Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Layla
My heart was about to leap out of my chest.
Kayden's hand still gripped my wrist, the touch searing like a brand. Seven years—I thought I'd forgotten this feeling. When he touched me, the blood beneath my skin would boil, nerve endings would scream, every cell crying out for more.
How pathetic.
Even though our mate bond had been severed for seven years, my body still remembered him.
Diana whimpered inside me, yearning to draw closer, craving that sense of wholeness. But when she tried to reach out through the bond to sense him, she touched only emptiness—that thread that once connected us had been severed by his own hand seven years ago.
The broken end still ached faintly, reminding me of that Full Moon night's despair.
"What can I do for you, sir?" My voice trembled. Damn it, why was my voice trembling?
Kayden's eyes traveled across my face—from my forehead to my eyebrows, to my eyes, to the tip of my nose, finally settling on my lips. That gaze was too focused, too scorching, as though he wasn't looking but caressing every inch of my skin with his eyes alone.
"Kayden Blackwood." Kayden introduced himself slowly, as if he truly believed my assumed identity. But his gaze locked onto my eyes, forcing me to avert them again and again in embarrassment.
I couldn't meet his eyes. I realized with near desperation.
And more desperate than that—his thumb began tracing slow circles on my wrist, light, barely-there friction that sent my heartbeat into chaos.
"Mr. Blackwood, please let go." I tried to pull my hand back, but he only gripped tighter.
I could feel him restraining himself. His instinctive pressure nearly crushed my wrist bones. When I let out a soft hiss of pain, he suddenly eased up, maintaining just enough force to keep me captive.
"Why?" Kayden stepped forward, closing the distance between us. "Why should I let go? Miss Ross looks... familiar. Perhaps we should talk properly, make sure I haven't really mistaken you for someone else."
He was too close.
Close enough that I could smell him—ten times stronger than when diluted by the crowd, overwhelming, inescapable.
This mingled with his Alpha's wild scent to form a lethal temptation, making my breathing quicken. Diana began humming with excitement.
His voice, his warmth, his relentless advance... all too familiar. Familiar enough to remind me of that night by the lake, the kiss under moonlight, the tenderness in his eyes when he called me "my Layla."
No. Don't remember those things.
Those were all lies, all illusions, all weapons he'd used to hurt me.
If this continued, if he kept questioning, if he investigated and found out about Kai...
I had to do something.
I bit my lower lip, using the pain to force myself alert, backing up a step to create distance. I suddenly raised my voice:
"Mr. Blackwood!"
My voice rang out especially loud among this crowd of aristocrats accustomed to hushed tones, immediately drawing the attention of several passing guests.
Kayden froze, surprise flashing in his eyes.
"It seems you're quite interested in today's exhibits." I continued loudly, plastering on a professional smile. "Since it's rare to meet such a discerning guest, why don't I give you a proper introduction?"
Several guests glanced our way curiously, whispering among themselves. I saw Kayden's jaw tighten, a flash of reluctance in his eyes, but under all these watching eyes, he had no choice but to release my hand.
"Then... I'll trouble Miss Ross." He said, his voice suppressing some unreadable emotion.
I exhaled in relief, gesturing ahead. "This way."
I led Kayden through the crowd to the center of the exhibition hall. Those guests who'd been watching us quickly lost interest once they saw us conversing "normally," turning back to their own socializing.
My heart was still racing, but at least I was temporarily safe.
"This is 'Moonlight Shards.'" I began my introduction, forcing my voice to remain professional.
"The design concept is 'rebirth after shattering.
' You see these moonstones—each piece was once part of a complete gem, but through breaking, polishing, and recombining, they've gained new life, new meaning. .."
I pointed out every detail of the necklace, explaining the design philosophy and technical challenges.
But I could feel Kayden's gaze.
He wasn't looking at the necklace at all.
He was looking at me.
Again with that scorching, focused, nearly burning gaze that made my voice begin to waver, made my fingers stiffen unnaturally in midair.
"...so this piece symbolizes that even after shattering, we can rediscover our worth, find new..." My voice suddenly caught.
Kayden had moved to my side, close enough that his arm nearly brushed mine. I could feel the heat radiating from his body, smell that dizzying scent of him.
"Your eyes are blue." He suddenly spoke, his voice dangerously low.
