“I put Amara to bed, you need anything before I retire?” Kelvin asks Leila later that evening as she fiddles with her laptop in her room.Leila turns to him with a sullen look in her eyes. Ever since she tossed that paper out of the car, all she can feel is rage, five long years gone but her anger is still as palpable as the day she rejected Tatum and jumped off that cliff.She hates him, she hates both of them and she doesn’t wish them well in their so-called marriage.What even took them five years, she expected them to have multiple kids by now.She knows Kelvin anonymously brought it to her attention as a way of asking if she has moved on without them having to talk about it but the bitterness and anger coursing through her is unbearable.Remembering how much she fought to stay by Tatum’s side, only for it to mean nothing in the end breaks her.If she did not have Kelvin by her side, encouraging and helping her, especially in the early months after she left, she would have died f
When Leila opens her eyes, the next morning, she hears the sound of a man’s slow heavy breath behind her in bed, his arms firmly wrapped around her, their body pressed tightly against each other and Leila slightly shifts her butt away from the hard thing pressing against her thigh, feeling embarrassed but she doesn’t wake Kelvin up. She spins slowly in his arms and studies his face while he sleeps, he is handsome and looks almost like an angel in his sleep. He is an angel even when he is awake. Without him, she would not be alive and he has saved her life numerous times on different occasions, putting his life at risk, the hideous scars on his forearm are testament to that. She knows Kelvin is in love with her, it came to her as a brutal shock when he told her that he has always been in love with her about five years ago, two months after they settled into the Bayview pack, thanks to Kelvin’s family business investments in the pack. It was the day she went into premature labour, s
“Aunty Amanda, I will be having a girls sleepover tonight,” Amara says into the iPad standing on the dining table as she has her dinner.After helping Leila and Kelvin escape, Amanda knew she would be the next target and she moved to Kelvin’s uncle pack the following day with the help of Curtis.Luckily for her, a doctor with her versatile skill was just what the pack needed at the time and she quickly secured a job at the hospital.Amanda was with Leila throughout the final days of labour, as gruesome as it was, she never left Leila’s side and she stayed for months after delivery before she returned back.Amanda chuckles. “Is that so cupcake, how many of your friends are coming over?”“None of them, I’m going over to Kate’s—”“Amara!” Leila calls, stepping into the living room.“Kate’s mom is here. Do you have everything you need?” “Yes mama,” Amara replies sharply, jumps down from the chair and runs into her room.She returns with a huge backpack and waves Leila goodbye as she run
He regains himself and takes slow calculated steps towards her, taking glances at the items on the mat. “What’s the occasion and where’s my little dove? She didn’t come out to welcome me.” “Well….I thought maybe you’d like to spend some alone time with your original little dove,” Leila says in a slow coquettish tone, feeling her heart slam against her rib cage. She doesn’t know what she is doing or if she is doing it right but it seems to be working as Kelvin cannot take his eyes off her and she can hear the heavy thudding of his heart. “We could have just eaten out though, you didn’t have to go through the trouble,” Kelvin says, glancing at the array of dishes in front of them as he sits beside her. “I know,” Leila replies, “I just wanted the evening to feel more…intimate.” She stretches her trembling hands and takes Kelvin’s hands in hers, rubbing it against hers softly, feeling like her heart wants to tear out of her chest. Kelvin stays mute, just staring at her like he is hy
“It just doesn’t make any sense,” Leila says in a clearly angered tone, stuffing clothes into a box. “Why now? I mean why after fifteen good years. What’s the point? We are his family, we should be the ones seeking justice. If they cared about him so much, why didn’t they look into it after his death, they’re just going to put my innocent mother through unnecessary trauma. I hate them all.”Kelvin sighs, zipping the box full of Amara’s clothes. “Look on the bright side, we could get evidence to find those rogues who did it.”“I know who did it,” Leila replies sharply, her cold gaze flushed with anger. “It was Carmela’s father, I’m certain of it.”“But without proof, those are just mere accusations. I know you are angry and you want revenge on those who hurt you and your family, believe me, I do too but we have to pick our fights wisely.”Leila groans, dropping on the bed defeatedly, hanging her head before she raises it to look at Kelvin with a sullen look in her eyes.“She should hav
She wipes the corner of her mouth to see Kelvin holding Amara by the car but they are not the only ones looking at her, several pack members passing by have also recognised her and they are not subtle with their stares. Many look genuinely shocked to see her, whispering among themselves, most of them hold nasty glares on their faces as they stare at her but none of them say a word or come close to her as she returns to the car. She was expecting at least one of them to come at her, considering how they took torches to the Alpha’s house, demanding her death and chased her till she jumped off the cliff. As Leila’s car pulls closer to her mother’s house who Tatum has placed under house arrest with several pack warriors guarding her, Leila notices men in construction gear and overall taking measurements on a large parcel of undeveloped land belonging to her family. Is her mom planning to do something with it after all these years, but she would mention it to her if she was. She shrugs
