Layla rushed into the house and saw Dylan speaking to Micah in the lobby. They both turned to smile at her when she closed the door. She didn’t understand. Jackson had rushed off because there was something out there coming for him or the pack. Could they not feel that change in the air? Had Jackson just run off like a lunatic to fight by himself?The smile died off Dylan’s face as he came forward.“What happened? Why are you so scared?”“Jackson... He told me to take the ladies to our bedroom and lock the door.”The tension rose as both men looked at each other and rushed to open the door. There was silence in the air but she knew they were communicating. Did Jackson have some sort of death wish? He’d let his pack brutally hit him without defending himself. He’d killed a man who’d come to do his job. And now he was off defending the pack by himself. Was this still about the guilt she felt consuming him every day? This wasn’t how to make amends! What good would he do for the pack if
She would have thought Jackson was dead if it wasn’t for the fact that she could still hear his heart beating. Layla was shaking like a leaf as she got out of the car at the packhouse gates and watched the men who were carefully lifting Jackson out. Since the people who were not fit to fight had filled the packhouse grounds, they couldn’t drive up to the house. She felt like they were wasting time but knew there was nothing they would do for him anyway. The bite on his thigh looked worse than the last one and already looked infected. And after Jackson’s revelation that it was because of dark magic, she knew this could go bad very quickly.“Layla, stay back a little,” Dylan whispered. “We’ll drive through when they make way.”“No.”She knew why he was saying that. While only the guards had seen her at the gates, the whole town would know she had been involved in the fighting by just one look at her. But she couldn’t bear to be separated from Jackson again.She took his hand as the cr
The morning sun was streaming into his room when Jackson opened his eyes. He hadn’t thought he would. The dark magic had spread through him so quickly that when he had closed his eyes, he’d been sure it would be for the last time.He turned his head towards the bundle of heat nestled against him and met her gaze. He felt her relief like the weight had lifted off his shoulders. But there was nothing to feel relieved about. What happened only proved that she wasn’t safe with him. He could have died.Layla would have been left alone to deal with all this shit, even with Dylan, Micah and Chase watching over her. The witch had become bolder. Maybe she had just been toying with him because she seemed stronger. Layla bit her bottom lip as if trying to hold all her emotions in. He could sense each one, and it felt like a judgement. Her feelings made him feel like the biggest failure to walk the earth. An Alpha King who couldn't protect his mate and child. An alpha who couldn’t mark his ma
Layla walked slowly down the stairs, keeping her ears open to hear what was happening. She still felt something pulling her back to Jackson but forced herself to continue. Admitting what she had done would need a little fortification first. The house was quieter than she had expected. Instead of wails like last time, there were only soft, whispered words. Instead of the pain and grief, there was a sense of calm and peace.That meant no one had died. She hadn’t caused any more deaths.Hope flared up inside her but she squashed it down. She didn’t want to tempt fate. Maybe they hadn’t been on the brink of death as she had suspected. Even Jackson had woken up after a day and not weeks like the last time. Still, relief and hope mixed inside her as she stopped at the last step. There was a lot of activity outside. She’d heard them setting up the tents again, but their mood was more relaxed this time. The front door opened, and a few women walked in carrying empty trays and baskets. On
Layla’s quiet laugh drifted through the open window. Jackson gripped the bedding to stop himself from getting out of bed.She’d been out there for hours. She’d been ignoring him for hours.“Shall I change the bedding again, Alpha?”He pulled his attention away from Layla to look at Faith, who had dutifully changed his bedding and near enough force-fed him while ignoring his request for her to bring Layla back to the bedroom. “What?”“You’ve ripped the bedding. Shall I change it?”He looked down at his fingers and the slightly extended claws that had gone through the silk. Cain was still asleep, so he had no idea how that happened.“No. Just get Layla,” he growled.Faith didn’t even flinch. For an Omega, she was being a real pain. And she wasn’t even hiding her amusement. He’d just accepted that his days with Layla were numbered, but the little empath—the only other person in the whole pack who could feel his gut-wrenching emotions—wasn’t feeling sorry for him. Faith was just like he
Layla had just helped him out of his boxers when Cain started to unfurl and wake up. Every part of him started to rejuvenate along with him as his beast’s strength coursed through his veins. It felt like a shot of adrenaline going straight through his already overactive heart. Layla was naked in front of him for the first time in a long time, and he felt like a kid at Christmas. His gaze wandered greedily over every inch of her until it stopped at her stomach. He’d seen her bump through her clothes, but seeing her naked brought a sense of pride that he couldn’t hide. She was carrying the future of his pack within her. She was carrying a part of him. Their paths had been destined to cross for a reason because he couldn’t imagine anyone else better suited for that role. He could admit that now, despite their rocky start. In only a few months, Layla had shown him what real strength looked like. She’d been scared shitless but still jumped in front of him and Dylan to protect them. She’
Jackson stood at the foot of his bed and watched Layla sleep. She had a smile on her face, unaware that he would pull the rug out from under both of them. The last two days were all he could give her of himself. It was time he prepared to die. He pushed that thought out of his mind and left the bedroom. One thing at a time. After all, it was the first day of the rest of his life. He walked down the stairs slowly with his ears open. All the rooms were still occupied, but the patients were asleep rather than unconscious. The Omegas had already started preparing breakfast. It was still early; the sun hadn’t risen yet, but Zach had resumed his treasonous whispers that morning. Even after he’d stopped Brax, he wasn’t good enough for that cowardly toad. But Zach was still the least of his problems. When he started on the last flight of stairs, the warriors meeting in the lobby stopped talking to look at him. None of them did a good job hiding their shock, and some couldn’t hide their
Jackson stood and looked at the man who used to be his best friend. He wasn’t ready, but he couldn’t avoid the conversation anymore. “You shouldn’t eavesdrop.” “What do you mean you’re going to die?” Dylan repeated. He should have known better than to have this conversation with Diedre in his office, especially when he knew he had traitors in his pack. He looked back at Diedre and saw she had huddled into the blanket, and relief emanated from her. Maybe she had spoken like that in his office on purpose because she knew if Dylan overheard, she would no longer be alone in this fight. He wanted to be upset with her, but Diedre looked too frail, and her intentions were always pure. “Go and rest, Diedre. I’ll speak to you later.” Diedre slowly got to her feet. He sensed Dylan’s shock as they watched her start making her way out of the room. “Dee... What have you done to yourself?” Dylan whispered. “I’ll be okay if you talk some sense into him,” the witch said before she walked out