:)
~ JULIAN ~“Understood.” I cut the call, slipping my phone into my pocket as I walk upstairs, taking out my gun.“Julian…” Nadia looks at me worriedly.“Stay out of the way,” I order her. Quade’s men will be here soon, but until then, I’ll keep Logan here. Keeping my gun out of sight, I poke my head into his room. “There’s been a change of plans. You can stay here. You, Blackwell, can get the fuck out.”“Respect boy!” Drake thunders.“I don’t show fucking dickheads respect. Now get the fuck out or I’ll kick you out the fucking window.” I raise my gun, and he instantly pales, glancing at Logan who is trying to edge out of bed. “Stay the fuck where you are, Dartmouth.”He stops moving as Drake swiftly crosses the room. “It’s going to be fine; I’ll have backup come over,” he says to Logan before leaving the room.“You heard him. Backup is on the way! I’m the Alpha. You are going to be punished for this,” Logan sneers. “Tell me what this is about and I’m sure we can come to an agreement.”
~ LAYLA ~Julian’s cold scoff breaks the heavy silence.“That was a pretty quick jump to marriage. Is that all the Lycan King has? I mean, we’re not even going to try to get this win in court. Instead, you’re going to just give up and resort to marriage? Unless, of course… that was the plan?” he asks, his voice as cold as the frostiest nights of winter.Quade’s brow creases slightly. “Do you really think I’d make a decision so lightly? Unlike you, who perhaps can act on impulse, my every move is thought out.”“Exactly my point. Was this a calculated plan? That’s what you're good at, right?” Julian counters, his eyes full of hostility.“Hey… ok, both of you stop. I’m not being forced into anything. It’s an option that Quade is presenting.” I reach for Julian’s arm, but he looks at me with such aggression that I retract my hand, my heart skipping a beat.“Layla, think about it. It doesn’t need to be anything permanent. We have a goal and as alphas, I know what it means to do anything for
~ QUADE ~I sit back in my seat, one ankle resting on the other knee, my eyes cold as I swirl the liquid in my crystal glass, absently watching the man in front of me scream for mercy as one of my men slices open his back with a spiked whip.Blood mars the ground, a pleasant sight to satiate the anger I feel towards him.“I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have let her in! Please forgive me, I’ll- I’ll do anything! Please!” he screams.I raise an eyebrow. “When it comes to betraying me, no matter how small or big, there is no mercy. You let her in when my orders were clear.” I take a gulp of my drink before I stand up and walk towards him, every step I take echoing in the dark warehouse. Calculated and powerful like a predator stalking his prey, and just like a prey does, he cowers in fear.I crouch down in front of him as I slowly drink the rest of my whiskey before tilting my head.“She took something of mine, and now that’s caused me more work,” I whisper, my voice so calm, yet it holds the wei
~ LAYLA ~“Come here.”I raise an eyebrow at Julian’s command. He’s been grouchy all morning, and although I want to tease him, he’s gone back to calling me ‘ma’am’ which I now take as a sign that he is pissed off.I walk over, my coffee in hand. “Don’t get used to ordering me about. I think I might prefer the ma’am,” I remark mockingly.“Yeah, soon it’s all you’ll ever hear me call you,” he replies moodily. “So, remember with that fire there was a 3-minute gap in the footage, and we were looking into if either Logan or Drake contacted one another?”“Mhmm.” I nod as I perch at the edge of the two-seater sofa he’s sitting on, his legs are parted as he balances his laptop on one thigh not leaving much space, the other around a can of cola.“Well, there was nothing. However, at ten minutes before the fire, Dartmouth was caught on camera on a phone. According to his phone records there were no incoming or outgoing calls, but if you look closer…” He pulls up a blurry picture of Logan on the
~ QUADE ~We reach the council hall shortly after and I’m assessing every single one of the bastard’s faces, but if any of them were involved in that lorry’s attempt, they are hiding it pretty well.Four of my men had been following in two cars. I had one follow us, and the other did go after the lorry, but they then lost it. A fucking lorry that was huge. How can you lose it? I’m fucking pissed.“Glad to see you made it, Luna Layla, but I didn’t expect you to bring the Lycan King.”“He is my fiancé now. Why wouldn’t I have him accompany me? I’m certain this involves us both,” Layla says gracefully. She looks gorgeous in a black skirt and red silk top, paired with black heels, and her hair is pinned back in a loose bun.She looks like a sexy little secretary, and somehow that’s sexy-as-fuck. A few strands of her blond hair framing her face, her sea-blue eyes trained on the three men.“Well, this is concerning some misconduct possibly from the king’s pack-”I allow my aura to fill the r
~ QUADE ~As long as I keep getting such an incredible view, I’ll entertain her.“Well, as you know, I had five brothers and two sisters. One of my sisters died due to complications during her pregnancy. Her son now lives with his father. I have never seen him. Two of my brothers are alive, unfortunately. As you know, I killed the other three when they stood in my way for the throne.” That’s information everyone knows. I watch her sharply, but she doesn’t react, simply nodding in understanding.“And what about your other sister?”“That bitch is alive and kicking, wish she wasn’t,” I say, trying not to let the thought of Nikita sour my mood. The waiter comes over, placing our food and drinks before Layla thanks him. He’s wise not to check her out.“That’s quite harsh to say about your sister.”“Well, it’s not a lie.” I counter, picking up my coffee. She nods.“So, you aren’t close to your brothers that are alive either?”“No.”She nods. “Wouldn’t you want to have a bond with your family
