Chapter 1

Dry leaves crunch and twigs snap as she runs desperately through the trees. Her burning lungs makes each panting breath hurt; her throbbing legs beg for a relaxing moment even if it's only for a minute; her bleeding wounds are slowly reaching the point where they will require serious attention. But she still pushes forward, ignoring everything except the pure instinct to protect the precious bundle in her arms.

The moment she saw him, she panicked. How did he find her? She thought she made sure that she left no traces of her when she faked her death. So how did he, the man of her nightmares, find her?! If only her mate and husband was here. He would take care of him and make sure he never appeared before her again. She would do it herself but she just gave birth a few hours ago, she still hasn't gotten her full magical energy back yet.

She glances behind her and gasps at the sight of people chasing after her and closing in fast. They're going to get her. She isn't going to escape from him again. She just knows that if she doesn't get away, she will never see those she loves again. But because she wasn't paying attention, she didn't notice the sudden slope hidden by the bushes so she slips and falls hard. She does everything in her power to protect the bundle in her arms, resulting in her back slamming into a tree at the bottom. The scream that was released from her lips told those chasing her where she is and it didn't take them long to find her. Six men surround her, blocking all of her exits. She's trapped.

Leading the group, is the man she is running from. He's tall with blonde hair and mustache. He carried an air of power and self-entitlement that always makes her want to get away from him as fast as humanly possible. Why couldn't he take a hint? She doesn't want him! But he won't leave her alone! Not even faking her death has stopped his pursuit of her.

"Layla. You truly need to stop fighting. I don't understand why you keep resisting. I'm wealthy, I come from a good family, I can give you anything your heart desires, and yet despite me being the obvious choice, you choose to live in that cottage with that damn lowlife!" His voice growls at the end, thinking about the man who took this woman from him, filling him with rage.

"I chose him because I love him, not you. Why can't you accept that, Jude? I want nothing to do with a greedy bastard like you!" Layla shouts at him. The black dragon mark on her collarbone starts tingling, telling her that her mate is coming. She just needs to hold off a little longer.

The man glares at her, the woman he has wanted for nearly three years. He just can't understand her. He is the most powerful person in all of Fiore, every man wants to be him and every woman wants to be with him, but the one and only woman he wants doesn't want him and would rather live in a pathetic looking cottage with a man who is so far beneath him that he doesn't bother saying his name. He takes a deep breath through the nose to calm himself and that's when he notices the wiggling bundle in her arms. A child? She dared to have a child with that man!

"What is that? What did you do?!" Jude snarls as he stares at the baby with pure hatred.

Layla smiles as she looks at her baby, "I have created a family with the man I love." She then turns to him with a glare, "Something I will never do with you."

Uncontrollable rage begins to fill Jude. How dare she. How dare she! He would've given her everything if she just became his quiet and submissive wife like she was supposed to do! How could she betray him like this?! Jude stares at them - the woman that should've been his and the child that never will be. If he can't have her then he's going to make sure that THAT MAN can't be with her either. Reaching this conclusion, he quickly pulls out his gun and unloads the full clip into her. He doesn't even notice the words he's shouting at her and he continues to pull the trigger, even after the bullets run out.

He's panting as he stares down at her now dead body. He smirks. He couldn't help but feel satisfied. Not only did he punish the woman who refused someone like him but he also punished the man who thought he deserved someone like her. He's not worried about the men with him. They won't talk. You're an untouchable God when you have enough money and he has that much plus more.

Suddenly, the cries of a child fills the quiet air. So he didn't hit the child. A thought comes to him. He could take the child, raise the child as either his heir or as his future wife who will give him an heir. Jude crouches down and pulls back the warm blanket revealing the child in the warm bundle. He gasps in horror. He was expecting a beautiful child with hair and eyes just like her. What he is holding couldn't even be considered human. A baby girl with tuffs of blonde hair plus little horns, tiny wings, and dragon scales around her eyes and arms. Demon! An abomination! She was proud to give birth to this monstrosity?!

Jude jumps back from the child shouting, "Kill it! Kill it! Kill that thing!" But before the order was carried out, a deafening roar sounds making them look up. Everyone except the baby was shaking in fear as a deep voice shouts, "Laaaaaylaaaaaa!"

One of the men grabs Jude and teleports the two of them out of there just before black fire burns them into ash just like the others. The creature lands beside what was once his mate, the woman he loves, and weeps. He glances down at the bundle and pulls back the blanket. He gasps at the sight and can't help but smile at the baby cooing at him. A daughter. He has a daughter and she looks just like her mother, his mate, Layla. After securing his child in her blanket, he lifts her by his teeth while he picks up Layla's body with his paw and flies away where his only reason for living will be safe.