White Lotus

Leila's POV:

 Drake linked with Lucas, who informed him that Lily had already been settled into one of the guest rooms. With a heavy heart, we made our way there, my thoughts a jumbled mess of uncertainty. When Drake knocked, a soft voice invited us in. As we stepped inside, my first impression of her hit me like a wave: she was undeniably beautiful. She had that delicate, almost ethereal kind of beauty that could disarm anyone. A sweet smile spread across her lips as she glanced at me. "You must be the mate," she said, her tone warm and welcoming.

 I nodded, managing a weak smile in return. Something about her presence made me feel small and insecure, though I tried to push that feeling away. She stood up as if to greet us properly, but the moment she locked eyes with Drake, her expression shifted. She suddenly wavered, acting faint as if the mere sight of him made her weak. It was like watching a performance, one I quickly recognized for what it was. My stomach churned with irritation—she was a white lotus, the kind of woman who pretends to be pure and innocent while scheming underneath it all.

 Drake, ever the gentleman, immediately moved to help her, steadying her as she pretended to be frail. He guided her back to her seat, and as he did, she shot me a wink. My chest tightened with a surge of anger. It was in that moment I understood fully—she hadn't come back just for her child. She was here for something more. She was looking to replace her dead mate, and she had her sights set on Drake.

 Once she was seated, Drake returned to my side, his presence comforting. He cleared his throat and began the formal introduction. "Lily, this is Leila, my mate," he said firmly, his hand gently squeezing mine. "I've told her about our predicament, and she has agreed to let you stay so I can be with my child and perform all the duties of a father."

 Lily turned to me, her expression one of feigned gratitude. "Thank you," she said sweetly, though her eyes held something darker. Then, her attention shifted back to Drake, and she pouted slightly. "I know we ended things on rocky ground," she began softly, "but for our child's sake, let's bury the past. I don't want my child to grow up seeing his parents at odds."

 Drake glanced at me again, his eyes filled with a silent question as he squeezed my arm for reassurance. He was seeking my approval, wanting to know if it was okay to agree to her request. I forced myself to nod, knowing that despite her act, this was about the child, and Drake needed to do what was best for him.

 We said our goodbyes shortly after, with Drake mentioning he had something to take care of in the office. As we turned to leave, Lily called out to me, her voice deceptively soft. "Leila, would you mind staying for a while? I'd love to get to know you better."

 I felt Drake's eyes on me, and before I could respond, he smiled and said, "That's a good idea, Leila. You two should get along." Then, he left, leaving me alone with her.

 As soon as the door closed behind him, the air in the room shifted. Lily's smile didn't falter, but the sweetness in her eyes disappeared. I stood there, bracing myself for whatever game she had in mind.

 As soon as the door clicked shut behind Drake, the room seemed to chill. The soft, sweet smile on Lily's face never faltered, but the warmth in her eyes was gone. I could feel the shift in the air, and it sent a shiver down my spine. She didn't waste any time. The moment we were alone, her demeanor changed completely.

 "So," she began, her voice silky and smooth, laced with something far more sinister than kindness, "you're the new mate."

 I didn't respond immediately. I stood my ground, meeting her gaze head-on, refusing to be intimidated by her sudden change in attitude. The moment I had stepped into this room, I had sensed the tension, the subtle power play she was trying to initiate. But I wasn't here to fall into her trap. I was here to fight for the man I loved.

 Lily slowly rose from her chair, her graceful movements deliberate as she closed the distance between us. She was beautiful—there was no denying that—but her beauty was now overshadowed by the calculating glint in her eyes. She circled me like a predator sizing up its prey, and I could feel her sizing me up, searching for any sign of weakness she could exploit.

 "You must feel so secure right now," she said softly, her tone dripping with false sincerity. "Drake is your mate, after all. You think that means you've won, that nothing can come between you two." She stopped in front of me, her smile sharpening into something crueler. "But you're wrong. You see, he was mine once, and that kind of connection doesn't just disappear."

 I felt my heart clench at her words, but I held my ground, refusing to let her see the impact they had. She was trying to rattle me, to get into my head and plant seeds of doubt. But I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of knowing that her words had struck a chord.

