Vengeance Reborn

Chapter 11 ~ No...

Leona’s POV

Something is weird.

I don’t know exactly what, but Gabrielle and Dominick are definitely acting weird.

As we gather our things for class, Gabrielle keeps watching me when she thinks I’m not looking.

Dominick is worse.

Every few minutes, his silver eyes track me, then snap away the second I notice. Earlier, he checked the doors. Then the windows. Then me.

Now he’s pretending his phone is fascinating.

Suspicious bastard.

“What?” he asks without looking up.

I fold my arms. “You tell me.”

His eyes lift innocently.

Too innocently.

“I have no idea what you mean.”

“Uh-huh.”

Gabrielle slides her bag over her shoulder. “We should leave unless you want Professor Hudson to murder us.”

I keep staring between them.

They’re hiding something.

And considering these are the two people who know me better than almost anyone—

Cold.

I freeze.

Something brushes against my senses.

Dark.

Ancient.

Wrong.

Tempest rises instantly.

Leona?

Snow goes silent.

My head snaps toward the far side of the dining hall.

Nothing.

Pack members clear breakfast plates. Children leave with their parents. Warriors head toward assignments.

Normal.

But for one second...

Something was watching me.

Did you feel that?

Yes, Tempest says.

Snow’s voice comes lower.

Gone.

My pulse quickens.

I reach for Soul Sight.

Nothing.

No silver.

No threads.

No presence.

Just the dining hall.

Great.

Now I’m paranoid.

“Leo?”

Gabrielle touches my arm.

I blink. “What?”

“You spaced out.”

“Sorry.”

Dominick’s humor is gone.

“You okay?”

There it is again.

That weirdness.

I consider asking, then glance at the clock.

“Oh, shit.”

Gabrielle follows my gaze.

“Oh, SHIT.”

Dominick grabs his bag. “Move!”

Mystery temporarily forgotten.

We hurry toward the doors.

“Leona.”

I groan before turning.

Mom stands near the entrance with her arms folded.

Gabrielle pats my shoulder. “Good luck.”

“Traitor.”

Dominick points toward the doors. “We’ll get the car.”

“Double traitor!”

They disappear.

I walk toward Mom.

“Yes, Luna Sophia?”

Her eyebrow rises.

Wrong approach.

I smile.

“Mommy?”

“Don’t Mommy me.”

Damn.

She hooks her arm through mine.

“You remember we have work to do tonight?”

I groan. “Mom.”

“Leona.”

“I trained this morning, I have classes, and I’m shopping with Gabrielle and Dominick afterward.”

“I know.”

“And I’m exhausted.”

Her expression softens.

“I’m not asking you to train again.”

“What are we doing?”

“Your father and I need to teach you our true family history. And we need to begin documenting what you remember from the other timeline.”

My stomach twists.

“That sounds fun.”

“It won’t be.”

At least she’s honest.

“We’ll start with major events, names, and dates. Anything that might help us recognize changes before they happen.”

I sigh.

“Fine.”

“After shopping.”

“Yes.”

“No mysteriously disappearing until midnight.”

I gasp.

“I have never—”

She gives me a look.

“Okay. Rarely.”

Another look.

“Fine.”

Mom smiles and kisses my forehead.

“Have fun today too, sweetheart. Your whole life doesn’t need to become work.”

I hug her.

“Love you.”

“I love you too.”

Dad approaches as I release her.

“You leaving?”

“Trying to.”

“Phone?”

“In my bag.”

“Charged?”

“Yes.”

“Stay with Gabrielle and Dominick.”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Don’t leave Salem territory.”

“Yes, Dad.”

“If anything—”

“Feels wrong, I call immediately.”

His eyes narrow.

“Don’t mock me, little one.”

I hug him.

“I’m not.”

For one second, I let myself sink into his chest.

Safe.

Then I kiss his cheek.

“Love you, old man.”

