Chapter 43 Only For You
INDIE
The door to the treatment room slammed open so hard that it bounced off the wall. I didn't remember running down the hall. I didn't remember shoving past the omega who tried to stop me. I just knew I'd felt Leon through the bond.
I burst inside and stopped at the sight before me. Leon was on the bed. He looked worse than when I'd left him. He was paler and sweaty, his eyes glassy and half-lidded. His chest rose and fell heavily with each painful breath he took. The bandages across his torso were soaked dark red, fresh blood seeping through.
And Zade—
He stood beside the bed, his shirt sleeve rolled up, one wrist pressed to Leon's mouth.
Blood dripped steadily from the bite marks on Zade's skin, sliding down Leon's chin in slow rivulets. Leon's lips were sealed around the wound, his throat working weakly as he drank, soft moans slipping out between swallows. He clutched Zade's forearm for dear life.
I stood there, frozen in the doorway, my heart slamming against my ribs.
"Zade... what happened?"
Zade didn't look at me right away.
His features were tight, his jaw clenched hard. His violet eyes were half-closed, his lashes dark against his skin.
He finally lifted his gaze to meet mine.
"I tracked Enid," he said. "I managed to find her holed up in the old mill. She didn't fight or run."
Leon moaned again, his tongue lapping at the blood, his body trembling as he drank deeper.
Zade's free hand slid into Leon's thick hair, yanking his head back just enough to make Leon gasp.
"She wanted a pact," Zade continued, his eyes locked with mine. "Enid said she'd release Leon if we swore not to kill her.”
My breath caught in my throat.
"And you... agreed?"
Zade's jaw ticked.
"I had no choice. The vampire was practically at death's door."
Leon whimpered at the pull on his hair, but he didn't stop drinking. His golden eyes fluttered open, hazy with pain and relief, locked on Zade's face as if he was drinking salvation itself.
Zade's features tightened further.
His eyes slipped closed for a moment, a faint tremor running through him as Leon took another long pull.
"She's the only thing standing between us and Varak," he said. "She released Leon. And returned with me."
Leon finally pulled off Zade's wrist with a gasp, his lips stained red, breathing hard. He licked the wound slowly, then he slumped back against the pillows, his eyes fluttering shut again.
Zade didn't move to pull away.
He just stood there, staring down at Leon like he wasn't sure whether to kill him or protect him.
I moved forward on shaky legs.
"Zade..."
He looked at me then, anguish in his eyes.
"He needed blood," he said, his voice hoarse. "The venom in you—it's still there. Leon's hybrid blood is slowing it, but it's not gone. I couldn't let him die. Not when—"
His voice cracked. I know what he was going to say.
Not when it would kill me too.
I wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing my face to his chest. His heart was racing under my ear.
"You really didn't have to give him your blood," I whispered.
Zade's arm came around me automatically, holding me tight.
"He's still breathing," he muttered. "That's all that matters right now."
Leon's teasing voice came from the bed, laced with exhaustion.
"Aw... look at you two. So adorable. I'm almost jealous."
Zade's grip on me tightened. But he didn't snap back.
He just exhaled slowly. I pressed a kiss to his chest, right over his heart.
"Thank you," I whispered.
He didn't answer. He just held me tighter.
...
The little table in Lila's room was set for three.
A mismatched tea set—pink plastic cups with chipped gold rims, tiny saucers, and a teapot with a missing lid—covered the low wooden surface. Lila had insisted on using real cookies this time, so there were chocolate chip ones from the kitchen, a few strawberries sliced into hearts, and a small bowl of whipped cream she kept dipping her finger into when she thought I wasn't looking.
Zade lay on the rug beside the table, his long legs stretched out, his head pillowed in Lila's lap.
He looked ridiculous.
And perfect.
His black hair was splayed across her little thighs. Lila carefully sectioned the strands, braiding them with the kind of intense concentration only a six-year-old could manage. Every few seconds she'd pause, tug a lock gently, then lean down to whisper something in his ear.
Zade's eyes were closed, but I knew he wasn't asleep.
He was listening.
Lila giggled, twisting another tiny braid.
"Daddy, do wolves eat clouds?"
Zade's lips twitched.
"Only the fluffy ones," he murmured lazily. "The storm clouds are too spicy."
Lila gasped in delighted horror.
"Spicy?!"
"Mhm. They taste like lightning. Makes your tongue buzz."
She giggled again, louder this time, and tugged on the braid she'd just finished.
"Does it hurt when you shift?"
Zade cracked one eye open, looking up at her upside-down.
