Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Layla
I rolled instinctively to the side, knocking over the nightstand. The glass shattered, shards biting into my palm—a sharp sting—but I had no time to care. I stared at the creature, every nerve on alert.
He hunched over, pale as a waterlogged corpse, his nails long and sharp. Those eerie blood-red eyes burned like rubies in the darkness. His mouth split ear to ear, revealing rows of razor-sharp fangs.
Vampire.
His eyes swept over me, sizing up my fighting ability. He let out a shrill laugh, his claws scratching impatiently at the floor, leaving five deep gouges, wood chips flying.
We faced off.
He crouched like a beast ready to pounce. I was half-raised on my knees while Diana roared inside me, my nails slowly extending.
"Mom... Mommy?" Kai's voice drifted from the bed, drowsy with sleep.
The vampire's head snapped toward the bed.
No!
He changed targets, lunging for Kai. I didn't think. Didn't hesitate. My body moved before my mind could catch up—I threw myself forward, colliding with the creature mid-air.
We hit the ground hard. I clung to his waist, nails piercing his flesh. He shrieked, thrashing, claws slashing wildly—tearing my arm, cutting my cheek.
It hurt. But rage burned through me, drowning out the pain.
Protect Kai!
Kill him!
I didn't have time to fully shift. I only partially shifted my teeth into fangs and bit down hard on his shoulder, tearing with everything I had. The sensation of rotting flesh in my mouth made me want to vomit, but I bit harder.
Black blood flooded my mouth—bitter, like bile.
The vampire thrashed, trying to shake me off. He was far stronger. One claw smashed into my face. I flew backward, my back slamming against the wall. My ribs screamed—something definitely broke.
But I got up. Launched myself at him again.
I couldn't let him near Kai.
Never.
He came at me again. I dodged his claws, grabbed his extended arm, drove my knee into his gut. He doubled over. I seized the moment, driving my claws toward the back of his neck—
Deep. Grabbing spine.
Then—
Twist.
Crack.
The vampire convulsed, then went limp. Black blood spread across the floor like ink.
I knelt there, gasping. Everything hurt—shoulder, arm, ribs... everywhere. My vision started to blur, probably from the brutal fight.
"Mommy..." Kai was frightened, crying on the bed as he watched my battered state.
I tried to stand, tried to reach him—the window rattled again.
The curtains still fluttered. Outside was pitch black, the streetlight couldn't reach here—just thick, congealed darkness.
A withered hand reached through from outside. Two shadows vaulted in, landing silently.
More. Two more.
My legs shook. Blood dripped down my arm, pooling on the floor.
I couldn't hold out much longer. I really couldn't. But I still stood, blocking the bed.
"Kai." My voice came out ragged. "Get my phone."
"Where... where is it?" His voice broke with tears.
"On the floor. Now!"
Kai climbed down from the bed, fumbling on the ground.
The two vampires split up, flanking me on either side.
"Got it!" Kai sobbed.
"Contacts—find Kayden. Call him!"
"Hurry!"
The dial tone sounded. The vampires moved.
One lunged at me. The other charged toward the bed.
I met the one coming for me, but I was too slow. His claws raked across my already-injured shoulder. The tearing pain made my vision go black. I gritted my teeth, driving my claws at his eyes. He screamed and retreated. I broke free.
But the other had reached Kai.
"Mommy!" Kai backed away in terror. I prepared to throw myself forward no matter what. The vampire extended his claws—
Bang!
Gunshot.
The vampire's chest exploded. Black blood sprayed. He froze for a second, looking down at the wound, then collapsed as if all his strength had been drained.
Bang!
Another shot.
The other vampire—the one whose eye I'd gouged—tried to lunge at me again. But his head exploded with the gunshot, like a rotting melon.
My mind went blank. I stared at the two fallen vampires, my body still trembling uncontrollably with fear, limbs rigid.
"Kai!" I finally moved my legs. Ignoring everything else, I rushed to the hospital bed. Kai sat on the floor, face ashen, still clutching my phone.
"Mommy..." He threw himself into my arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"It's okay, it's okay..." I held him, my hands shaking. "Baby, it's okay..."
I buried my face in his hair, feeling his soft body, feeling that strong, vigorous heartbeat—Kai was alive. My child was alive.
I gasped, still shaken, and looked up.
The hospital room door stood wide open.
Kayden stood there, a silver pistol in his hand, smoke still curling from the barrel. He wore a suit, but his jacket was gone—just a white shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, collar open, revealing his lean chest.
Those eyes burned with golden fire.