“Leona.”

“Love you, Mom!”

I run.

“LEONA!”

I laugh all the way outside.

---

“You know we’re going to be late because of you.”

I climb into the car.

“Drive, Dominick.”

He looks offended.

“That’s not an apology.”

“Drive, vampire.”

Gabrielle twists around from the passenger seat.

“We have twelve minutes.”

Dominick grins.

“Oh, that’s plenty.”

I grab my seat belt.

“No.”

Gabrielle does the same.

“Dominick.”

“Relax.”

“Whenever you say relax, something illegal happens.”

“Allegedly.”

The car takes off.

“DOMINICK!”

His laughter fills the car.

For several minutes, we’re just us again.

Gabrielle complains about a professor. Dominick insists morning classes discriminate against vampires.

I remind him he doesn’t sleep during the day.

He says that’s irrelevant.

By the time Salem University comes into view, we’re cutting it close.

Dominick pulls into the parking lot.

“See? Perfect timing.”

“We have four minutes,” Gabrielle says.

“Exactly.”

I grab my bag.

Then shouting erupts near the entrance.

A crowd has gathered.

“For Goddess’s sake,” Gabrielle mutters. “What now?”

“We don’t have time for this.”

Dominick gets out beside me.

“Then why are we walking toward it?”

“Because we’re nosy.”

“Fair.”

We move closer.

Then I hear a voice I know too well.

“Maybe next time you’ll watch where you’re going!”

Oh, no.

I push through the crowd.

Ingrid.

Of course.

Fake platinum-blonde hair. Heavy makeup. Red lipstick. Tight green dress. Black stilettos.

Same Ingrid.

Different morning.

She’s glaring at someone on the ground.

Beside her stands a guy with his shoe planted on the student’s hand.

My irritation becomes anger.

“Oh, hell no.”

Dominick catches my elbow.

“Leo.”

“He’s standing on someone’s hand.”

“I see that.”

“Then let go.”

I pull free.

The guy on the ground winces.

I move around another student, trying to see Ingrid’s boyfriend.

One step.

Two.

The crowd shifts.

And I see him.

Everything stops.

My bag slips from my fingers.

No.

My heart slams against my ribs.

No.

It can’t be.

He turns slightly.

Light gray eyes.

Creamy-white skin.

Short, messy brown hair.

Younger than I remember.

But it’s him.

Michael.

My lungs forget how to work.

The university disappears.

His hands around me.

His voice.

His scent.

The mate bond.

Our home.

His arms around my pregnant stomach.

Promises whispered against my skin.

Then—

Concrete.

Blood.

Pain.

My babies.

No.

“Leo?”

Gabrielle sounds miles away.

Michael McGarland.

My Alpha.

My mate.

My husband.

Father to my unborn children.

My executioner.

My aura explodes.

Students gasp.

Windows rattle.

Michael’s head snaps toward me.

Our eyes meet.

Tempest roars.

HIM!

Snow surges.

HE KILLED US!

My vision floods blue.

Bloodred consumes my irises.

My fangs descend.

Kill him!

Tempest slams against the barriers inside me.

LET ME OUT!

Snow’s rage is deeper.

Rip him apart.

Students back away.

Someone screams.

Michael stares at me.

Confused.

Like he doesn’t know me.

Of course he doesn’t.

Not yet.

But I know him.

I know what those hands are capable of.

Silver explodes across my vision.

Soul Sight.

For one impossible second, something flashes around Michael.

Light.

Shadow.

Threads.

Too many.

I can’t understand any of it through the rage.

I step toward him.

The ground cracks beneath my foot.

“Leona.”

Dominick.

I barely hear him.

“Leona!”

Power surges through me.

Tempest and Snow slam forward together.

KILL HIM!

I move.

Arms lock around me.

The world blurs.

Wind tears past my face.

The university disappears.

“DOMINICK!”

He doesn’t stop.