~ LAYLA ~Quade looks uneasy and clearly displeased with the arrival of his sister. There are clear similarities between them, yet the more seconds that pass by the more I can sense the tension heightening between them.“Why don’t you join us?” I ask smoothly, pretending not to have heard the sarcasm in her voice when she introduced herself. What better way to learn more about Quade than with someone who had grown up with him?“Of course, I thought you’d never ask.”“Actually, I don’t think so. What are you doing here, Nikita?” Quade’s voice drips with venom, and I’m slightly surprised he isn’t trying to hide it. Maybe I am the one who is thinking too much into it. Perhaps he isn’t hiding who he is from me? Am I being too paranoid?“You know why I’m here, brother,” she replies, about to sit beside me when Quade stands up.“Let’s go,” he says to me, tossing some cash onto the table, he glares at his sister. “Come within a mile of us and I will fucking end you, Nikita.”“Try it and this
~ JULIAN ~Nikita is the last thing I want to explain to Layla. Fucking psychotic bitch. How was Quade that careless that she managed to come face to face with Nikita, of all people? Is he that incapable of controlling that maniac or protecting Layla?Layla nods at my response, a small frown on her face. I know Layla and she’s smart. I just hope she didn’t click on. A part of me wonders how long we’ll be able to keep this up. A time will come when the truth will come out. I’m just not sure when. And when it does, will she forgive me for lying to her?I leave her room and head downstairs slowly. We’ve done a great job of keeping her hidden, but what Quade is doing, will it fuck everything up?I stand in the shadows of the hallway as Nadia hurries around the kitchen, gathering Layla’s vitamins and herbal teas. Even she sacrificed everything to fit into this role for Layla’s safety. Even I don’t know who she really is under the mask of illusion she wears.A sacrifice so powerful that even
~ QUADE ~My heart skips a beat as I pick up on the racing heart of someone who is hurrying away.Fuck.There’s only one person who would react like that in this castle to seeing this and she is the last person I want to have witnessed this. I knock Nikita unconscious before I rush to the stairs. I don’t know what I’m going to say when I catch her or how I’m going to fix things.But for the first time, I don’t want someone to know the real me. I don’t want her to feel repulsed by the monster before her, because even if I am one, she’s the one person I can’t lose. Not this time.I hear the faint sound of a door opening and closing ever so quietly just as I reach the top of the second flight of stairs and make my way down the hallway to her room.I knock on the door, no answer.I raise an eyebrow, wiping my hands on my pants, but it does little to remove the blood that stains them. I knock again before I open it, hearing the tap running in the bathroom. The door stands slightly ajar. I q
~ LAYLA ~I wake up suddenly, scanning the room. I’m sure I heard something. I push off my bedsheets and switch on the lamp, listening out for anything.Silence.My brows furrow. Maybe I imagined it…Running my fingers through my hair I sigh remembering the conversation with Quade before he left; a glance at the clock tells me that was about an hour ago. I switch off the lamp about to settle down again when I hear a door shut somewhere down the hall.Is Quade still awake? It was quiet, as if not wanting to disturb anyone. I can’t just turn around and go to sleep, my curiosity wondering what he’s up to getting the better of me.If I’m going to find answers, I will need to do some snooping. I lay there staring at the streaks of lights that pattern the white ceiling that seep through the cracks in the curtains.I hear a shout from outside and tense, it’s quickly stifled but… it is a woman’s voice. Unease grows within me and I get out of bed quickly, grabbing my glasses as I walk to the do
~ QUADE ~After trying to get out of Nikita where she’s hidden the sapphire that she stole from me, I leave her there. She won’t last. She’s never been on the receiving end of my true fury and this time she will have that honour. I’ll break her slowly and she will break.I clean my hands with a cloth before I walk up the steps and unlock the door leading into my castle.Time to go see Layla. I know she’s angry and I’ve given her enough time to cool down, or maybe made it worse. We’ll see. It’s been a hectic few days, and I had a lot to do, what with the Blood Moon, Nikita, Logan, and of course, above all, I haven't been around Reagon. And Reagon… There’s no sign of him, although I know he isn’t far. He can’t be.One glance down tells me I need to shower first.Once I have showered and pulled on some sweatpants, I walk down the hall to her bedroom. I know she’s awake. The light seeps out from the bottom of the door, and I heard her pacing when I passed by earlier.I knock lightly, about
