Chapter 6: Taking her somewhere safe

Levi held Kaliyah firmly as he leapt out the window in one smooth motion, his body moving like she weighed nothing at all.

The wind rushed past them as they soared down, and then he landed gracefully, like a shadow falling from the sky.

His feet touched the pavement with barely a sound, and he was still carrying her… princess style.

Kaliyah clung to his neck tightly, her arms locked around him in instinctual fear. Her heart was thudding in her chest from the sudden movement.

"What…what are you doing?" she gasped, looking up at him, still in his arms.

"I'm taking you with me," he said in a low, steady voice. “Somewhere safe.”

Kaliyahh’s eyes widened. “But… Don…And Kate is knocking at the door. She's going to realize I’m not there. I’ll get into trouble!” She was already panicking, her voice breaking slightly as she squirmed in his hold.

Levi tightened his grip and pressed her closer to his chest, as if shielding her from the chaos they’d left behind. “I’m not leaving you in there with those people my love.”

She opened her mouth to speak again, but the sound of Kate’s voice still shouting from the house sent a chill down her spine. The banging on the door hadn't stopped.

Then Levi looked down at her again, his eyes glowing slightly under the moonlight. “I’ll protect you.”

Her breath hitched. “But… where are we going?”

Levi didn’t answer right away. He just turned and started walking down the dark path between the trees, carrying her like she was the most fragile thing he’d ever touched.

“I found my precious mate after so long,” Levi murmured, voice low but full of fire, “and you think I’ll leave you here for one more minute? Especially after seeing how they treat you?”

Kaliyahh’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth, unsure if she should argue or ask a thousand questions but before she could get a single word out, Levi leaned in close and whispered, “Hang on tight.”

And then, he moved, with so much speed. The speed was unreal.

Air whipped past her face like a storm that she couldn’t keep her eyes open. Everything around them blurred, the trees, shadows, moonlight streaking through the woods. Her grip tightened around his neck,

It felt like they were flying.

It felt like being stolen away by something dangerous and safe all at once.

Meanwhile, back in the room, Don finally groaned and pulled himself up from the cold floor, his face swollen and sore. He stumbled to the door, twisting the lock with trembling fingers.

Kate burst in almost immediately.

Her eyes fell on his face, it was bruised, swollen and red, her brows furrowed in shock and growing anger. “What the hell happened to you?”

“It was… Kaliyahh.” Don winced, holding the side of his face.

Kate blinked. “Kaliyah did this to you?”

“No,” he snapped, clearly offended by the suggestion. “Her boyfriend or something. Some guy. He… he came in, and…” Don held his head again, still in a daze. “He took her and jumped out the damn window with her like it was nothing.”

Kate froze

“What?” She asked slowly, like her brain needed a moment to believe the words. “You mean… you were in here, and some random man came into this house, took Kaliyah, and jumped out the window?”

Don nodded, his face twisting with humiliation. “He was… he was immensely strong, he gave me one blow and I swear, it almost knocked me out. And I don’t even think he used his full strength.”

Kate stepped back, her face pale now, her thoughts racing. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.

***

The wind stung Kaliyah’s cheeks as Levi moved with inhuman speed, the world around her was a blur of shadows and trees. Her arms tightened around his neck, holding on for dear life.

“Am I too fast for you?” he asked, his voice low and oddly calm despite the rush of motion.

Kaliyah could barely nod, her eyes squeezed shut from the wind. He slowed instantly, and she felt the sharp shift from a wild sprint to a graceful jog, and then finally, to a full stop.

“We’re already here,” he said softly.

She blinked her eyes open to see that they were at the edge of the forest, the same one that led into the Werewolf Territory. The same forest where they had met just hours ago.

Levi didn’t stop. He walked forward, still carrying her in his arms.

Her heart pounded faster, now out of confusion, not fear. She looked up at him, eyes wide. “Where… where are you taking me?”

He glanced down at her. “Home,” he said simply.

She stilled. “Home?” Then her voice sharpened. “Your home? You mean… werewolves? You’re taking me to where the werewolves live?”

Panic bloomed in her chest.

She wriggled against him, slipping from his arms. Levi didn’t resist, he gently let her down. But the moment her feet touched the forest floor, a cold wave rolled over her. Her body already missed the heat of his touch. How was that even possible?

She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering slightly. Levi stepped toward her, before his hands gently encircled her waist and pulled her against him again.

“You don’t have to be scared,” he murmured, his voice softer now, coaxing her. “I’m taking you somewhere safe. I’ll protect you. I’ll never hurt you, Kaliyah.”

She looked up into his eyes, those deep, intense eyes that somehow felt more like home than anything she’d ever known.

“You’re my mate,” he said. “I’ve waited so many years to find you. I’m not leaving you here, not for another minute.”

Something in his voice cracked through her walls. Kaliyah’s chest tightened. Her life with Kate hadn’t been a life. It had been survival, misery and isolation. She didn’t even live like a person, let alone a daughter. And yet this stranger, this wolf man, was looking at her like she was everything.

Her lips parted to speak but before she could say anything, the sharp rustle of leaves behind them stole the words from her mouth.

She spun around, only to find a figure standing at the edge of the trees, half-shrouded in shadow.

And then, the figure stepped forward.