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121. Acceptance?
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The Alpha King's Curse 122. Be Gentle With Me
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
The Alpha King's Curse 123. Bitter Sweet
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’
The Alpha King's Curse 124. Rumbled
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
The Alpha King's Curse 125. Difficult Conversations
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
The Alpha King's Curse 126. What Must Be Done
Alpha Brax was already waiting at the edge of the clearing where they had set up their camp when Jackson walked up to it. Being too far from Layla was already messing with him, but he steeled himself against it despite Cain’s objections. He had to be strong enough to do what needed to be done. Brax’s gaze lowered to his leg and widened when he looked back up at him. Brax was never one to look him in the eye. Out of all the Alphas, he was the least interested in breaking the rules. “I’d heard you were already back on your feet but I didn’t really believe them,” Brax said. “It’s been a crazy few days,” he answered. Brax was an ally, but they had no interactions except the official ones. “What happened, Brax?” “To be honest, I’m still not sure. I woke up one night, and this witch was in my room. I still don’t know if she was real because she passed all my safeguards without triggering any alerts.” “She was real,” he answered as he looked over the camp. Most of the wolves were pro
The Alpha King's Curse 127. Breaking
He couldn’t mean it.Not after the time they had spent together.It had been different. Jackson had been different. She had been so sure he reciprocated her feelings, so she’d been on cloud nine for two days. In her mind, she'd already seen herself making a life in the packhouse with him. Filling the house with his children and happy memories.But those few words had brought her crashing down to earth quickly. She’d done her job? He no longer needed her?She hadn’t thought anything could ever hurt that much after all the shit she had gone through. But her heart had been shattered, and she felt the pain through every part of her body. How could words bring physical pain?And then there was the added pain of being separated from Jackson. It was too much.Only a few people were out of their tents when she walked out of the packhouse, so she walked past them quickly. She was in no state to talk to anyone. There was a lump stuck in her throat, and everything she was holding inside was abo
The Alpha King's Curse 128. Necessary Evils
They’d been running around in circles. The witch’s scent was everywhere and yet nowhere at the same time. But he’d seen her. He’d caught a glimpse of blonde locks through the trees as she had fled. The witch used the same tactic she had used to confuse the warriors when she’d sent rogues to their territory, but this time she hadn’t left any trace of her dark magic for him to follow. He hadn’t caught her, but he’d sensed her emotions. He’d sensed her intent. Her hatred of him felt like it had taken a life of its own, and that was terrifying. All that anger was being used to make sure he suffered before he died, and for the first time in his life, he had someone his enemies could use to make that happen. There had been no other clue at the settlement. No record of anyone. All the paperwork had been left exposed too long to the elements; nothing was left. Or the witch had already removed all traces of herself in anticipation of this moment. He was furious and frustrated when he walke
The Alpha King's Curse 129. "I, Alpha Jackson King..."
Layla walked into the house after Jackson had put the light on. It wasn’t grand, but it was similar to the home she and her family had lived in before her father had lost it and moved them to the trailer. Well, as similar as it could be, seeing it was in the middle of nowhere. A fine layer of dust on almost every surface showed that no one had been in it in a while. There was an enclosed porch at the front and then a wide hallway that led into what she assumed were the lounge, dining room and kitchen. There were stairs on one side of the hallway. “You’re off the grid here for security reasons, so you have a generator, solar energy and a water system,” Jackson said as he walked through and put every light on. She followed behind him slowly. The lounge was tastefully decorated with heavy, comfortable furniture, and a few pictures on the wall. The dining room had a similar design, and the kitchen was also spacious and simple. It was perfect for a little family. But Jackson hadn’t
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The Alpha King's Curse 164. Grateful
Jackson grinned when Dylan rolled his eyes at him as Hope led him by the finger to the tea party she had set up in the garden. “Enjoy your party,” he called to them before he turned and walked toward the packhouse. The trainees had the day off today, but he was pleased that most of them took their training seriously and were sparring in the fields. All the kids had to grow up quickly after the last war. In a few days, they would all hold a memorial honouring all the people they had lost. Gavin walked up to him before he reached the door. “Everything is all set, Alpha,” he said. Gavin was the most prominent reminder of what the war had cost him. He’d had to fill Micah’s big shoes. Though it wasn’t his fault, his heart cracked whenever he saw Micah’s replacement as the Gamma. “Thank you. We’ll be ready in time,” he said with a nod. The packhouse was spotless as usual, awaiting all the guests he had invited. As he walked toward the stairs, Faith’s mother walked in, a huge sm
The Alpha King's Curse 163. My Queen
Layla clutched her heart and fell to her knees. Hope started to cry behind her, as if her poor child could sense her pain, too. Faith tried to soothe her, but there was too much fear in the air, too much pain. “Jackson is hurt,” she whispered, looking at her mother. She had held out long enough. The house was full of all the vulnerable people in the pack, and their fear and anxiety weighed down on her. She couldn’t wait any longer. Rebecca walked over to Faith and took Hope from her. And her little girl instantly quietened in her grandmother’s arms. Rebecca met her gaze and nodded. “I will look after Hope. And I will protect everyone in this house,” Rebecca said, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Her mother knew what she had to do. She couldn’t leave Jackson to fight alone, but if anything happened to one of them, it would happen to the other. “Can I trust you, Mum?” she whispered. She hadn’t called her mum since the day she had abandoned them. “Always,” Rebecca whis
The Alpha King's Curse 162. Brothers
