Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27

SEREN

“ S o it’s safe to say you’re not returning to New York for at least six months?”

I frown at the screen, glancing at Jane while keeping an eye on my son. His little footsteps patter rhythmically on the bathroom tile as he arranges his plushies on the vanity. He’s decided he wants to decorate the bathroom vanity with all his toys. “It’s their room,” he insists. I’ll have to wash them all later.

“Nothing is set in stone, really,” I answer honestly. “I’m just trying to figure out a way to get some regular cash flow here. I’d hate to dip into my savings.”

Jane checks the temperature of the two milk bottles before she hands them to the nanny. Her babies are just a few weeks old. “Want me to keep an eye out for remote work until then?”

“I’m actually on the fence about starting my own consultancy here. Mammoth Lakes is filled with small-scale businesses. If I’m not on retainer, I could take on projects. I just want to gauge the market first. ”

Jane squints at me, the silence on her end only interrupted by the soft coos of the two babies in the background. “You know, maybe that’s not a bad idea. You control your timing, work from home, and avoid any bloodsucking bosses. Sounds perfect!”

I giggle at her enthusiasm before glancing at the clock. We need to leave in five minutes, and Leon is still popping in and out of the bathroom with plushies. “I hope Gunner has finally stopped bothering you.”

Since catching him cheating, she’s tried to cut him out of her life, but he refuses to stay away.

I frown when I see her blush at my question.

“Listen, don’t hate me…” She hesitates and I roll my eyes, guessing where this is going.

“You’re back with him, aren’t you?”

She groans, covering her face with her palms. “I know, I know. It sounds insane, but hear me out. He showed me this crazy security footage that shows what really happened that night. Turns out, the girl literally threw herself at him. It’s like she set him up. And that video isn’t doctored. I verified it.”

I run a hand through my hair. “After everything he did, you’re really buying that?”

She looks up at the screen again. “I love him, Seren. And when you’re with someone long enough, you just know when they’re telling the truth. And I know he isn’t lying about this.”

Her conviction makes me wince. How can she be so sure? For all the years I lived here, I could never figure out when Theron was lying. But then, he never loved me, so does it even matter?

Jane gives me a sheepish grin and quickly changes the subject. “What’s going on with you and Ethan? How’s the long-distance thing working out?”

“It’s not,” I answer with a sigh.

Her eyes widen and she whispers, “What did you do this time?”

“I have to prioritize Leon now,” is all I manage to get out. The truth is I don’t know when I’ll be back in New York, and keeping someone waiting indefinitely is just cruel. Ethan doesn’t deserve that. And after that exchange with Titan, thinking about Ethan makes me feel guilty.

Jane nods. “Makes sense, though I can’t believe you’re letting such a great guy go. He’s literally your soulmate.”

I’m spared from commenting since Leon barrels over to me, his tiny body slamming against my legs as he announces, “Done. Let’s go.” The sense of accomplishment on his face is clear.

I quickly end my call with Jane and get my baby ready for the dentist. He’s been complaining of a toothache since last night. With how he’s acting this morning, the pain seems to have disappeared, but I’d still like to get it checked out.

The driver is waiting by the porch. The two warriors on our security detail are already seated in the car behind us. As I’m checking the seatbelt locks for Leon, out of nowhere Theron slides into the passenger seat.

I almost do a double take as he buckles his seatbelt. Doesn’t he ever have to be at work ?

Neither of us say a word to each other but of course, Leon pipes up.

“Mama, it’s Daddy.”

I wrinkle my nose. This need to state the obvious must be in the Blackwood blood.

There’s a tense silence inside the car, so I play Leon’s favorite Miss Rachel videos on the iPad for him. The soothing sound of her voice floods the car, and soon Leon is giggling and repeating everything she says.

Everything is fine until we hit a deep pothole on the road. We all get a good shake-up, and Leon and I are giggling, but I notice the body language shift between Theron and the driver.

The car’s speed picks up.

Theron turns to glance at us briefly, his eyes raking over our seatbelts. I notice him pull out something dark and shiny from the glovebox, but it exchanges hands with the driver before I can identify it.

I sense them communicating through the mind-link. On instinct, I look out of the back window and notice our security detail is no longer behind us.

My heart drops. Panic floods my veins.

I quickly put the iPad away and lean closer to Leon.

