Chapter 69 Commitment

Chapter 69 Commitment
LEON
       The room was quiet except for the soft sound of Indie's breathing.

She lay between us, completely spent, her body curled against Zade's chest. Her skin still carried a faint glow from her flames, warm and golden even in sleep. Strands of hair stuck to her damp forehead. She looked peaceful for the first time since we'd found her.

Zade held her close, one large hand cradling the back of her head, his lips brushing slowly over her hair in a rare moment of tenderness.

His violet eyes were half-lidded, heavy with exhaustion and the lingering effects of the powder, but they never left her face.

I lay on her other side, my chest pressed to her back, one arm draped over her waist. My bracelet pulsed faintly against my skin, a constant reminder of the time I didn't have. But right now, none of that mattered.

Not when she was finally here.

Zade's gaze darted up to meet mine over her head. For a long moment, we just looked at each other—two men who had once tried to kill one another, now sharing the woman we both adored more than anything.

"We need a plan," I said, my voice barely above a whisper so I wouldn't wake her.

Zade's jaw tightened. He pressed another kiss to the top of Indie's head before answering.

"Antidote first," he rasped. "Lila won't last much longer. Whatever West's mother did to her... it's spreading. Then we get them both out. No matter what it costs."

I nodded, my fingers tracing slow circles on Indie's hip beneath the sheet.

"West won't let her go easily," I said. "He's got her trapped in some kind of memory manipulation. It's strong. She barely recognized us at first."

Zade's eyes darkened. His hand tightened possessively in her hair.

"He dies if he tries to keep her," he said flatly. "I don't care what excuses he gives. He touched what's mine."

The raw possessiveness in his voice sent a shiver down my spine. I understood it too well.

I reached out slowly and took Zade's free hand where it rested on Indie's waist. He tensed for half a second—old instincts—but didn't pull away. I lifted his hand to my lips and kissed his knuckles gently. His breath hitched.

Then I leaned over Indie and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, breathing in her scent.

"We do this together," I whispered against her skin. "You, me, and her. No more solo missions. No more secrets."

Zade watched me, an unreadable look in his violet eyes. He didn't pull his hand away.

"Together," he agreed, his voice hoarse. "We find the antidote. We burn West's lies out of her head. We get our family back."

I squeezed his hand once before releasing it.

"We should move at dawn," I said. "Strike fast before he realizes she's remembering. I can use the last of my royal connections to locate the antidote if it's tied to his mother. You handle the muscle."

Zade's lips twitched with a hint of a smile.

"Muscle," he muttered. "You're not exactly delicate yourself, vampire."

A soft, tired chuckle escaped both of us. For a moment, the tension eased. Indie stirred slightly between us, nuzzling closer to Zade's chest with a soft sigh. We both went still, watching her with matching expressions of fierce protectiveness.

"She's ours," Zade said.

"She is," I agreed.

I rested my forehead against the back of her shoulder, breathing her in while my hand stayed linked with Zade's across her body.

Whatever came next, we would face it as one.
....

The next morning, Indie sat on the edge of the bed, wrapped in a blanket, her eyes distant and glassy. She kept touching her temples as though she were trying to push through fog. Zade knelt in front of her, both of his large hands cupping her face, forcing her to look at him. His violet eyes burned with fierce intensity.

"Listen to me, bunny," he said, his voice low and commanding. "West is lying. Everything he told you is a lie. You are not his wife. You never chose him. You are mine. You are ours. You have a daughter, Lila. She's sick because of his mother. You have to remember."

Indie's breath hitched. Tears slipped down her cheeks.

"I... I keep seeing you," she whispered. "But it feels like a dream. Like I'm making it up."

"You're not," Zade growled, leaning closer until their foreheads touched. "Feel this." He took her hand and pressed it to his chest, right over his heart. "This is real. My heartbeat. My scent. The way I look at you. Fight the fog, Indie. Come back to us."

I watched them from the doorway, my chest tight. Zade was drilling the truth into her with every word, every touch, every possessive growl. It was brutal and tender at the same time. Classic Zade. I could see the toll it was taking on her. Her body trembled, caught between two realities.

"We need to move," I said, stepping into the room. "The antidote is supposedly hidden in West's mother's old cabin. If we wait any longer, Lila might not make it."

Zade’s eyes widened. “How did you—”

“I scouted the place while you two were asleep. It’s heavily guarded. It means West knew exactly where it was and kept it from Indie on purpose.”

Indie lifted her gaze, trembling with fury.

“He what?!”

“He is the enemy, Indie. He’s not a good person at all. It’s all the more reason why you must resist him. For your sake and for the sake of our little girl.”

Indie gaped at me.

“But she isn’t even your biological daughter,” her voice shook, tears in her eyes.

Smiling, I moved over to sit with her.

“What is yours is mine, beautiful. Lila is our daughter, and we won’t let anything happen to her.”

Indie sniffled, a heartbreaking expression on his face.

“Leon…”

Zade didn't look away from Indie. "She's coming with us."

Indie's eyes widened in panic. "Lila... she's still with West?"

Zade's jaw clenched. "We're getting her back. Today."

I moved closer, kneeling beside Zade so Indie was framed between us. I took her other hand, squeezing gently.

"You don't have to remember everything right now," I told her softly. "Just trust what you feel. Your body knows us. Your heart knows us. Let us protect you while we fix this."

She looked between us, tears still falling. Then, slowly, she nodded.

"Okay," she whispered. "Let's go get our daughter."