Chase’s POV:
I stood by the window of the suite, watching the sun creep higher over the horizon. My eyes scanned the streets below, every sense heightened, every nerve on edge. Sowhere out there, danger was lurking, waiting to make its move. And I would be damned if I let it co anywhere near Leila or Ash.
Leila’s sharp words pulled out of my thoughts. "Okay, now what? So apparently, we have sothing on our tail, and there’s a bond between you and my son, which I haven’t quite wrapped my head around yet. What am I supposed to do with all of this? How is my life supposed to move forward with all this complication?"
Her voice was filled with frustration, and I didn’t bla her. She hadn’t asked for any of this—for , for the mate bond, for the danger that seed to follow like a shadow. Hell, she’d done everything in her power to avoid it, and yet, fate had brought her to this point. To .
I turned to face her, taking in the guarded expression on her face, the way her arms crossed defensively over her chest. She was overwheld, her mind racing to find a way to protect her son while making sense of this new reality. I wanted to reach out, to tell her it would be okay, but I knew better than to rush her. Leila was a fighter, not soone who would easily give up control.
"I know this is overwhelming," I said gently. "But I’m here to help you through it."
She laughed, the sound harsh and bitter. "Help ? You’re the one who brought this chaos into my life in the first place, Chase. I was doing just fine before you showed up."
That stung, more than I cared to admit. But I couldn’t let her see that. Instead, I asked the question that had been eating at ever since we t. "Were you? Were you really doing fine?"
Her silence was answer enough.
I softened my tone, stepping closer to her. "I know you’re strong, Leila. You’ve had to be. But this isn’t sothing you can handle alone. The threat we’re facing—it’s bigger than you, bigger than . And whether you like it or not, we need to work together to keep Ash safe."
Her jaw clenched, and I could see the battle raging in her mind. Leila wasn’t the type to accept help easily, especially from soone like . But I also knew that her love for Ash outweighed her pride. It always would.
"You don’t think I’ve been doing everything I can to keep him safe?" she demanded, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and fear.
"I know you have," I said quickly. "But this isn’t about questioning your abilities. It’s about making sure we use every resource we have to protect him. And that includes ."
She looked away, her hands tightening into fists at her sides. I could see the tension in her shoulders, the way her breathing quickened as she tried to process everything. She hated this—being forced into a situation where she had to trust soone else, where she didn’t have all the answers.
"What even is this danger?" she asked finally. "You keep saying sothing is after us, but you won’t tell what."
I hesitated, the weight of the truth pressing down on . "I don’t know exactly who or what is behind it yet. But I do know they’re powerful. And they won’t stop until they get what they want."
Her eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering in their depths. "And what is it they want?"
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "You. Ash. Both of you. Because of what you an to ."
Her breath hitched, and for a mont, I saw a flash of vulnerability in her eyes. But it was gone just as quickly, replaced by the sa fierce determination that had drawn to her in the first place.
"Great," she muttered, rubbing her temples. "So this is my life now. Running from shadowy enemies because of so mate bond I didn’t even ask for."
Her words cut deep, but I forced myself to stay calm. "You’re not running anymore, rember? You promised that."
Her gaze snapped to mine, a mix of defiance and uncertainty. "I promised I wouldn’t run from you. That doesn’t an I’m staying in this... this ss."
I stepped closer, my voice firm but gentle. "Leila, I know this is hard. But I’m not your enemy. I’m here to protect you and Ash, no matter what it takes. And whether you believe it or not, you can trust ."
She studied for a long mont, her expression unreadable. "I need ti," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "Ti to figure out what this ans. For , for Ash, for all of us."
Relief flooded through , and I nodded. "Take all the ti you need. I’m not going anywhere."
It wasn’t much, but it was a start. And as I watched her walk away, I made a silent vow to myself: I would do whatever it took to prove to her that she could trust . That she and Ash were my world now, and I would protect them with everything I had.
No matter what ca next, I wouldn’t let them down.
