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24. Alpha Cole
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2023-07-07 06:24:29
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The Alpha King's Fate   25. Inevitable
Layla stopped banging on the door and screaming when there was no response. She turned and leaned against the door to look around again. The room felt even smaller. Her throat started to close up, making it harder to breathe. Was she still at the hotel? Did Jax know where she was? âBreathe, Layla,â she gasped. Her knees gave out, and she slid to the floor. So much for being the queen, the woman worthy to stand beside Jackson. She couldnât even get out of the room. Jax had been rightâshe was not ready. She was a liability and should never have come with him. If she had left when sheâd wanted to... Pain lanced through her chest, but she forced herself to breathe through it. She had to think. She was still alive, which meant Jax was also alive. He would move heaven and earth to find her. Her heart calmed down as her panic started to dissipate. She pushed her fear to the back of her mind and focused on her link to Jax. âJax?â No response. She couldnât even tell if he could h
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2023-07-07The Alpha King's Fate   26. It's Not You, It's Me
âAre they coming after you?â Jax cradled the phone on his shoulder while he thought about how to answer Dylan. The Hunters spotted near Faithâs college were all the proof they needed that those bastards were involved in all the disappearances. The whole pack would be worried. Did he want to worry them with details of how much heâd pissed off the Circle, too? No. But it had to be done. The pack had to prepare for the fallout that was coming. Once again, he was the reason everyone would suffer. He popped the trunk open and pulled up a go bag. Considering all the dangers they faced when they left their territory, having one or two bags full of clothes and emergency supplies in the car was necessary. He pulled a pair of sweats and a t-shirt out before picking something out for Layla. It was a shame about her outfit. They had to burn their bloody clothes and all the evidence so they could travel home, and that outfit had become a favourite. âJax. Is the Circle going to come for us?â
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2023-07-08The Alpha King's Fate   27. Feeling Small
Layla was a bag of nerves when Jax stopped the car in front of the packhouse. It had been so easy for the Circle to separate them, and it would have been just as easy for them to kill her. She would never have been able to defend herself the way Jax had done. She would have been the cause of Jackson's death. She was his weakness. Useless. Even the wolf that had come to her aid and given her confidence that they could rescue Faith had abandoned her without telling her what the hell she was supposed to do. She got out of the car without a word to him and rushed up the front steps. Dylan was already waiting there with Gavin, and they didn't look like they'd slept since she'd last seen them. She could cut through their anxiety with a knife. "Have you learned anything else?" she asked them. Both men didn't answer her directly. Instead, they looked behind her at the man coming up the steps. Jax was an emotional void, but she could never completely escape knowing how he felt. His a
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2023-07-08The Alpha King's Fate   28. Yes, Jax...
It was late when Jax walked out of the ensuite naked after a shower. Layla was on the bed, facing the wall, pretending to sleep. Heâd never felt more like a dick than he did from the moment theyâd got home. His heart was wounded, and he was taking it out on the woman he loved. Childish. It was so fucking childish, but he hadnât been able to stop himself. And those fucking bastards. What gave them the right to touch his mate? What made them think it was okay? Heâd had to sit through the rest of the meeting with them even though heâd wanted to rip their limbs off. Gauge their eyes out. Rip those tongues out that dared to speak to Layla like he wasnât in the room. They had enough shit to deal with; they didnât need to antagonise Cain on top of that. He threw the damp towel heâd been using to dry his hair somewhere across the room and looked at Layla again. How could she think their relationship wasnât important? It was everything. His gaze went to the couch and then back to the be
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2023-07-09The Alpha King's Fate   29. Not A Drill
There were holes in the arms of the chair where she'd gripped the fabric too hard to stop herself from going after Jax. She was a coward. On the ride to meet the Circle, Jax had admitted that he thought something was wrong with her wolf. There had to be for her to have been so aggressive with him, even before sheâd slapped him. She shouldnât have made things worse by asking him to go and leave everything behind to protect Hope. Now he thought she was the type to abandon their child easily. Heâd been rightfully angry, even before theyâd messed things up with the Circle. And then what did she go and do? Sheâd been like a wolf in heat, further distracting him from what was importantâ saving the missing wolves and preparing for the Circleâs next move. She couldnât face him again so soon after that. Sheâd let the Alphas deal with the logistics of mounting a rescue and only help once they had a plan. Her senses were superior even without her wolfâs aid. She would find a way to be helpfu
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2023-07-09The Alpha King's Fate   30. The End Of Everything
