Chapter 20 #2
"I was only thirteen. Alone in the forest all night. I was terrified—every sound seemed like a beast. By sunrise, I was exhausted, starving, and covered in mosquito bites."
He laughed, his tone light as if it weren't his own story.
"Father said it would teach me that Alphas can never show weakness."
"So you came here?" I felt a dull ache in my chest, imagining thirteen-year-old Kayden curled up in the darkness.
"Yeah." Kayden nodded. "It's quiet here. No one telling me what to do, no need to be perfect... I could just be Kayden. Not the Alpha heir, not the Blackwood family's hope." He gazed quietly at the lake.
I rested my head on his shoulder, suddenly understanding why he'd seemed so different these past days—nothing like the Kayden I remembered. He'd completely shed that steady maturity, acting more like a mischievous child.
Maybe he'd never been allowed to be carefree. With Kai, he wasn't just sharing Kai's childhood—he was reclaiming his own.
"You can just be Kayden," I said softly, my heart melting.
"What about you?" Kayden hummed softly. "Are you just Layla?"
"Maybe?" I thought of the past, my time in the pack—not fond memories, but with one or two bright moments. "I tried to be myself as much as possible."
"Tell me?"
"Once, in winter, I had a high fever." I drew my knees up, chin resting on them. "Delirious, thinking I was dying."
"There happened to be some herbs in my room that I'd gathered but hadn't turned in yet. Half-conscious, I grabbed a few by instinct, stuffed them in my mouth, and actually broke the fever."
Kayden's body stiffened.
"Another time, at a pack gathering." I continued. "Sophia and her friends bullied me. They knocked over my plate."
"I went home hungry and furious. Passing the stream, I speared a fish. Dinner sorted."
"That was the first time I had that kind of fish—didn't know the species. Lots of bones." I smiled. "But I enjoyed it."
"Those don't sound... like things worth being happy about." Kayden sighed. I felt his frustration.
"They were enough." I shook my head. "I couldn't change my circumstances or how people treated me. But I could at least survive and be myself."
"Alright, Charcoal Girl." Kayden grinned mischievously, using that secret nickname.
My face flushed instantly. I knew it—seven years of reading my diary meant he'd memorized things he absolutely shouldn't have.
That was my first time cooking over an open fire. I'd lost control of the heat and incinerated the ingredients I'd worked so hard to prepare. A disaster comparable to that poor chicken that died at Kayden's hands.
But I was an excellent cook now!
"Kayden Blackwood!" Furious, I reached to tickle him. Kayden laughed and tried to dodge, but wasn't fast enough.
We wrestled on the grass like children. Fireflies scattered, then slowly regrouped. Finally, Kayden flipped me onto my back, hands braced on either side of my head.
"Give up?" He grinned down at me.
"Never." I was breathless. "You... you cheated. Used Alpha strength."
"I did not." Kayden looked dead serious. "Pure skill."
"Liar."
"Don't believe me? Feel." He grabbed my hand, placing it on his chest. "Heart's racing. Means I'm nervous."
"Being nervous makes you use more strength..."
His heart was racing. Thump, thump, thump, like it wanted to burst from his chest.
"Why are you nervous?" I asked, looking up at him. Moonlight fell across his face, those silver eyes glowing in the darkness.
"Because you're too close." His voice turned husky. "I smell you, feel your breath..."
He lowered his head, nose brushing mine.
"Makes me want to kiss you."
My breath caught.
"Then..." I heard myself say, voice trembling. "Kiss me."
Kayden's eyes turned gold. Then he kissed me.
The kiss was gentle and slow, like savoring something precious. His lips moved over mine, softly biting, tongue tracing the shape of my mouth. My hands circled his neck, fingers sliding into his hair. He deepened the kiss, one hand cradling the back of my head, the other gripping my waist.
Fireflies danced around us. The lake reflected the stars. In this moment, I could believe in fairy tales.
Finally, we separated. Foreheads touching, breath mingling.
"Layla." Kayden panted.
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
He'd said it countless times these past days, but every time, my heart trembled.
"I know," I whispered.
"What about you?" He asked, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. "Do you..."
"Guess." I gave him a sly smile, payback for "Charcoal Girl."
Kayden looked at me with resignation, sighing helplessly. He pulled me up from the ground, and we resumed our cuddling position.
"But there's something else..." I hesitated. "I don't know if I should tell you."
"Then tell me." He raised an eyebrow, clearly dissatisfied.
"I wasn't sure before." I was exasperated by his pettiness. "Thought it was just my imagination. But being back in the pack, my memories became clearer."
"That vampire scent you mentioned... I smelled it before. A long time ago."
"When?" Kayden's body tensed.
"Seven years ago." I bit my lip. "At the engagement ceremony. When I met Finn."
"He had this very faint... scent that didn't belong to a werewolf."
"Thinking back now..." I looked at Kayden. "That scent was like those vampires last night."
Kayden's eyes narrowed, thoughtful.
"Are you cer—"
Crack.
The sharp sound shattered the night's silence.
Nearby, someone had stepped on a branch.