Avenging Luna -
Chapter 135: Rich Uncle
Chapter 135: Rich Uncle
Chase POV:
I took Ash into my arms, lifting him onto my shoulder as I felt the weight of what was coming—though I couldn’t yet fully explain it to either of them. Ash, bless his little heart, was completely oblivious to the growing danger, his laughter still light as he swung his legs, kicking his feet in the air.
Leila, however, was a different story. I could feel her tension, the way her body stiffened with each passing second, her sharp eyes scanning the room as if the threat could be lurking behind any corner. I didn’t need to ask—she had felt it too. Whatever was coming wasn’t a coincidence. It was an attack. Or at the very least, a message.
I moved quickly, walking toward where Leila was standing. She didn’t take her eyes off the crowd, her gaze flicking from one person to the next, calculating, analyzing. It was obvious she was making a plan in her head, and I didn’t want to interrupt it, but I also didn’t want to risk her getting caught off guard.
"Mummy, what’s wrong?" Ash’s innocent voice broke through the tension, his little head poking around as he looked at Leila, clearly concerned.
Leila’s expression softened for a moment, but I saw the flicker of resolve in her eyes. Whatever was happening, she wasn’t going to let it affect Ash. She was a mother, and protecting him came first.
"Nothing, baby," she said with a calm that was anything but genuine. "We just remembered something important that we must do."
Her words were comforting, but I could tell she was masking the urgency beneath. She quickly knelt down, removing Ash’s skates and replacing them with his sneakers in a fluid motion, her hands moving with practiced efficiency. I followed suit, taking off my own skates and slipping on my boots without missing a beat.
I watched her every move, silently agreeing with her decision to get Ash out of there as quickly as possible. We needed to leave.
I glanced around the rink once more. The crowd was still milling about, some people skating, others chatting and laughing. But I could feel it now—there was a quiet tension in the air. People were acting like they didn’t notice anything, but I knew better. The predator was here, hidden in plain sight. And we were in the middle of it.
Leila stood up, and for the first time tonight, I saw her eyes narrow, her body rigid. She was ready.
I gently placed Ash down, setting him on the floor next to me as I crouched down, my hand on his small shoulder. "Listen, buddy, I need you to stay close to us, okay? Don’t wander off."
He nodded enthusiastically, though I could see the confusion still lingering in his eyes. I didn’t want to scare him, but I knew I had to prepare him for what was coming.
Leila stood tall beside me, glancing over her shoulder one more time, a look of determination etched into her features. She wasn’t just a mother now—she was a fighter, and I respected her for it. I didn’t know who was behind this, but I did know one thing: if anyone was going to protect Ash, it was her.
"We need to leave now," she said, her voice steady, but there was a quickness to her movements as she reached down to take Ash’s hand. She didn’t ask if he was ready. She was just acting.
I nodded, watching the door. I felt the heavy weight of the unknown bearing down on me.
The footsteps that had been haunting me earlier were growing louder. The scent, too—faint but unmistakable, mixing with the other human odors in the room. It was a supernatural presence, something I knew all too well. But it was a scent I hadn’t encountered in years, not since—
No. I couldn’t think about that now. I needed to focus on the here and now.
"Let’s go," I said, my voice a low growl as I moved in front of them, positioning myself between Ash and the possible threat. I could feel the rush of adrenaline, the surge of protectiveness flooding my veins. I would do anything to keep them safe.
Leila was already moving, her steps quick, efficient. I didn’t question where she was going—I just knew that following her instincts was the best option. She moved like a shadow, weaving through the crowd, and I stayed a step behind, making sure nothing could sneak up on us.
Ash, for his part, was as energetic as ever. He didn’t seem to understand the gravity of the situation, but I could see the way he looked up at Leila, his small hand gripping hers tightly. He was trusting her, and that was more than enough for me.
But then I felt it. The air shifted. A ripple, subtle but unmistakable. Someone was moving toward us, too quickly, too quietly.
I turned just in time to see a figure emerging from the crowd, their face obscured by a hood. But the scent—I knew that scent. It was one I had never forgotten.
....
As we stepped outside, the cool evening air hit me, but it didn’t do much to settle the fire burning in my veins. I glanced at Leila, my gaze searching hers. There was so much I wanted to say, so much I needed to explain, but I knew this moment had to come first.
"Do you trust me?" I asked her softly, my voice calm, despite the urgency I was feeling inside.
She didn’t hesitate. "No," she replied immediately.