Theron turns to me again, worry etched on his face. There’s a look of desperation in his eyes that makes my blood run cold.

“Brace yourselves and stay in the car once we stop. Don’t get out no matter what. Alright? ”

I don’t get the chance to respond. I’ve barely put my arms around Leon when the driver suddenly slams on the brakes. The next second a black SUV barrels into us from the side. The impact is hard, jarring, and sudden.

Having missed the door on Leon’s side, the SUV nicks the rear end hard, making our car spin around twice.

My head hits the front seat, my body almost on the floor despite the seatbelts. The airbags don’t activate. I hear glass breaking in the front before I hear the terrified cry of my son.

“Mama!”

I’m relieved to find no sign of any external injury on him. “It’s okay, my little lion, it’s okay,” I whisper, trying to soothe him.

As the car slowly comes to a halt, I’m shocked to see five more SUVs blocking our path from the front. A few shots are fired at us, and while Leon and I scream, no bullets hit anything inside the car. I realize it’s a bulletproof car.

The front door clicks open and I panic. “Theron, no. Don’t go. We can wait for help to arrive.”

He turns to me, his eyes dark and his voice rough. “Don’t leave the car no matter what. Drive away when I give you the signal.”

I blink at him as he pulls the keys out of the ignition and throws them at me before stepping outside. The driver follows suit, locking the door on his way out.

The two of them take cover behind our car, and soon shots are being fired from both sides. We are heavily outnumbered.

I take off my seatbelt and check the glove compartment for any more guns or knives, but find none. My phone’s screen is cracked and the display is glitching. I blindly dial 911, but the call never connects.

I pull Leon out of the car seat and hold him close, covering his ears, trying to muffle the sounds of fighting as much as I can.

The gunfight slows down, and I realize Theron might be running out of bullets. My heart drops to my stomach.

Suddenly two men approach the car, holding massive bottles of gasoline.

Fuck! They’re planning to burn us. If I stay in, we get burned. If I step out, we get shot.

Theron, who had been fighting from behind the car, races to the front, attacking the first man with a knife.

Our attackers seize this opportunity, firing multiple shots at him. Two pierce his body. His face twists in pain as he’s hit again, this time with a knife.

“No!” I whisper as the blade slices into Theron’s side. He grunts in pain but doesn’t back down. Blood begins to pool around him as he collapses to the ground, struggling to rise.

“Theron!” I cry out, my voice choked with fear.

I feel my life flash before my eyes. The fear of losing Theron darkens my vision.

As the men approach Theron, he unexpectedly pulls out another gun from his ankle holster and starts shooting. The driver taps on the windshield and signals me to drive away.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, more cars come screeching in, charging straight at the parked SUVs and attempting to mow down our attackers .

A large horde of wolves races into battle, and within moments the men who ambushed us are dead, their limbs torn apart by angry warriors.

I continue to keep Leon’s eyes covered, keeping him tucked against my body.

The sound of sirens in the distance grows louder, and soon the paramedics arrive.

After the shooting stops, I grab Leon and step out of the car. Pema is one of the warriors, and she takes Leon from me to get him checked by the medic while I turn to Theron.

“Theron!” I call out again. He’s in a pool of blood, his face white, his eyes barely open. He still manages to look at me with a faint, pained smile.

I flop down to my knees, not even registering the way they scrape on the tar. While a medic hurriedly checks him, I run my fingers over his face, his hair, the way I know relaxes him. He immediately leans into my touch.

“Theron, please hold on for us,” I beg, my voice shaking. “Leon and I…”

He looks up at me, his eyes filled with pain but also something else—something that makes my heart ache. “My Seren-hen,” he murmurs, his voice weak. “Before I go, I want to feel your love. Just once.”

“You’re not going anywhere!” I tell him angrily, hating that he is even thinking of giving up.

His eyes hold a desperate, pleading look. “Please, just once. Can you kiss me?”

Tears blur my vision as I lean over, my heart breaking at the sight of him. I press my lips to his, moving them as gently as possible, wanting to pour all my feelings into this brief touch.

When I pull away, Theron’s eyes flutter open and he manages a weak smile. In the commotion, I almost miss him whispering, “Thank you, my love. I’m sorry.”

The uniformed team carefully transfers him to a stretcher and loads him into an ambulance.

I quickly gather Leon into my arms and get in beside him.

I won’t let anything happen to my mate.