Love Bites:Guide to Dating a vampire and werewolf

Awake to Betrayal.

The first thing Lila noticed was the light. It streamed into the room through half-drawn curtains, its golden warmth highlighting every sharp corner of her pounding headache. She groaned softly, instinctively pulling the sheets higher as if shielding herself from the day ahead.

Something felt wrong.Something was definitely Off.

The bed beneath her wasn't her bed—too firm, too neatly made even as she'd shifted in her sleep. She struggled to wake up her brain even though her body just wanted to lie down and sleep.She opened her eyes fully now, blinking against the brightness, and slowly, the details of the room began to take shape: beige walls, cheap yet carefully arranged artwork, a coffee machine on a counter nearby. It wasn't her room, or even Caleb's.It didnt have any personal touch to it,just plain and neat.

Her breath hitched. She sat up abruptly, the motion sending a wave of dizziness through her. Panic bloomed in her chest as she took it all in. The neatly folded towels on a small desk. The faint hum of an air conditioner. The unmistakable anonymity of a hotel room.How had she landed in a hotel?What the heck was happening here?What happened to her?She had a thousand questions surfacing in her slowly processing brain that she needed answered at once and that only worsened her headache.

And then her eyes landed on him.So she wasn't imagining things from the previous night?At a point she felt she was in a dream.

Adrian was sleeping on the same bed just beside her ,he was laying on his stomach his face turned to her side , his dark hair a mess as though he'd run his hands through it too many times. His shirt was wrinkled, the first few buttons undone, exposing his collarbone. He looked as though he hadn't slept well—or at all.

The sight of him was a punch to the gut. Her mind raced, piecing together fragments of the previous night. There had been music, dancing, A man's voice in her ear as they sat close at the bar. Then the drinks—too many drinks. And after that… darkness.

No, not darkness. Not entirely.

She remembered the man. The stranger. His face was blurry, but the feeling of his hand on her wrist was seared into her memory. His grip had been so tight, it felt as though he'd branded her, pulling her along despite her protests, despite the way she'd stumbled and tried to twist free.

Her stomach churned as the memories clawed their way back. She'd been terrified, her body weak, her voice slurred and unconvincing. And then someone had appeared. She remembered his voice—sharp, commanding, and unfamiliar in its intensity. She could recall the way the stranger had reluctantly let her go, muttering something under his breath as that Stranger stepped between them like a shield.Was that person Adrian?Was he following her?

But how had that led to this? How had they ended up here, together?

Lila's heart thudded painfully in her chest. Her gaze darted down to herself, searching for answers. She was still in the dress she'd worn the night before, though it was wrinkled and clinging awkwardly to her skin. Her shoes were missing, and her purse lay discarded near the door. She clutched the sheet tighter, as if that would somehow protect her from the implications swirling in her mind.

Her throat tightened as another thought crept in, insidious and unwelcome. Had they…?

Her eyes flicked back to Adrian, scanning his still form for any clues. He looked exhausted, not triumphant or guilty—just tired. Slowly, as if testing a fragile thread, she allowed herself to think through the possibility. Her body felt touched, not in a bad way but she had definitely been intimate with someone.And Adrian… She wondered if he had taken advantage of her vulnerability.Or could it be the stranger that touched her?

No, she decided. Nothing had happened with the stranger because even if she was too weak to fight back,she knew when he took his hands off her and when Adrian that helped her took her away from the stranger.

But that realization didn't calm the storm in her chest. It didn't erase the fact that she had spent the night in a hotel room with another man and had sex with another man.She knew she wasn't raped and she was sure she initiated it because for some time now she had been sexually frustrated and she needed that release but It didn't erase the fact that Caleb, the man she was supposed to love, was at home, likely assuming she'd simply had too much to drink and gone to bed early.

The guilt was a physical thing, heavy and suffocating. She needed to get out of here.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, her bare feet sinking into the cold, slightly rough carpet. The coolness grounded her, but only for a moment. She stood, clutching the sheet around her like armor as she scanned the room for her belongings. Her movements were frantic, fueled by the desperate need to escape.

Behind her, Adrian stirred.

"Lila?"

His voice was groggy, thick with sleep, and it froze her in place. She didn't turn around, didn't trust herself to face him.

"Where are you going?" he asked, the concern in his tone unmistakable now.

"I… I need to go," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She spotted one of her shoes near the desk and bent to pick it up, wobbling slightly as she shoved it on.

"Wait," Adrian said, sitting up fully now. She could hear him moving behind her, but she still didn't turn around. "We need to talk about what happened."

"There's nothing to talk about," she said, the words rushing out in a panicked tumble. She grabbed her other shoe, clutching it in one hand as she headed for the door.

"Lila, stop,Calm down!." His voice was firm now, and she felt a hand gently grasp her arm. The touch was light, but it was enough to make her whirl around, her eyes blazing.

"Don't," she said, her voice cracking. "Don't try to make this okay. I shouldn't even be here. I shouldn't have—" Her words broke off, her throat closing as tears threatened to spill.

Adrian's expression softened, his brow furrowing in concern. "You were in trouble last night," he said quietly. "I just wanted to make sure you were safe. That's all."

His words pierced through her defenses, and for a brief moment, she felt the urge to collapse into his arms, to let him explain everything and assure her that it wasn't as bad as it seemed. But she couldn't. She couldn't face him, or the truth of what this meant.

"I have to go," she said again, her voice trembling.

Before he could stop her, she pulled away and bolted for the door.

The hallway was quiet, the air stale and heavy. She didn't stop to look back, didn't pause until she was outside, where the cool morning air hit her like a slap. She sucked in a deep breath, her tears finally spilling over as she hailed a cab.

The ride home felt like an eternity. She stared out the window, her thoughts a chaotic mess of guilt, shame, and confusion. Images of Caleb flashed in her mind—his smile, the way he looked at her like she was the center of his world. What would he think if he knew? How could she ever explain sleeping with a man she barely knew?How would Caleb ever believe her?how could she ever explain this?

By the time she reached her apartment, she was shaking. She fumbled with her keys, finally managing to unlock the door and slip inside. The silence of her home was deafening, pressing down on her like a physical weight.

She sank to the floor, burying her face in her hands as the sobs overtook her. They came in waves, heavy and unrelenting, leaving her gasping for air.

Eventually, she dragged herself to the bathroom, desperate to wash away the night. She stripped off her dress and stepped into the shower, letting the scalding water pour over her. The heat stung her skin, but she didn't care. She braced her hands against the tiles, her head bowed, her tears mixing with the water as she whispered, "What have I done?"

She stayed there until the water ran cold, until her skin was red and raw, and even then, she didn't feel clean. She wrapped herself in a towel and sat on the edge of her bed, staring blankly at the floor.

Her thoughts circled back to Caleb, to the love she'd so carelessly betrayed. She thought about Adrian, about the look in his eyes when he'd tried to stop her from leaving. She thought about the stranger, about the fear that had gripped her so tightly she could still feel its echoes in her chest.

And through it all, one question haunted her: How had she let it come to this?