Heartbreak and Headlines

Heartbreak and Headlines

Chapter Seventy-Eight: Heartbreak and Headlines

The mansion was officially a disaster zone. Furniture was pushed aside, cushions were thrown on the floor, and everyone was moving in a silent, panicked frenzy. 

No one dared to raise their voice above a whisper. The only thing scarier than a missing baby was a sleeping Aiden waking up to find her gone.

“We are so dead,” Merrick hissed, running a hand through his hair so aggressively he almost pulled it out. 

“We are all going to be murdered by a pregnant Omega. I didn't survive DRS prisons and firefights just to be taken out by Aiden's hormonal wrath.”

Grants was sweating bullets, checking behind the same heavy curtain for the third time. “Don’t look at me! Prince was supposed to be watching her!”

“I blinked!” Prince’s voice was thick, on the verge of tears. 

“I literally just blinked to look at the TV! Aldrich, you have to fix this before he wakes up. He’ll never trust us again.”

Fiona pressed a hand to her forehead, thinking. “Check the windows! Could something have taken her? Those creatures…? But they couldn’t get in without the alarms going off…”

Aldrich’s face was like carved stone, but if you looked into his eyes, you’d see pure terror. 

Not fear of Aiden being mad, but of Aiden being shattered. “Quiet,” he growled, the sound low and tense. “Keep looking. Every second counts.” 

He turned his head slightly, muttering words so low only Elliot could catch them. “He trusted me. I told him to sleep.”

Elliot, who was checking a security tablet, tried to sound calm. 

“The system didn’t trip. No windows are broken. She has to be inside. A baby can’t just vanish.”

From the doorway, Gabriella’s voice was heavy with a fear they all felt. 

“This is a sign. A clear one. If we can’t keep track of one helpless infant for an hour in our own home, what are we going to do when Aiden’s own child is here?” 

She shook her head, a tear escaping. “We’re not ready.”



Upstairs, lost in an exhausted sleep, Aiden felt something. A soft, wet giggle. 

A drop of warmth on his cheek. Must be a dream, his sleepy mind thought, still tangled in worries about the baby.

Then it came again. Another gurgle, another splash of drool on his skin.

“Wha…?” he mumbled, forcing his eyes open.

The sight made his sleepiness vanish. The baby girl was right beside him, not on her blanket on the couch. 

One tiny fist was wrapped tightly in his hair, pulling gently. 

The other hand was busy, her mouth gumming the silver pendant he always wore…the one with the sharp, delicate clasp.

Stop. Be still. Do not startle her. The Alpha Prime’s voice was a calm command in his mind.

Moving slower than he ever had, Aiden gently pried the pendant from her wet mouth, then carefully unwound his hair from her grip. 

His heart was hammering against his ribs. He scooped her up, holding her tight against his chest where she snuggled in, still giggling.

He carried her out of the room, his bare feet silent on the floor. In the hallway, he almost ran into River.

“Hey, Aiden,” River whispered, then froze when he saw the storm on Aiden’s face.

Without a word, Aiden walked past him and into the giant living room.

The entire pack froze, mid-search. They looked like kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

Aiden’s voice was quiet, but it cut through the room like a knife. 

“She was chewing on my necklace. The clasp is sharp. If it had broken…” 

He didn’t finish. The terrible what-if hung in the air, heavier than any shout.

“How,” he continued, his voice starting to shake, “did she even manage to slip through all of you and get to my BED?”

River’s small voice piped up from behind him. “I… I saw her crawling in the hallway. I put her next to you. I thought the pack was busy, and I just wanted to… to have fun with her for a minute. I’m sorry, Aiden.” He looked genuinely remorseful.

Aiden’s anger softened for a second, just for River. 

“It’s not your fault, River. You’re a kid. Babies aren’t supposed to be crawling in hallways where adults are supposed to be watching.”

Then he turned his fiery gaze back to the others, and the dam broke. 