I couldn’t help but smile, a dark and almost smug grin that tugged at the corners of my lips. "Good," I answered, though it wasn’t quite the answer I was looking for. I had expected nothing less from her. Leila was cautious, protective—especially when it came to Ash. She had every right to be skeptical.
Before she could protest, before she could question what I was about to do, I reached down, picking Ash up in my arms. He squirmed a little but didn’t seem to mind, too busy taking in the sights around him.
I took a step toward her, and in one swift motion, I placed my hand on her waist, pulling her against me. Her eyes widened in surprise, and I could feel the tension in her body as she tried to figure out what I was doing. But it was too late.
With a deep breath, I concentrated on the energy pulsing through my veins, pulling it all together, and before she could react, I teleported us.
The world around us spun into a blur of lights and colors as we reappeared in my suite.
Leila stumbled out of my arms, her eyes wide with shock as she took in our new surroundings. She wasn’t even looking at me, just looking around, her breaths coming a little faster now, as though trying to understand what had just happened.
"Vampires can do that?" she asked, her voice incredulous, still processing.
I smirked, trying to keep my own breath steady. "Something like that," I replied nonchalantly, though it was anything but. In truth, this wasn’t a power I had used often, especially not for someone else. But when you imprint on someone, like I had on Ash, certain abilities become available to you—teleportation, being one of them. A vampire who has imprinted on someone can teleport to them instantly when called. It’s one of the few perks that comes with the bond.
But I couldn’t explain that to her—not yet. I wasn’t ready to tell her the full truth, not when she was still so uncertain about everything.
Leila finally looked at me, her eyes narrowing. "Why did you take us here?" she asked, her voice low and filled with suspicion. She was already moving toward the door, ready to leave.
I moved quickly to block her path, my hand going to her arm gently but firmly, keeping her in place. "It’s the only place I could think of where you wouldn’t try to kill me on sight," I said, my tone casual but with an underlying seriousness. "Or I could’ve taken you back to my home, but I figured you wouldn’t like that either."
She looked at me for a long moment, clearly weighing her options, but before she could say anything, Ash started wriggling in my arms, clearly anxious to get down and explore. He was a curious little thing, and I knew that any distraction was more than enough to break Leila’s focus.
"Wow, Uncle Chase, do you have superpowers?" Ash asked in awe, his wide eyes shining as he glanced around the room.
I chuckled softly, finding his innocent curiosity almost too much to handle. The kid was a breath of fresh air in a world that had been so suffocating. He had no idea what was going on—just enjoying the ride.
Leila shot me a look, her cheeks turning bright red at the mention of "uncle." She had made it clear that she didn’t want Ash calling me that, and I didn’t blame her. This whole situation was so complicated. I wasn’t about to force that relationship on her. But the way Ash said it—so innocently—made my heart swell.
"Where are we?" Ash asked, his voice filled with wonder as he turned his attention back to me.
I set him down gently, ruffling his hair as I bent down to his level. "This is my place," I said with a smile, trying to sound as casual as possible.
Ash’s eyes widened even more. "Are you rich?" he whispered, his voice tinged with disbelief.
I looked up at Leila, who had gone from mortified to outright flustered in an instant. "Ashton!" she called out, her tone sharp, but I could see the embarrassment in her eyes. She didn’t want him to be asking questions like that.
I couldn’t help myself. I laughed, the sound echoing in the suite. Leila looked at me, giving me that exasperated look that, for once, didn’t bother me in the slightest. In fact, it made me smile wider.
"Don’t worry, Leila," I teased, my voice laced with amusement. "I’m not that rich." I shot a wink at Ash. "Just a little bit."
Ash’s eyes sparkled with mischief. "So, you’re super rich," he said, turning to look at his mom, completely oblivious to her mortification.
Leila’s face was practically the color of a ripe tomato, her hands flying to her face in embarrassment. She shot me a glare, but there was something softer beneath it—a little bit of affection, maybe. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part.
"I swear," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head. "I’m going to have to have a talk with you two later."
Ash, still excited by all the newness, bounced on his feet. "So, what else do you have here? Do you have cool stuff? Like... like a pool or a big TV?"
I chuckled, glancing at Leila. "A pool? Well, that’s a bit of a stretch. But we’ve got a lot of other stuff."
Ash beamed. "Cool!"
Leila, still trying to compose herself, crossed her arms. "I need to talk to you," she said, her voice no longer light. The amusement was gone, replaced with something more serious.
I nodded, my grin slowly fading as I recognized the shift in her demeanor. "Yeah, I know," I said softly.
I could feel it—the tension in the room, the weight of the words we still had yet to exchange. There was a storm brewing, something I couldn’t put off for much longer.
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