The sun was starting to set when Layla’s phone rang.She rushed back from the window where she had been trying to map a way to the front gate to grab the phone from the nightstand. The number flashing on the screen was unknown, but she already knew who it was.“Brit?” she said as she answered.“Hi, Layla.”Britney sounded cheerful. That immediately put her most pressing fears to rest. Her sister would never have been able to hide her emotions from her if something terrible was happening to her. “Sorry, I didn’t think about getting you a new phone until now,” she said as she sat on the edge of the bed. “I’ve been busy settling in, and this place is huge. Have you been okay?”The lie came so easily again. But she knew she would have to tell her sister everything when she was ready to escape. “Don’t worry about me,” Britney said. “This is so surreal. They gave me a whole wardrobe full of expensive clothes, and I’m allowed to order anything I want.”Her heart ached. Those were the thing
Layla smoothed the front of the dress as she looked at herself in the mirror. It was by far the most expensive thing she had ever worn. The soft silky fabric felt sensual against her skin as it skimmed against her curves and fell to her feet with a slit at the front. The round neckline made it look classy, and it draped at the back, showing more skin than she was comfortable with around Jackson.With her height, shopping was a chore most days, so she knew she would have struggled to find something that fit her so well if she’d had to shop for herself. It was gorgeous.But it was hardly the type of clothing to wear when running through the woods at night. And she wouldn’t be able to hide her knife under it.With a sigh, she fluffed out her curly hair and then slipped her phone into her cleavage before leaving the bathroom. Not the classiest of places, but she needed to get in touch with Brit once she was on the move. Jackson stood by the windows, but he turned when she closed the doo
Jax tightened his fist around his cutlery as he sensed the reactions around the room. The hatred, the disgust. It was no less than what he had expected, but he hadn’t anticipated how hard it would be not to react to it. Cain was still lying low, so once again, he was the one who wanted to rip heads off.He also hadn’t anticipated how he would feel when she’d walked out of the bathroom looking like a goddess sent to make him lose his mind. It was just a dress, and he had already seen her hair out of the braid when he’d made love to her. But this was a temptation on another level.She’d walked out of that room and had claimed another part of his soul. Something had flared inside him at the sight of her that changed something. His whole body had tightened in reaction. Her scent seemed stronger. The pull between them was stronger. And it appeared his need to protect her was stronger.After finding out that she was in danger, the best thing to do would have been to hide her away, but he k
“Shit!” Layla leaned against the wall and rubbed her foot. She’d known going barefoot was a bad idea, but she hadn’t expected it to be an obstacle so soon in her escape. There was something sharp in the bushes. She couldn't see what she had stepped on. But there was no time to worry about the pain now. At any moment, Jackson would realise she hadn’t returned to the table. It was darker than usual because of the storm clouds, and the rain was pouring down faster than she’d expected. The light from the bathroom window showed it was already forming puddles and flowing in rivulets. She had been drenched in seconds. Her hair was plastered down her face and getting in her way. She did a quick braid before she pushed the sides of her dress up and tucked them into her panties to allow her more movement. Her dress felt like a second skin and would not protect her against the elements, but it would have to do.She felt around the ground for the knife she had taken from the table and made sure
Jax took control of his beast and shifted as he watched the drenched woman before him.He’d warned her not to run. Cain loved to chase. He was hard from the adrenaline, and all he wanted to do now was fuck. She was lucky he hadn’t pinned her down and marked her. And now she was on her fucking knees like she was waiting for him to desecrate that pretty mouth. He groaned at the tempting picture just as lightning struck and illuminated him.Even with the sound of the beating rain and thunder, he heard her gasp as she fell back. He heard everything. Her pumping heart, her whimper. Her bare legs splayed in front of her as she tried to scramble backwards on her ass. She looked helpless and completely vulnerable, and the beast inside him reared his ugly head, frothing at the mouth to dominate her.He stepped forward, uncaring that he was in the middle of the road and a storm was raging around them. All he wanted was to sink in her flesh right where she was and show her who she belonged to.
Jax stood by the windows overlooking the front of the packhouse as he watched his warriors return from a long night out. The storm had died down but it was still drizzling. They would have been miserable being in it all night, but he knew they wouldn’t complain.He should have been with them. Instead, he’d been stuck between Layla’s legs. He turned and sat on the ledge as he watched the woman sleep. Last night had been different. It wasn’t just because of the chase but everything else. Her scent, the emotions, everything. It felt like he had already marked her even though he’d had to push Cain back several times in the night to stop him.Having her so close to him was becoming too much. But all the other options had been removed from the table when that wolf had tried to hex his unborn child. Layla wouldn’t be safe anywhere outside the compound.She was trapped here, and every second seemed to pull her closer. Once she got pregnant, maybe he would have to be the one to leave the comp
Jackson threw a pair of sweats on so Layla wouldn't wonder why he was walking around the packhouse naked. He’d already taken a risk when he let Cain chase her in the storm. When he left the room, he opened his senses to find Dylan.And when he did, Cain reared his head, ready to finally avenge his mate. He didn’t know if he would let Cain deal with him, but he was so fucking tempted. He was the Alpha King. He could command Alphas and all their packs—they trembled in their boots at the sight of him. His bloodline was the most feared and revered because he never lost a fight. He’d raided and killed, sometimes just for the fuck of it. The fear that always filled the room when he entered was for a very good reason. And Dylan thought he could get away with lying to him?The whole pack thought he had gone soft just because he’d taken a step back. He felt challenged from all angles, and his beast was frothing at the mouth to make them remember his name. Rage coursed through his blood as h
Cain saw the rogue wolves as they reached the end of the road. The warrior had been right; it wasn’t just their scent that was wrong. They had shifted into their wolves and were running in formation. Rogues were never that organised. Once wolves left their pack for whatever reason, they usually died within a month if they didn’t find another pack to join. If they happened to come across a rogue pack, they lived longer, but they had no rules or structure. They stuck together out of necessity, but when they went on a hunt, it was each wolf for themselves. These wolves had their heads lowered, teeth barred, and their ears back as they ran down the streets, one at the front, two in the middle and three at the back. This was a fighting formation. They weren’t hunting for food scraps; they had already run past several houses and not raided anything.And not only that, they were out in broad daylight. Anyone could smell a rogue a mile away, day or night, but they preferred to hunt under th