Vengeance Reborn

Chapter 9 ~ No More Holding Back

Leona’s POV

I may be exhausted from spending half the night thinking and talking to Tempest and Snow, but I'll be DAMNED if I let my old man kick my ass and bruise my flawless skin without making him work for it.

Tempest snorts. Snow follows. Traitors.

Dad is Alpha for a reason, and unfortunately for me, he seems determined to remind me of that before breakfast. Still, last night's visit to the Moon Temple changed something. I have three divine bloodlines running through my veins and powers I didn't even know existed until Selene started dropping revelations like she had an unlimited supply. Soul Sight is the only gift I can actually access right now.

So I use it.

For a moment, Dad stops looking like just Dad. Silver outlines his movements, and something deeper than body language flickers around him—intent before action.

He feints.

The silver shifts.

I trust it.

Then my kick connects with his thigh.

Dad stops.

I grin. He grins back.

And immediately I know I've made a terrible mistake.

The next twenty minutes are brutal. I don't need to replay every embarrassing detail.

Let's just say Soul Sight is useful, Dad adapts way too fast, and I manage to land enough hits to preserve my dignity.

Barely.

By the time training ends, I'm sweaty, sore, and annoyingly pleased with myself. More importantly, I understand the gift a little better. Soul Sight doesn't make me stronger.

It lets me notice what other people miss.

Intent.

Emotional shifts.

The moment before a choice becomes action.

That could save my life one day. Or someone else's.

Dad tosses me a towel.

“Better.”

“Better? I kicked you.”

“Once.”

“Three times.”

“One counted.”

I stare at him. “You are such a hater.”

His eyebrow rises. “I don't know what that means.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No.”

“Old man.”

Tempest immediately warns, Run.

Snow agrees. Fast.

Too late.

Dad catches me around the waist and throws me over his shoulder.

“DAD!”

I start laughing. “Put me down!”

“Apologize.”

“Never!”

By the time we reach the mansion, Mom is waiting near the entrance.

“Mom! Control your mate!”

She crosses her arms. “Sebastian, put our daughter down.”

Dad immediately obeys.

I grin.

Alpha Sebastian Knight, feared leader of Salem. Defeated by one look from his mate.

Beautiful.

Mom checks me over, ignores my complaints, and eventually orders both of us to wash up because we smell terrible.

Rude.

Accurate.

But rude.

---

A hot shower fixes nearly everything. By the time I'm dressed in jeans and a soft blue sweater, my damp curls loose around my shoulders, I'm starving. I meet my parents in the hall. Mom looks beautiful in her purple sweater dress while Dad wears dark trousers and a fitted red shirt.

They walk slightly ahead of me.

Dad reaches for Mom's hand without thinking. She takes it just as naturally.

I stop for half a second.

That tiny gesture hurts in the strangest way.

I've lived through years where neither of them existed. I remember birthdays without them. Problems I couldn't bring home. Moments when I would have given anything to hear Dad call me little one or have Mom fuss over something ridiculous.

Now they're right in front of me.

Alive.

Together.

Arguing quietly about whether Dad pushed me too hard in training.

I hurry forward and wedge myself between them.

“Move.”

Dad looks down. “There was plenty of space on Sophia's other side.”

“I like this space.”

I hook one arm through Mom's and the other through Dad's.

Mom smiles. Dad kisses the top of my head.

Neither asks why.

Thank Goddess.

The dining hall doors are already open as noise immediately surrounds us.

Pack.

Family.

Home.

Children dart between tables until parents catch them. Warriors argue over training scores. Someone near the kitchen laughs loud enough to turn half the room.

The smell nearly makes me moan.

Bacon, eggs, sausage, pancakes, fresh bread, fruit, coffee, cinnamon, and orange tea.

Food, Snow says.

Tempest perks up. Meat.

We're civilized.

Snow pauses. Bacon.

Fair.

“Bestie!”

I turn immediately.

Gabrielle is waving at me in her jean jumper with her blonde braids in a bun on top of her head like we haven't seen each other since childhood instead of yesterday.

Dominick with his silver hair down to his shoulders, in his brown polo shirt and khakis sits beside her, staring suspiciously at a piece of sausage like it personally offended him.

I laugh.

The sound comes easier than it did yesterday.

I release my parents and head toward my friends.

“Morning, Bestie!” Gabrielle hugs me.

I hug her harder than usual.

She pulls back. “You good?”

“Yeah.”

Her eyes narrow.

“Didn't sleep much.”

“You look like it.”

“Wow.”

“Love you.”

“Asshole.”

“That's my line,” Dominick says.

I turn toward him.

He gestures at himself.

“Please don't steal my brand.”

“You don't have a brand.”

“My devastating beauty is my brand.”

Gabrielle snorts.

I sit down. “You look like a silver-haired sewer rat.”

Dominick presses a hand to his chest. “Lies. Slander. Jealousy.”

“Looking rough, Dom.”

“Love you too, asshole.”

There it is.

Something inside me settles.

Gabrielle starts talking about classes and some ridiculous argument she witnessed yesterday while I load my plate. Dominick pushes his sausage away. I point at it.

“What did it do?”

“It looked at me.”

“The sausage looked at you?”

“Hostilely.”

Gabrielle closes her eyes. “Why are we friends with him?”

“No idea.”

“Because your lives would be empty without me.”

I steal the sausage. Dominick looks relieved.

Mom joins us a moment later. I immediately steal fruit from her plate. She stares.

