Chapter 178

Chapter 178
Layla's POV

The days flew by in a blur of sweat and determination. Every morning, I'd wake up to Kael's gentle prodding, dragging myself out of bed to train until my arms felt like they might fall off. Every night, I'd collapse into bed, muscles screaming, only to do it all again the next day.

But something strange happened along the way. Soulrend started to feel different in my hands - lighter, more responsive. Sometimes when I concentrated hard enough, the blade would emit a soft blue glow, like it was responding to my emotions.

"You're getting better," Kael said, after I successfully blocked three consecutive attacks.

I wiped sweat from my forehead. "Or the sword's just taking pity on me."

"The sword doesn't feel pity. It responds to strength." He handed me a water bottle. "And you're stronger than you think."

Before I knew it, it was the evening before the blood moon ritual. The air felt different, charged with anticipation and dread.

"Come with me," Kael said after dinner, his fingers gently interlacing with mine. His palm was warm against mine, calloused from days of forging.

He led me to our bedroom and stood in front of the closet with a mysterious smile. "Close your eyes."

"If this is another training exercise, I'm going to stab you," I warned, but closed my eyes anyway.

I heard the closet door open. "Okay, look now."

When I opened my eyes, I gasped. Hanging in the closet was the most gorgeous dress I'd ever seen - blood-red satin that caught the light like liquid fire. It had a strapless design adorned with tiny crystals, and at the center of the V-neckline sat a massive ruby. The skirt flowed loosely, clearly designed to accommodate my pregnancy.

"Kael..." Words failed me.

"Try it on," he urged, eyes bright with excitement.

I touched the fabric, marveling at how soft it felt. "It's beautiful, but why do I need a fancy dress? We're going to fight, not attend a ball."

"We're doing both," he reminded me. "Damian has announced a blood moon ball. We can't show up in armor."

"Good point." I glanced at the lightweight armor he'd forged for me earlier. "Can I wear both?"

"Already thought of that." He showed me how the dress had been specially designed to conceal armor underneath. "No one will notice."

I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him hard. "Thank you for everything you've done."

He returned the kiss, his hands resting lightly on my waist. "Get some rest tonight. Tomorrow will be intense."

Later that night, we lay in bed, moonlight filtering through the window. I curled against Kael's back, my arm draped over his side.

"Kael?" I whispered, tracing patterns on his chest. "Do you think we'll die tomorrow? Alex is so powerful, and I can't stop thinking about how it's just the two of us against his entire army."

He turned to face me, his green eyes serious in the darkness. "Trust me. You have me, and you have Soulrend."

"Okay," I nodded, trying to believe him.

"I have a plan," his fingers brushed my cheek. "Everything's already arranged. For security reasons, I can only activate it once we're away from here. The pack is ready and waiting for my signal." He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. "Now sleep."

I tried, but sleep didn't come easily. Fear twisted in my stomach as I thought about everything that could go wrong tomorrow. I couldn't lose Kael. I couldn't lose our baby. I'd fight the entire world if I had to.

Morning arrived too quickly. The atmosphere was noticeably different - tenser, heavier. Today was the day of the blood moon ritual.

We packed our things quietly. I wrapped Soulrend carefully in a special case Kael had made, designed to look like nothing more than luggage. Kael checked our armor twice, making sure everything was ready.

I looked around the cabin one last time, feeling a strange attachment to the place that had been our sanctuary.

"I'm going to miss this little cabin," I said, my hand lingering on the doorframe.

Kael offered his palm to me, his eyes warm with understanding. "We'll come back when this is all over. Let's go."

In the car, my anxiety grew with every mile. I kept fidgeting, tapping my fingers against my knee until Kael reached over and covered my restless hands with his own.

Once we were clear of the safe house, Kael opened a hidden compartment beneath his seat and pulled out what looked like ordinary phones, but weren't. He handed one to me.

"Encrypted burners," he explained, seeing my questioning look. "Untraceable, single-use. Marcus set them up—they bounce signals across five different networks before connecting. Not even Alex's tech people could track these."

He dialed a number from memory. "Marcus, is everything ready?"

I could hear Marcus's voice on the other end. "Yes, Alpha."

"Alpha, you and Luna reconciled? That's wonderful!" Marcus sounded genuinely happy.

"Yes," Kael replied, eyes steady on the road. "After we finish this, I'm planning to hold another wedding ceremony."

I whipped my head around to stare at him. Wedding ceremony? We hadn't even discussed this. The casual way he mentioned our future made my heart race - both excited by the possibility and terrified we might not live to see it.

After he hung up, he glanced at me with a softened expression. "You can send Ruby a message if you want. Let her know we're safe. These phones are completely secure—that's why I waited until now."

I felt relief wash through me. "Are you sure? You were so adamant about cutting off all contact before."

"That was before we had these," he tapped the phone. "Marcus assured me they're untraceable. Ruby deserves to know you're okay."

Grateful tears pricked my eyes as I quickly typed a message to Ruby, letting her know we were safe. She had been so worried when we left, and I hated leaving her in the dark.

Outside the window, the landscape changed as we approached Mount Rainier. The roads grew busier, filled with expensive cars heading the same direction.

"Looks like Damian invited half the werewolf world," I remarked, watching a Bentley cruise past us.

"More witnesses make it harder for him to try anything too obvious," Kael noted.

When we finally arrived at the Rainier Shadow Pack territory, I was stunned by its grandeur. Massive stone buildings nestled at the foot of Mount Rainier, surrounded by ancient forests. Luxury cars lined the driveway, and guests in formal attire streamed inside.

Kael parked and turned to me. "Ready?"

"Not even close," I admitted. "But we don't have a choice, do we?"

"Remember," he said, "stay close to me. If we get separated, go to our meeting point."

"I know. I love you, Kael."

"I love you too, Layla."