Avenging Luna
Chapter 144: Fucking Royal

Chapter 144: Fucking Royal

Leila POV:

I shook my head, the weight of it all threatening to crush me. "This is insane," I muttered, pacing the room. "This whole thing is insane. I don’t belong in your world, Chase. And I definitely don’t belong in your father’s castle."

"You belong with me," he said firmly, his voice cutting through my spiraling thoughts. "I don’t care about the castle, or the crown, or any of it. I care about you. About Ash. That’s all that matters to me."

I stopped pacing, my eyes locking with his. For a moment, I wanted to believe him. Wanted to believe that this impossible situation could somehow work. But reality came crashing down, as it always did.

"Even if that’s true," I said quietly, "it doesn’t change the fact that your father is going to see me as a threat. Or worse, as a weakness. You really think he’s going to just sit back and accept this? Accept us?"

Chase’s expression softened, but there was a stubborn set to his jaw that told me he wasn’t going to back down. "I’ll make him accept it," he said. "I’ve faced worse than my father, Leila. I can handle him."

I wanted to believe him. I really did. But all I could think about was Ash. His safety. His future. And the very real possibility that stepping into Chase’s world would put him in more danger than I ever could have imagined.

"You’re asking me to uproot my life for the hundredth time since I met you! You’re asking me to put my son in the middle of a bunch of vampires who probably hate wolves, and you’re asking me to trust that this...this madness will somehow be okay. Do you even hear yourself?"

I was shouting now, my frustration bubbling over into full-blown fury. It was all too much. Too fast, too intense, too...impossible.

Chase took a step closer, his expression softening. "Leila, I’m not trying to take anything from you. I’m trying to protect you. Both of you. If you’ll just—"

"Stop!" I held up a hand, my voice shaking with emotion. "Just stop. I can’t...I can’t deal with this right now."

I turned away from him, my chest heaving as I tried to rein in the storm of emotions threatening to pull me under. Fear, anger, confusion—they all swirled together, choking me.

Behind me, Chase was silent, and for a moment, I thought he might have left the room. But then his voice came, low and steady, the kind of tone that always managed to disarm me, no matter how much I wanted to resist.

"I didn’t tell you because I wanted to scare you or overwhelm you," he said quietly. "I told you because I need you to understand what’s at stake. What’s coming for us. And why I can’t just let you go."

I didn’t turn around, but his words hung heavy in the air, settling into the spaces between my anger and my fear. As much as I hated to admit it, there was a part of me that believed him. A part of me that knew he wasn’t just trying to complicate my life for the fun of it.

But that didn’t mean I was ready to accept it. Not by a long shot.

"I need some air," I muttered, grabbing my jacket from the back of the chair. "Don’t follow me."

"Leila—"

"Don’t follow me." My voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.

And for once, Chase didn’t push. I felt his eyes on me as I walked out the door, but he didn’t call after me. Didn’t try to stop me.

I wasn’t sure if that made me feel better or worse.

Chase’s POV:

Wow. That conversation didn’t just go sideways—it went into another dimension entirely. I didn’t know what to call it—awkward? A disaster? All I knew was that it left me rattled and desperate for a way forward.

Leila’s reaction had been fiery, as I expected, but there was something else under her defiance. Fear. Doubt. And while I wanted to give her space, the idea of her being alone in the city—even for a little while—wasn’t something I could stomach. Not with threats lurking around us.

After making sure Ash was fast asleep, I slipped into the hallway. One of my guards, stationed discreetly in the room next to mine, stepped forward when he saw me.

"Watch the suite," I ordered in a low voice. "Don’t make your presence known unless something goes wrong."

"Yes, Your Highness," he replied with a slight bow, and I felt a twinge of guilt. Leila didn’t know about the guards. She’d probably be furious if she found out. But my priority was her safety, not her approval—at least, that’s what I told myself to justify it.

Leila was already several blocks away, walking briskly, her silhouette illuminated by the glow of streetlights. I stayed in the shadows, moving silently from rooftop to rooftop. She wouldn’t sense me from this distance, not with her wolf blood.

I wasn’t following her to invade her privacy—okay, maybe a little. But mostly, I needed to make sure she was safe. She might hate me for it, but if something happened to her because I wasn’t there, I’d never forgive myself.

She turned down a quieter street, her posture tense. She wasn’t just wandering aimlessly—she had a purpose. I dropped lower, following her through the maze of alleyways until she reached what looked like an old café, closed for the night.

Leila glanced over her shoulder, and I pressed myself against the rooftop edge, holding my breath. Had she sensed me?

Her hand hovered near the door, and for a moment, she hesitated. Then she exhaled and stepped inside.

I frowned. What was she doing in a place like this at this hour?

I waited a few beats, debating whether to follow her inside. My instincts screamed to go after her, but I knew she’d never forgive me if I overstepped. So I stayed put, watching the entrance like a hawk.

Minutes ticked by, feeling like hours. My nerves were on edge, every muscle in my body coiled tight. What could she possibly be doing in there?

Finally, the door creaked open, and Leila stepped out, her expression troubled. She didn’t look hurt—thank the gods—but something about her demeanor set off alarm bells in my head.

I followed her as she made her way back to the suite, her pace slower this time, almost hesitant. When she finally slipped inside, I stayed perched on the rooftop for a moment, watching the windows.

What had she been doing? What had her so rattled?

Whatever it was, I’d find out.