Chapter 15
Tobi circled the pack house grounds in a wide arc, his boots crunching softly in the snow.
The winter moon cast sharp shadows across the pristine snow, making it easy to spot any disturbances.
Nothing seemed out of place - no unusual tracks, no unfamiliar scents.
Yet something nagged at his instincts, drawing him closer to the house.
His instincts rarely lied to him. Tobi altered his path, moving in tighter circles around the building. The feeling grew stronger as he approached the east wing where most of the guest rooms were located.
He heard the usual nighttime sounds with preternatural clarity - the quiet hum of the heating system, someone's television playing softly upstairs where Joe, the alpha wolf, resided with his wife, the rustle of sheets as sleepers turned over.
But there - underneath it all - a racing heartbeat that didn't match the peaceful rhythm of sleep.
Tobi stopped beneath a floor window, head tilted as he focused on the sound. Rapid breathing, small whimpers of distress. Yousuf's room.
The child's pulse hammered against his ribs, caught in the grip of terror, his breath coming in sharp gasps. Tobi recognized the patterns - nightmares had their own signature: racing pulse, strangled breathing, muffled sobs.
His enhanced hearing caught the sudden change in Yousuf's breathing - the sharp intake followed by muffled sounds of terror. The nightmare had torn him from sleep, panic flooding his small body. The boy's heart beat even faster as he buried his face in his pillow to stifle his cries.
Without conscious thought, Tobi tapped his fingers against the window pane - just loud enough for Yousuf to hear, but not enough to wake anyone else.
The muffled sounds ceased abruptly. Through the glass, Tobi saw Yousuf's head snap up from the pillow, tear tracks glistening on his cheeks in the moonlight. The boy's eyes went wide as he stared at the window, his small frame trembling.
"It's okay, Yousuf," Tobi called softly, pitching his voice to carry through the glass without being too loud. "It's just me - Tobi. The vampire security guy, remember?"
Yousuf's rigid posture relaxed slightly as recognition dawned in his eyes. He scrubbed at his wet cheeks with the back of his hand, small hiccups escaping as he fought for control.
Tobi watched as Yousuf slid out of his race car bed, bare feet silent on the carpeted floor. The boy pushed the window up, letting in a gust of cold winter air. His small shoulders shook, either from the chill or lingering fear.
"Nightmare?" Tobi kept his voice barely above a whisper, conscious of Layla sleeping in the next room.
Yousuf nodded, fresh tears welling in his blue eyes. "Bad men came. They... they took me from my bed at night." His voice quivered. "Like before."
Tobi's heart clenched at the raw fear in the boy's voice. He'd heard the stories of the compound, of children vanishing in the night, never to be seen again.
"No one can get to you now." Tobi gestured at the security cameras visible from the window. "See those? You watched us install them, remember?"
"But what if-"
"And that's not all." Tobi tapped the window frame where they'd installed sensors earlier. "These will tell us if anyone even tries to open a window. The bad guys can't get past all that fancy equipment."
Yousuf peered closely, trying to see the sensor in the dark, and Tobi noted that the boy's heart rate was finally beginning to slow.
"Plus," Tobi added with a gentle smile, "I'm right here tonight. No one gets past me, I promise. And even when I'm not here, there will always be a vampire watching over the grounds."
"Every night?" Yousuf's voice carried desperate hope.
"Every single night." Tobi nodded firmly. "Sometimes it'll be me, sometimes my brother Tyr, or Dimitri. But there will always be someone keeping you safe."
Tobi glanced past Yousuf into the darkened room, remembering how pitch black the hallway had been when they'd installed the security system. No wonder the kid was scared - even vampires preferred some light to navigate by.
"Hey, you know what might help?" Tobi kept his voice low. "We could put a nightlight in here. And maybe some small lights along the hall to your mama's room."
Yousuf's whole face lit up, fear forgotten in an instant. "Really? You can do that?"
"Of course." Tobi smiled at the boy's enthusiasm. "I know exactly what we need - special LED lights that won't disturb anyone's sleep. I can install them tomorrow night."
"Promise?" Yousuf gazed at him, hope replacing the earlier terror in his expression.
"Cross my heart." Tobi made an X over his chest. "Now, think you can get back to sleep? Your mama will have my head if she finds out I kept you up talking."
