Avenging Luna
Chapter 94: Little Ash

Chapter 94: Little Ash

Leila’s POV:

The sterile scent of the hospital clung to me as Drake guided me down the cold, brightly lit hallway. My legs felt shaky, and I leaned heavily on the wheelchair they had insisted I use. The aftermath of the surgery still had my body weak, and the emotional storm inside me made it all worse. But all of that faded as we reached the doors of the neonatal unit, the only thing on my mind was seeing my baby boy.

Our baby.

I glanced at Drake, who stood by my side in silent guilt, his face drawn tight with tension. The bond between us, once so strong and secure, now felt like a fragile thread on the verge of snapping. My anger toward him still simmered beneath the surface, raw and unhealed. But I pushed those feelings aside for now, focusing on the one thing that mattered more than my hurt and his betrayal—our son.

The nurse at the door greeted us with a soft, understanding smile, and as she ushered us inside, my heart began to pound in my chest. The sight of all the tiny incubators lined up made my stomach twist with both excitement and fear. This was it. I was about to meet my baby, the little life that had grown inside me for the past seven months.

Drake followed closely behind, silent and heavy, but I refused to look at him. I couldn’t, not when my emotions were still so raw and tangled. I couldn’t let him take away this moment from me, the moment I had fought for, the one I’d almost lost.

The nurse led us to one of the incubators in the far corner, and my breath caught in my throat as I saw him for the first time. He was so small, impossibly small, his tiny body swaddled in a soft blanket, his skin still flushed with the warmth of the machines surrounding him. His chest rose and fell in shallow, rhythmic breaths, and tears instantly

His chest rose and fell in shallow, rhythmic breaths, and tears instantly welled up in my eyes. He was perfect. So tiny, so delicate, but perfect in every way. I couldn’t take my eyes off him, mesmerized by the little tuft of dark hair on his head, his tiny hands curled into gentle fists. He was a miracle—a miracle I almost lost.

"Oh my Goddess..." I whispered, my voice barely audible as I leaned closer to the glass. My hands trembled as I reached out, wanting nothing more than to hold him, to feel his warmth against me, but the nurse gently placed a hand on my shoulder, stopping me.

"Not yet," she said softly. "He’s still fragile, but soon, you’ll be able to hold him. I promise."

I nodded, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat, but the overwhelming need to touch him, to hold him, gnawed at me. I was his mother. I had carried him inside me. I needed to feel him.

"Can I... can I at least touch him?" I asked, my voice breaking.

The nurse gave me a kind smile. "Of course. Just be gentle, okay?"

I carefully reached through the small opening in the side of the incubator and lightly brushed my fingers against his tiny hand. The warmth of his skin sent a wave of relief through me, but it was fleeting. His small fingers twitched at my touch, and a tiny whimper escaped his lips. My heart melted instantly, and the tears I had been holding back spilled down my cheeks.

"Hey, little one," I whispered, barely able to contain the emotion that was threatening to overwhelm me. "I’m your mama."

My voice cracked as I said the words. He was real, here in front of me, after everything I had been through. All the pain, all the fear, all the doubt—it didn’t matter anymore. He was here. He was mine.

But then the anger resurfaced, the bitter memory of what I had been through—what *we* had been through. My mind flashed back to the bottle of wolfsbane, to the way Drake had accused me, doubted me, thought I was capable of hurting our baby. The same baby I was looking at now with all the love I could possibly feel.

I pulled my hand back slowly, letting the small warmth fade away, and glanced over at Drake. He stood a few feet behind me, staring down at our son with a look of quiet reverence. His expression was one of awe, but I could see the guilt etched into every line of his face.

He hadn’t said anything yet. He hadn’t apologized. And maybe, in his mind, he thought there was nothing to apologize for. After all, I had been the one with wolfsbane in my system. The test results had proven it. But I hadn’t taken it. I hadn’t, and he hadn’t believed me.

I turned back to the incubator, my heart aching as I watched our son, so small, so fragile. The bond I felt with him was immediate, primal, but it was tainted by the knowledge that Drake had doubted me when I needed him most.

"What are you going to name him?" the nurse asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I hadn’t even thought about it. Not properly. There had been so much chaos, so much fear, that I hadn’t let myself think about names. But now, as I looked at him, the answer came to me like it had always been there, waiting.

"Ash," I whispered softly, the name rolling off my tongue like it had been meant for him all along. "His name is Ash."

The nurse smiled and nodded. "That’s a beautiful name."

I nodded too, staring down at Ash, my son. My heart swelled with love for him, but at the same time, the weight of everything else hung over me like a storm cloud.

Drake shifted behind me, as if he wanted to say something, but I wasn’t ready to hear it. I wasn’t ready to hear him apologize, or worse, try to explain away his actions. The wounds were still too fresh. The betrayal too deep.

I wiped away the tears from my cheeks, but the sadness clung to me like a second skin. How was I supposed to move past this? How was I supposed to forgive him when I could barely forgive myself for not seeing the signs sooner?

"Leila," Drake finally spoke, his voice low and hesitant. "I..."

"Don’t," I cut him off, my voice sharp and cold. I turned to face him, my eyes burning with unshed tears and anger. "Don’t say anything, Drake. Not right now. I can’t..."

He winced at my words, his face tightening, but he didn’t argue. He just nodded, swallowing back whatever he was about to say.

There was a time when I would’ve found comfort in his presence, when his steady strength would’ve been enough to get me through any storm. But right now, standing here with the truth between us like a jagged blade, all I felt was the deep divide that had formed between us.

I looked away from him, focusing again on Ash. The innocence of his small, fragile body was the only thing keeping me grounded right now. His tiny breaths, the soft rise and fall of his chest, were the only thing that mattered.

"I need time," I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. "I need time to process everything, Drake. I can’t... I can’t do this with you right now."

Drake didn’t respond immediately. I could feel his hurt through our bond, the confusion and regret swirling around him, but I didn’t care. Not right now.

"I understand," he finally said, his voice thick with emotion. "I’m not going anywhere, Leila. I’m here for you... for both of you."

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to feel reassured by his words, but the sting of betrayal was still too sharp, too fresh. I couldn’t let go of it, not yet.

The nurse quietly excused herself, giving us space, but I barely registered her leaving. All my focus was on the tiny life in front of me, and the jagged pieces of my heart that were struggling to fit back together.

"I’ll give you some space," Drake said softly, taking a step back. "But I’ll be here, Leila. Always."

Without another word, he left the room, and the silence that followed was suffocating. For a moment, I closed my eyes, letting the tears fall freely. I hadn’t realized how heavy everything had become until I was here, alone, with just my thoughts and the weight of all the hurt I had been carrying.

I turned back to Ash, my chest tightening again, but this time it wasn’t from fear or anger. It was from love. Pure, unfiltered love for the tiny boy in the incubator, my son, my miracle.

"I’ll protect you," I whispered to him, my voice filled with quiet determination. "I’ll always protect you, no matter what."

And as I stared down at him, I knew that no matter what happened between Drake and me, my priority was now this little life. He was my everything.

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