Avenging Luna
Chapter 158: First Kiss

Chapter 158: First Kiss

Chase POV:

After taking a moment to calm myself, I went to find Leila. I needed to talk to her—she had to know what I knew, and what I was about to do. I found her in the garden, watching Damond play with Ash. My brother, despite all his talk about disliking kids, was showing off his vampiric speed, zipping around while Ash squealed with delight, begging him to do it again. Typical Damond.

"Leila, can we talk?" I asked, my tone heavy. Her smile faded as she caught sight of my expression. "What’s wrong?" she asked quickly, worry already creeping into her voice.

I shot a sharp look at Damond. "Watch the kid," I told him. "And if anything happens to Ash, you’d better disappear to somewhere I’ll never find you."

Leila called out to Ash, telling him to behave and that she’d be right back, but I was already leading her away.

I pulled Leila into the room, the door shutting with a heavy click behind us. The sound seemed final, almost sealing what was about to happen. My heart thundered in my chest as I turned to her, the weight of everything I’d just learned threatening to spill over like a dam ready to break.

She stood there, arms crossed, eyes narrowing as she studied me. Her expression was guarded, but beneath the defiance, I saw the worry. Leila always tried to act like nothing could touch her, but I’d come to know her better than that. She wasn’t just strong—she was resilient. A survivor. But even the strongest could only carry so much before they broke.

"What’s wrong with you?" she asked, her voice sharp and cutting through the air between us.

I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into my chest. She stiffened for a moment, but I didn’t let go. I couldn’t. I needed her close. Her scent, warm and earthy with a hint of wildness, washed over me, soothing the raging storm in my chest.

"Chase," she murmured, her voice softer now. "You’re scaring me."

Her hands pressed lightly against my chest, not quite pushing me away but not entirely pulling me closer either. I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply. Her presence grounded me, the darkness that always lingered just beneath the surface beginning to recede.

"I need to talk to you," I said finally, my voice rough with emotion.

"Then talk," she said, looking up at me. "What’s going on?"

I hesitated, the words heavy on my tongue. How could I tell her? How could I explain that I’d gone behind her back to dig into the past she’d fought so hard to leave behind?

But she deserved to know.

"I found out about your past," I said, my voice low.

Her eyes widened, shock and something else—betrayal?—flickering across her face. She took a step back, her arms dropping to her sides.

"You what?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I looked into your history," I admitted, watching as her expression shifted from shock to anger.

"Why would you do that?" she demanded, her voice rising. "You had no right, Chase!"

"I know," I said, raising my hands in surrender. "I know I had no right. But I needed to understand, Leila. I needed to know what made you who you are. I needed to know how to help you."

"I didn’t ask for your help," she shot back, her eyes flashing. "I didn’t ask you to dig up things that I’ve tried so hard to forget."

"And that’s the problem," I said, stepping closer. "You’ve tried to forget, but you haven’t healed. You carry the weight of what they did to you every single day, and I can’t stand by and do nothing."

Her jaw tightened, and she turned away from me, her shoulders tense.

"What did you find?" she asked, her voice quieter now.

I hesitated, then said, "Everything. The Moonshine Pack. The Blood Moon Pack. Vanvil. Drake."

She flinched at the mention of his name, and guilt twisted in my chest.

"Leila," I said, stepping closer again. "What they did to you—it was unforgivable. And I won’t let it go unpunished."

She turned to face me, her eyes blazing. "What are you saying?"

"I’m saying that I’m going to make them pay," I said, my voice steady. "Every single one of them. Anyone who ever laid a hand on you, anyone who turned their back on you, anyone who stood by and let it happen—they’re all going to pay."

She stared at me, her lips parted in shock.

"You can’t," she said finally, shaking her head. "You can’t just—"

"I can," I interrupted. "And I will."

For a moment, the room was silent except for the sound of our breathing.

"Chase," she said, her voice trembling. "You don’t understand. If you do this, you’ll be starting a war. And for what? Revenge?"

"Not just revenge," I said, stepping closer until there was barely any space between us. "Justice. For you. For everything you’ve been through. For every moment they stole from you. For every scar they left on your body and your soul."