Yousuf nodded, already climbing back into his race car bed. He pulled his blanket up to his chin, a small smile playing across his face. "Thank you, Mr. Tobi."
"Just Tobi, little kitty." He tapped the window frame gently. "Sweet dreams this time, okay?"
Yousuf was already yawning. "'kay," he mumbled sleepily.
Tobi lingered by the window until Yousuf's breath grew quiet and even.
Only when the boy had settled into peaceful sleep did he step back from the house.
Snow crunched under his boots, his gaze still fixed on the darkened window.
He pulled his phone from his pocket, the screen's glow illuminating his face in the night.
His fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard.
?Yousuf had nightmare. Scared of intruders. Priority watch on east wing, first floor, third window from left. Kid needs to feel safe.?
He added a second message: ?Will install nightlights tomorrow. Put in order for motion-activated hallway lighting?
The response came almost immediately: ?Acknowledged. Shifting patrol patterns to increase visibility from child's window?
Tobi frowned, realizing Yousuf's window remained open, letting in the bitter winter air.
Tobi couldn't close and lock it from out here, he'd need to go inside.
He circled around to the front door. The keypad beeped softly as he punched in the numbers, and the door clicked open.
Tobi moved through the darkened house with practiced silence, his footsteps making no sound on the hardwood floors.
Centuries of hunting had taught him how to move like a ghost.
As he approached Yousuf's room, Tobi slowed.
A shape on the floor outside the boy's door caught his attention.
Layla lay curled on a makeshift pallet of blankets, her breathing deep and even in sleep.
Her dark red hair spilled across the thin pillow, and one arm stretched toward her son's door, as if reaching for him even in slumber.
Tobi paused, understanding dawning on him. She slept here every night, keeping watch over her son. The faint shadows he'd noticed beneath her eyes weren't just from her traumatic past - they came from night after night on this hard floor, her body never truly resting.
He knelt beside her, studying her face in repose. Without the constant wariness she carried during waking hours, she looked younger, the lines of worry temporarily erased. But the floor beneath her thin blankets offered little cushioning against the hardwood. No wonder she moved stiffly.
Careful not to wake her, Tobi stepped over Layla and slipped into Yousuf's room. The boy remained deeply asleep, his chest rising and falling in the peaceful rhythm of childhood dreams. Tobi gently closed the window, making sure the latch clicked securely into place.
Before leaving, he tucked the blanket more snugly around Yousuf's shoulders. The boy murmured something in his sleep but didn't wake.
Back in the hallway, Tobi looked down at Layla again. This wouldn't do. She needed proper rest if she was to heal from her past. He pulled out his phone and added another message to his earlier texts:
?Need to get proper daybed for hallway outside Yousuf's room. Layla sleeping on floor every night. Also recommend baby monitor system so she can sleep in her own room but still hear him.?
The reply came swiftly: ?Will arrange delivery tomorrow. Good catch.?
Tobi knelt beside Layla's sleeping form, hesitating before touching her shoulder. "Layla," he whispered, keeping his voice low and gentle. "Wake up."
Her eyes snapped open, body tensing as she jerked upright. A small sound of fear escaped her throat before recognition dawned in her wide eyes.
"It's just me," he soothed, giving her space. "Let's get you somewhere more comfortable to talk."
Layla glanced at Yousuf's door, reluctance clear in her posture.
"He's sleeping peacefully," Tobi assured her. "I just checked on him."
After another moment's hesitation, she nodded and rose stiffly from her makeshift bed. Tobi led her to the den, where moonlight spilled through large windows onto comfortable furniture.
Layla sank into an overstuffed armchair, pulling her knees to her chest. Her fingers twisted in the hem of her sleep shirt. Tobi studied her exhausted face, noting the dark circles under her eyes.
“How long have you been sleeping in the hallway?” he asked softly.
"Since we came here." She stared down at her hands. "I know it's foolish, but..." Her voice cracked. "I can't forget that night. Waking up to find his bed empty."
Tears slid down her cheeks. "They took him in the night, like they did with all the children deemed unworthy.
The elders would decide which ones to...
to cull." She wrapped her arms tighter around herself.
"I awoke, and he was gone. I… I searched the house, screaming his name.
But they'd already carried him out to the desert to be exposed - left to die under the sun. "
She lifted her tear-filled gaze to meet his.