The planes were in a part of the forest that Layla hadnât dared go into before. Sheâd only seen the vast, endless sea of green from Jaxâs lookout spot. The cars could only go so far into it, and the rest of the journey was made on foot. The trees were thicker and the canopy denser. And the animals around them didnât seem to scurry away as they did on the other side. She could sense they were the intruders there. The animals were used to being the kings in the forest and were taking their time deciding if the children were their next meal. She knew only the presence of the adults who already had their wolves were keeping them at bay. She held Hope tighter against her chest and pulled Britney to her. Britney stumbled, as she had already done several times. It made her panic a little. The children could easily see where they were going because they were born with superior senses. Even sheâd had excellent eyesight, though she hadnât known why then. What if this meant Britney had no w
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2023-07-10The Alpha King's Fate   31. Last Minute Decisions
When Jax woke up at dawn, Layla was still in his arms. His heart squeezed when he saw her puffy eyes. âSheâs where sheâs supposed to be,â Cain said. The beast's contentment rippled through him. Cain didnât understand that this meant nothing to Layla. She could still walk away from them. He gently rolled over so Layla was on her back and started to move his arm. Letting go of all the children had put a heaviness on the pack that hadnât gone away even after receiving the call to say everyone was where they were supposed to be and they were all safe. He had no idea how he would have handled that if Layla hadnât been beside him. If she hadnât felt the same way. If she hadnât let him take comfort in her body. Heâd almost freed himself when Layla rolled back to him and snuggled against his chest. So trusting. Why couldnât it be like that between them all the time? He brought his hand to gently move the strands of hair that had covered her face, and Cain puffed up his chest with prid
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2023-07-10The Alpha King's Fate   32. The Hunters' Den
Jax could sense the Hunters before reaching the edge of the woods. The sense of evil was so overbearing that it reminded him of himself. Was that how other wolves felt around him? He shifted back to his human form and kept to the shadows of the trees with his senses wide open. He could sense more than usual. Feel more. Whatever Layla had done at the hotel against the Circle had made her stronger; he could feel the changes. The seedy motel across the road was as empty as it usually was, and the man in the front office was asleep. Heâd always been able to tell by listening to his heartbeat, but now the picture in his head was more precise. The soft snores, the strong scent of alcohol. The man had passed out. Heâd taught Layla how to use her senses to see and feel what was around her, but sheâd since surpassed his expectations. He couldnât imagine what Layla would be able to do when she learned how to use her full strength. He wanted that for her. Not for himself, not for the appare
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2023-07-11
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The Alpha King's Fate   78. No Regrets - Epilogue
âWhatâs this?â Jax looked at the envelope in front of him with the Circleâs seal. The last time he received one of those, they summoned him and Layla to stand trial. He looked up at Hugo, sitting at the end of his conference table with Keith and frowned. If they thought they could punish him for defending his pack, they could think again. âYouâre not going to sit at my table and tell me that piece of shit deserved to live, are you?â he growled. Hugo shook his head. âNo, of course not, Your Majesty,â he said. âThatâs just a formal apology from the Circle, acknowledging our mistakes. And weâd like to welcome the Queen and her family into your pack.â âThey donât need your shitty welcome,â Ryker snapped. Hugo flinched and looked at Ryker, who was sitting opposite him. Out of everyone, the Alpha of the Night Walkers was the least agreeable about the new partnership. If anyone knew how to hold grudges, it was Ryker. He wouldnât be surprised if he managed to string one of them up
The Alpha King's Fate   77. Reunion
Layla struggled to breathe. She could feel Lincolnâs large hand crushing her windpipe, even though part of him was twitching on the floor in front of her. Her mind was foggy with the lack of oxygen, but the fear that crippled her disappeared. Jax had taken charge now. Everything would be okay. Her eyes fluttered and then closed even with all the commotion around her. The cut-off screams. The scent of blood that even her nose could pick up. And when she heard her motherâs voice, she breathed a sigh of relief. Rebeccaâs wolf was stronger than Nia. She would never allow anyone to hurt her family. She relaxed entirely until Britney's scream brought her back to the present. Her heart lurched as she sat up and saw Alpha Cole drag her and Hope towards him. Maybe Cole didnât have a wolf, or he wasnât shifting because he knew he was outnumbered. But there was no denying he had enough dark magic to follow through with his threats. She could almost smell it even though she was less than
The Alpha King's Fate   76. And Then There Were Three
The dark magic continuously ripped Jaxâs cells apart even as Cain worked on healing them. Coleâthat fuckerârounded up some of the strongest witches. They were no match individually for Diedre, but together they bound her up tighter than anything. He gritted his teeth and looked sideways at Diedre. Her face was pale, her teeth snapped together, and her eyes closed. He sensed her pain. He felt all the pain in the room, even the childrenâs. âSilence!â The command rippled across the room. Cain growled in his head at the challenge. Had he not been bound, he would have commanded Cole just as he did at the trial. Another warrior fell beside him, and the pain slashed through his body when another bond broke. He was still trying to recover when Lincoln grabbed Layla by her throat. His claws dug into her delicate skin and punctured it. And the scent of her blood overpowered every other smell in the room. Her blood. Her pain. Her fear. All of it clouded his head, calling on the beast
The Alpha King's Fate   75. Gatecrashers