“PUT ME DOWN!”

“No!”

“TAKE ME BACK!”

“Absolutely f*****g not!”

I fight him.

He tightens his grip.

I slam my Alpha aura into him.

It catches—

Barely.

Dominick stumbles, growls through it, and keeps moving.

“Leo, stop!”

“HE’S THERE!”

“I know!”

“You don’t know what he did!”

Dominick says nothing.

Because he doesn’t.

Not really.

Nobody does except Mom, Dad, Tempest, Snow, and me.

I twist violently.

“LET ME GO!”

“No.”

His voice hardens.

“I’m not taking you back so you can kill someone in front of three hundred witnesses!”

My blood goes cold.

Kill.

I was going to kill him.

No questions.

No hesitation.

I stop fighting.

Dominick slows, then stops deep in the forest bordering university property.

He sets me down.

My legs buckle.

He catches me.

I shove him away.

“Don’t.”

He releases me immediately.

My hands shake.

Tempest paces.

Snow growls.

Go back.

“No.”

He killed our pups.

“I know.”

Dominick’s face changes.

“What?”

Shit.

I close my eyes.

“I can’t.”

“Leona—”

“Please.”

He stops.

Thank Goddess.

Because if he pushes, I might tell him everything.

Selene said the future can change.

Michael doesn’t know me yet.

The man standing outside the university hasn’t done those things.

Not yet.

But I remember the man who did.

And maybe some things haven’t changed at all.

---

Gabrielle’s POV

The second Dominick disappears with Leona, I move.

I don’t understand what just happened.

But nobody here can realize Leona caused it.

“Everyone back up!” I shout.

I let Dana push enough wolf authority into my voice to make people listen.

“Something blew near the electrical system. Back away from the building!”

Terrible explanation.

I don’t care.

Confusion is useful.

Someone mentions a transformer.

Perfect.

I grab Leona’s bag.

Then I look toward Ingrid.

She’s pale.

Her boyfriend—Michael—is staring at the place Leona vanished from.

Not recognition.

Confusion.

Interest.

I pull out my phone and call Alpha Sebastian.

He answers immediately.

“Gabrielle?”

“Alpha.”

His tone changes.

“What happened?”

“It’s Leona.”

Silence.

“Where is she?”

“Dominick took her away from campus. They’re somewhere outside the university.”

“Why?”

I glance toward Michael.

“She saw someone.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know what he means to her, but his name is Michael.”

The silence becomes absolute.

Then Luna Sophia’s voice comes through.

“What did she say?”

“Her aura exploded. Her eyes changed. Alpha, I’ve never felt anything like it.”

Sebastian swears.

Sophia speaks.

“Gabrielle, sweetheart, are you safe?”

“Yes.”

“Is anyone hurt?”

“Not from Leona. Dominick got her out before she attacked anyone.”

A breath leaves Sophia.

“Good.”

“Luna... what is going on?”

Silence.

They know.

Sebastian’s voice returns.

“Where is Michael?”

“Still here.”

“Do not approach him. Do not speak to him about Leona. Do not tell him her name if he doesn’t already know it.”

The command makes Dana lower her head.

“Understood.”

“Can you leave without drawing attention?”

“Yes.”

“Do it. Your Luna and I are coming.”

I grip the phone tighter.

“Alpha...”

“Yes?”

I look toward the forest.

Whatever Leona is hiding is bigger than I thought.

“Please hurry.”

Sophia answers.

“We’re already on our way.”

The call ends.

Across the courtyard, Michael is still staring toward the place Leona disappeared.

Then his eyes shift toward mine.

A chill crawls down my spine.

Dana growls.

I clutch Leona’s bag against my chest.

Whatever happened between that man and my best friend...

Leona looked at him like she had seen a ghost.

No.

Worse.

Like she had seen the devil.

And for the first time since I’ve known Leona Knight, I’m afraid of what she isn’t telling me.