"Only the first time," he said softly. "After that it feels like stretching after a long nap."
Lila nodded seriously, as if she was filing the information away for later.
"Do you ever get scared?"
Zade went still.
I froze too, halfway through pouring imaginary tea into a cup. He didn't answer right away.
Then, so quietly I almost missed it, he said,
"Sometimes."
Lila's little fingers paused in his hair.
"Are you scared right now?"
Zade's gaze slid to me briefly, then back up to Lila.
"No," he said. "Not right now."
She beamed.
"Good. Because I'm not scared when you're here."
She leaned down and planted a loud kiss right on his forehead.
Zade's throat bobbed.
I had to look away for a second, blinking hard.
When I glanced back, Lila was already working on another braid.
"Do you like tea parties?" She asked.
"Love them," he said without hesitation. "Especially when there's a princess and a wolf and a very beautiful queen."
He tilted his head just enough to look at me, and my cheeks heated.
Lila giggled.
"You're silly, Daddy."
"I'm very serious," he deadpanned.
She poked his nose.
"Why do you call Mummy Bunny?"
A fond smile tugged at his lips.
"Because she's soft," he said. "And fast when she's scared. And she makes the best little noises when she's happy."
Lila wrinkled her nose. "Mummy makes bunny noises?"
I buried my face in my hands. Zade's low chuckle vibrated through the blanket.
"Only for me," he said.
Lila didn't understand the subtext, thank the goddess. She just kept braiding, humming a little tune under her breath.
I sat on the floor beside them, my knees tucked under me, watching my daughter turn the most dangerous man I'd ever known into her personal doll.
The venom mark on my arm pulsed faintly, reminding me of the danger. But for this moment, I let myself pretend we had forever.
Because right now, in this room, with sunlight on the rug and Lila's giggles filling the air and Zade's steady heartbeat under my palm when I rested my hand on his chest, we did.
I leaned over and kissed the top of Lila's head. Then I leaned down and kissed Zade's temple.
He turned his face just enough to catch my lips with his.
A quiet, secret kiss.
Lila squealed in delight.
"Mommy and Daddy are kissing!"
Zade huffed a small laugh against my mouth.
"Yeah," he rasped. "We are."
Lila suddenly squirmed, her little face scrunching up.
"Bathroom," she mumbled, already easing him off.
I laughed softly, reaching out to steady her as she hopped to her feet. "Go on, baby. You know where it is. Don't forget to wash your hands."
She nodded very seriously, and then she darted off.
I turned back to look at Zade, who was already watching me.
The sunlight slanted across his face, catching the faint purple shimmer in his eyes, turning them almost luminous. His hair was a mess from Lila's braids, and somehow it made him look younger.
I crawled forward on my knees until I was straddling his lap again, my hands sliding up his chest to frame his face.
His arms came around me instantly, pulling me flush against him.
I kissed him gently at first, tasting the lingering sweetness of chocolate chip cookies. Then deeper. My tongue slipped past his lips, tangling with his, and he groaned, the sound vibrating through my whole body.
His hands slid under my shirt, his palms warm against my bare back. He kissed me until I was moaning, heat igniting under my skin.
When we finally broke apart, breathing hard, I rested my forehead against his.
"Zade..." I whispered.
He hummed, his lips brushing my temple.
"Does your wolf... feel it?" I asked. "The bond with Leon?"
His arms tightened around me. For a long moment he didn't answer.
"Yes,” he finally said.
"But?" I prompted.
He exhaled through his nose.
"But I mostly ignore it," he said. "All of me—every piece, every instinct, every fucking thought—is narrowed down to you. There's no room left. I can't... accommodate someone else. I won't."
I searched his face.
"You're jealous," I said softly.
He didn't deny it.
"I'm territorial," he corrected, his thumb tracing the bite mark on my neck. "There's a difference. Jealousy means I'm scared of losing. Territorial means I've already decided you're mine, and anyone else is trespassing."
I swallowed hard.
"And Leon...?"
Zade's eyes darkened.
"He's trespassing."
Before I could respond, the door opened.
A tall man with a buzz cut stepped inside, his expression grim.
"Alpha," he said. "There's a little girl at the gate."
Zade's body went rigid beneath me.
"She keeps insisting she wants to see her daddy," the man continued. "She claims that her daddy has purple eyes."
Zade sat up slowly, frowning.
I slid off his lap, my heart suddenly racing.
"Purple eyes?" Zade repeated, his voice flat.
The enforcer nodded once.
"And... she has your eyes, Alpha. Exactly."