Leila nudges Kelvin with a playful smile on her lips but he smiles wryly at her, a smile that barely reaches his eyes.She doesn’t miss it and she knows it’s because he thinks she may still have feelings for Tatum.Why can’t he understand that Tatum is as far from her heart as the sun is from the earth, if not more?How can she get him to see and believe that?She turns to her mom.“Mom, I saw some men doing some work on the land dad was going to build his mall on, is that you?” Liana scoffs, a nasty sneer covering her eyes. “I wish it was,” she replies, taking a sip from her drink and her eyes turn sombre.“About a month ago, I got a letter from the council of elders that the land hasn’t been developed in two decades and by law, they have the right to repossess it and give it to a new owner, of course after giving us due compensation. Trust your mother to refuse and provide proof that your father has only owned the land for nineteen years and eight months, making them halt on the m
“It was important to see our mother first, we needed to ascertain the state of her wellbeing,” Kelvin replies in a calm tone. “Luna, you look well,” Theo says, fixing his eyes on Leila. “I’m no Luna of yours,” Leila replies coldly, her blue eyes turning into steel. Luna…..It was what Tatum deceived her with, made her believe that making her Luna was a selfish act of love, made her think that as long as she held the position in the pack, she stood a chance to hold a place in his heart but in the end it was all a faux, a mirage, a smoke mirror that showed just how foolish she was to fall for him. Theo makes a face at her and he smirks. “Well the Alpha never divorced you, did he?” “Mama!” Amara runs back into the living room. “You changed the password to the ipad again, I can’t unlock it.” Theo squints at the child, visibly taken back. She addressed Leila as Mama, Leila was pregnant with Tatum’s child when she left the pack but that was five years ago, this child looks barely thre
“Welcome to my humble and temporary abode Angel,” Leo smiles at Leila, opening his arms for a hug. Leila keeps her face grim, her feet rooted to the spot, barely any amusement in her eyes as she stares at Leo blankly. “My bad,” he chuckles and drops his hands, “we’re not friends yet, according to you. I’m glad you took up my offer. Come, I’ll introduce you to everyone.” Leila narrows her eyes at him as she walks in behind him. His men do not bow or show any sign of respect or anything like that as Leo walks past them. Everyone is just going about their normal duty and activities as if they cannot even see him. Even Tatum who doesn’t force anyone to respect him will not have his men just lazing about when he walks in with a guest. Is Leo really this jovial with his men or is this all an act for her to drop her guard? Make her feel like he is a warm and homely person? She only has one mission here today and that is to find her daughter. Whatever theatrics and schemes Leo has up hi
“I think you should go Leila,” Jenny says later that evening after Leila tells her of her encounter with Leo and how he both directly and indirectly gave her an invitation to his camp. Leila looks at Jenny with shock, not expecting her to say that, “can you even hear yourself? It’s an obvious trap. He already has Amara, if he kidnaps me too, then what happens?” Jenny frowns, “you’re both invitees of the king and I know where you’re going, he can’t actually kidnap you if you walk in there with your feet. This may be our only chance to confirm if he really has Amara in there or not.” Leila sighs, a sad and conflicted look on her face. Jenny has a point but it is also risky too. The Leo she met is a far cry from what she thought him to be but of course, that too might just be pretense. “I have an idea,” Jenny’s face lights up as Leila raises her head to face her, “to ensure Leo cannot do anything silly when you get to the camp, we just have to make the king aware of your visit to Leo’
What does he want with her? Is he going to— “I thought I told you boys to back off, are you trying to scare the lady?” Leo’s voice breaks into her thoughts and she looks at him with eyes agape in shock, then squinted in suspicion. “Alpha, we’re only doing our duty, it’s not safe for you to roam these streets alone, considering our current standing with the king,”one of his men replies. “The angel here knows a thing or two about standings with the king and she’s roaming, is she not? Unless you boys think a woman can handle what your Alpha can’t.” “Of course not Alpha,” the guy immediately goes on one knee and bows to Leo. Leo rolls his eyes and frowns, “you’re always too serious Dexter, I meant that as a joke but if you thought so, you wouldn’t be wrong, this lady here is a special one.” The discomfort in Leila’s heart grows and a tinge of fear rises in her from the words of Leo. He was somehow able to find out that Amara is Tatum’s daughter, what else does he know? Does he know h
