Chapter 122: Back in Time
TERESA’S P.O.V.
One evening, as I sat in the grand library, it was quiet, the kind of silence I’d craved all day. The golden glow of the chandelier above softened the shadows cast by towering bookshelves. I had just begun to lose myself in the pages of a novel when Leonard appeared in the doorway. For once, he was in his human form, his usual playfulness absent as he leaned casually against the frame with his arms crossed.
"Teresa," he began, his tone uncharacteristically serious. "Why are you always avoiding Wolf Boy."
I froze, fingers tightening around the book. "That’s none of your business," I replied, keeping my eyes on the page even though I hadn’t read a word.
Leonard took a step closer, his brows lifting in mock offense. "It’s everyone’s business. The tension between you two? So thick, I’m surprised it hasn’t swallowed the rest of us whole."
My glare snapped to him. "Leonard, I am not in the mood for your antics right now."
He raised his hands in mock surrender, a grin breaking through his attempt at seriousness. "Relax, I’m just here to help. Trust me."
I scoffed, returning my focus to the book. "I don’t trust you."
"Not yet," he said with a sly wink, whistling a carefree tune as he strolled away, leaving an unsettling weight in the air. In the three weeks I’d come to know Leonard, he almost never had a plan—but when he did, it was the kind of plan that dragged chaos in its wake.
The next morning, the castle was too quiet—an ominous stillness that made me suspicious. Frowning, I wandered into the dining hall, expecting to find the usual morning bustle. Instead, I found Lucian sitting alone at the long table, his expression unreadable. The sight of him caught me off guard. Gone was the stormy, brooding presence he usually exuded. He looked... vulnerable.
"What’s going on?" I asked warily, lingering by the door.