Layla bit the blanket and clutched the bedding through another contraction. Tears fell unchecked down her cheeks. She’d endured hours of the pain, and now it was almost continuous. But the labour pain was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. The pack had returned from the woods without Jackson with nothing but lies on their lips. Dylan said Jackson would be with her as soon as he could, but where was he? If he was okay, why could she sense all that despair in the air? Why had Faith been crying? And why had they called more people from the pack to gather in the back garden? “You’re doing very well, Layla. Just a little bit more,” the doctor urged. He had his protective equipment on and settled at the foot of her bed. She’d been hooked to a machine to monitor her and the baby. It seemed Jackson had indeed been prepared for the child to be born in the middle of nowhere. She had assumed she would be taken to a hospital when her labour started, but the moment Faith had burst in
Layla had just managed to get off the bed when the bedroom door was shoved open. She felt the hatred first before Zach walked into the room with a smile on his face. It was the same intense hatred she'd felt the day she'd spent with the pick outside. It had been this group of people all along. "Congratulations, human. I hope you've said your goodbyes," the older man sneered. She backed away from the bed as people started piling into the room. The man who’d attacked Jackson with a chain was among them, and he smiled as if they were there for a friendly visit. These were the people Jackson had left her for. His pack. He’d been right that they wouldn’t accept her, but couldn’t they have waited until their Alpha was at least cold in the ground? The reminder that Jackson was dead cleaved in half again. But the sounds of the fretting baby in the next room kept her from crumbling to the floor. Who would protect that helpless girl if both of them were dead? She wouldn’t survive in the
Jackson gently wiped the tears off Layla’s reddened cheek. The scent of her blood filled the air as it dripped from her nose and mouth. Her eyes were already swelling shut. But she was alive. His heart was still in his mouth, drowning out the sound of anything else. He’d thought Ryker had done something to her. He’d thought he wouldn’t make it to her on time. His body was still trembling with the shock of it. If he’d lost her... The red haze covered his vision again as he looked at the people behind her. He’d ordered them to stay, and they’d fallen to their knees. They shook visibly, their eyes glued to their fallen comrades. Gina was among them. The woman was still grieving her parents but should not have gotten involved with Zach. The consequences were on her. He would defend what was his until the day he died. A growl came from deep within him, from the place his vengeance lay, and made the traitors whimper and lower their gazes. “Shh. I’m okay,” Layla whispered, even as th
Jackson had washed the blood and dirt from his body before he’d finally held Hope in his arms, but she would never forget the look in his eyes when he met his child for the first time. The huge, cold man had melted. His emotions had shown in his eyes and on his face so brightly that she would have known how he felt even if she hadn’t sensed it herself. It had been hours, but he still held the little girl. They had moved back to her smaller bedroom because the big one was full of dead bodies. She hoped someone had at least taken care of them, but she doubted she would ever use that bedroom again because of that. She couldn’t get over how quickly Jackson had killed them. They had been alive one second and then bleeding and lifeless the next. She lifted her head from the pillow to watch Jackson watching his daughter. For some reason, Jackson had held her hand over Hope’s little foot as they had both napped. Labour had taken a toll on her but resting seemed to have done the trick. She
He shouldn’t have opened his mouth. Though Layla hadn’t pushed him away, he’d sensed her mood change. The last thing he wanted to do now was tell her he would die. He just wanted to hold her and Hope until the day he did. Dylan was devastated by the news. Layla would be worse. He couldn't do that to her. Eventually, she fell asleep, but he’d stayed up to look at her and Hope. How could Fate be so cruel as to give him something so perfect and snatch it away? Hope started to whimper, but Layla didn’t stir. It had to have been a difficult few days for her to go through labour while thinking he was dead. He’d only thought the worst for a short time, so he had no idea how she’d handled that for so long. He slowly untangled himself from Layla and got to Hope before she started crying. She was due a feed but he knew he had to check her nappy first. Max had taught him that when the kids had taken over his room after the attack. He remembered feeling depressed because he didn’t think he w
Jackson looked back the way they had come and listened. There was nothing but the sound of the forest animals and the wind howling through the trees. They had already walked far enough into the forest that it was too dark for human eyes unless they brought their torches. The Hunters would have torches. They’d have heat sensors and night vision. They’d have military-grade weapons to wipe them out. He sighed and held Hope closer to his chest. Layla hadn’t complained yet even though they had been walking for hours, only stopping when the baby wanted to feed. Faith led the way because she knew where the meeting point was, and Layla followed her without stumbling. If anyone else had come with them, they would have been asking why Layla could see so well in the dark. They were about an hour away from where they would meet the pack when Hope started to cry. Her little voice echoed in the darkness, and it made him worry. Layla rushed back to him and took her from his arms. Faith stayed ah
The collective gasps echoed through the forest. Layla’s heart pumped loudly as she held Hope against her chest and watched the proceedings. Jackson was expressionless as he looked down at Diedre, but she could have felt his horror a mile away. She got it. They had only started having the ‘what are we’ conversation. They had just talked about going away, and hopefully, they would have agreed on what their relationship was. But did Jackson have to be so horrified that someone had called her his girlfriend? She had been in his bed for months; that couldn’t have been the first time someone had said it. Amber had tried to be his girlfriend so she could be called Luna, and she’d tried to make Zach the Alpha for the same reason. She knew there had to be some power in that ranking—Jackson was not only their Alpha but also their King. But if he wasn’t planning on getting rid of her and wasn’t thinking of getting a more suitable woman for that role, why the hell was he so against that idea
In the hours that they had been running, Layla had learned that the Hunters were relentless. The magical barrier Jackson had told her about had only held them back for a little while. They had passed through it somehow. And they had not become disoriented or cursed in any way. They had been hot on their tails for hours, even with the potions thrown to cover their tracks. They were like machines. The packs were tired. In that time, they had run into two other packs and joined forces. She had no idea how many wolves they were running with now. And all of them were tired. As she drank the last of her water and then put the empty bottle back in the rucksack so there wouldn’t be a rubbish trail for the Hunters to follow, she looked at the miserable faces of the kids who were stretching their legs and being given quick snacks. Even the food was running out. They could not hunt because the carcasses would give them away even if they buried them. The Hunters had hounds that seemed to h