The dark clouds completely covered the sun. Jax stood at his lookout rock and looked over the forest. Even the witch was closing in from that direction when it was supposed to be their safest. He could sense her magic filling up in it even though he couldn’t sense any individual wolves. It was like when she’d sent the rogues who had hidden in the shadows right under their noses. His warriors wouldn’t sense them until it was too late. ‘The women and children are in the packhouse,’ Dylan said in the mind link. He didn’t know if that would make a difference. The strength he could sense in the magic around him was something he had never experienced from the witch before. He could feel it in the clouds above him, in the air they were all breathing. He could feel it rippling over his skin, yet they had not reached their boundary. Cain was silent in his head, already in hunting mode. But he couldn’t hunt everywhere at once. They were surrounded by armies bigger than any that had ever
The Alpha King's Curse 161. Dark Clouds
The air was knocked out of her lungs as Layla landed in a heap in the field. Everything hurt. Jackson had been pounding into her for hours. ‘And not in a good way. How the hell are you getting worse at this instead of better?’ the voice in her head said. Since Jackson had marked her, that voice had become a more permanent feature in her head. She’d been able to shut it off before, but now it was impossible. She was constantly arguing with it and losing focus, and her ability to control her emotions was also on the fritz. Her moods were yo-yo-ing worse than when she’d been pregnant. “You’re distracted.” She lifted her head with the bit of energy she had left and looked at Jackson, who was glaring at her from the other side of their makeshift ring. “I’m tired,” she corrected. “Let’s take a break.” “We can’t, Layla,” Jackson growled. He marched across to her and helped her to her feet. “You pissed off the Circle, and I pissed off the Wicked Witch. It was fine when our sins were
The Alpha King's Curse 160. Angelic Singing
Angelic singing. It drifted in and out of his ears and tried to force him from his peaceful slumber. It was beautiful but it was pissing him off. Why did anyone have to sing so much when people were trying to fucking sleep? His eyes shot open. His heart slammed in his chest. Could it be? He turned and saw the face he had fallen asleep next to because it was the last face he wanted to see before he died. Layla’s mouth was slightly open and she was snoring softly. He sat up with a jolt and listened to the singing. Those weren’t angels. That should have been his first clue. His soul had been damned long ago; there were no angels in his afterlife. “What are you doing? Come back to sleep,” Layla mumbled. It took her a few more seconds, but Layla jolted awake and her eyes widened as she looked at him. She sucked in a breath, her heart hammering to match his. Maybe he was dreaming. Perhaps he wanted this so much that he was dreaming about it just before the curse snatched his l
The Alpha King's Curse 159. Happy Birthday, Jackson King
Jackson watched the sleeping baby in his arms and blinked back his tears. He was leaving his precious little girl in chaos. All his efforts to find the witch had failed. She’d disappeared after Amber and Miss Roberts had failed. He assumed the witch knew there was no point now. She’d already achieved her goal of making the rest of his life miserable. “I’m sorry, Hope,” he whispered. “I know you’ll become a better person than I was, even in any adversity. Do you know why? Because you also have your mother in you. You are going to be magnificent.” The more he said it, the more he would believe it. But it was hard to see any such future in a helpless three-month-old. “What the fuck was I thinking?” His chest squeezed as it had done all day. “It’s not your fault.” He looked up to see his mate in the bathroom doorway, a vision in a green, body-hugging dress. It had thin straps, so his mark was on show. For a second, he felt pride in it. But he remembered it was nothing but a death s
The Alpha King's Curse 158. We Effed Up
Jackson wasn’t too worried about Hugo’s threat. Since Diedre had started feeling better, she had been working hard to remove all the traces of dark magic around their territory. Her well of magic seemed to run deeper, even though it was not yet fully replenished. Warding the whole territory had been beyond her before Layla had healed her. But all the entry points had been fortified. Her magic wasn’t as it used to be but strong. Nobody would enter through his gates without his permission. Even if Diedre’s magic didn’t work on him and Layla, it had to work for the rest of the pack. Right? He was more worried about what the hell Layla was doing there. She should have been home with Hope and the others. Especially since he’d already warned her that the Circle was worse than any Hunter she would ever meet. Layla seemed intent on breaking all his rules. He was about to tell Hugo they had wasted their time when he sensed the rage rising in his mate. It was so dark it felt like Cain’s
The Alpha King's Curse 157. Something's Changed
Layla opened her eyes and stretched. And then she remembered what she had done. She sat up and looked at the other side of the bed. Jackson hadn’t come back, though she could sense he was close. And he was angry. Rightfully so. She lay back and pulled the covers over her naked body. Her hand went to her neck, and she felt the grooves left by his teeth. She’d assumed his bite would heal like all her other injuries. Maybe that was why they called it marking. Would everyone be able to see it? It tingled when she ran her fingers on it, and though the way she had got it made her cheeks heat up with shame, she didn’t regret it. She had known he would react like that. She would have been livid in his shoes. If he never spoke to her again, then she would understand. But she would never have forgiven himself if he died and she could have saved him. She’d had no choice. She sighed as she pushed the covers off again and slid off the bed. She started walking toward the bathroom, but her st
The Alpha King's Curse 156. Different
Everything felt different. The longer he lay on the rock, the more he sensed the differences. Everything was sharper, as if there had been a veil on his vision before. The stars were so clear he felt like he could touch them. The air was sweeter. The chirping of the birds as they woke up to get the worm... Beautiful. Fucking beautiful. And the rage in his heart eclipsed it all. He’d told her. He’d said no over and over again, even before she had known what his bite would do. And she’d gone ahead and violated his trust. Violated him. ‘She was never going to give us up without a fight,’ Cain stated. ‘Stop talking like you knew it was going to happen. This isn’t Romeo and Juliet. We don’t have to die together!’ ‘What would you have done in her shoes?’ That question cooled some of his anger. He knew what he would have done for his love. He’d have moved heaven and earth to save her. He’d have crossed any ocean, climbed any mountain. But this wasn’t about him! “I’ve killed her,”
