Avenging Luna
Chapter 183: We Were To Have Forever

Chapter 183: We Were To Have Forever

Chase’s POV:

I couldn’t stop imagining what I would do to the world, to anyone who had the misfortune of crossing my path. I wanted to rip it all apart, to destroy everything and everyone until the pain that seared through my chest matched the destruction around me.

The vampire in me whispered promises of vengeance, of endless bloodshed. My vision turned red, the room blurring as the monster within clawed its way to the surface.

"Chase!" Damon’s voice cut through the haze like a blade, sharp and commanding.

I blinked, my head snapping toward him. He stood a few feet away, his gaze steady but filled with concern. "Snap out of it!" he barked. "Ash needs you. She needs you."

The words hit me like a thunderclap, shaking me from the precipice of madness.

Ash.

I looked down at the small, fragile boy in my arms, his tear-streaked face pressed against my chest. His trembling fingers clutched at me, as if I was his last lifeline.

My son.

Leila’s son.

The fragile bond between us hummed faintly, and I realized that if I gave in now, if I let the darkness take me, I would fail him too.

"She’s gone, Chase," Damon said, his voice softer now but no less firm. "But you’re not. And Ash needs you. Don’t let her sacrifice be for nothing."

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat threatening to choke me. The vampire in me still howled for blood, but Damon’s words pulled me back, grounding me.

I closed my eyes, focusing on Ash’s small, fragile form against me, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest.

"I can’t..." My voice cracked, barely more than a whisper. "I can’t do this without her."

"You have to," Damon said, stepping closer. "For him. For her memory. Leila wouldn’t want this."

I nodded weakly, though the weight in my chest didn’t lighten.

As I looked back at Leila’s lifeless body, the rage simmered beneath the surface, tempered only by the fragile hope that I could still protect the one piece of her she’d left behind.

Ash stirred, his tiny voice breaking through my thoughts. "Uncle Chase?" he whispered, his words trembling. "Is Mommy gonna wake up?"

My heart shattered all over again.

I pressed a kiss to his forehead, my voice thick with emotion as I whispered, "Mommy loves you, Ash. Always. And I promise, I’ll keep you safe."

For Leila.

For Ash.

For the piece of her that still lived on in him.

I would carry on. But the fire for vengeance burned brighter than ever.

Ace’s death wasn’t enough. Nothing would be enough until I tore apart the very foundation of those who had taken her from me.

This wasn’t over.

Not until the world felt my wrath.

But I would keep going. For him. For her.

As I cradled Ash in my arms, my gaze drifted back to Leila’s lifeless form, and a fresh wave of anguish tore through me.

I swore in that moment, with her blood still warm on my hands, that Ace’s death wasn’t enough. I would burn down the entire world if it meant avenging her.

This wasn’t over.

Not by a long shot.

I crouched, pressing a trembling kiss to Ash’s forehead. His small, tear-streaked face tore at my soul. He clung to me like his life depended on it, and maybe it did. But I couldn’t let him stay here. Not in this place.

I looked over at Damon, who was already surveying the room with grim determination. "Take him," I said, my voice rough and uneven. "Get him out of here. Watch over him. Don’t let him out of your sight."

Damon stepped forward, his face tight with understanding. "Chase—"

"Now, Damon," I snapped, the sharpness in my tone making Ash flinch in my arms. I immediately softened, cupping Ash’s cheek gently. "You’ll be safe with Uncle Damon," I whispered. "Go with him, little one. I’ll see you soon, I promise."

Ash whimpered but reluctantly let go, his tiny arms releasing their grip on my neck as Damon scooped him up. Damon gave me one last look, his expression torn between sympathy and worry. "Don’t lose yourself here, Chase."

I didn’t respond, couldn’t respond. My focus was elsewhere—on her.

As Damon carried Ash out, I turned back to Leila’s still form. She lay in a pool of her own blood, her eyes closed as if she were merely asleep. If not for the crimson that marred her neck and dress, one might have thought she was simply resting.

Even in death, she was beautiful.

A lump formed in my throat as I knelt beside her, my hands trembling as I gently cradled her in my arms. Her body was lifeless, but to me, she still felt warm, as if her soul lingered just beneath the surface.

"I didn’t even get to enjoy a life with you," I murmured, my voice cracking. "You were supposed to be mine forever, Leila. We were supposed to have forever."

The words felt hollow, echoing in the empty space of my heart.

The guards shifted uncomfortably nearby, their expressions a mixture of pity and unease. I turned my gaze to them, my voice cold and commanding. "Don’t touch her."

They flinched at the steel in my tone, quickly bowing their heads.

"I will carry her back myself," I continued, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. "She’s my mate. She deserves better than to be handled like...like this."

Carefully, I slipped my arms under her, lifting her as if she were made of glass. The weight of her absence was heavier than the weight of her body in my arms.

"Burn it," I said, my voice deadly calm as I turned to the guards. "The entire place. Every room, every corner. I want this hellhole reduced to ash. Let it stand as a warning to anyone who dares seek refuge here."

The guards hesitated for a moment before nodding and moving to carry out my orders.

I didn’t look back as I carried Leila out of the cursed house. The stench of blood, death, and despair clung to me, but all I could focus on was the woman in my arms.

Her face was serene, her long lashes brushing against pale cheeks. Her lips, once so full of life and love, were now motionless.

I walked in silence, the night pressing down on me like a suffocating weight.

The fire began behind me, the orange glow illuminating the darkness as the house was engulfed in flames. I didn’t stop, didn’t turn around.

To make matters worse, everyone responsible for this nightmare was already dead. Ace’s lifeless body was left where it had fallen, his unbeating heart crushed to dust in my hand. Drake’s wolf form lay a crumpled heap, his blood staining the ground where I’d torn his heart out.

There was no one left to take my anger out on. No one left to punish for what they’d done.

I felt a roar of frustration building in my chest, a sound too raw and too primal to contain. It ripped from my throat, echoing into the night and scattering what little courage the guards might have had. They stayed back, not daring to approach me as I stood there, clutching the lifeless body of my mate.

What was the point of my power if I couldn’t use it to protect her? What was the use of my strength if I couldn’t save the one person who mattered most?

The weight of helplessness crushed me as I stared down at her serene face. Leila didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve to be a casualty of Ace’s twisted games or Drake’s misplaced anger.

And I—

I didn’t deserve to still be standing here. Not when she was gone.

I should’ve been able to save her. Should’ve been fast enough to stop Ace’s blade. Should’ve been strong enough to protect her from every single threat.

But I wasn’t.

And now, with all those bastards dead, there was no outlet for the storm raging inside me.

I wanted to rip the world apart. To tear down everything until it matched the ruin I felt inside. But all I could do was stand there, helpless and hollow, as her blood soaked into my clothes and the fire from the house crackled behind me.

I looked down at her again, my throat tightening. Even in death, she was stunning, her beauty untainted by the horrors of what had happened.

A cruel joke, really.

I clenched my teeth, my jaw aching as I fought back the torrent of emotions threatening to drown me. My rage. My guilt. My grief.

"You were supposed to have forever," I whispered. "We were supposed to have forever."

But forever was stolen from us, and there was no one left alive to make them pay.

The fire behind me roared, the flames consuming the house and everything in it. It felt poetic in a way—burning down the very place that had taken her from me. But it wasn’t enough.

It would never be enough.

Leila deserved vengeance, and I was left standing here with no one to unleash it on.