Chapter 7 One Forbidden Night I
Author’s POV
After Tobias received his warning from the Alpha, he decided to change his approach. He resolved to keep his distance from Lily and protect her from afar. That was the only way everything would work out perfectly for him. If he kept trying to get close to her, things would only continue to spiral out of control. He could not accept that. It had now been over three weeks since the incident with Lily, and they had not really seen each other except in the meeting room. From time to time, when he had to protect her from a distance, she also knew she had to keep her distance from him.
Meanwhile, throughout those three weeks, Tobias made sure to restrain himself from the letter she had given him. He tried his best not to touch it whenever he saw it. Even though he missed Lily so much and longed for her touch, he knew he had to hold it in, or he would lose everything. He was not ready to sacrifice his position just for Lily.
Until tonight. He decided to read the letter. After staring at it for a long time, his curiosity pushed him closer, and he had no choice but to open it. It was a long message from Lily, and he could tell it must have taken her a while to write. Looking at the date she had written in the top corner, he realized she had composed it even before she ran away.
In the letter, she explained how she did not want to be betrothed to anyone and how she could not cope staying away from him. She expressed how much she loved him and wanted to be more than just the girl he had to protect; she wanted to be the woman he desired. Tobias felt his wolf becoming more restless because this was exactly what he wanted. He had always thought he was forcing his feelings on her, but this letter was clear proof that she had intentionally pursued him because she wanted him just as much as he wanted her.
After reading the final part where she begged him to claim her, he folded the letter and tossed it back into the wardrobe. Sitting down, he ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “Why did I have to be born into such a family? Why did I have to be born to become a Beta instead of an Alpha?” He thought to himself, feeling annoyed and upset about his situation.
Determined, he decided he needed to talk to Lily. He was doing her wrong by not communicating with her, despite proclaiming his love for her. “Is this how I’m meant to show my love?” he questioned himself. Wasting no time, he left his chambers and slowly walked toward the garden where he would meet her.
He went through the discreet veranda, which was meant only for her, as no one else came there. As he entered, he saw her sitting down and scrolling through her phone. She looked very sad. Tobias stood there for a moment, unnoticed. She scattered her hair in annoyance, screaming, “I don't know what to do anymore! I am so frustrated right now. I can't believe for a good two weeks, three weeks, he didn't even read my letter. He couldn’t even tell me his answer. What am I supposed to do now?” she vented to herself.
Tobias felt a surge of warmth at the thought of her yearning for him. Was this how badly she wanted him? He thought to himself, feeling grateful to have found someone who loved him—someone worth it, someone he could not stay away from. He cleared his throat, and she quickly jumped up in fright, clutching her chest as she turned to see him standing there.
Calmly, he walked toward her and stood right in front of her. “Are you really that in love with me? Are you really that obsessed with me that you cannot do without me?” he asked.
She laughed. “How else do you want me to explain that to you? Should I lick your feet to prove it? I begged you, I told you that we should be together. But you refused. And I know why you are refusing—it’s because of my brother. I cannot force you to do what you don't want to do. Besides, you have been avoiding me like I am a plague for days, for over weeks. How are you even coping with doubt? You don't even care to know about my situation. Do you know that I am going to be sent to Derek very soon? Do you know what that means? It means you will never get to see me again, and you will never get to love me, even from afar the way you do now,” she said, looking at him with pleading eyes.
Tobias slowly pulled her close to him by her waist and pecked her on the cheek. She felt like her world had come crashing down, unable to think straight anymore. The joy of seeing Tobias make the first move was something she had always anticipated more than anything in this world.
Looking up at him, she smiled as he playfully pulled her cheek. “You are so naughty. I know this is what you always wanted. I had to stay away from you. Because, Damon, the Alpha is slowly starting to realize that something is going on, and he threatens to banish me. I don’t want that to happen at all. Do you know what that would mean? Even the pack members would not support me; they would always support the Alpha. Even if they find out that we love each other, they really do not care,” she explained.
He looked away, shaking his head as he stepped back. “What else do you want me to do? How else do you expect me to cope without you? How do you think I would survive? I won't be able to survive this. I don’t love Derek, and I don’t love anybody else. It’s you. I feel like we are mates, but you just don’t want to accept it. My wolf keeps singing this to me. I know it is true. Please accept it,” Lily pleaded.
Tobias laughed because, frankly, his wolf had not mentioned anything like that to him. And even if it did, he still could not do anything about it. Although he was meant to claim Lily, he could not take such a disastrous step. “Stop joking around! Stop trying to find ways for me to claim you. I can’t do it. It comes with a lot of risk, and you are a princess. I am a nobody. I am someone like a slave to this palace. Please, let’s not do this,” he pleaded with her before walking away, knowing that staying any longer would complicate things even more.