Avenging Luna
Chapter 175: Wrath of a Mother

Chapter 175: Wrath of a Mother

LEILA POV:

No fucking vampire was going to hurt my baby and get away with it. Not one. The image of my little Ash, forced to shift for the first time—so small, so scared, so vulnerable—just to protect himself, haunted me. It burned in my mind, igniting a fury I couldn’t contain, one that radiated through every fiber of my being. He wasn’t ready for that. He shouldn’t have had to endure it yet.

The guilt weighed heavier than anything I’d ever carried before. I’d failed him. I’d failed my son. While my baby was fighting for his life, I was distracted, rolling around in the sheets with Chase, caught up in the moment, oblivious to the fear and desperation that had clawed at Ash in those terrifying minutes.

I had chosen pleasure over vigilance, indulgence over protection. And now my little boy had paid the price.

I hated myself for it.

But not as much as I hated the vampires who dared to corner him, to terrify him, to force his tiny body into a premature shift to save himself. The rage inside me was volcanic, bubbling and threatening to consume everything in its path. I wouldn’t stop until I had hunted down every last one of them.

And the fool who had issued the order? Their death wouldn’t be quick.

My paws pounded heavily against the cold stone floors of the palace halls, each step reverberating like thunder. My wolf snarled within me, urging me forward, ready to unleash the fury of a mother scorned. My pristine white coat glimmered under the dim torchlight, but I felt nothing of the beauty Chase always admired. Right now, I was nothing but a force of vengeance.

The mother-child link hummed like a lifeline in the back of my mind. It was a bond I’d cherished since the day I bore Ash, one that allowed me to feel his emotions and send mine in return. Normally, I kept it dialed back, only tapping into it when necessary. Ash was still young and mischievous, and I hadn’t taught him how to fully control it yet. I didn’t want him abusing the link for pranks or to play around, as he would undoubtedly try.

But tonight, I had done the unthinkable—I’d blocked it completely.

Why? Because I wanted to focus on my time with Chase. I didn’t want to risk sending any stray emotions to Ash that could confuse or overwhelm him. I’d convinced myself it was for his sake, but the truth was, I’d been selfish.

That decision haunted me now.

While I had been lost in the throes of passion, my little boy had been crying out for me, his panic rippling through the bond I’d cut off. I had ignored my instincts, ignored the silent alarms that something was wrong, all because I wanted to indulge myself.

And it cost me.

The moment I reconnected with the link, the flood of emotions hit me like a tidal wave. The fear, the confusion, the raw terror he’d felt—it was unbearable. And through it all, I saw their faces. The vampires who had dared to point their weapons at my son. The ones who had backed him into a corner, forcing him to shift when he wasn’t ready.

They should have come for me.

I would have fought them head-on. I would have ripped them apart with my claws, snarled my defiance into their faces, and moved on with my life. But they didn’t. They went after Ash.

That was their first—and last—mistake.

My claws scraped against the floor as I rounded a corner, my senses locked onto their scent. They were close. My wolf snarled louder, pacing inside me like a caged animal. Images of Ash, trembling and scared, filled my mind again, adding fuel to the fire.

No one—no one—hurts my son and lives to tell about it.

The guilt I carried didn’t dull my rage; it sharpened it. Yes, I had failed to protect him in that moment, but I wouldn’t fail now. They would pay, every last one of them. Their screams would echo in the halls of this palace, a warning to anyone else who thought they could lay a hand on my boy.

They thought they could prey on the weak, on a pup still learning his place in the world. But they underestimated me. They underestimated the fury of a mother wolf.

And when I was done with them, there would be nothing left to underestimate.

They messed with the wrong pup. And they messed with the wrong mother.

They had made their bed, and now they were going to lie in it.

The faces of the vampires who had cornered Ash were etched into my mind. Their fear, their surprise at seeing him shift, their cruel intentions—all of it was seared into my memory like a brand. They thought they were untouchable, hidden behind their arrogance and the false sense of superiority that came with their age and power.

But they’d forgotten something crucial: the wrath of a mother.

My claws clicked against the stone floor as I stalked through the halls, the sound a metronome of impending doom. My wolf was at the forefront, her fury coiled tight and ready to strike. Every step brought me closer to the scent trail I was following, the unmistakable stench of their treachery.

I had seen what they’d done through the bond I shared with Ash. The way they had backed him into a corner, their cruel smirks as they thought they’d won. They had dared to threaten my son, to traumatize him, to force him into his first shift when he wasn’t ready. And for what? Their ignorance? Their baseless assumptions that he could harm a king?

They’d made their choice.

Now, they would face the consequences.

I didn’t hesitate as I pushed open the door to the hall where they were being held. The guards stationed there bowed their heads in respect, but I didn’t acknowledge them. My focus was solely on the vampires inside, the ones who had dared to hurt my baby.

The moment I stepped in, the room fell silent.

Five pairs of eyes turned to me, and I saw their expressions shift—confusion, arrogance, and finally, fear. They hadn’t expected me. They hadn’t expected the mother of the boy they’d tried to break.

But here I was.

"Leila," one of them began, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke my name.

I didn’t let him finish.

I pounced without warning, my wolf exploding forward in a blur of white fur and raw power. The sound of tearing fabric and the snap of bones was drowned out by the low, guttural growl that rumbled from my chest. My claws dug into the stone as I advanced, my golden eyes locked onto them.

They scrambled back, their confidence crumbling like dust.

"You thought you could hurt my son and walk away?" I snarled, my voice a growl that carried through the room.

"W-We didn’t know—" another stammered, his fear palpable.

"You didn’t know?" I snapped, my claws raking the ground. "You didn’t know he was just a child? That he couldn’t fight back? That he was my

They were silent, their excuses dying on their tongues.

"You made your bed," I said, stepping closer, my wolf practically vibrating with the need for retribution. "And now, you’ll lie in it."

One of them tried to run, his vampiric speed carrying him toward the door. But I was faster. I leaped, my claws catching his shoulder and slamming him into the ground. He cried out as I pinned him beneath me, my teeth bared inches from his face.

"You’re not going anywhere," I growled, my voice low and dangerous.

The others froze, too afraid to move. Good. Let them watch. Let them see what happens when you mess with a mother’s child.

But before I could deliver the punishment they deserved, a voice cut through the tension.

"Leila."

It was Chase.

I didn’t look at him. I couldn’t. The fury in me was too great, too consuming. But I heard the urgency in his voice, the unspoken plea.

"Leila," he said again, stepping closer. "You’ve made your point."

"They haven’t paid," I said, my voice a snarl.

"And they will," he said. "But not like this."

For a moment, I hesitated, my claws digging into the vampire beneath me. The need for vengeance was overwhelming, the rage burning hotter than anything I’d ever felt. But Chase’s voice was steady, grounding me, pulling me back from the edge.

"Your son needs you," he said softly. "Not a mother consumed by anger, but the strong, loving woman who would do anything for him."

His words struck a chord, cutting through the haze of my fury. Slowly, I stepped back, releasing the vampire from my grip. He scrambled away, his fear etched into every movement.

But my eyes never left them.

"You’re alive because of my son," I said, my voice cold and sharp as ice. "Remember that."

Without another word, I turned and walked out, my claws retracting as I forced my wolf back. Chase followed behind me, silent but present.

The rage still simmered beneath my skin, but it was tempered now, controlled. I would protect my son, no matter what it took. And while those vampires might have escaped my wrath today, they wouldn’t forget the lesson they’d learned.

They had made their bed.

And one day, they would lie in it.