01 Too Late For Goodbyes (Book 3)
~Liam~
Sixteen years Later
Liam: 18
Sophia: almost 16
The music red loudly, forcing my friends and me to shout in order tomunicate. It made me
wonder whose brilliant idea it was to turn the graduation celebration into a club-like event.
Furthermore, I couldn''t understand why no one bothered to seek our consent for this setup.
Amidst the chaotic atmosphere, I spotted Harper dancing with Lily and Eleanor, who shouldn''t have
been there. We were two years ahead of Eleanor. Their presence made me question the
whereabouts of the triplets.
"Have you seen the sisters?" I asked Miles, but he shook his head.
Oliver gestured in a direction, and there I found Charlotte, Gemma, and Jewels—the notorious
triplets of our ss and, coincidentally, my beloved cousins.
I pondered what their ns were after graduation. Being immensely popr in school, I was certain
they would find something worthwhile to upy their time.
Turning to Marvin, I inquired about Sophia''s presence. Once again, the answer was negative. "Isn''t
she supposed to be here? I thought you two were close," Oliver chimed in, taking a sip of his
dubious drink. I refrained from guessing its contents, but I was certain it contained alcohol.
"Not really. She''s two years younger than us. I think she''ll turn sixteen in a few months," Marvin
replied, and Miles yfully punched me while chuckling.
"But she should be here to give you moral support," he said, winking and emphasising the words
''moral support,'' which elicitedughter from me.
"I haven''t mustered the courage to ask her out yet," I confessed, surprising them both.
"What are you waiting for? She''s gorgeous, and now that we''re done with school, guys will be lining
up for her. The only reason they''ve held back is because they''re afraid of you, and you won''t be
here to stop them," Oliver asserted.
"You''ve been friends with Sophia since you were ten and she was eight, which feels like an eternity.
By now, you should have figured out your feelings for each other. I''m aware that she''s the reason
you convinced our parents to send us to Grizlo''s Academy. So, Liam, I don''t understand why you
haven''t made a move," Marvin questioned, leaving me at a loss for words.
"You shouldn''t waste any more time. You know every moment counts," Miles added with conviction,
and I knew deep down they were right.
I hadn''t wanted to divert my attention during my studies, as my parents expected nothing but the
best from me, and I didn''t want to disappoint them. Romance hadn''t been a priority, but now that I
had graduated, I felt ready to explore that realm.
However, I also acknowledged the importance of waiting and seeing if we were destined for each
other. Sophia had yet to turn eighteen, so I couldn''t be certain. Thest thing I wanted was to break
her heart.
I had heard stories about Uncle Leo and my mother, and I vowed never to inflict that kind of pain on
anyone. Not everyone is as fortunate as they were. Nheless, I couldn''t deny the growing
intensity of my feelings for Sophia. The difficult part was that she remained oblivious to them. To
her, we were simply friends. I was unsure if confessing my intentions wouldplicate our
friendship or create an opportunity for both of us, but I was willing to take that risk now and confront
the possibility of being mates, if it were to ever ur. My affection for Sophia ran deep, and I cared
for her immensely.
I rose from the couch in the VIP section and made my way outside to give Sophia a call. I had
genuinely believed she would be present at the event.
"Where are you headed?" Harper''s voice echoed in my mind.
"Just going out to get some fresh air," I replied, continuing on my way.
"We''re breathing just fine in here," she yfully teased. "You mean you''re going to call Sophia,
right?" she inquired, knowing well enough not to expect a response from me.
I could envision herughter.
My sister understood my feelings for Sophia, and she had been incredibly supportive by keeping it a
secret from our friends and cousins. It remained between us; even our younger brothers, Joseph
and Keith, were unaware of my crush. Harper and I had a strong bond in that regard, and as far as I
was concerned, she was the greatest twin sister one could ask for.
I stepped away from the bustling entrance of the club, seeking sce in the quietness outside.
Wanting privacy, I dialled Sophia''s number, anticipation building within me. After a few rings, she
answered, and her sweet and gentle voice greeted me with a warm hello.
"Hey," I responded, feeling a surge of happiness. The sound of a television ying in the
background assured me that she was home.
"What are you up to?" I asked, my tone yful. She chuckled in response.