 "He loved me," she continued, her voice softening as if she were reminiscing on some long-lost romance. "We had everything planned out—our future, our lives together. We were going to be a family. And then… fate intervened." She sighed dramatically, placing a hand over her heart as if recalling some deep, tragic love story. "But fate can be so cruel, can't it? It gave him to you, but that doesn't mean it'll keep him with you."

 I crossed my arms over my chest, my gaze steady. "Fate also decided that you weren't meant to be his mate, Lily. You can play the victim all you want, but you made your choice when you ran off with your mate. You left him."

 Her eyes darkened at my words, the sweetness evaporating entirely. "That was a mistake," she hissed, stepping closer. "A mistake I plan on correcting. My mate is dead now, and Drake is still here. That bond we had, the love we shared—it's still there. And I'm going to get it back."

 I felt a surge of anger rise in my chest, but I forced myself to remain calm. She was testing me, pushing to see how far she could go before I broke. But I wouldn't give her that power.

 "You're delusional if you think Drake will just fall back into your arms," I said, my voice steady and resolute. "He's not the same man he was back then. You can't just waltz back into his life and expect him to forget everything you did to him. You left him broken, Lily."

 Her eyes flickered with a hint of frustration, but she quickly masked it with a smile. "You underestimate the power of our history, Leila. I've known him longer than you ever will. I know how to get under his skin, how to make him remember what we had. He'll come back to me… eventually. You're just a temporary distraction."

 Her words were like poison, seeping into the cracks of my insecurities, but I refused to let them take root. I had promised Drake I would stand by him, that I wouldn't leave or run away, no matter what came our way. And this woman, with her manipulations and schemes, wasn't going to scare me off.

 I stepped closer to her, squaring my shoulders and meeting her gaze with defiance. "You can try, Lily," I said, my voice calm but laced with determination. "You can try to worm your way back into his heart, but I won't make it easy for you. Drake is mine now. We've built something together, and I'm not about to let you destroy that. So go ahead, play your games, scheme all you want—but I won't be backing down. Not now, not ever."

 Lily's eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a smug smile. "We'll see," she said softly. "We'll see who Drake chooses in the end."

 As I stood there, defiant and resolute, ready to walk away, I noticed Lily's eyes sweep over me. Her gaze flickered with something new—a sudden realization. She leaned back slightly, a slow, amused smile creeping onto her lips.

 "Oh," she purred, her eyes glinting with malice. "I see it now. You haven't been marked, have you?" She chuckled softly, the sound dripping with mockery. "And here I was, thinking you two were so close, so deeply bonded. But if you were really that together, darling, you would already have his mark on your neck. Yet… nothing. How quaint."

 Her laugh was soft but biting, echoing through the room and cutting deep into my insecurities. She stepped closer, tilting her head as if inspecting me. "Doesn't that tell you something? Maybe, deep down, Drake knows who he truly belongs with. Maybe he's hesitating for a reason." She smiled wider, her eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction. "Because if you were really his, Leila, you'd be marked by now."

 The air between us crackled with tension, but I refused to let her see how her words stung. The fact that Drake hadn't marked me yet was a sore spot, one I had tried to ignore, but hearing her throw it in my face made it harder to brush off.

 I clenched my jaw, fighting back the wave of hurt that threatened to surface. This was exactly what she wanted—to get under my skin, to make me doubt everything. But I wouldn't let her win, not like this.

 I forced a smirk to my lips, meeting her gaze with steel in my eyes. "Mark or no mark, Drake chose me. And I'm not going anywhere."

 Then, without another word, I turned on my heel and walked out of the room, my heart pounding but my determination unshaken. She could laugh all she wanted, but I wasn't going to let her tear us apart. Not now, not ever.

I held her gaze for a long moment, feeling the tension crackle between us like static in the air. Finally, I turned to leave, but before I did, I glanced back at her and said, "Let the best wolf win."

 With that, I walked out of the room, my heart pounding but my resolve stronger than ever. This wasn't going to be easy, but I had made a promise—to Drake and to myself. And no matter what Lily threw at me, I would fight for him with everything I had.