Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Layla and Elvira settled in after the brief but intense training session and subsequent encounter in the training grounds.
"Here we are," Layla said, indicating their arrival in the kitchen.
"Finally, I can eat," Elvira exclaimed with relief, her hunger evident in her tone.
Layla walked over to the counter and opened a tray of sandwiches. She carried it over to where Elvira was seated and dropped it on the kitchen table. Elvira wasted no time and eagerly grabbed a sandwich, savoring each bite. Layla joined in the meal, and their shared laughter filled the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Elvira had devoured her sandwich, and she expressed her gratitude. "Thanks for the sandwich. It was great."
"You're welcome," Layla replied with a warm smile.
However, Elvira's next words caught Layla by surprise. "I have to leave now. Thank you for everything, and tell Kylie thanks for me."
Layla's confusion was evident as she asked, "Wait, what? You're leaving?"
Elvira affirmed her decision. "Yeah, I am."
"But why are you leaving? You know you can stay here," Layla insisted, her concern for Elvira's well-being clear.
Elvira's response revealed her determination. "This isn't my home, Layla. You've done enough for me."
Layla attempted to extend an invitation, but Elvira quickly halted her. "Okay, then, where is your home? Kylie and I can visit you sometime, and maybe..."
Elvira interrupted her with a firm statement. "Stop." She wanted to make something clear. "Let's get one thing straight, we're not friends. I really am grateful for what you guys did for me. But that's where it ends," Elvira declared before abruptly leaving the kitchen.
Her resolve left Layla standing there, conflicted and puzzled by her decision to part ways.
Elvira left the kitchen, her determination to depart the pack house intact. She headed outside, walking toward the exit where Kylie had found her earlier. Her steps were purposeful, and she had no intention of letting anything or anyone stand in her way.
As she approached the exit, three men, large and imposing, suddenly blocked her path. Elvira, despite her frustration, couldn't help but add a touch of sarcasm to her words. "Get out of the way puppies," she quipped, her tone laced with biting sarcasm.
"I'm sorry miss, but we can't do that," the guy on the left stated, his tone respectful but unwavering.
"Why not?" Elvira demanded, her impatience becoming increasingly evident.
"We were instructed not to let you leave," the guy on the right explained.
"By who?" Elvira pressed, her frustration growing.
"Alpha Lucien," the guy in the middle answered, causing Elvira's anger to reach a boiling point. She couldn't believe Lucien had taken it upon himself to restrict her movements within the pack house.
Her thoughts raced, and she recalled Lucien's earlier command, his assertion that she may leave the infirmary but not the pack itself. The memory fueled her outrage. "That arrogant, egotistical prick. How dare he keep me here," she muttered through gritted teeth.
Determined to assert her freedom and defy Lucien's authority, Elvira made a quick decision. She believed she could handle the situation herself and fought off the urge to comply with his orders.
"I can take on the three of them without breaking a sweat. Yeah, that's what I'm gonna do. I'll fight my way out of here," she resolved, her eyes flashing with determination.
As the guy in the middle moved closer to her, thinking he could escort her back inside, Elvira seized the opportunity. With a swift punch, she knocked him to the ground, catching the other two off guard.
"What do you think you're doing?" the guy on the left shouted, and both of them attempted to subdue her by force.
"Let go of me, you morons," Elvira retorted, her defiance on full display.
A brawl erupted between Elvira and the three wolves. Her agility and combat skills allowed her to dodge their attacks while delivering precise blows that incapacitated them. One by one, they fell unconscious at her hands.
Breathing heavily after the intense confrontation, Elvira's vision grew blurry, and she felt a sudden wave of dizziness wash over her. She muttered to herself in confusion, "What the hell is going on?" before collapsing to the ground, everything fading into darkness.
Elvira slowly opened her eyes and groaned, feeling disoriented and weak. She took in her unfamiliar surroundings and struggled to piece together what had happened.
"Ugh, what happened?" she muttered to herself, her head throbbing with confusion. She attempted to sit up, surveying the room. It didn't resemble Kylie's room or the infirmary. Her thoughts raced as she considered whose room this could be.