"I''m at home, watching television," she replied, and a sigh escaped me.
"I was hoping you''de to the party and keep mepany," I teased, to which she giggled.
"With all those girls fawning over you, I''d rather spare myself the envious res. Some of them
actually think I''m your girlfriend," she revealed, and I pinched the bridge of my nose.
"And what''s wrong with that?" I questioned, and a brief silence ensued.
The atmosphere turned awkward. Tonight, I had nned to ask her out, but doing it over the phone
felt insensitive.
"I would have loved for you to be here," I finally confessed, breaking the ufortable silence. She
let out a sigh.
"You know my father. He''s on a mission with the alpha and hasn''t returned yet. I couldn''t get
permission to leave the house, and my mother wouldn''t let me go without my father''s approval," she
exined, grumbling.
"Honestly, I wanted to be there, Li. I wanted to see you," she admitted, and I sighed.
"Now that you''ve graduated, when are you leaving Grizlo?" she inquired, and I chuckled.
"I''ll stay if that''s what you want," I assured her, and sheughed.
"Oh,e on. You''re destined to be a king someday. Grizlo is too small to contain you," she
remarked, tinged with a hint of sadness.
"Are you already missing me?" I teased, and sheughed.
"You wish," she retorted, though I knew it was a lie. She didn''t want me to leave.
"Alright, you know what? I''ll swing by your ce after the party," I decided.
"The rooftop?" she suggested, and I chuckled.
"No need to make a grand entrance through the front door. Beta Mike is intimidating, especially
when ites to his daughter being visited at night. The rooftop will suffice. I''ll let you know when
I''m around," I suggested, and sheughed, well aware of her father''s protectiveness.
"What if I let you into my room?" she yfully teased, and for the first time, it felt like an enticing
invitation.
"I hope I can handle it," I teased back, and she giggled.
"See youter, Li," she said in her soothing, seductive voice, and we ended the call, a sweet
anticipation filling my heart.
I did not know I was smiling and pacing about the ce while talking to Sophia until I hung up. As I
turned around, I was taken aback to see Charlotte, Gemma, and Jewels looking at me
mischievously. They had overheard everything. Frustration overwhelmed me, knowing my cousins
couldn''t keep a secret.
"How much did you hear?" I asked Charlotte who was their ringleader.
"Enough, Liam," she replied with a teasing kissing sound, promptingughter from the others.
"When are you going to ask her out?" Jewels inquired, and I shook my head. They were always
teasing me, although they were fun to have around.
"Not in the mood," I muttered, walking past them.
"Well, Grandma will be," Gemma remarked, causing me to cringe. It would be a disaster if our
grandmother found out. She would surely invite Sophia, and I didn''t want to imagine how she would
handle it.
"Please don''t tell her," I pleaded, and theyughed.
"You know we''ve got your back, Your Highness," Charlotte said with a wink, making a zipping
motion across her lips. "We won''t spill the beans."
I thanked them and went inside.
Since they didn''t follow me, I assumed they were done with the party and leaving. I was ready to
call it a night too, but I knew my ssmates had prepared a surprise for me, and it would be
impolite to disappear, considering the effort they had put into it.
Returning to join my cousins on the couch, Maya approached me before I could update them on the
situation. I wasn''t in the mood for her attention-seeking antics.
"I was hoping you''d want to dance," Maya said, and I couldn''t stand her. She had no business being
there, being two years younger than us. Unless she was apanied by someone, she shouldn''t
have attended. However, I guessed her parents were okay with it, as she was already sixteen.
"What are you doing here, Maya Rivers?" Marvin snapped, clearly irritated. She smiled at him,
undeterred.
"I''m here to have fun," she replied, shing a smile.
Her choice of dress was inappropriate, giving off the impression that she had ulterior motives. She
was too young for this, and I couldn''t fathom why her mother allowed it.
"No," I curtly responded, causing her smile to fade. But she didn''t give up.
She proceeded to ask everyone, and eventually, Miles agreed to save her from further
embarrassment. I was relieved because her eyes had begun to well up, and she seemed on the
verge of tears.
As time went by, I received a meaningful present from my ssmates—a que adorned with their
signatures and heartfelt messages, pledging their loyalty when my time to lead arrived.