Kayden walked in, tucking the gun into the back of his waistband. He crouched beside the three corpses, examining them carefully. He turned one wrist over, saw something, and his frown deepened.
"So it was them." He muttered under his breath.
"Who?" I held Kai, seizing on his words sharply, still scanning our surroundings like every shadow was a threat. My voice still shook.
"Vampires." Kayden stood, moving to the window to inspect the frame. "And they're organized."
He turned, looking at me. His brow furrowed as he scanned my wounded body.
"Your shoulder..."
"I'm fine," I said, but my voice sounded so weak even I didn't believe it.
Kayden approached, carefully moving aside the torn fabric on my shoulder. The wound was deep, flesh peeled back, still seeping blood.
"Damn it." He cursed quietly, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket. "We need to stop the bleeding first."
He pressed the handkerchief to the wound. I gasped sharply.
"Hold still," he said, his eyes betraying barely restrained pain. "I'll get a doctor to treat it properly in a moment."
"How... how did you come back?" I asked. Kayden's presence gradually eased my vigilance. "You left."
"Went to the pack, but I couldn't shake the unease," Kayden said, his movements gentle. "You went through too much tonight... Lucas, the bloodline surge. I was worried you'd be exhausted taking care of Kai alone."
"Wanted to come back and take over, let you get some real sleep."
He looked up at me, his voice tinged with residual fear. "Didn't expect to hear a commotion the second I reached the door."
If he hadn't come back...
If he'd been a second later...
The thought sent ice through my veins.
"What kind of gun is that?" I changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on those terrible possibilities.
"Custom silver bullet pistol," Kayden said, showing me the weapon. "Bullets blessed with moonlight. Lethal to vampires."
The gun's body was silver, gleaming coldly under the light.
"The pack was attacked today." He continued, putting the gun away. "For seven years, some mysterious force has been harassing Silver Moon Pack. Their movements are erratic—we can't track them down."
"But this time, the warriors caught a strange scent."
"Vampire scent."
My heart sank. "So..."
"So I had people rush-make these weapons, gave one to every warrior," Kayden said. "This is prototype equipment."
"Didn't think..." He glanced at the corpses. "I'd use it so soon. And here."
We locked eyes. In that electric moment, something clicked.
"The note... check that note!" I pointed to the nightstand area, now chaotic from the fight. The note I'd found earlier was lying in a pool of blood on the floor.
Kayden pulled me up from the ground. Kai still buried himself in my embrace, not daring to look up. I sat back on the bed, the soft bedding settling my nerves slightly. Kayden stepped around the corpses and picked up the blood-stained note.
"Layla Gray, you can't escape." Kayden read the line grimly. Hearing those words, the terror of fighting vampires, of nearly dying, washed over me again. I shivered involuntarily.
"Not a coincidence." I forced the words out, fighting to keep my voice steady.
"No." Kayden nodded, walking toward me. "Too many coincidences stop being coincidences."
"Tonight, the pack was attacked, Lucas took you, and then vampires attacked you at the hospital. And this note..."
His fingers clenched, crumpling the paper. I could see him suppressing his rage.
"Someone knows your true identity." Kayden's voice was heavy, weighted with approaching storm. "Knows your connection to me. Knows Kai exists."
Cold sweat broke out down my back. "You mean..."
"Misdirection." Kayden voiced my suspicion. "They attacked the pack first to draw my attention. If I'd rushed back to the pack when I got word, even if Anna called, I wouldn't have made it to Lucas in time to save you."
"When Lucas failed, they sent the vampires—these." He glanced at the corpses.
"Just low-level vampires. Usually used as assassins and scouts. With me gone, they were sent to capture... or just kill you and Kai outright." After saying this, Kayden's eyes grew colder.
"But why?" I couldn't control my inner collapse. The succession of dangers was driving me to the edge. "I've been 'dead' for seven years. Why would they still..."
"Because the real killer knows you're alive." Kayden interrupted, holding up the note again. "This person knows Silver Moon Pack intimately. Knows my movements. And even..."
"Knows you're my fated mate. Knows what happened seven years ago."
I was speechless. Suddenly, it felt like countless eyes were watching me. Crushing fear descended.
We fell silent, thoughts racing.
Who would know all this?
Who would know I was alive, know I was Kayden's mate, and be able to command vampires?
And also...
"Sir..."
Kai's voice cut through everything. He'd been hiding in my arms, but now he'd recovered from his fright enough to peek out at Kayden. More precisely, at the gun at his waist.
"Your gun is so cool..." His eyes sparkled, fear replaced by timid curiosity.
