Oscar scoffed as he looked at his sister who was lecturing him despite being only three years older than him. He was probably more experienced in relationships than she was. After all, she was dating now for the first time.
"A man like Zain Marshall?" Oscar smirked as he asked.
"Exactly," Scarlet said directly. "I was smart enough to snag him before he became even more popular. He made some friends in the Capital City, and it made his family see him in a completely different light than before."
"You did not seem enthusiastic about him yesterday," he commented.
Scarlet's eyes grew cold. "We met a little good-for-nothing who stood in my way, and Zain took her side. I think he started pulling away from me after that. I do not know if he has a crush on her or if it is something else."
"Then, you should probably put a little more pressure on him to commit completely," Oscar said casually. "Or you can move on and find someone better. It is not like you need to hang on to this one tree."
Scarlet pushed him. "What do you understand as a child? If you try to hold too many things, you will lose everything. What I want is to find that woman and teach her to never cross me again. As for the rest, I will think of a solution."
"Do you know who she is?" Oscar asked with a frown. He was willing to help his sister settle scores if it came to that.
"I do not know yet. But do not interfere in the business of adult women." Scarlet warned him because he knew that he was protective of her despite his younger age.
Oscar nodded. "I will not do anything. I was just curious. Maybe you should ask Zain about her identity. He clearly knows her."
After saying that, he immediately stood up and ran. It took a moment for Scarlet to register the words, but when she did, she immediately chased after him, ready to give him a proper beating for his suggestion.
Campbell Family
Leila did not linger with the Campbells after the conclusion of their discussion. She left Amelia who was trying to engage her with the vague excuse that she was tired and needed to take a shower and sleep.
She ignored the disappointed and annoyed face and walked straight to her room.
After a long day, she just wanted to shower and sleep. That was her original plan, but when she finished her shower and got ready for bed, she felt too restless to fall asleep. It was like she was too wired.
Perhaps, she was too homesick and hated being in a new place where she was isolated from her grandparents. She had always been independent, but she would always return home to Nirvana Village when she finished her business.
Maybe, it was the knowledge that she did not have friends or even allies in Lake City. Everyone she had met so far in the city was looking for something. All her relationships were about benefits.
Moreover, her inner wolf was not comfortable in the Campbell house. She felt like she was in someone else's territory which made her tense. For a wolf, being in someone's domain was a scary thing.
Regardless of the reason, she just felt like she did not belong. It made her mind unsettled and her body restless. After the failed attempt at counting sheep (which her wolf wanted to eat), she left the bed and sat on the swing chairs on the balcony.
The sky was bright with stars scattered all over the dark canvas. The silver slipper of the waxing crescent moon was barely visible, but Leila could feel the change from the new moon. The soft chirps of crickets in the garden irked her, but they also soothed her frayed nerves.
As the cool wind washed over her skin, she slowly started feeling drowsy. She promised herself that she would go back to bed in a few minutes. However, before she knew it, she was sound asleep with her head awkwardly tilted back.
Some time passed before a dark figure landed on the balcony.
The soft light from the open bedroom illuminated the tall man with a striking appearance. His face, with its high cheekbones and sharp jawline, looked like it had been sculpted from the finest materials.
His dark hair was a little mussed, but it did not detract from his almost ethereal beauty. As he walked towards the sleeping girl on the chair, he exuded a magnetism that could only come from a creature of power and charisma.
When Xavier reached Leila, he felt that turbulence that had started building up within him since the moment he met her, and she bit him. His eyes flashed with a deep red before they turned back to their normal molten honey colour.
He could feel the duality of a struggle within him as he looked at her petite form that was curled up in the wicker chair. He felt like his being was split into two conflicting desires when it came to Leila.
One part of him was like an entity of endless hunger, and it wanted to possess everything about her, from the top of her wavy hair on her shoulder to the tip of her foot exposed to the cold air.
He even wanted to possess her inner wolf, which was hidden, although he could feel its restlessness behind the harmless shape of a beautiful girl. Everything about her felt like it was his, and he was unwilling to share the slightest bit of her with the world.
If he let that part win, he knew what he would do.
He would spirit her away while she was still sleeping and lock her up in a cage where only he could see her beauty, take in her scent, and hold her in her arms. He knew the dark possessive thoughts were beyond toxic, and he needed to suppress them.
But he could barely hold back…
Xavier squatted before her and forced back the possessive darkness in him that threatened to overwhelm him.
Instead, he listened to the other part of him that looked at Leila and wanted to protect her from all the darkness in the world, even his. When she was sleeping, she looked so soft and warm that his undead heart throbbed in his chest.
And even when he listened to this part of him, he still felt she was his. She was his bloodflame who was made to warm his heart and shine a light into his shadows.
With an almost kind of reverence, he lifted his hand, brushed a strand of hair back, and held her soft cheek. His touch was light, afraid to disturb and awaken her. Unexpectedly, she seemed to sense his touch and leaned into it.
Her soft cheek moved against his hand like a kitten seeking affection. Seeing the cute and defenceless gesture as well as the show of dependence, Xavier growled softly in his throat, resisting the urge to take her away.
"We will meet soon, Little Wolf." The deep voice was gentle but intoxicating as if casting a thrall.
Xavier reluctantly let go of the soft cheek, wishing to hold Leila forever, but he knew this was not the time. It was important to take time when dealing with something as precious as his perfect little flame.
Leila seemed to experience discomfort as he let go of her face, and she whimpered a little in her sleep. Xavier's eyes flashed a glowing red, and his aching fangs lengthened as that deep possessiveness surrounded him when he saw her seeking his comfort.
With difficulty, he repressed the manic desire.
Instead, he took off his cloak and covered her with it before disappearing into the night as if he had never been there.