"So?" I struggled to stay composed.
"So that's wrong." Kayden pressed closer. "They should be amber, like autumn leaves, like warm honey. Not this... cold blue."
His hand lifted, fingertips hovering beside my cheek without touching, yet making that patch of skin burn with hypersensitivity.
I instinctively backed away, my spine hitting the display case.
The glass's chill seeped through the thin dress, contrasting sharply with Kayden's heat, throwing my senses into even greater chaos.
"Haven't we met somewhere before?" Kayden asked, those silver eyes locked on mine, giving me no room to escape.
My heart pounded wildly, my mind going blank.
What should I say? How should I answer?
If I kept denying it, he'd keep pressing.
If I admitted it, everything was over.
"Mr. Blackwood." I forced out a smile, trying to make it look natural. "Your pickup line is rather outdated."
"Pickup line?" The corner of Kayden's mouth curved upward, that smile tinged with bitterness, sarcasm, and something I couldn't decipher. "If I wanted to pick you up, Miss Ross, I'd use far better methods. Like inviting you to dinner, like sending you a bouquet of your favorite flowers, like..."
He paused, his eyes darkening with intensity.
"Like telling you that you look so breathtaking in that dress tonight."
His words made my face instantly flush.
"You..."
"But I'm not trying to pick you up right now." Kayden cut me off, his voice growing more serious. "I'm trying to confirm something."
"What?"
"Whether you're..."
His words were cut short by music suddenly flooding the room. The host began announcing that the auction would commence shortly, requesting guests to take their seats.
The crowd began flowing toward the auction hall, several people passing by us with curious glances at how close we stood.
I seized the opportunity, slipping through the gap between Kayden and the display case.
"My apologies, Mr. Blackwood," I said, forcing my voice to sound steady. "I still have matters to attend to. If you're interested in 'Moonlight Shards,' you can participate in the upcoming auction."
I turned to leave, but Kayden's voice rang out again:
"Layla."
That name froze me like a spell.
My footsteps halted, but I didn't turn around.
"My name is Ella Ross," I repeated once more, as if warning him—and warning myself. "Please stop calling me by the wrong name, sir."
Then I walked briskly toward the restroom, practically fleeing.
I could feel his gaze pursuing me until I rounded the corner and vanished from his sight.
In the restroom, I braced myself against the sink, gasping for air.
The woman in the mirror had flushed cheeks, panicked eyes, chest heaving violently—she looked like she'd just run a marathon.
This didn't look like Ella Ross.
This looked like Layla Gray.
The Layla whose heart would race from just one of Kayden's glances.
"No," I told my reflection. "You're not her anymore."
I turned on the tap, splashing cold water on my face. The icy shock cleared my head somewhat, but my heart still raced at a terrifying pace.
Seven years. I thought I'd grown strong enough to face him without wavering.
But I was wrong.
Just standing before him, just being looked at by him, just being touched by him... all my defenses had crumbled.
My body still remembered his touch, my wolf still craved his scent, my soul still mourned that severed bond.
Damn the mate bond.
I'd thought seven years of separation would weaken this pull, but it had only intensified, grown so powerful I'd nearly forgotten what he'd done.
I closed my eyes, forcing myself to remember.
Remember that Full Moon night, his cold eyes.
"Silver Moon Pack's Luna could never be someone like you."
Remember how he publicly rejected me.
"I, Kayden Blackwood, formally reject Layla Gray as my mate."
Remember that soul-tearing agony, remember my despair as I jumped from that cliff.
Anger began burning in my chest, driving away those damned flutters.
Yes. This was what I should remember.
He'd rejected me, denied me, watched as I was framed, and pushed me into the abyss.
I'd nearly died, along with my child.
And all of it was because of him.
I couldn't afford to soften. I couldn't forget. More importantly, I had to protect Kai.
If Kayden discovered Kai's existence, if he tried to fight for custody, if he saw Kai as a stain that needed erasing...
I would never let that happen.
I fixed my makeup and put that perfect mask back in place.
It was time to leave. I should never have come to this gala in the first place.
I pushed open the restroom door, planning to find Anna directly, tell her I wasn't feeling well and needed to leave early...
Kayden leaned against the hallway wall, his tall frame casting a long shadow in the dim lighting.
