on her, he had felt a protective instinct towards her. Many would mistake this for love at first sight but he knew his heart better.
It wasn't a lover's sort of feeling. What he felt for her, was more like what an elder brother would feel towards his sister. Her emotionless eyes haunted him. Deep in his soul, he felt that she hid a past more painful than the traumatic experience she went through.
Ian wasn't naive either. Just like Kai could tell, he was sure that a tigress laid asleep hidden under the cold facade. Yet, all he wanted was to cure the tigress's wounds. The strongest people are usually the broken ones. He was familiar with the likes of her. Too familiar in fact. Hence she became his mission. He was going to make her happy or try doing so.
"Awww! You look happy. You like working that much?" He got a shy nod for that and once again, he couldn't help but ruffle her hair. "You are a cute angel. Alright. How about working in the king's kitchen?"
She nodded again. "That's my girl. Let's go to the kitchen. Five staff members work in the king's kitchen. With you joining them, they will be six. I hope you get along well with them. Try to avoid messing with the head chef. She is not very friendly."
"Also, look out for the youngest member of the crew. Her name is Maya. Shall I tell you a little secret? "
"I don't like her. Just like that little witch who follows Kai around. Don't tell on me though. I am your benefactor after all."
Ian found himself opening up to Lila. Though she appeared cold and unfeeling, he discovered that she had a warm heart. These past few days, he woke up to the delicious smell of food. Her cooking was better than the head chef in Kai's kitchen.
At first, he doubted if she cooked by herself. However, it didn't take long for his doubts to be dispelled when she cooked supper for two as he watched. Kai must have noticed Ian's new 'eating disorder.' To keep Lila's kindness a secret, for the time being, he was forced to dine with the rest of the wolves as usual.
Though he took the servings, he would have a few bites and return the rest of the food untouched. Why would he bother with the meal that tasted like sand in comparison with Lila's delicious meals? There was no way he would torture his stomach like that.
Before tasting her meal, he had no problem eating the normal food. After tasting her meal, he started realizing how horrible the meal tasted. He wanted to let Kai in on the secret, but he refrained. His best friend was a very possessive person.
Though Kai wasn't ready to admit it, he had feelings for Lila. Feelings that were growing daily. The two came to a stop before one of the most beautiful mansions Lila has had the pleasure to see.
At first glance, the entire place screamed wealth and more wealth. The materials used for the mansion were hard obsidian stones that were well sculpted and fit perfectly into the place. There was a mixture of different precious stones that were used to decorate the exterior of the mansion.
"Wow!" Lila muttered making Ian smile. At least she appreciates beautiful things. He was beginning to think that only cooking got her attention. Who knew that she had a thing for architecture?
Lila asked him countless questions about the person who designed the house. To her astonishment, which she luckily hid quite well, she found out that it was the werewolf king who drew the plan.
He was also the person who decorated the interior. When they got inside, her breath hitched. Despite the huge amount of money spent on the declarations, it was worth it. Unlike most houses for the rich, it felt like home.
The atmosphere inside was welcoming. She had expected to see cold white walls and expensive furniture. She was proven wrong and for the first time, she liked it. The man had a good eye for colors.
He had a rich taste that fitted perfectly with his temperament. She kept that little observation at the back of her head. She needed to know as much as she could about him. This was her chance to learn more about him.
As they walked through several doors, Ian explained the duties of the people working in the kitchen on normal occasions, only three people would cook while the rest run errands like refueling the ingredients, washing the dishes, and cleaning the kitchen.
When Ian and Lila stepped inside the humongous kitchen, the room that was once noisy fell into a deep silence. Ian's face was no longer smiling. He had a stoic expression on. This was the face most members of the pack were familiar with.
Despite his bubbly nature, he separated work and his personal life. He wasn't feared any less than Kai was. This was also the beta Lila has heard about. The stoic-faced man. A glint appeared in her eyes. She looked at the floor to prevent the others from reading the friendly vibe between them. She wasn't about to expose him.
"May I have your attention, please?" Six pairs of eyes turned towards them and fell directly on the beautiful girl beside him. Ian looked around contented. "Now that I have your attention, meet Lila. She will be joining you for some time. Lady Mildred, take care of her. You can assign her any light duty. Do not give her heavy things to carry. She is unwell. Otherwise, I will let you get to know her better."
Ian wanted to look at Lila and reassure her that all will be well, but it wasn't his style. If he was to show his favoritism towards her before this lots, she wouldn't have an easy time working with the people here. Someone was bound to look for trouble with her.
With this in mind, he turned his back on her and left, silently hoping that she would be fine. A plump middle-aged woman walked towards Lila and sized her up and down. "Girl, which hole did you crawl out of? You look like you could be blown away by the wind."
The rest of the people in the kitchen laughed at the obvious taunting words. "Anyways, you will suffice. I am Mildred, the person in charge of assigning duties around here. From now onwards, your duties shall be cleaning the dishes and the kitchen after we are done cooking. You shall also help in cleaning the vegetables and fruits. That shall be all. Evan?" She called.
A masculine young man stood beside her, " Yes, ma'am." Take the little girl and give her a tour around the kitchen. Show her where we keep things and how they are arranged. I don't want any mistakes in the future. The rest of you, get back to work."
As she was led towards a door further in the room, Lila felt a glare on her back. She saw a gorgeous young girl look at her with contempt in her eyes. 'This ought to be an interesting place to work.' She thought as she obediently followed behind Evan.