Chapter 83

Lila’s POV “Earlier today,” I answered with a shrug, trying to seem nonchalant. “But you were busy taking Connie to lunch.”

“When did you find out about this little vacation?”

“It’s not a little vacation,” I said in return. “It’s a huge opportunity. Plus, I’ll be working as Cassie-Ann’s assistant the entire time. Plus, I could get into that school and really take my career to the next level.”

“You can take it to the next level here too,” he said, still trying to process my words. “Why do you need to go across the world to do that?”

“Because there’s no better school than the one in Monro,” I said, furrowing my own brows together as I stared over at his amazing side profile. He was so handsome no matter what the view. “Don’t you want me to succeed?”

I said that last part using a small voice. I was afraid of his answer because it looked like he had been thinking about it for a long while.

However, he didn’t respond.

“I was going to tell you about it...” I said in a softer tone. “I just didn’t think you would care.”

He didn’t respond to that either and I was beginning to think I was right about him not caring. So, why would he even bring this up?

“How did you know about it anyways?” I found myself asking, unable to handle the silence any longer.

“Your father brought it up,” he muttered.

“Did you mention anything else?” I asked in return.

He shook his head.

“No,” he answered.

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We fell silent once again.

“Thank you for giving us a ride,” I said, trying to break that silence.

“I didn’t want you to end up on the side of the road somewhere because you were too distracted to watch the road,” he said, shaking his head with dismay written all over his face. “Your father would never let me live that down.”

“Is my father the only reason you wanted to help me?” I asked, feeling a strong sense of dread.

“Of course, he is,” Enzo answered.

I couldn’t hide the disappointed look on my face, and I think he could tell from my demeanor that his words hurt me.

“Or maybe it’s because the thought of anything happening to you destroys me,” he muttered, avoiding my wide eyes.

“Why do you care if anything happens to me?” I asked. “You’ve made it quite clear that you don’t want a mate.”

“Just because I don’t want one, doesn’t mean I don’t have one,” Enzo said through his teeth. “And I do...

which means I’m automatically drawn to you. Just as you are drawn to me.”

I felt my face warming again and I had to look away before he saw the redness creeping around my nose.

“I’m not drawn to you,” I tried to deny but the simple twitch of his smirk made me realize that I made it quite obvious how drawn to him I am.

“I don’t wish to be drawn to you,” I muttered. “I don’t understand why you don’t reject me if you don’t want me...”

“Because unless you are marked by another, or I mark another, our mate bond will still be in effect even if I do reject you. The only thing it’ll do is break our wolves and that’s not something I want to deal with right now.”

“That’s why you won’t reject me? Because it’ll upset your wolf?” I asked, I was hardly in disbelief. “What about my sanity?”

At my raised voice, Rachel stirred in her sleep, murmuring something I couldn’t understand.

“We shouldn’t talk about this right here or right now,” he said with a deepened frown.

I wanted to argue some more, but something inside of me was telling me to keep quiet.

“I’m sorry, you’re right,” I said, peering out the window.

We were getting close to Elysium.

I knew how much Rachel hated Elysium, but I needed to take her to my father.

The rest of the ride was quiet and when we arrived at the Nova packhouse, my father and mother greeted us at the door. They were both surprised to see us at this hour.

“Lila? What are you doing here?” My father asked as I quickly gave him and my mother a hug.

“I’m sorry to just stop in like this,” I said, motioning for Rachel. “But we need your help.”

After explaining the entire story to my parents, they sat for a long while on the sofa in the main living room. They both looked at one another with saddened expressions. It was hard for them to hear that a place like a rehab facility in Elysium was treating their clients so cruelly.

How could something like this slide under my father’s nose?

He looked utterly shocked to hear this news and at some parts, he even flinched.

Once we all stopped talking, it took them a few moments to gather their thoughts.

“I will open an investigation first thing in the morning,” my father said with finality in his tone. “Don’t worry. I won’t let them take Rachel back to that place. You have my word.”

I knew I could count on my father for help. I felt Rachel relaxing beside me.

“I can’t believe you had to go through that, Rachel. I am so sorry...” my mother breathed, giving Rachel a hug. “I had no idea any place in Elysium could be that cruel.”

“In the meantime, Rachel can stay with us until we know what to do with her. I’m going to call the hospital right now,” my father said marching toward his office.

I felt a lot better knowing that my father had this handled. I knew I could trust him and that warmed my heart.

I turned to look at Enzo and I saw that he was on the phone in the distance.

“Okay, yeah, I’ll be right there. Just hang tight. I love you...” He murmured into the phone.

At that moment, it felt like a punch to my stomach. He hung up the phone and turned to face us, I tried to pretend I wasn’t listening or that I wasn’t falling to pieces before his eyes.

“I have to return to my pack. There’s an emergency,” he said quickly; he was lying. I knew he was lying.

My father frowned but he didn’t argue.

“Okay. Keep me updated,” my father said, shaking his hand. “Thank you for getting them here safely.”

“I’ll be back to bring Lila back to school in the morning,” Enzo said as he rushed toward the door.

Before I could say anything to him, he was already gone.

...

Enzo’s POV Hearing my mother crying on the phone was heart-shattering. I needed to get out of the Nova packhouse as soon as I could and rush to the rogue territory. The same rogue town I had grown up in.

I hadn’t returned in a long time, not since I became the Alpha of the Calypso pack. However, returning, I didn’t think it would look the way it did.

The buildings they had worked so hard to build were burnt to crips. The streets were trashed and there were some injured wolves scattered across the dirt roads.

My mother and some others were trying to help those with injuries.

“Mom, what happened?” I asked, staring around at the scene before me.

“We were attacked,” my mother said through eyes of tears. “They attacked us...