LEILA POV:
No fucking vampire was going to hurt my baby and get away with it. Not one. The image of my little Ash, forced to shift for the first time—so small, so scared, so vulnerable—just to protect himself, haunted me. It burned in my mind, igniting a fury I couldn't contain, one that radiated through every fiber of my being. He wasn't ready for that. He shouldn't have had to endure it yet.
The guilt weighed heavier than anything I'd ever carried before. I'd failed him. I'd failed my son. While my baby was fighting for his life, I was distracted, rolling around in the sheets with Chase, caught up in the moment, oblivious to the fear and desperation that had clawed at Ash in those terrifying minutes.
I had chosen pleasure over vigilance, indulgence over protection. And now my little boy had paid the price.
I hated myself for it.
