Chapter 54 Hide And Seek
INDIE
The playroom looked as if a bomb had gone off in pastel colors. Toys were scattered across the rug, Lila's stuffed wolf half-buried under a pile of blocks, and crayons rolling lazily towards the door. But Sweetpea wasn't there.
My heart sank.
"Lila, baby," I said, crouching in front of my daughter, trying to keep my voice steady. "Where did Sweetpea go? Did she say anything? Did she... leave with someone?"
Lila's lower lip trembled. She clutched Mr. Wolf to her chest as if he could shield her from my fear.
"She said she wanted to play hide-and-seek," Lila whispered. "She said, 'Mommy will find me if she looks hard enough.' Then she ran out the door. I thought she was coming back."
Hide-and-seek.
The words punched through me.
Sweetpea didn't play games like a normal child would. She didn't giggle and count to ten. She stared. She whispered. She knew things she shouldn't.
And now she was gone.
I pressed my palms to my eyes for one second, trying to breathe. The room spun anyway.
"Lila, why didn't you tell me right away?" My voice cracked higher. "You know we're all worried about Daddy. You know we need to keep her close—"
Lila's eyes welled up instantly. Her chin wobbled.
"I—I didn't want to make you mad," she squeaked.
The guilt hit me then, suffocating.
I was about to snap again—something stupid, something I'd regret forever—when strong arms wrapped around me from behind.
Leon.
He pulled me gently but firmly away from Lila, turning me into his chest so she couldn't see my face crumple.
"Breathe, Indie," he murmured against my hair. "Just breathe. You're scaring her. You're scaring yourself."
I broke down right then.
The tears were unstoppable, soaking his shirt in seconds. My knees buckled, and he caught me, holding me up.
"I can't lose him," I sobbed into his chest. "The powder's only buying time, and now she's gone, and if Varak has her—if he's using her to finish what he started—I can't—I can't—"
Leon's arms tightened. One hand cradled the back of my head, and the other rubbed slow circles on my back.
"I know," he whispered. "I know, sweetheart. I'm terrified too. But we're not losing him. Not today. Not while we're still breathing."
Lila's small sob broke through my haze.
"Mommy... did I do something wrong?"
I jerked out of Leon's arms so fast I almost fell.
"No—no, baby, no." I dropped to my knees in front of her, pulling her into me. She buried her face in my neck, her tiny arms locking around me. "You didn't do anything wrong. You're perfect. I'm sorry. Mommy's just scared. I'm so sorry."
She cried harder, hiccupping against my shoulder.
Leon paced behind us, restless energy rolling off him in waves. His bracelet caught the light every time he turned, the red glow pulsing like a heartbeat.
He dragged a hand through his hair, muttering something in a language I didn't know.
"Bunny?"
Zade's voice was rough and slurred from the powder, but it was unmistakable. It came from the entrance.
I whipped around.
Mason was helping him through the doorway. Zade moved slowly, sweat dripping down the sides of his face, his glassy eyes desperately searching for me.
I shoved to my feet, Lila still clinging to my hip, and rushed over. Mason steadied Zade against the wall just as his knees buckled again.
"Easy, Alpha," Mason grunted.
Zade ignored him, his violet eyes locked on me.
"What happened?" he rasped. "Where is she?"
I opened my mouth, but the words stuck.
Enid appeared behind them, her cheeks flushed as though she'd been running.
"I've searched everywhere," she said, breathless. "The gardens, the kitchens, the old stables. She's not in the pack house."
Zade swayed hard.
We all lunged—me, Leon, and Mason—catching him before he hit the floor.
"Bed," Leon said sharply. "Now."
We half-carried, half-dragged him back to our room. He was heavier than he looked, dead weight in places, but his fingers found mine and held on.
Once he was propped against the pillows, Mason stepped back.
"I'll get Giselle," he said. "And I'll put out a search party. No one leaves the territory until we find her."
Then he left, shutting the door behind him.
Zade's hand found mine again. His thumb brushed over my knuckles, slowly.
"Indie," he whispered.
I looked up. His eyes were hazy, his pupils wide from the powder, but the way he looked at me was still him—fierce and possessive.
"I know you're terrified," he said, his voice ragged. "I can smell it on you. Hell, I can see it." His lips curved. "But you don't have to be. I'm going to be fine. I promise. I survived hell. I'm pretty sure I can survive this just fine. Bunny, please don't cry for me. I think seeing you cry will kill me faster than anything else can."
I nodded shakily, wiping at my face with unsteady hands.
"Zade—"
He tugged my hand closer, pressing me to his chest. I could hear his frantic heartbeat. I held on to that sound as much as I could.
"I'm starving, bunny," he said softly. "For food. And for you. But food first. I haven't eaten since yesterday."
I leaned down and kissed him gently.
"Okay," I whispered against his lips. "Food. I'll get it."
Then I stood, scooping Lila up with me. She tucked her face into my neck, still sniffling.
Leon stayed by the bed, watching Zade with that unreadable golden stare.
I paused at the door, looking back.
Zade's eyes were already drifting shut again, but his hand stayed outstretched towards Leon like an invitation he was too tired to voice.
Leon hesitated. Then he took it.
I closed the door behind me, my heart still racing, and went to get food for my alpha.
...
Lila tugged at my hand the whole way to the kitchen, her little fingers sticky from the jam she'd smeared on Mr. Wolf earlier. She was still sniffling, but the tears had slowed to hiccups, and now she was determined to "help Mummy make Daddy better."
"Can we put extra honey in his tea?" she asked, climbing onto the stool I'd pulled up to the counter. "Honey makes everything sweet again. Like when I had a tummy ache and you gave me honey toast."
I forced a smile, even though my chest still felt like it was cracked open.
"Yeah, baby. Extra honey. They'll help him rest."
She beamed.
I worked on preparing some medium-well steak and some potatoes. With extra veggies.
Lila stirred tea with exaggerated care, her tongue poking out the side of her mouth.
"Mommy?"
"Hmm?"
"When Daddy's better, can we all sleep in the big bed again? You, me, Daddy, and Uncle Leon?”
I went still.
Uncle Leon.
She'd started calling him that yesterday, as casual as breathing.
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"Maybe, sweetheart. If Daddy says it's okay."
She nodded solemnly. "He will. Daddy likes Uncle Leon now.”
I smiled shakily.
"You're too smart for your own good, you know that?"
She grinned, proud.
We loaded the tray together. Lila insisted on carrying the napkin folded like a flower.
"Ready?" I asked.
"Ready!" she chirped, balancing the napkin as if it was made of glass.
We headed back down the hall, her small steps matching mine. For a second, the knot in my chest loosened. Maybe we could get through this. Maybe Sweetpea was just hiding, playing one of her strange games.
Then we reached the bedroom door. It was cracked open. I pushed it wider with my hip, the tray balanced carefully.
And froze.
Lila gasped beside me.
Zade was pinned flat to the mattress.
Leon straddled his hips, one knee braced on either side, his hand wrapped firmly around Zade's throat. Zade's head was tilted back against the pillow, veins straining in his neck.
And he was… smiling. But it didn’t reach his eyes.
Leon's other hand pressed Zade's wrist to the sheets. The silver bracelet around Leon's wrist glowed a bright, angry red—brighter than I'd ever seen it—like a live ember under his skin.
His eyes matched it. They had turned a hair-raising molten crimson, his pupils blown wide, with his dreadful fangs fully descended.