Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty
Lola's POV

I failed. I knew I failed from the moment I opened my eyes. The rays of sunlight streaked through the slightly open window, casting a warm glow on my face.

I blinked my eyes open and sat up. The events of the previous night came flooding into my memory instantly, and an immediate blush highlighted my cheeks. I covered my face with a pillow in embarrassment.

I was vaguely aware of my actions while I was drunk, clinging on to—I shook my head. Even my lame attempt to seduce Tyler went terribly wrong.

I grabbed my phone immediately and swiped it open, searching for any notification from my cell. How was I going to break it to her that the plan had gone terribly wrong? How was I going to make up for the last time? I couldn't get a hang of what I was up to. That would be absolutely terrible.

"Damn it," I cursed under my breath, wishing that I could fling something across the room, if only just to let the anger out a little.

There was a knock at the door. I instantly shut off, my instincts quickening. I was still in my night clothes—no, looking down, I realized that I was still in the clothes from last night's gala.

Everything was blurred from the time that I entered the car. However, I think Tyler was the one taking me home. My cheeks reddened in embarrassment as I supposed that he had to carry me to attend to me.

Not only did I feel miserable, but I also only succeeded in giving him a headache. That means I would have to apologize for my misbehavior, I thought to myself, deciding to do anything to regain my dignity.

I can only be thankful that I didn't keep myself drunk in the main hall. Who knows the level of embarrassment I would have caused him?

"Luna?" a maid's voice sounded at the other side of the room. I realized that I hadn't told the person at the door to come in.

I merely got out of bed, smoothing my dress a bit. It was now rumpled from sleeping in it. Looking at myself, I knew for sure that I was in no way presentable, but still, I yelled, "Come in!" It wouldn't do to keep someone waiting like that.

The door opened, and a maid in a blue and white uniform dress stepped in. "Would you like breakfast in bed, my lady?" she asked.

"Breakfast in bed?" I repeated, but before I even had the chance to process what was going on, another maid stepped in carrying a tray of food.

Well, what was the time? I thought. Everything was happening so fast—I had barely woken up.

"Well, I want to eat right now," the maid said. "The Alpha said that she would have breakfast in bed."

More like it was an order from Tyler. I frowned as they put the food on the table and slowly backed out of the room.

Did Tyler not want to see me? I asked in my mind. Was he so disgusted with my actions from the previous night? I knew that I was facing near panic right now, and this probably wasn't reality, but at the moment, there was no other reasonable explanation than what I had.

I hurried to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face. It made me a lot calmer, if nothing else. It took me a few minutes of brisk work to clean myself up and finally get out of those clothes.

The cool water managed to calm me down completely. It was like I was finally seeing things from a new lens. Once I stepped out of the bathroom, I picked a pink gown that stopped right at my heels. It was not tight—I think I'd had enough of figure-hugging dresses for a while.

I fastened some jewelry on my ears and neck and took a brief glance at my reflection in the mirror to make sure that I looked presentable enough. Apart from my hair that just went down my shoulders with no particular style, everything there seemed to be next to perfect.

Satisfied with my look, I hurried out of the room. I needed to find Tyler, if not for everything else, to know how he felt about last night.

I glanced around the corridor and made a beeline for the dining room. However, even as I got there, I had a feeling in my stomach that he wouldn't be there.

Peeking into the dining room, all I could see was Genevieve seated with her back to me. I quickly inched away from the room. Far away—I don't want to meet Genevieve, definitely not at a time like this. She's the last person I want to have a conversation with right now.

I'm thinking everything through before this. Never started and slowly made my way down to the next floor. I suddenly remembered the words of the guard—the fifth wing, I thought to myself. Tyler's chambers, and he didn't allow just anyone in, though I was among them.

I stepped onto the pavement, knowing that I had to make up my mind very quickly. Would I risk stepping into his chambers unannounced and maybe earn his wrath? I thought to myself. Was it a risk that I was willing to take?

However, I didn't have enough time to think about it. It's now or never, I said to myself, stepping into the chambers.

The corridor was large and narrow, stretching out for a long distance. A couple of doors were closed on either side. It was almost similar to my room. Through one of the slightly ajar doors, I could see a private training room mirroring the layout of my room.

I managed to locate his bedroom. The door was shut. My hand lingered on the knob, wondering whether to pull it open or not. I can still step out now, I thought to myself. I can still walk away like nothing happened. Maybe he will be there by dinner to speak to me.

I was about to really consider going away when the door opened by itself, leaving me shocked. Standing at the doorway, Tyler appeared in all his glory. His broad shoulders donned with a leather-clad jacket and his hair tied in a ponytail, black styled jeans to match his slightly unruly appearance.

He raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at me, and that was the only hint of expression on his face.

"Good morning," I said stupidly.

"You woke up earlier than I thought," he said, more to himself than to me. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice so straightforward that it nearly stung.

I started for a moment, knowing that I didn't have any reason to be here. Could I say that I was freaking out by the events of last night and I had to see if he was mad at me or avoiding me? That I was paranoid? I questioned myself.

He pulled me into the room, catching me by surprise, and I nearly tumbled into his chest.

"Oh shit," Tyler said, standing with a look of pure shock on his face.

I swallowed hard as Tyler's firm grip steadied me. Why was I feeling some weird sensations going through me? It was almost like the effects of last night hadn't worn off, or that our proximity had brought all the tension back. His touch sent a jolt of electricity through my body, one that I couldn't ignore, no matter how much I tried. And dammit, I hated myself for that.

His piercing blue eyes bore into mine, his eyebrows still perfectly arched in questioning.

"Well?" he pressed, his voice lower now, with a dangerous edge that both thrilled and intimidated me. "Are you just going to stand there gawking, or are you going to tell me what you want?"

My lips parted, but no words came out. My mind scrambled for a coherent answer, one that wouldn't make me feel more of an idiot than I already felt. But the way he stood so close, his presence overwhelming, made it impossible to think straight. His scent—a mix of leather and something darker—I couldn't get enough of it.

"I-I wanted to apologize," I finally stammered, my cheeks burning. "For last night. I was—"

"Drunk and acting like a fool," he finished for me, his tone curt. But there was a flicker of something in his eyes—amusement, maybe—that made me wonder if he was as annoyed as he let on. "Do you think I care about a little drunken mishap?"

I blinked, surprised by his response. "You don't?"

He leaned closer, his lips curling into a smirk. "Not unless you make a habit of it."

The room suddenly felt smaller. I didn't have the chance to admire all the beautiful paintings or even look around as Tyler loomed over me. I was cornered against the closed door. We were so close that I could feel the heat radiating off his body, the sharp lines of his jaw just inches away from my face.

My heart thudded wildly as his gaze dropped to my lips, lingering there for a moment too long.

"Careful, Lola," he murmured, his voice now taking a sultry edge to it. "If you keep looking at me like that, I might start thinking you're here for more than just an apology."