~Layla~
Clara was pushing through. She growled and rose. Her form grew bigger, and she arched her back like holding a leash on a dragon. We might not be Emberclaws anymore, but Calara was still strong. Her claws pressed the floor bank of my mind, and I cracked my head to the side, trying to calm her.
Who would do this?
“I don’t know, but we’ll find them, and we’ll kill them,” she growled.
“Layla?” My attention was snapped back to the room. I saw everyone standing in shock. Anna was rummaging through the remaining presents, looking for something. She turned around and tossed her arms in the air. A look of disbelief spread over her face, and I could tell her worry was growing.
“It’s not here,” she heaved. I looked behind her at the upside-down presents and walked over to her.
“What’s not there?” I asked.
“My gift! It was wrapped exactly like that one, the same color bow and the same paper. The same box!”
“Hey, calm down,” I said, grabbed her shoulders, and pulled her in for a hug. However, I was no calmer. Who had sent that doll, and who had seen our baby? They had to have seen her today. Danielle bought that dress for her specifically for this celebration, and Kade’s mom bought her the pacifier to match. My mom was the one who made the strap that the pacifier goes on, so there wasn’t a chance that anyone could’ve known.
“Tell the guards to close the gate!” Kade’s dad said.
“No!” Kade and I looked at each other when our voices overlapped.
He was thinking the same thing.
I shivered and cautiously looked around. Everyone turned to us with grimaces on their faces.
“Why not? This is clearly a threat,” Kade’s mom said. Her eyes were fierce, and her face showed no emotion.
A veil seemed to cover everyone’s faces and hide their true feelings.
“Nobody could’ve known what she would wear,” Kade said and lifted his daughter from his mother’s arms.
Everyone started looking around, silently judging and questioning each other’s intentions.
I couldn’t see anyone here working to harm my daughter.
It didn’t make any sense. It was our family and our closest friends. They were there to take down Nathaniel and the Emberclaws. The Emberclaws that survived and submitted had barely been around our house. They were in town, getting adjusted still to this new life. And everyone else within these walls I trusted with my life.
“Do you trust them with her life?” Clara asked me.
She was front and center, standing right next to me, scanning every person in the room.
I sighed heavily and locked eyes with Danielle. She was the only one who I couldn’t say for certain wasn’t involved.
She smiled and stepped forward.
“Justin,” she said.
He looked at her with furrowed brows and a deep-seated scowl.
“I know it wasn’t you,” he said to her. She smiled and shook out her body.
“I need them to be reassured. It makes sense that you would suspect me; I would too.” Danielle stood steadily and prepared herself. “Look at my memories,” she said.
Justin turned to me. He raised his hand as if to say, “Really?” However, he saw that I didn’t oppose it.
“Please, it would be helpful,” I said.
I couldn’t do it myself. My powers were gone, and for that, I was glad. However, as another threat arose, I felt guilty for not having the powers that made me stronger.
Justin scoffed. He seemed almost offended by the request but nevertheless put his hand on the side of her neck and peeked into her mind.
Being an Emberclaw really was a breach of privacy. You couldn’t hide anything unless you became an expert at blocking. Still, even then, someone was always stronger than you.
Justin held it there for a while. He seemed to be taking his time looking through her memories. It shouldn’t take this long. What else was he watching?
Justin removed his hand. Danielle’s eyes came back. When she steadied herself, she reached out and slapped him across his face.
“How dare you.” She snarled and walked out of the room.
Justin slowly turned his head. His eyes locked on mine and then fell to the floor. Whatever he saw was not meant for his eyes, and it clearly did something to him.
“It’s not her,” he spoke lowly. His eyes sunk, and by the narrowing of his eyes and his lids sinking, it seemed that he saw something in my eyes—something he didn’t like at all.
“Are you all right?” Mason asked and placed his hand on Justin’s shoulder. He wasn’t responsive. What the hell did he see in Danielle’s memories?
“I’m fine.” He shrugged the hand off and walked past us. On his way out, I reached out and grabbed his wrist. “Justin.” I tried to stop him from walking out, but he pulled his hand back and disappeared.
“What is happening?” I asked and looked around. Just twenty minutes ago, we were laughing, dancing, and having fun. This house was filled with love and joy, and now, suddenly, the air felt thick with pending threats and suspicions.
Wasn’t it over? The constant looking over the shoulder and dreaming of when things would be as they were just a moment ago? Hadn’t we been through enough? Still, above anything else, did they have to pull my daughter into it?
I looked at those rosy cheeks and unknowing eyes. She would fall asleep any moment now in her father’s arms, oblivious to the darkness that grew around us.
“Leave the gates open. We will increase protection around the house and within these walls. In the meantime, we’ll send warriors to subtly stake out the Emercalws,” I ordered.
Mason walked out to gather the warriors, and Graham went with him.
“Everyone move about as usual until we find out more. Whoever switched the presents has to be within the pack, and they will sooner or later show themselves,” Kade said. His voice was devoid of any emotion. It was cold and calculating, as it had been in the beginning when I arrived here. Now, I knew it was caused by fear. He wouldn’t tear his eyes away from the jewel in his arms, and I knew they’d be tied to the hip until this was all sorted out. Everyone was watching her; in their minds, they prepared for the worst, and though I was worried, I also knew that there was no place safer for her than with her father.
* * *
Kade stood by the window, pointing to the trees and leaning forward when she wanted to touch the glass.
Her hand swung, her tongue started spitting, and her eyes would soon grow tired. A little sneeze escaped her, and her eyes grew round and big from the scare. Kade started laughing, his eyes dripping with love, and she smiled as she looked up at her hero.
“Have you thought of any names?” I asked and came up behind them.
“There’s not a name in this world to do her justice, but I was thinking,” he said. “What about Celine?” Kade was in love with that beautiful little pup we created together. Every time I looked at him, I fell harder and deeper. It was the kind of love that scared me because it felt like he and our daughter quite literally owned my heart and my soul. They weren’t mine anymore; they were all theirs.
“Like the moon goddess,” I said and gently graced my thumb over her chubby cheek.
“But with a twist,” he said.
“I love it.” Kade pressed his lips against mine, and I savored the moment.
