Avenging Luna
Chapter 133: My Little Wingman (II)

Chapter 133: My Little Wingman (II)

Chase POV:

I had a plan. Winning over Ash was just as important as winning over Leila, and the little guy was already on my side. It didn’t take long for me to realize my little wingman had his eye on every single flavor of ice cream in the shop. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched Ash’s eyes light up when he ordered chocolate ice cream but kept glancing at all the other flavors with barely disguised longing. The kid had dreams bigger than his appetite, and I wasn’t about to let him walk away unsatisfied—not on his birthday.

I couldn’t help myself. "Tell you what," I said, crouching slightly to meet his excited gaze. "How about we get a scoop of each flavor you’re curious about?"

Ash’s face lit up like a supernova, but before he could jump for joy, Leila stepped in.

"Absolutely not," she said, crossing her arms with an expression that could freeze lava. "He doesn’t need that much ice cream, Chase."

As she shot me a sharp look, her lips pressing into a thin line. "That’s too much ice cream," she said firmly, folding her arms. "He doesn’t need all that sugar. He’ll be bouncing off the walls for days."

I had to bite back a chuckle. Typical mama wolf—protective and no-nonsense. I wanted to argue—after all, the kid was a wolf, and a little extra sugar wasn’t going to do much harm. But I wisely kept my mouth shut on that front. I didn’t know if Ash knew what he was yet, and this wasn’t the time or place to spill the beans. Instead, I gave her my best disarming smile.

"Come on, Leila," I said with a grin, keeping my tone light. "It’s his birthday. What’s the harm in a little extra sugar today? Besides, we can always let him run it off at the skating rink."

Her glare didn’t waver, but I could see the conflict flicker in her eyes. Ash wasn’t making it any easier on her—he’d mastered the art of weaponized puppy eyes.

"Please, Mommy?" he said in the sweetest, most innocent voice imaginable. "It’s my birthday."

I decided to back him up. "How about a compromise? Five scoops—each a different flavor. He gets variety, and you don’t have to worry about him eating the whole ice cream shop."

Leila sighed, her resolve weakening. I could tell she hated the idea but didn’t want to be the villain of his special day.

"Fine," she relented. "But only five scoops. And I don’t want to hear any complaints if you feel sick later, Ashton."

"Yes!" Ash whooped, turning to me with a victorious grin. "You’re the best, Uncle Chase!"

I ruffled his hair and winked. "I aim to please, champ."

The ice cream man chuckled as he started scooping. Ash got five different flavors, carefully selected with enthusiastic input from both of us. He ended up with chocolate, strawberry, mint chip, vanilla and caramel swirl.

Leila raised an eyebrow at me. "You’re not getting off easy. You’re helping him finish that if he can’t."

"Deal," I said with a grin. "Anything for the birthday boy."

Leila shook her head, muttering something about bad influences, but I caught the smallest hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

Ash took a big lick of his chocolate scoop, his face lighting up. "This is the best birthday ever!"

As we walked out of the shop, Ash happily digging into his towering cone, I caught the slightest hint of a smile on Leila’s face. She was trying to hide it, but it was there.

One small win for Ash—and for me. We were just getting started.

After getting Ash his much-debated ice cream and settling on a nearby bench, we finally had a moment of relative calm. I chose chocolate—because why mess with a classic—and Leila had strawberry, looking as composed as ever. Meanwhile, Ash sat between us with his towering five-scoop masterpiece, clearly the happiest kid on the planet.

Leila was still guarded, her walls firmly up, but there was something in her face—a flicker of nostalgia or maybe curiosity—that kept her from telling me to leave outright. Progress.

Meanwhile, Ash was a force of nature. The moment his ice cream was gone, he started bouncing in his seat, the sugar hitting him like a tidal wave. "Mummy, Uncle Chase, I’m full of energy!" he declared, hopping down from the bench.

"I can see that," Leila said dryly, trying not to smile as she wiped a smudge of chocolate from his cheek.

A pair of fluffy puppies, tails wagging furiously, caught Ash’s attention. They belonged to a family seated on the bench next to ours, and Ash didn’t waste a second before running over to join them. The pups, sensing his excitement, yipped happily and started chasing him around the grassy area.

"Looks like the sugar’s kicking in," I said, glancing over at Leila.

She sighed, shaking her head, though there was a hint of a smile on her lips. "I told you it was too much. Now he’s going to run himself into the ground."

Leila let out a soft laugh, the sound melodic and rare. "That boy," she muttered, shaking her head.

I couldn’t help but smile. "He’s got your energy. And your charm."

She raised an eyebrow at me but didn’t argue. Instead, her eyes softened as she watched Ash playing, his laughter ringing out like music.

The sight of him so carefree and happy tugged at something deep inside me. I leaned back on the bench, taking it all in. This moment felt... right. Like the kind of simple, perfect day I’d longed for during my endless search for Leila.

"Thank you," she said suddenly, her voice low but sincere.

I turned to her, caught off guard. "For what?"

