Brad's brows furrowed in concern as he glanced from the broken mug to the plate with the stale bread. "Did either of you leave this here?" he asked, his voice edged with concern. I stood there mute for a minute and kept on staring at him, and in response he snapped a finger in front of me.“Well, did you? ” he asked, annoyed. Erin and I exchanged bewildered glances. "No, I didn't," Erin said, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked between Brad and I, confused. “Is there something-”"I didn't either," I replied, my heart pounding in my chest. The meaning of seeing the familiar metal plate in our home sent chills down my spine, and I began to shake uncontrollably. “Oh god, oh god, oh god.”Brad's expression hardened, his protective instincts kicking in. "Layla, I want you to go to Kimora's cabin for the night. I need to make sure the pack house is secure. Something doesn't feel right. If neither of you put it there, and I didn't put it there either, then someone else has been in
The next morning, as the sun began to climb up into the sky, casting a warm glow across the forest and the entire pack, a knock sounded at the door, and Erin arrived at Kimora's cabin. Her face was a mix of confusion and concern as she looked at both of us. She looked haggard, like she had not managed to fall asleep that night, and I felt bad for her, only then realizing that she had been in harm's way too. "Can someone please explain what happened last night? I'm completely in the dark here. All I know is the slice of bread, and that Brad told me that I had to leave. What exactly is going on?"I took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to tell her what was going on. "Erin, that metal plate and the stale bread you saw... that's what they used to feed me when I was held captive in Dan's pack. It's a message from someone who was there at the same time as me, I'm sure. It's a threat."Erin's eyes widened with shock and horror. "Oh my god, Layla, I had no idea. I'm so sorry you
The night fell quickly, casting a blanket of darkness over the forest. We, Brad, Margot, Kimora, Wally, and I, returned to the pack house, a feeling of tension lingering in the air. Even as we walked into the pack house, each of us had a doubt of their own about what we were doing; what if Dan and Leon had found their way into the pack house and were now waiting for us. The few pack members had been distributed around the perimeter of the pack house stood there, eyes sharp, senses alert. As we entered the house, the women immediately moved towards the kitchen to prepare a meal, at least once thing was certain, no matter how serious the entire ordeal was, we were going to have a meal. While the women cooked, Brad turned to Wally, curiosity carved on his face. "Wally, how did you find that bread? What made you notice it on your bedside table?"Wally hesitated for a moment before answering, his voice filled with shaky confidence. "I had just come out of the shower, and it was sitting
The night seemed to deepen and thicken all around us, covering the forest and the pack house in a surprisingly heavy darkness. The only light that could be seen for miles was the moon, which hung, pregnant in the sky. Inside the pack house, tension also painted the room and casted beach shadows in the air. As the pack members gathered in various corners of the house, a plan was already taking shape. I watched them as they made small groups with themselves, chattering as I watched them, curious enough to want to know what they were doing, but somehow not curious enough to ask. Surprisingly to me, they had silently decided to strengthen our defenses and surprise me with their ideas on how to keep me safe. The discovery would come later.Later that night, I realized that I was not of any help to anyone in the state of exhaustion I was in, so I climbed up the stairs and floated into my bedroom, saying a prayer for protection the seventh time. Working tirelessly through the night, the
The morning sun began to climb in the sky, and it cast a nice, orange glow over the pack house and the newly erected fence that surrounded the pack. As the pack members separated and went to their cabins to catch some much-needed rest, I felt a mix of gratitude and exhaustion wash over me. I had slept the whole night, but I felt exhausted. I was tired of all the chaos. Sick and tired of it. The moon goddess's warning echoed in my mind, reminding me to remain very aware despite the apparent safety of the extra-secure pack house.Just as I was about to go back inside the pack house where it was safe, a familiar face popped up near the entrance. It was Erin. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the number of people leaving and the bustling movement of pack members. I hurried over to her, my exhaustion momentarily tossed aside. It felt like I had not seen her in an entire week, and I felt bad all over again for the was we had shooed her out of the pack house that night, and sidest
The night had fallen, and the pack house was completely covered in a soft glow from the dim lights inside. Brad and I had found each other during the day, and the other coupkes had split up, each person going on to do their own thing. Brad and I sat together in the living room, our bodies tired from the day's events. Not only had we started to train afresh, but we had made a sport out of it, just the two of us, the entire day.The strengthening of our pack had brought a sense of security, but it had also left us emotionally drained. Wally and Margot had left together, and as far as I knew, Erin had not left her room the entire day. With my head on Brad's thighs, I sighed as I told him about the conversation Erin and I had earlier, about marriage and little kids. It was as we spoke that I heard a loud knock at the door, and startled, I looked up.I frowned in confusion. It was well past midnight, and visitors were highly unusual at this hour, even with the danger that I currently was
As I stepped into the moonlit clearing where the pair stood, the weight of what was about to go down settled heavily on my shoulders. The night was alive, and shadows danced around as I moved, with the trees whispering secrets as the wind blew through them. Dan and Leon stood before me, their smirks showing the twisted pleasure they took in this power play. It enraged me, and I frowned and I approached them. I could feel the power of the full moon thrumming beneath my skin, an angry energy that demanded recognition. I clenched my fists, the familiar burst of adrenaline and determination flooding my veins. I had faced challenges before, but this was different. This time, it was personal to me. They had taken Erin, my friend, my family, and I would stop at nothing to avenge that, not just because they had taken her, but also because of how they had taken and treated me. My captivity had not left my mind.As they stood there, more people jumped out of the woods, men I recognized and fou
After the battle, my body still pulsing with adrenaline, I made a decision. Without a word to Brad or my pack members, I slipped away under the cover of the night. My steps were quiet as I went even deeper into the forest, away from the remnants of the battle. I needed some time to myself, a chance to gather my thoughts, away from the responsibilities of being Alpha Layla..The forest welcomed me, its weathered trees whispering secrets as I walked. The moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting a welcoming glow on the forest floor, and for a moment, I considered just laying there and falling asleep. My mind was a wide range of emotions - relief for Erin's safety, anger for what had been done, and a strange, unwelcome sadness for the lives I had taken in order to save my own. I needed to feel connected to myself again, needed to feel a sense of purpose beyond the battles that seemed to be all I dealt with, every single day. I found a quiet spot, a small clearing bathed in moonligh