It was a truly exquisite gift. In addition, my cousins were also honoured with ques, as they were
destined to be future lords of the north. The ceremony was a sight to behold, filled with beauty
and significance.
Once the event concluded, I entrusted the que to Marvin and hailed a taxi to make my way to
Sophia''s house.
Despite theteness of the hour, I disregarded the time.
This was a now-or-never moment. I fervently hoped that she would ept my proposal and be
willing to give our rtionship a chance.
If the fated mate connection ever came into y, we would confront it together when the time
arrived.
My wolf, Alex, was ecstatic about the prospect.
Meanwhile, my mind raced, contemting how I would express my feelings, and strategising how I
would handle any potential positive or negative response from Sophia.
One thing I resolved to do tonight was to share a kiss with her, if circumstances allowed.
N?velDrama.Org is the owner.
I held onto the hope that she reciprocated my affections.
In my eyes, Sophia was the embodiment of perfection, leaving no room for doubt or hesitation.
I had a strong inkling that my mother would approve of her as well.
I got to her street and asked the cab to park a few blocks away from her house and leave. I nned
to shift and run back home.
I tried to link her as usual so she would know I was around, but there was no response.
As I approached her house, I saw the light in the living room and kitchen, but there was none at her
window.
I wondered if she had waited and fallen asleep.
Her father''s car wasn''t in the driveway, so I figured he had not returned from his mission with Alpha
Thompson.
Partially transforming my physical form, I silently scaled the house, aiming to reach her window
undetected.
I suppressed my scent to prevent my overpowering aura from alerting anyone inside.
I tried to feel for her presence, but I got nothing, and it made me a bit nervous.
Crouching by her window, I knocked lightly, but no response came.
Then I squinted to look through the window, relying on my night vision. Sophia wasn''t in the room.
I cautiously descended from the roof and stealthily made my way through the house, desperately
longing to feel her presence. As I reached the back, Beta Mike emerged, shirtless, clearly having
just finished bathing.
His expression was cold and unweing. I stood frozen in ce, undeterred by his hostility.
Although his demeanour instilled no fear in me, I cleared my throat and faced him with resolve. I
was eighteen, after all.
"Good evening, Beta Mike," I uttered softly, and he responded with a growl.
"Isn''t it toote for you to be lurking around my residence, Your Highness?" he sneered, leaving me
without a retort.
"Sophia didn''t attend our graduation party, so I came to check on her," I exined, and he nodded.
"At midnight. Couldn''t it have waited until tomorrow? Besides, she has no business being at that
party. She''s not even sixteen yet and two years your junior," he remarked, and he was correct, but
Sophia was only a few months away from turning sixteen. I stood there, wordlessly gazing at him.
"Regardless, she isn''t home, and she won''t be returning. I''ve sent her and her mother far away from
this forsaken ce," he revealed, and a sinking feeling engulfed me. I couldn''t quite describe the
sensation, but it surpassed mere heartbreak.
"Where?" I inquired, my voice barely audible.
"Far away from here, and she won''t being back," he stated bluntly, shattering myposure.
Anger surged within me.
"Tell me where!" I demanded, my voice trembling, but he resisted mypulsion.
"I anticipated someone trying to force the information out of me, so I instructed Suzy not to reveal
their destination. If you truly care about her, Your Highness, you''ll forget about her. I sent her away
for her own good," he exined, and I battled the urge to confront him.
He had torn something precious away from me. It felt as if my entire world was copsing at that
very moment.
I had spoken to her just a few hours ago. I should have left the party immediately and rushed to her
side. I would have seen her, confessed my feelings, and taken her away from there. If protection
was what she needed, I would have provided it.
Gazing at the man before me, I stumbled backwards, aware that he wouldn''t divulge any further.
"I''m sorry, Your Highness. I didn''t anticipate it affecting you like this, but I had no choice," he uttered
remorsefully, and I snarled at him.
My wolf, Alex, began to emerge. He took a step back, assuming a defensive stance, prepared to
defend himself. Yet, I had no intention of attacking him. I wouldn''t engage in a fight.
Stepping away, I shifted and sprinted towards the woods, unleashing a howl that carried the anguish
of my soul. The most painful part was that I never had the chance to express my feelings to her or
bid her farewell.