He'd been waiting for me.
"Mr. Blackwood," I said coldly, attempting to walk past him. "Please move."
"No." His voice was soft but carried undeniable finality.
"I have things to do..."
"So do I." Kayden straightened, advancing toward me one deliberate step at a time, like a predator stalking prey. "I have many questions to ask you, Layla."
"Enough, I told you I'm not—"
Before I could finish, he suddenly reached out and yanked me toward him.
"What are you doing?!" I cried out, trying to shove him away, but his arm locked around me like an iron band, trapping me between the wall and his body.
My body collided with his solid chest. Through the thin fabric, I could feel his body's heat, the hardness of his muscles, the strong pounding of his heart.
As fast as mine.
"Let go..." My voice had completely lost its strength.
Because this position was far too dangerous.
I had to tilt my head back to see his face, his scent completely engulfing me. I could see every detail of the silver flecks in his eyes.
And those eyes were fixed on me, their heat threatening to melt me where I stood.
I held my breath, unable to move.
"Alright, Miss Ross, if you insist on that name." Kayden's fingertips traced beneath my eyes, that touch light as a feather yet setting every nerve in my body on fire. "Your eyes are indeed wrong."
"But..." Kayden continued, his gaze traveling across my face. "The bone structure is right. The contours, the cheekbones, the curve of your jaw... all right."
His hand slid to my cheek, palm pressing against it, warm and dry.
"And here." His thumb caressed my cheekbone. "When she was nervous, this would flush with the faintest pink. Just like now."
I wanted to deny it, but my face was indeed burning.
Damn my traitorous body—why did it have to be so honest?
"The hair's wrong too." Kayden's other hand threaded into my short hair, fingers gently combing through. "Her hair was long, cascading to her waist, chestnut brown... but this color is right."
He wound a strand of hair around his fingertip, bringing it to his nose and inhaling.
I watched his eyes fall shut, his Adam's apple bob, his breathing grow ragged.
"Rose oil." He said hoarsely. "She always used rose oil. This scent... I could never forget it."
He opened his eyes, those silver irises now glowing with dangerous gold.
"So tell me, Miss Ross." He leaned down, forehead nearly touching mine. "Why do you have her face, her hair color, her scent? Why does my wolf go mad trying to break free when you stand before me? Why does touching you feel like... like being struck by lightning?"
Too close. Too close, too close, too close! I heard Diana screaming inside me.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I tried to cling to my last shred of rationality. "We don't know each other."
"Don't know each other?" Kayden's laugh came low and rough. His hand slid down from my hair, trailing along my neck, my collarbone, finally coming to rest above my wildly hammering heart.
"Your heart is racing." He murmured, palm feeling the frantic rise and fall of my chest. "Racing like it wants to burst free."
"That's because you..."
"Because of me?" He cut me off, each breath making me acutely aware of his desire, his barely restrained hunger. "Because I make you nervous? Because I make you... aroused?"
"No!" I clenched my teeth, furious at his deliberate misinterpretation, glaring daggers at him.
"Then what is it?" Kayden's hand had already slipped around my waist. Before I could summon my anger, I was melting into his embrace. "Tell me, Miss Ross. Why does your body respond to me? Why is your breathing so erratic? Why is your face so flushed? Why do your eyes keep avoiding mine?"
Each question was a knife, precisely stabbing through my disguise, leaving me utterly defenseless.
"I'm not..."
"You are." His tone brooked no argument. "You're avoiding me because you're afraid I'll see through you. You're resisting me because your body craves me. You're lying because..."
He paused, his eyes growing even more intense.
"Because you are her. You are Layla."
My heart plummeted. Instant alarm crashed over me like ice water, shocking me back from hormonal delirium. I finally remembered the secret I was carrying.
"Mr. Blackwood." My voice went cold as well.
Even knowing my cheeks must still be flushed, I had to ruthlessly extinguish every hint of intimacy.
"You're being extremely rude. I don't know who you're searching for, but I'm certainly not her. Now, please let go, or I will call security."
"Security?" Kayden laughed low, the sound rumbling from deep in his chest, dark and seductive. "Then call them."
"Layla." He leaned closer, nose tip barely grazing mine, his eyes flashing with a hint of obsessive madness.
"Your little games are adorable, but there's no crowd to hide in here."