~ JULIAN ~I stare down at the man who had started the fire in the archives and trapped Layla inside with unmasked hatred. It may have taken me a bit of fucking time, but I have finally caught him. But no matter what I ask him, he’s simply begging for mercy not giving me a name or a reason behind his actions, even if I do have a good idea about what and who may be behind it.“I’m not going to keep asking and I am not new to torture, so spit out a name or I will fucking rip you apart and then have someone stitch you together just so I can do it all over again,” I snarl slightly breathless as I punch him in the face again.I want to kill him right now, but without a confession, I can’t, because Layla was already pissed that Quade killed Logan. She may be pissed at me, too.She had asked for a ride yesterday and she had gone to the pack headquarters, saying she needed to get some work sorted. She had fired Sadie, who had been in tears. She had caused a commotion, and I know it was because
~ LAYLA ~We reach home and my arm is beginning to feel numb, although I don’t tell Julian that. Nothing an antidote and rest won’t fix, but he still follows me back to my room, scoffing when I open the door.“So, you guys going to share a room once you tie the knot?” he asks with distaste.“Well, maybe, I mean we are going to marry,” I reply, although I don’t know yet… I have plans. I could try to get close to Quade, make him fall for me, show him I love him and then get all the answers I need… I’m not sure yet.I glance at Julian, wondering what he’s thinking. He’s not happy with my response, yet he’s ok to share secrets with Quade himself.“So, do you have a medical kit?” he asks.“I do have one. Nadia always makes sure it’s packed, but I think it’s not with my stuff that’s here yet.”“You wouldn’t have an antidote for Elksall, though. Quade would.”“You seem to be sure of that,” I reply, almost like you know him.“Well, he’d be an idiot not to.”“Well, I can go look in his room. He
~ JULIAN ~The match is over, and she was fucking incredible. She’s always been resilient and skilled. Despite parts of her past being missing from her mind, her body has not forgotten anything.She now goes to speak to the elders and I wait, my eyes fixed on her, making sure no harm comes to her. I spare a glance up at the full moon for a split second.Even though the world might not know Quade’s secret, I do. We all did. We used to help him when the full moon came. He was dangerous, and stronger than us all on those nights. His thirst for blood was extreme, and he was never able to tell friends from foe. A lycan’s greatest weakness is on the full moon, when they lose all sanity.Staying away from Layla at this time was for the best.Watching her now, I can’t help but check her out. There’s something super-hot about a woman fighting. Watching her was a treat, and I can tell it’s not only the women happy to see her lead, but plenty of men who suddenly see her as more than the ever-grac
~ LAYLA ~Logan is already here. He’s only in a pair of sweatpants, some sweatbands on his wrists, a band to keep his hair back and trainers.Christopher stands, and the crowd becomes silent as he begins speaking.I’m unable to focus looking at the smug expression on Logan’s face, is he up to something? Just then, Sadie hurries forward dressed in a skimpy dress and flings her arms around Logan’s neck and kisses him before she looks over at me, and casts me a dirty glare. I smirk coldly, if she thinks that would upset me, she’s sorely mistaken.“He might try something… so stay alert. He’s got more strength, you got speed. Use it,” Julian says quietly.“I have strength too,” I answer as I step forward, and Julian pats my shoulder before he walks off to the bench, the closest spot anyone is allowed to be.All the lies… yet somehow, he seems to really care…Not now, Layla. You have to win this.Right.The signal to begin goes off and Logan is the first to run at me. I move out of his way a
~ LAYLA ~He doesn’t say a word as he takes the seat beside me and looks ahead.“You’re here.”“Obviously, I’m not like him.”I give him a sarcastic smile at his mockery of Quade whilst wondering how long he’s going to keep lying.You’re hurting me, Julian.He stretches his arm around the back of my seat just as he always did, but I’m unable to ignore the betrayal, refusing to relax in my seat.Ten minutes later the alleged crimes have been stated, and the proof that I had gathered is also presented before the audience and jury. It isn’t much considering Quade had given his verdict, but there were people who saw him with Sadie, the CCTV footage, also him drugging me at the restaurant amongst a few others. Together, they were enough for many to start murmuring in the courtroom.The council members look at me through shrewd eyes as each allegation is mentioned.Logan is in good condition; it seems Quade kept him in shape enough that he would not be able to delay the match because we all
~ LAYLA ~The day of Logan’s trial couldn’t have come sooner. The last two days have felt ominous, and it was like I was moving through a dream – drugged. Everything that I saw as reality was a fabricated lie. Everyone around me who pretended to care were lying. Playing me for a fool.It hurt and stung painfully. Julian, Nadia, Quade… everyone around me are liars.I’ve barely seen Quade since that night. In ways it’s good. It’s suffocating to be around him without wanting to ask why. I wonder if he knows. The way he observed me, the way he was watching me when they entered that night, as if trying to deduce if anyone had told me anything.I lied. Even when Julian came the following day, I acted pretty normal. He’s worried as well, and just like Quade, he was trying to figure out if I knew anything.The fact that they both knew one another and didn’t bother to tell me stings. They didn’t even need to tell me the truth, just a simple ‘Yeah we’ve run into one another in the past.’ Some s