"Sir?!" I choked on my own saliva, coughing until tears came.
Kai was calling him sir?
I stared at Kayden in shock.
Kayden spread his hands, looking innocently aggrieved. "Without your permission," he said quietly, though his eyes were laughing. "How dare I?"
This man.
Just moments ago, he was killing vampires with lethal precision.
Now he was playing innocent?
I took a deep breath. My ribs twinged again.
Whatever.
It was time.
"Kai." I smoothed his hair, looking at him seriously. "I need to tell you something very important."
Kai blinked up at me. "What?"
"This... um, sir..." I paused, feeling oddly awkward, unsure how to begin. I looked at Kayden.
He stood there, body rigid, fingers slightly curled, like he was desperately trying to restrain something. He looked more nervous than me.
I took a deep breath. His tension somehow relaxed me slightly. "He's your daddy."
I said it quickly, precisely, decisively.
Kai's little mouth slowly opened into an "O."
"Daddy?" The disbelief in his voice made my heart ache.
I'm sorry, Kai.
Mommy was selfish for so long.
Kayden's body went stiff. He slowly crouched down, eye level with Kai.
"Yes, Kai." His voice was gentle, tinged with barely concealed panic. "I'm your daddy. I'm sorry I came so late."
Kai stared at him for a long time. Those silver eyes moved across Kayden's face—from eyes to nose to mouth—like he was trying to recognize something. Then his little face suddenly flushed red. He burrowed into my arms, peeking out at Kayden with just his eyes.
"Really... Daddy?" He asked me, voice tiny as a mosquito.
"Really." I rubbed the back of his head. "Look, you have the same eyes. Same hair too. Even the same eyebrows."
Kai stole another glance at Kayden.
Kayden smiled at him carefully, like he was afraid of scaring him.
"Daddy?" Kai finally said the word, voice tentative.
Kayden's eyes instantly reddened.
"Yeah," he answered, voice rough. "I'm here, son."
Son.
He called Kai "son."
When he spoke that word, tears slipped out—hidden, but I caught them. He quickly wiped them away, cleared his throat.
"Kai, do you... Do you like that gun from earlier?" He asked, trying to make his voice sound normal.
Kai nodded in my arms.
"Want to hold it?" Kayden asked, awkwardly trying to please. "Really hold it, not just look."
Kai's eyes brightened. He looked at me, then at Kayden, slowly emerging from my embrace.
Kayden took out the pistol, removed the magazine, checked twice to ensure it was safe, then handed it to Kai.
"Careful, it's a bit heavy."
Kai took it with both small hands, nearly dropping it.
"So heavy..." he muttered, but his eyes were full of excitement. "Daddy, what's this?"
"The trigger. That's the sight..." Kayden patiently explained.
Kai listened intently, little hands exploring the gun.
"Daddy's so awesome!" He looked up at Kayden with worship in his eyes. "Earlier, you went bang bang twice, and those monsters just fell!"
"That's because the bullets are special," Kayden said. "Regular bullets don't work on vampires."
"Vampires?" Kai asked curiously. "What are those?"
"A kind of... bad thing." Kayden thought for a moment. "But you don't need to be scared. Daddy will protect you."
"Like the super villains in movies, right?" Kai nodded, making the connection. Then he asked, "Daddy, can you turn into a wolf?"
"Yes."
"Can you show me?"
"Not right now." Kayden exhaled quietly in relief. I knew he'd been worried Kai wouldn't accept him, but clearly that worry was unfounded.
"But later. When we..." Kayden smiled, suddenly looking at me—I had an ominous feeling. "When we're living together, Daddy can shift for you every day."
"Living together?" Kai grew even more excited. He crawled forward two steps on the bed, closer to Kayden. "We're going to live together?"
Kai turned to look at me. I'd never seen him this happy. "Mommy, really? Is it okay?"
He asked twice in a row.
Before I could answer, Kayden had already picked Kai up, holding him close. He looked at me over Kai's head, a triumphant smile playing on his lips, then silently mouthed words at me.
"You're going to refuse us?"
He was using Kai to back me into a corner.
That expression held challenge, cunning, and childish satisfaction. Very un-Blackwood, but... maybe this was the real him. Unrepressed. Belonging to... our Kayden.
The weight that had been pressing on my heart finally lifted. I breathed freely, feeling an unprecedented lightness.
I raised an eyebrow at Kayden, mouthing back.
"Didn't you say you'd give me time?"
Kayden pulled Kai closer, smiling even more brazenly, like announcing some victory.
"But I cheat."