One month later.
~Kade~
The preparations were in full swing. Layla and our daughter were up in the room getting dressed, and they had been informed not to come downstairs. Cara and Graham were filling the balloons with helium and sending them up on strings. The doors were ordained with tassels in pink, blue, and gold. Because of everything that has happened since pretty much the beginning of Layla’s arrival here, she never got a baby shower. Anna and Cara made the case that even though the baby had been born, she should still experience the celebration. And I couldn’t agree more.
Everyone was helping around the house, making pastries, putting out tables, and filling every surface with ornaments and gifts.
Danielle was throwing out orders to everyone, telling them what to do and how to do it and to my surprise, they all listened.
It was a weird thing to see everyone happy and content with everyday life. The smiles faded long ago, and this house had become a place of distrust and lingering hope. All of a sudden, with the return of one person, everything changed. The whole pack seemed happier. Maybe because their Alpha was back to his normal state. However, even though I enjoyed the happy moments, I wasn’t fully prepared to trust them. Even Ynox was on constant guard. He pressed past me many times to guard Layla and the baby as though he sensed a danger.
I turned and walked up the stairs and headed to our bedroom. I walked in and closed the door behind me.
“You beautiful, beautiful girl. How could I ever have been so lucky to be blessed with the likes of you?”
I stopped by the closed door and just listened. They were in the bathroom with the door open, and her sounds rang like a song out into the room.
“My darling baby girl. You know, I thought I’d never see you again. Your mommy had to leave for a little bit and go on a whole other adventure that led her away from you. I was so scared because though all my life I have never loved as I loved when I saw your face. No one will ever hurt you, and no one will ever touch you. You are so very protected and so incredibly loved, my darling daughter. And your daddy’s kind of a badass too.”
Our baby squealed. She had just started to make noises and found her tongue. Every single second spent staring at her was the best I experienced.
“Oh, hi there. Were you spying on us?” Layla jumped when she stepped out of the bathroom. Her brow shot up, and her lips pouted.
“I was.” I walked across the room.
Layla was wearing a beautiful cherry red dress that fell to her knees. It was swung around the waist, and just enough of her cleavage was showing to make me want a better look.
“I like this dress on you.” I followed the strap of her dress over her shoulder, across her clavicle, and down her breast. I grabbed her waist and pulled her against me.
“Kade,” she whispered and licked her lips. “I’ve done my makeup. Could you please wait until after the surprise to ruin it?”
I rubbed my thumb over her lips and inhaled a sharp breath. Keeping my hands off Layla had been nearly impossible. We had spent the last month making up for lost time. Anytime our girl went to sleep, I pulled Layla down on the bed or bent her over a table.
We still hadn’t named our daughter. Her name since the start had been baby girl, and we never found a name that suited her.
Nothing felt right. Nothing did her justice. She reached out her hand, her little fingers rested on mine, and she looked at them in awe. For this little girl, the world was a new and wonderful place. It was filled with creatures she had never seen, people she had never met, and all the colors she could ever wish for. Layla said nothing but the truth: our little girl would be protected each step of the way. And the second she learned to walk, I would train her myself.
The door slid open, and Anna poked her head in. She smiled from ear to ear and let the door slide open.
“We’re ready for you,” she said.
She skipped over to Layla and grabbed the baby from her. She fixed her dress and held her close to her chest as she walked out of the room.
“What have they done?” Layla asked on our way out.
“Something nice, I think,” I said and pressed my lips on her head.
When we got to the stairs, it was visible right away. They had put the colored strings around the wooden railing and a red carpet for her to walk down on. Cara kept reminding me all day that the celebration was as much for me becoming a dad as it was for Layla being a mom. However, I didn’t want the celebration. I wanted it to be all about her, all about that fantastic woman that the Moon Goddess somehow felt I deserved. Seeing my mark on Layla’s neck as she walked down the stairs had my chest swelling with pride. She was mine, marked and locked.
“What is this?” Layla squealed and covered her mouth.
