Chapter 65 Chapter 65
_Leah’s POV_
We climbed the stairs back into the main halls of the Blood Moon pack house. My chest was tight and my legs felt heavy. I could still hear Selena’s mocking laugh in my head. Her words cut deep. I thought about Tariq, the sacrifice and how Kayden had rejected me. It was too much.
I walked in silence beside Kayden but my mind was screaming. My heart was torn between anger, confusion and something else I did not want to name.
Kayden finally broke the silence. “Leah,” he said softly. “You have nothing to fear. Tariq will not touch you. Not while you’re under my roof. Not while I’m alive.”
I froze and stared at him. His voice was so sure and so steady. Like stone.
But he didn’t understand.
“You don’t know him,” I whispered. “You don’t know what he is capable of.”
Kayden’s jaw tightened. “I know enough. And I know how to protect my pack.”
I shook my head and stepped back. “No. You don’t understand. Tariq isn’t normal. He isn’t just a rogue alpha hungry for power. He is… something more. He is dangerous in ways you can’t imagine. He won’t give up. He won’t stop until he gets me.”
Athena’s voice growled in my head. “You are right. He is not like others. He is darker, stronger and relentless.”
Kayden moved closer. His expression was fierce. “Then let him come. Let him try. I will not let him have you, Leah.”
I clenched my fists. Part of me wanted to believe him. Another part screamed at me to run.
“Do you really think your guards can stop him?” I asked. My voice was trembling. “Do you really think your walls are enough? He’ll rip through them like paper.”
His eyes flashed with determination. “Then I’ll make them stronger. I’ll double the patrols. Every border will be guarded day and night. No one leaves or enters without my permission. I’ll seal every weak spot in our defenses. Warriors will train in shifts; twenty-four hours with no rest. I’ll bring back scouts from the mountains to cover the northern edge. And I’ll place my best fighters around you at all times.”
I blinked. I was stunned by his sudden flood of plans. His voice was sharp and commanding, like an Alpha preparing for war.
Athena murmured, “He means it. He’s not lying. He would fight the world for us.”
My throat tightened. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to trust him. But my heart was still torn and raw from betrayal......even if the betrayal was not truly his.
I folded my arms. “You talk like it’s so simple. But it’s not. Tariq has eyes everywhere. He already knew I was here. He’ll come sooner than you think.”
Kayden’s gaze softened, just a little. “Then we’ll be ready.”
Silence stretched between us. His words settled over me like a heavy cloak. I wanted to feel safe in them but fear was stronger.
I turned away. I was trying to calm my racing heart. The hallway was long and dim. It was lit only by flickering lights along the stone walls. My steps felt unsteady and my knees were weak.
Then suddenly, my foot caught on a loose stone in the floor. I stumbled.
Before I could fall, Kayden’s hand shot out and caught me by the waist.
“Careful,” he said, his voice low.
I froze. His touch was warm, strong and steady. My breath hitched.
I looked up at him. His face was so close, his dark eyes locked on mine. For a moment, the world around us vanished—the torches, the stone walls, the fear of Tariq. All I could feel was the heat of his hand, the rise and fall of his chest and the pull of something deep and unshakable between us.
My heart pounded wildly. I told myself to move and to pull away. But I couldn’t.
“Leah,” he whispered, his voice rough, almost pleading.
I opened my mouth, but no words came out.
And then… he kissed me.
It wasn’t gentle. It was desperate. It was raw and filled with fire and pain.
I gasped against his lips, but before I knew it, I was kissing him back. My hands gripped his shirt. My body leaned into his like I had been waiting for this moment my whole life. Heat exploded inside me. It was racing through my veins like fire.
Athena’s voice trembled. “Mate… our mate…”
The bond between us snapped alive. It was like lightning, like fire, like the whole world had been waiting for us to collide.
But then reality slammed back.
I pulled away suddenly, gasping for breath. My lips were tingling. My heart was racing so fast I thought it might burst.
“What am I doing?” I whispered to myself, my hands trembling.
Kayden looked just as shocked. His chest was heaving. He reached for me again, but I stepped back quickly while shaking my head.
“No… this isn’t right,” I said. “I shouldn’t… I can’t…”
Shame crashed over me like a wave. Just moments ago I had been full of anger, of mistrust, and now… I had kissed him? I had wanted him?
I turned away, hugging myself, trying to breathe. My cheeks burned. My chest ached.
But then, a sudden pain ripped through me.
I gasped and clutched my stomach. My whole body shuddered. It was as if fire was crawling under my skin and tearing me apart from the inside.
“Leah?” Kayden’s voice was full of panic. He rushed to me. His hands gripped my shoulders. “What’s happening? What’s wrong?”
I screamed as the pain spread. It was sharp and merciless. My veins burned. They were glowing faintly under my skin. My vision blurred. There were spots of light dancing before my eyes.
Athena roared inside me. Her voice was full of fury. “It’s the spell! The chains around us! They’re breaking...but it hurts...it hurts!”
I fell to the ground.
My body gave out and the last thing I felt was Kayden's arms catching me before everything faded to black.