"This doesn't look like Kylie's room or the infirmary. Maybe Layla's room. And why do I feel so weak?" Elvira pondered, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
As her mind raced with questions, footsteps approached the room. Elvira quickly sat up, her curiosity piqued. When the door opened, she let out a gasp. It was Lucien, and he was wearing only a towel.
"You've finally woken up, huh?" Lucien's voice reached Elvira, but she couldn't quite make out his words. She knew he was talking, his lips were moving but she couldn't seem to hear what he was saying. Instead, her gaze fixated on him.
Her eyes traveled across his chiseled physique, taking in the sight of his well-defined eight-pack and powerful chest. Seeing him shirtless emphasized his muscularity even more. Droplets of water from his wet hair cascaded down his chest, making him appear even more irresistible. Her eyes trailed his well defined chest memorizing every feature. Her gaze moved to the V line leading to his…
Lucien's voice broke through her reverie. "Are you done staring?"
Elvira, caught off guard, replied dismissively, "Don't flatter yourself. It's nothing special."
"Uh huh," Lucien responded, raising an eyebrow, while Elvira rolled her eyes.
She couldn't help but ask the obvious question, "What am I even doing here?"
"I found you unconscious. Don't you remember?" Lucien explained.
Elvira tried to recall the events but struggled to grasp why she had collapsed. "I do. But why did you bring me to your room?" she asked with a glare, suspicion tainting her tone.
"Really, this is the thanks I get for carrying you to my room so you can get some rest?" Lucien retorted.
"I never asked you to bring me here," Elvira snapped back, her voice filled with frustration.
Lucien's patience wore thin as he questioned, "Why are you so stubborn?"
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Elvira fired back, her irritation palpable.
There she goes again, yelling at me for helping her and talking to me the way she likes. But why? Why can't I just leave her alone? Why didn't I just walk away when I saw her there, passed out on the ground? Why did I carry her to my room? Why am I always letting her get away with disrespecting me, and most importantly, why don't I want her to leave? She's just some random girl. She doesn't mean anything to me.
"Can't you just show some gratitude once in a while?" Lucien's frustration was evident in his voice.
"I don't have the patience to deal with you right now," Elvira retorted, attempting to get down from the bed. However, her weakened state caused her to stumble, and Lucien couldn't help but chuckle.
"Trying to leave again, huh?" he teased.
"What did you do to me? Why do I feel so weak?" Elvira questioned, her anger undiminished.
"I didn't do anything. It's the effects of the wolfsbane. It's not out of your system completely, and you went ahead to have a brawl. Seriously, how stupid are you?" Lucien explained.
"That wouldn't have happened if your puppies didn't stand in my way," Elvira retorted, refusing to take the blame.
"You're impossible. Look, you're weak. You can't really go anywhere right now until the wolfsbane is out of your system completely. You don't have a pack, so I honestly don't know why you don't want to stay here," Lucien reasoned. Elvira hesitated, contemplating her situation.
Elvira began to think, realizing that she didn't have a pack or a home anymore. What was the worst that could happen if she stayed here?
"Alright, fine, I'll stay. But I'm not giving you any answers, you know that, right?" Elvira finally agreed.
"I know, but that doesn't mean I'll stop asking," Lucien replied, earning an eye roll from Elvira.
"By the way, I never got your name," Lucien mentioned.
"Elvira. Elvira Hamilton," she introduced herself.
Lucien was about to reciprocate, but Elvira cut him off. "Don't bother; I already know your name."
"You do?!" Lucien sounded surprised.
"Yeah, I do," Elvira affirmed.
"Alright then, I'll leave you to get some more rest," Lucien said, turning to leave.
"But this is your room, I'm the one who's supposed to leave," Elvira pointed out.
"I'll sleep in the guest room," Lucien decided.
"Lucien," Elvira called out before he could leave.
Lucien couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction hearing his name from her lips. "Yeah, what is it?" he asked.
Elvira hesitated for a moment before saying, "Nevermind."
"Okay then," Lucien replied, leaving the room with a mixture of intrigue and curiosity about the enigmatic girl who had unexpectedly entered his life.