Everyone cheered as we walked down. Their smiling faces lit up even more, and Cara took her hand and dragged her into the living room.
The first two tables were filled with gifts, and the other three were filled with food. You couldn’t see the tables’ surface. Big boxes with ribbons and a diaper tower stood on the floor with a big teddy bear behind it.
“That thing is bigger than she is,” I said and grabbed its ear.
“I like it,” Layla said and smiled cheekily. “I can’t believe you guys did all of this. I’m… I’m in shock. I’m honored.” She put her hand over her chest right above the heart.
“We’re just sorry we couldn’t do it while you were pregnant,” Anna said as she swayed back and forth.
“Next time.”
My head snapped to the side, and my eyes locked with Layla’s. “Next time?” I asked and felt my brows shooting up.
“Oh yeah,” she said and winked.
Well, shit.
“Whatever you want, honey.” Literally. Whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted it. Name it, and it’s yours.
“So!” Danielle said and clapped her hands together. “Do we start with food or gifts?” she asked and put her fingers by her chin as she looked at Layla.
“Gifts!” Layla jumped on the spot and clapped her hands.
Her mother smiled and took our daughter in her arms. Whoever held her and wherever they went, my eyes were constantly searching for her. Not once was she out of sight.
Danielle pulled out a chair for Layla to sit on, and I stood behind her.
Anna, Cara and Danielle each took turns bringing her a gift and reading who it was from.
“This from your mom.” Anna smiled.
Layla took off the lid of the box and put aside the beautiful bow I knew she would keep. Inside was an album.
“For your new memories,” her mother said.
In there was also a camera ready to snap shots of our family.
I squeezed Layla’s shoulder, and she put her hand over mine.
“I love it,” she said and threw her mom a kiss.
“My gift is more of a verbal agreement,” her dad said and stepped up. He raised his champagne glass and tile proudly. “With this new addition to the family, it seemed only right that we all be in one place. Therefore, we have let build a house here on the pack grounds.”
Layla gasped.
“Within the wall,” my mom said and winked.
“Daddy!” she cried and ran up to hug her father.
He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her close. Her father carried her body to the pack; he laid her down on the bed in the belief she’d be dead forever. He watched her die in his arms, and all that pain was now mounts of relief and love that displayed on his face.
“That’s the best present ever,” she breathed and pulled back.
He nodded and told her to sit back down so she could get more gifts.
“I told you to take that one last,” Cara said and eyed her father.
He chuckled and chugged the champagne in one go.
One by one, the gifts were distributed, and they were all amazing. There were a few gifts left before we all could eat. Some had started singing, and others were dancing in the living room. However, no one went too far away because they wanted to see Layla’s reaction to every single gift.
Anna brought one of the gifts. She held it close to her chest with a raised shoulder and an ear-to-ear smile.
“This one’s from me,” she squealed and did a happy dance, as Layla called it. Anna hadn’t done that dance before, but apparently, it was something she did when she was happy.
Layla looked up at me. She carefully undid the ribbon and put the bow aside. She opened the lid so slowly that Anna almost jumped.
Eventually, the lid came off, and the room fell silent. Layla’s smile vanished from her face without a trace that it had ever been there. Her hands fell to her sides, and she stared blankly into the box.
I picked up the box to look inside it and felt my heart stop.
“Who the fuck would do this?” Ynox growled.
“Where is she?” I asked and looked around the room. I saw my daughter in my mother’s arms, soundly asleep.
“What’s wrong?” my mom asked, her face shifting in worry.
I reached into the box and pulled out the doll. It had the same little strands of hair, real hair, beautiful blue eyes and cherry-red cheeks. The doll was wearing the same dress we had put on our daughter—baby pink with white daisies. Hanging on from the doll’s dress was a strap with a pacifier—just like our daughter’s. And in the middle of her chest, with red paint around the wound, was a knife.
“Oh my god.” Anna covered her mouth and fell back.
Laying under the doll was a note with burnt edges.
“I will see you soon. All of you.”