"For not making this harder than it already is," she said, her gaze still on Ash. "For... being good to him."

Her words hit me harder than they should have. I wanted to tell her it wasn’t just about Ash—it was about her, too. But I knew better than to push.

Instead, I smiled softly. "He’s an amazing kid. You’ve done a great job raising him."

Leila didn’t respond, but the faint blush on her cheeks was enough for me.

As Ash zoomed past us, one of the puppies nipping playfully at his heels, I made a silent vow to myself.

I’d protect this. This peace, this family—no matter what it took.

Leila POV:

I knew what Chase was doing, and damn it, he was good at it. Vampires were cunning creatures indeed. He had managed to win Ash over within minutes. I wasn’t surprised; Chase had centuries of charm and manipulation under his belt. But seeing the two of them team up against me at the ice cream stop? That was new territory.

Ash, with his usual energy and excitement, had chosen chocolate—according to Chase suggestion—but like any kid, he also wanted to try every other flavor available. When the ice cream vendor asked if that would be all, Ash gave me the most hopeful look I’d ever seen. It was the kind of look that could melt glaciers, but I wasn’t falling for it. Not today.

"That’s enough, Ash," I said firmly. "One scoop is more than enough for you."

His face fell immediately, the disappointment radiating off him in waves. Before I could feel too guilty, Chase—of course—chimed in, crouching slightly to Ash’s level like he was about to share the world’s greatest secret.

"Why settle for one scoop when you can have every flavor, champ?" Chase said with a grin, his tone light and playful.

I shot him a look that could have curdled milk. Not on my watch. There was no way I was letting my son, sugar-crazed and overexcited, bounce off the walls all afternoon.

"That’s too much sugar for him, Chase," I said sharply. "He doesn’t need that many flavors. And besides, it’s not healthy."

Ash, of course, turned his big, pleading eyes on me, pulling out the ultimate trump card: his birthday. "But it’s my birthday, Mom," he said, his voice soft and sweet, as though he wasn’t trying to play me.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Ash, I’ve already told you—"

"And it’s the one day a year a kid gets to enjoy what he wants," Chase interrupted, standing up and looking at me with that infuriatingly smug expression of his. "Right, Leila?"

I glared at him, but he didn’t back down. If anything, he looked more amused, like he was enjoying this little power struggle.

Ash tugged on my hand. "Please, Mommy? Just this once? It’s my birthday."

I realized Chase must have coached him, and it only made me more annoyed. My traitorous son was fully on Team Chase now, and I was losing this battle.

"Fine," I said, exhaling heavily. "But not every flavor. Five scoops, and that’s it."

Ash’s face lit up, and Chase—smug as ever—stepped forward to place the order. "Four scoops it is. Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, mint and caramel swirl. please."

"Thank you, Uncle Chase!" Ash beamed, and I could feel my irritation growing by the second.

"Unbelievable," I muttered under my breath as we waited for the ice cream. Chase glanced at me with a sly grin, clearly pleased with himself.

By the time Ash got his towering cone of sugary goodness, he was practically bouncing with excitement. We found a bench nearby to sit and eat in peace—or so I thought.

I ate my strawberry ice cream, watching Ash as he tackled his dessert with all the determination of a kid on his birthday. Chase sat next to me, leisurely enjoying his chocolate ice cream like he didn’t have a care in the world.

"You’re going to regret that when he’s bouncing off the walls later," I said, not bothering to hide my annoyance.

Chase smirked. "He’s a wolf, Leila. A little sugar isn’t going to hurt him."

"Still," I said, lowering my voice, "it’s not about what he can handle. It’s about making sure he doesn’t think he can get away with everything just because it’s his birthday."

Chase shrugged, clearly not taking my concerns seriously. "Birthdays are special. Let him enjoy it."

I didn’t respond, focusing instead on Ash, who was now licking the final scoop of his ice cream. As soon as he finished, he hopped off the bench and began running around, his energy spiking as predicted. A couple on the bench next to us had brought their puppies, and Ash, naturally drawn to anything small and furry, ran over to play with them.

I sighed, leaning back against the bench. "See? Sugar rush."

Chase chuckled, his gaze following Ash. "Better that than sitting inside staring at a screen all day. Let him burn it off."

We sat in silence for a while, watching Ash play. Despite my irritation, I couldn’t deny that seeing him so happy made my heart feel full.

"You’ve done a great job with him," Chase said softly after a while.

His words caught me off guard. I turned to him, unsure of how to respond. There was no mockery or smugness in his tone—just quiet sincerity.

"He’s a great kid," Chase continued. "Smart, funny, full of life. You should be proud."

I swallowed hard, looking back at Ash. "He’s all I have," I said simply.

For a moment, Chase didn’t say anything. Then, quietly, he replied, "He’s lucky to have you."

Something in his voice made my chest tighten, but I pushed the feeling aside. There was no use in dwelling on it—not now, when things were so complicated.

Instead, I focused on Ash’s laughter, letting it drown out the noise in my head. For now, that was enough.