“You have your own.”

“Yours looked better.”

“They came from the same bowl.”

“Still better.”

Dominick nods solemnly. “Food stolen from someone else's plate scientifically tastes superior.”

“Thank you!”

Gabrielle points her fork at us. “Both of you are criminals.”

Dad eventually joins us after speaking with Uncle Liam and promptly steals a piece of bacon from Mom's plate.

I point at him. “See!”

Mom slowly turns.

Dad freezes mid-chew.

Dominick whispers, “The Alpha has made a critical error.”

Gabrielle covers her mouth.

I nearly choke on my tea.

“Sebastian,” Mom says.

“My bacon was farther away.”

“You have an entire plate.”

Dad glances down.

“So does Leona.”

“Leave me out of this.”

“You started it.”

“I exposed corruption in leadership.”

Dominick raises his cup. “For the people.”

Gabrielle loses it.

Mom lasts maybe two seconds before laughing too.

Soon the whole table is laughing. And I sit there surrounded by it: Mom, Dad, Gabrielle, Dominick, Uncle Liam nearby, General Benson...

Pack members greeting us as they pass, children laughing, families arguing over pancakes, people planning ordinary days.

For once, I don't search the room for enemies. I don't wonder who betrayed me. I don't think about Michael. I don't think about the warehouse. I simply eat breakfast.

Maybe that's part of what Selene was trying to teach me. The enemy wins by poisoning bonds. By creating doubt, isolation, mistrust. So fighting back can't only be about getting stronger. Maybe it's this too.

Sitting with Mom while stealing her fruit.

Arguing with Dad about training. Listening to Gabrielle exaggerate a story by at least fifty percent. Watching Dominick pretend he's the most sophisticated vampire alive while being offended by breakfast meat.

Living. Actually living.

Gabrielle nudges me. “Earth to Leo.”

I blink. “What?”

“I asked if you're coming with us after class.”

“Where?”

Dominick smiles. I immediately distrust that smile.

“Nothing dangerous.”

“That wasn't my question.”

“Nothing illegal.”

“Also wasn't my question.”

Gabrielle sighs. “We wanted to go into town.”

I stare at them. “That's it?”

Dominick looks offended. “What kind of criminals do you think we are?”

“You want the alphabetical list or ranked by severity?”

Mom laughs beside me. Dad unfortunately hears all of this. “Where in town?”

Dominick sits straighter. “Sir.”

I bite my lip. Dad gives him the Alpha stare.

Dominick visibly reconsiders every life choice that brought him here.

Gabrielle answers for him. “Just some shopping and food after classes, Alpha.”

Dad looks at me. Protective mode. Yesterday, I probably would have rolled my eyes. Today, I understand it.

“Gabrielle and Dominick will be with me.”

“That doesn't reassure me.”

“Hey!” they say together.

I laugh. “I'll keep my phone on.”

Dad studies me.

Mom touches his arm. “Let her breathe, Seb.”

His jaw works. Finally, he nods. “Stay together.”

“We will.”

“Don't leave Salem territory.”

“I won't.”

“If anything feels wrong—”

“I call you.”

“Immediately.”

“Yes, Dad.”

His expression softens. “Good.”

Breakfast continues around us, loud and chaotic and completely ordinary. And for the first time since I woke up in this timeline, ordinary doesn't feel boring. It feels... precious.

Dominick reaches across the table and steals a pancake from my plate.

I stare at him.

He freezes.

Gabrielle gasps dramatically.

Mom covers her smile.

Dad leans back like he's preparing to watch a show.

Dominick slowly lowers the pancake.

“Leo—”

“You have three seconds.”

His silver eyes widen.

“Be reasonable.”

“One.”

“Leona.”

“Two.”

He jumps from his chair.

“THREE!”

Dominick bolts.

I launch after him.

“GIVE ME MY PANCAKE, YOU PALE THIEF!”

The dining hall erupts in laughter.

“IT'S ONE PANCAKE!”

“IT'S THE PRINCIPLE!”

“You stole your mother's fruit!”

“THAT'S DIFFERENT!”

“How?!”

“I'M HER CHILD!”

Gabrielle is laughing so hard she can barely breathe. Dad shouts something about not running in the dining hall. Mom immediately reminds him that he once chased Uncle Liam through the exact same room. Dad denies it. Uncle Liam loudly confirms it. More laughter.

Dominick makes the mistake of looking back. I tackle him onto one of the couches near the wall.

“Victory!”

“You're insane!”

“My pancake.”

He holds it above his head.

I narrow my eyes. “Dominick.”

“Say please.”

Tempest laughs. Snow is fully invested.

Bite him.

Snow!

Not hard.

I snort.

Dominick uses my distraction to take a huge bite.

I gasp.

He slowly chews.

“You.”

He swallows

“Did.”

His eyes widen.

“Not.”

I smile sweetly.

Dominick pales.

“Gabrielle?”

She immediately turns away. “Don't involve me.”

“Traitor!”

I lunge.

His scream echoes through the dining hall.

And as everyone laughs around us, warmth settles into my chest.

Yesterday, I woke believing I'd lost everything. Today, I'm chasing my vampire best friend through my family's dining hall over a stolen pancake while my parents laugh, my pack watches, and my beasts debate whether biting him would be excessive.

Maybe this second life will become terrifying. Maybe tomorrow brings the first real change in the future I remember. But this morning belongs to me.

And I'm going to enjoy every damn second of it.