“This mysterious savior of yours seems to be one of a kind,” Jenny says after Leila recounts her ordeal at Leo’s camp to her. “I guess he is,” Leila replies, her eyes holding a conflicted look, her thoughts still unsettled about the probable identity of the man and his proximity when her life is in danger. “Jenny.” “Yeah.” “Is it possible for one’s wolf to change, maybe by magic or a spell?” “Why do you ask?” Jenny squints, her face becoming doused with scrutiny and a hint of sudden realisation, “wait. You don’t think it’s Tatum, do you?” “I don’t know…” Leila replies, her voice sullen and dry, her heart soaked in grief, “if such a spell was possible, I suppose I would think so. I mean, who else would come to my rescue like that but him and his choice to stay mute too. Plus Tatum has a habit of doing things and keeping me in the dark. I’m just so confused.” Jenny heaves a deep sigh, pity covering her eyes. She sits beside Leila on the mattress and drapes her hand around her. “D
Leila immediately takes off in the direction through which she came, the guard at the post takes a swing at her with the silver spear clutched in his arms but she ducks underneath it, her heart pounding hard and fast as more guards join in the chase. She reaches the fence and in one swift move, she leaps over it but the barbed wire tears into her back and the side of her arm as she lands but the pain doesn’t deter or slow her down. Leo already has Amara, no doubt to have an edge over Tatum, if she gets caughts too, it will only make things worse and judging from what she has heard about Leo, he could do much worse than just capture her. The sound of the dogs barking and men yelling gets louder as she takes off into the deep of the woods. She almost shifts so she can gain more ground on the dogs who she can see closing in on her from her peripheral vision when she remembers the dangerous spell cast on the capital, way before Antonio even became king. It is a tale every child growing
“If your mind's made up, give me a few hours, I’ll do a cloaking spell to keep you hidden when you get there, go get our little warrior and bring her back,” Jenny replies, giving Leila a hug. Leila feels a bit of relief hearing that. With a cloaking spell, she can easily move in and out of the camp undetected and hopefully, she can get Amara out. Armed with Jenny’s cloaking spell which Jenny channeled into a bracelet around Leila’s wrist, Leila heads to Leo’s camp. As long as she keeps the bracelet around her wrist and avoids water getting on it, the ordinary eyes of men will not be able to see her. Her eyes scan the camp’s walls—high wooden fences reinforced with barbed wire and guarded by sentries, their sharp eyes scanning the darkness for any movement. She can see their figures in the distance, shifting in and out of view as they pace. She holds her breath, listening for any noise that might betray her presence. Even with the cloaking spell, she still has to be very careful, o
The next day, Leila makes her way to the palace to officially answer Antonio’s summon. She would rather be looking for Amara or Tatum right now but it’s important that she sees Antonio too. The last thing she wants to do is give him an excuse to legally place any kind of punishment on her or pack using her disobedience as an excuse. “State your business,” a rough looking guard, a guy as tall as a mountain, confronts her at the gate. “I’m here to see the king by his summon. I’m Leila Cromwell, Luna of the blood oak pack,” she replies, staring at the gates that stand tall and imposing. The guard grunts and they his eyes change colours, showing he is mindlinking, possibly confirming if she was truly summoned by the king. “Wait here,” the guard frowns, before walking through the gates and into the gate house. Leila’s heart thuds nervously as she waits aside. A lot depends on the outcome of her meeting with Antonio but what would she even say to him when she sees him? The man singl
Leila’s heart races, her breath becoming unstable from Jenny’s revelation as she tries to make sense of it. “If it wasn’t for Amara’s power that caught him off guard, he would have captured us right there and then but she bought us enough time to escape and stay hidden until Tatum and his men arrived and the moment Tatum left with Amara, Leo and his men stopped their onslaught and went after him,” Jenny concludes. Leila sighs sadly and massages her temple. This endless cycle of torment and confusion just seems to never want to stop revolving around her. She knows Amara is alive but she still cannot ascertain her safety from what Jenny is saying. It makes no logical sense for Tatum to bring Amara to the last place that she should be and another thing is how far the North Star pack is from the capital. It’s a very long journey that would take travelling through different packs and despite the measures she put in place and people she had sent to different packs in search of Tatum and A
A terrific sigh of relief escapes Leila, her eyes going wide in shock and she hugs Jenny again, tears falling out of her eyes, a rush of relief filling her heart. For many nights and days she has prayed and hoped that Amara would be safe, that no harm should befall her but why the capital, why did Tatum choose here of all places to bring her, right under Antonio’s nose. What is his plan? She breaks the hug and tugs Jenny by her arms, “do you know where she is, can you take me to her?” She asks, her heart pounding wildly, nothing would bring her more joy right now than seeing her little girl again, seeing those shiny pretty eyes, her bubbly personality. The last time they saw Amara was withdrawing into a shell because of how different she was from kids her age and how they treated her. Will she still be the same or will spending time with her father have that effect removed? “Leila , calm down,” Jenny replies, a bit of a sullen look in her eyes, “I know where she is but it’s not t