Where did the vampire come from? How did he go through Diedreâs wards? Layla backed up until she felt Jaxâs car behind her. The vampire grinned, showing his teeth, and she froze in place. Fear filled her body. This was her worst nightmare come to life. She was vulnerable, and her child was in the hall. She couldnât protect her. âBreach!â Someone shouted behind the vampire. But she would never have outrun him even if the fear didnât paralyse her. Their speed was unmatched. There were screams. Something zoomed past at such speeds she realised there were more of them. And if the vampires were there, the Circle was making its move. And that was the twistâthe final nail in the coffin full of all her hopes for a future with Jax. Something snapped around her, some invisible force that pulled her forward. It was magic. How did it even get past Diedreâs wards? She tried to lift her arms and drag her feet, but it was futile. Wolves around her were hauled towards the hall like rag do
The Alpha King's Fate   74. Party Time
Layla didnât sleep much. Sheâd alternated between having nightmares of Jax losing his wolf and watching her two girls sleep. She had her arm over them, content to soothe herself with their presence. She didnât know where they had been and how far it was, but after dinner, Brit and Hope had been ready to go to bed. Faith prepared Britneyâs room next to Jaxâs and moved Hopeâs cot there because the girls bonded while away. The three of them snuggled on the bed together. She imagined she heard someone outside the bedroom door a few times. She knew it was Jax. Heâd told her the main bedroom was ready for her to return to, but she wasnât prepared for that. It would be like accepting what he didâacknowledging that he ruined his life over her. Her hand went back to the bite on her neck. Did that mean they were mated again? It hadnât felt the same as when he marked her the first time, even though it still caused the earth-shattering explosion. There had been no fire in her bones, and she
The Alpha King's Fate   73. Home
Layla smoothed her summer dress and adjusted the straps before she took a fortifying breath. Not that the expensive clothes would make a difference. Compared to how vibrant sheâd looked when Nia manifested, she looked like crap now. No amount of makeup could hide the bags under her eyes or how lifeless her eyes had become. And she couldnât tame the frizz, no matter what she did. She'd tied her hair up in a puffâ the same style she used to have before sheâd met Jax. She tilted her head to see the angry red mark on her neck. Her stomach churned, almost bringing up the few bites of food sheâd managed to eat. Images of her night with Jax returned, and her nostrils flared. What did he think would happen now? The bite wasnât healing as it did the first time; it was starting to look infected. Jax poisoned himself for nothing. She ripped out the hair band and the millions of pins holding her hair up and fluffed her hair, covering the mark again. No one else needed to know what Jax did.
The Alpha King's Fate   72. Hypocrite
âWhat the hell have you done?!â Layla repeated, and this time her anger surged as her voice rose. Jax gently pulled out of her before he straightened. Heâd known how the night would end. It had been the same the first time he marked her. But her anger still hurt. It had been months, and every second of that had been torture. Did she not feel the same? âI did what I had to do, Layla.â âHow could you do that to Cain?â Layla shouted. She pushed him aside and got off the hood to look for her skimpy little night dress. âWe donât know what they put in my blood, but we know damn well that it will kill him!â Layla pulled her nightie on before she turned to face him. Her emerald eyes blazed at him. Heâd been just as angry when she bit him the night before the blood moon on his birthday. Marking someone without their consent was a dick move, and as the Alpha King, heâd put down a few wolves for that exact reason. But there he was. Being a dick. âIt was Cainâs idea. And I completely agree
The Alpha King's Fate   71. No Regrets
Layla rolled her neck and shoulders to ease some of the stiffness but knew it wouldnât do her any good. She couldnât remember a time when sheâd felt that tired. She spent money that she didnât have to buy some energy drinks to keep her awake for the drive home. It was almost two in the morning, and working two jobs was sucking the life out of her. At one point in her life, sheâd even had three jobs and still had the energy to run around after Brit and take care of their trailer. With a sigh, she grabbed her bag from the passenger seat and shoved her door open. The car had been a piece of crap when sheâd bought it, but it was worse after being off the road for so long. Sheâd worked at least a month to afford the extra money to pay someone to get it roadworthy again. It was hectic catching buses or getting a taxi to take her close enough to her neighbourhood, especially this late at night. She hadnât seen Jax since the picnic, but some warriors hung around the neighbourhood for wee
The Alpha King's Fate   70. Fuck Fate!
âJax?â He kept his back to her with fists clenched. Cain wasnât backing down. It felt like the time the beast had completely taken over when he killed Alpha Kendrick on his doorstep to protect Layla. Now all he wanted was to sink his teeth into her neck and return what was lost. âIâm sorry I donât have the endurance I used to have,â Layla said as she came up behind him. He sensed the pain in her words but didnât turn around to offer any comfort. If heâd needed proof that her wolf was well and truly gone, he had it now. Even before she had shifted, Layla could sense the danger in the air. Sheâd been able to feel when he was losing control. âShe canât sense me at all.â Cainâs words caused an avalanche of pain that shoved him further into despair and buried him deep within it. He tried to focus so he could pull himself out, but it was pointless. He felt the same way his beast did. Cain couldnât live without his mate, either. And if he tried to deny his mate, he would end up like
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