Her eyes filled with tears, and she looked away, but I reached out and gently cupped her face, turning her back to me.

"You deserve better, Leila," I said softly. "And I’m going to make sure you get it. Even if it means burning the whole damn world to the ground."

She looked at me, her tear-filled eyes a storm of emotions: anger, sadness, confusion, and something else—a flicker of trust that wasn’t fully formed but was beginning to bloom. I held her gaze, willing her to see the truth in my words, the depth of my conviction.

"Why?" she whispered, her voice breaking. "Why do you care so much? Why does it matter to you what happened to me?"

"Because you matter," I said, my voice unwavering. "Because you’re mine, Leila. My mate. My everything. And I’ll be damned if I let anyone get away with hurting you."

Her breath hitched, and for a moment, she looked like she might argue. But then she closed her eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek.

"You don’t have to carry this," she said, her voice barely audible. "I’ve carried it my whole life. I’m used to it."

I shook my head, brushing the tear away with my thumb. "Not anymore. You don’t have to carry it alone anymore, Leila. I’m here now. And I’m not going anywhere."

Her shoulders sagged, the weight of her past seeming to press down on her. Slowly, she leaned into me, her head resting against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her as if I could shield her from everything that had ever hurt her.

For a long moment, we stayed like that, the silence between us heavy but not oppressive.

Finally, she spoke. "Do whatever you need to do, Chase. Just... make sure Ash is safe. That’s all I care about."

Her words sent a wave of relief through me, but they also reignited the fire in my chest. The bastards who had hurt her would pay. Every single one of them.

"I promise," I said, my voice a low growl. "I’ll protect Ash, and I’ll make them pay. All of them."

She pulled back slightly to look at me, her eyes searching mine. "You really mean it, don’t you?"

"With everything I am," I said.

She sighed, her breath warm against my skin. "You’re insane, you know that?"

"Probably," I said, a small smirk tugging at my lips.

Her lips twitched, the hint of a smile breaking through the storm of emotions on her face. It was enough to make my chest ache with the need to see her truly happy.

The room seemed to shift then, the tension between us changing from anger and pain to something else. Something deeper, more primal.

Her gaze flicked to my lips, and I felt my breath hitch. The air between us grew heavy, charged with an energy that neither of us could ignore.

"Chase," she murmured, her voice soft and unsure.

"Leila," I said, my voice low. "Tell me to stop, and I will."

She didn’t say anything. Instead, she stepped closer, her hands resting lightly on my chest. Her touch sent a jolt of electricity through me, and I couldn’t hold back any longer.

I cupped her face in my hands, my thumbs brushing against her cheeks as I leaned down. Our lips met, and it was like the world stopped spinning.

The kiss was soft at first, tentative, as if we were both testing the waters. But then she melted against me, her arms wrapping around my neck, and all the restraint I’d been holding onto shattered.

I deepened the kiss, pouring everything I felt into it—my love, my rage, my need to protect her, my longing to heal her wounds. She responded with equal fervor, her fingers tangling in my hair as she pressed herself closer to me.

It was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. Kissing her was like finding water in a desert, like finally breathing after holding my breath for far too long. It was intoxicating, overwhelming, and utterly perfect.

When we finally pulled apart, we were both breathless, our foreheads resting against each other as we tried to steady ourselves.

"That was..." she began, her voice trailing off.

"Incredible," I finished for her, a small smile tugging at my lips.

She nodded, a shy smile breaking through her usual guarded expression. "Yeah."

I brushed a strand of hair from her face, my fingers lingering on her skin. "I’ve wanted to do that since the moment I met you."

She laughed softly, the sound like music to my ears. "Took you long enough."

"I was waiting for the right moment," I said, smirking.

"And this was it?" she teased, raising an eyebrow.

"This was perfect," I said, my voice serious now.

She looked at me for a long moment, her eyes searching mine. Then she leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my lips.

"Thank you," she whispered against my lips.

"For what?" I asked, pulling back slightly to look at her.

"For caring," she said. "For fighting for me."

I cupped her face again, my thumb brushing against her cheek. "I’ll always fight for you, Leila. Always."

She smiled, and for the first time since I’d met her, it was a genuine, unguarded smile. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.