*******
I leaned against the edge of the kitchen counter, watching Leila as she ticulously packed up the remnants of Ash’s things scattered around the suite. It was a simple, mundane act, but there was sothing about the way she moved, her maternal care and precision, that tugged at a part of I didn’t know existed until I t her.
But this wasn’t just about watching her. No, I had a proposal to make, one that I knew would likely end in a fight. Still, it was ti. I couldn’t keep them here indefinitely, and every minute we lingered, the danger felt closer.
"We need to talk," I said, breaking the silence.
She glanced at , narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "What now?"
I hesitated for a mont, choosing my words carefully. "I think you and Ash should co back to my kingdom with ."
Her reaction was imdiate and exactly what I expected. She straightened, her lips pressing into a thin line as her eyes flashed with defiance. "Absolutely not."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Leila, hear out—"
"No," she snapped, cutting off. "I’m not raising my son in a den of vampires. I don’t care how many wards or guards you have. That’s not the life I want for him."
Her words stung more than I cared to admit. "It’s not just about protection," I said, keeping my voice calm. "It’s about being together. Building sothing. You said you’d stop running—this is a chance to do that."
She crossed her arms, glaring at . "Stop running? Yes. But that doesn’t an I want to uproot my life and move to your kingdom where I’ll be surrounded by your people. People who probably won’t accept , or Ash, because of what we are."
"You don’t know that," I countered, trying to keep the frustration out of my tone. "You’re my mate. They’ll accept you because I’ll make them."
She scoffed. "Oh, great. So I get to be your charity case? Your wolf mate who everyone whispers about behind my back?"
I stepped closer, trying to bridge the gap between us. "Leila, it’s not like that. You’re my beloved. You and Ash are everything to . I just want to keep you safe."
"I’ve been keeping myself and Ash safe long before you ca along," she retorted, her voice sharp. "I don’t need to live in so vampire kingdoms to do that."
Her stubbornness was infuriating, but I couldn’t deny the strength behind it. It was one of the things I admired most about her, even if it made monts like this nearly impossible.
"If the kingdom is off the table," I said after a mont, "then we’ll figure sothing else out. What if we moved to a new city? Together."
Her eyes widened, and for a mont, I thought I’d gotten through to her. But just as quickly, her expression hardened again.
"Chase, I don’t think—"
Before she could finish, Ash ca barreling into the room, his boundless energy cutting through the tension like a knife. "Are we going on vacation?" he asked excitedly, his wide eyes darting between the two of us.
I blinked, caught off guard by his sudden enthusiasm. "Vacation?" I echoed.
"Yeah! You said ’new city.’ That’s like a vacation, right?" Ash grinned, his excitent palpable.
"Yes," I said without thinking, hoping to ease his curiosity.
"No," Leila said at the sa ti, her voice firm.
Ash frowned, looking between us. "So... are we going or not?"
Leila sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Ash, we’re not going anywhere."
"But Mom!" he whined, his lower lip jutting out in protest.
"Hey," I said softly, crouching down to his level. "We’ll figure sothing out, okay? Maybe not a vacation, but we’ll do sothing fun soon."
That seed to placate him, at least for the mont. He nodded reluctantly before scampering off, mumbling sothing about watching cartoons.
Once he was gone, I straightened, eting Leila’s gaze. "You didn’t have to shut him down like that."
Her eyes narrowed. "Don’t tell how to parent my son."
I held up my hands in surrender. "I’m not trying to. I’m just saying, maybe we should think about what’s best for him. For all of us."
"And you think moving to a new city is what’s best?" she asked, her tone laced with skepticism.
"It’s a compromise," I said simply. "You don’t want to co to the kingdom, and I can’t leave you here unprotected. A new city could give us a fresh start, sowhere we can be together without the baggage of your past or mine."
She stared at , her expression unreadable. For a mont, I thought she might agree. But then she shook her head, turning away.
"I need to think about it," she said quietly.
It wasn’t a yes, but it wasn’t a no either. And for now, that was enough.
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