“Are you KIDDING me? I was asleep for ONE HOUR! One hour! You promised! All of you! ‘We’ve got her, Aiden. Sleep, Aiden.’ She could have choked! She could have cut her mouth wide open! What is WRONG WITH YOU?” 

His eyes, blazing with tears of rage and fear, landed on Aldrich. 

The betrayal there was a physical thing. “You were supposed to keep her safe. How can I believe you’ll keep our baby safe?”

Gabriella moved then, stepping smoothly between her son and the alpha. 

Her voice was firm but kind, a calming anchor. 

“He’s right. We failed. We got lazy. But him shouting himself hoarse won’t teach us how to do better.” 

She turned, giving the whole chastised group a stern look. 

“Starting tomorrow, boot camp. All of you. You will learn how to baby-proof a room, how to make a bottle correctly, how to actually watch and not just look. This foolishness ends now.”



A few days later, a somber mood had settled over the house. They were all gathered in the living room, the news playing quietly on the TV.

"...still no sign of infant Luna Garcia,” the anchor said, her face serious. 

“Missing since the horrific highway attack that claimed the lives of her young parents. Her grieving grandparents, Maria and Carlos Garcia, are pleading for any information..."

“Aiden, come look at this,” Gabriella called softly.

The screen changed to show two elderly people, their faces etched with a grief so deep it hurt to see. 

They held a photo of a smiling baby…their Luna. The same baby now sleeping peacefully against Aiden’s chest.

Aiden made a small, wounded sound in the back of his throat and held Luna a little tighter.

“Her grandparents,” Prince said, his voice sad. “They lost their child and their grandchild in one day.”

“She has a family,” Fiona added, her tone gentle but final. “People who love her and are drowning in grief. We have to give her back.”

Aiden nodded, tears starting to stream down his face silently. He bent and kissed Luna’s downy head, breathing in her sweet scent one more time. “I know,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “I just… I wanted to keep her safe for them. Just a little bit longer.”

Aldrich walked over and knelt in front of Aiden, his large hands coming up to gently wipe the tears away. “You did,” he said, his own voice thick. “You loved her when she had no one. You saved her. Now, we have to be brave enough to help her go home. We’ll take her to them ourselves. We’ll make sure it’s safe.”

Suddenly, the TV screen flashed red. BREAKING NEWS splashed across the broadcast.

“—ATTACK AT GRAND CENTRAL STATION!” a different anchor yelled, the camera shaky behind her. “Creatures identical to last week’s assault are emerging from the subterranean tunnels! Mass panic—”

“The tunnels…” Grants said, his body going tense. “It’s like they’re coming from underground!”

“That’s even more crowded than the highway!” Prince was already on his feet.

In the corner, the Seer’s eyes rolled back, turning a milky, seeing white. “They are here,” she intoned, her voice hollow.

“I’ll handle it,” Fiona said, a fierce look on her face, her worry for her lover plain to see.

Aldrich snapped into action, his Alpha aura taking over the room. “Fiona, Gabriella, secure the house with Elliot. Protect Aiden and Luna. The rest of us, we move! We contain this and get to the bottom of it, NOW!”

He turned to Aiden last, his gaze softening for just a second.

“And you. You do not leave this mansion. No matter what you hear. Promise me.”

”I can’t, you know if you are in danger. I wouldn’t hesitate to come to you”, Aiden replies.

“Aiden”, Aldrich says softly trying to persuade his lover to promise him.

“Alright”, Aiden nods slowly.

Then they were gone in a whirlwind of purpose, the front door slamming shut behind them.

Aiden stood at the large window, the now-fussing Luna cradled in his arms.

He watched the red taillights of their car disappear down the long driveway, swallowed by the dark.

He rocked Luna gently, humming a shaky, made-up lullaby as his own fears screamed in his head.

“Shhh, little one,” he whispered, pressing his cheek to her head. “Your grandparents are waiting. But first… my family has to come back to us.”