Hello my beautiful angels! Sorry it took me three days. If you havent left a review for this book so far, I would appreciate if you could. It doesnt need to be your final verdict of the book but how you are enjoying it so far. Gems, reviews and comments are the only way for this to get exposure. Thank you to all those who give gems, comment and leave reviews. I appreciate you all. Love Muse
~ LAYLA ~The sound of my heels resonates in my ears as I approach the entrance to the grand Pack Hall. I cast a fleeting glance around the large marble hall that glitters with crystal chandeliers and ornate gold frames. The sound of music escapes the banquet hall.I am dressed to fit in – or perhaps stand out in a strapless satin red ballgown. One that is perfect for the evening but also exceeds all those around me. With every step I take, I steal attention, earning whispered compliments that flutter past me like a pleasant song.With my chin up, I keep my gaze ahead, masking the storm that rages within me.Reaching the doors, the man guarding the entrance blocks my way.“Luna, we-we didn’t know you would come,” Bryan, my fiancé’s loyal assistant, says; a flash of panic in his eyes.“I don’t need to inform you of my coming, now do I, Bryan? Where is your Alpha?”He swallows hard as he bows his head. “He is inside, Luna. Would you like me to notify him of your arrival?”“No need.” Smi
~ LAYLA ~“Luna, we-we didn’t know you would come,” Bryan says.“I don’t need to inform you of my coming, now do I, Bryan? Where is your Alpha?”“He is inside, Luna. Would you like me to notify him of your arrival?”“No need. He won’t like this surprise anyway.”Brushing past him, I enter, and it doesn’t take me long to spot Logan. He doesn’t notice me. His back is towards me, his hand resting precariously low on the bare back of a woman in a blue dress. Something tightens in my chest, and the burning fire of rage ignites within me as I watch his fingers play with the fabric of her dress.“Logan,” I say as I approach them, and as predicted, he removes his hand extremely quickly as he turns around, along with the woman. I instantly recognise her. His secretary and my ex-best friend, Sadie. They frantically put distance between one another, making me feel worse.“Layla, why are you here?” Logan asks, now taking my arm and tugging me to the side as if not wanting people to realise who I
~ LAYLA ~“Yes! You can’t do that!” Chloe exclaims as she stumbles and knocks into my back. She grabs hold of my hair as she tries to keep her balance. Pain rips through my head, but I simply place my hand at the back of my head, not reacting until she regains her balance. “Sorry!”I spin the bar stool slowly, turning to face the three women, unphased. I rest my elbow on my thigh and place my knuckles under my chin.“Then I’d beware if I were you… The Jade Pack is far stronger than all three of yours combined. You do not want to insult the Luna of it, because in case any of you have forgotten, I am the one who has alpha blood running through my veins.”My eyes glimmer, and I exude a little of the power that I hold, making all three step back before they turn and hurry off. I raise an eyebrow at the few people who had witnessed the exchange before I swivel my stool back towards the bar and wave my hand.“Get me some vodka,” I say to the bartender, who nods quickly, hastening to obey. “M
~ LAYLA ~Quade Steele?My entire body freezes up as I stare at the man before me. The realisation of who the man actually is makes me numb with shock.“The Lycan King, Quade Steele?” I breathe.He smirks, “At one point I wondered if you were pretending to not know me, but it’s obvious you really have lived away from society for far too long.” He taunts, leading me by the hand towards the dance floor.He’s the illegitimate son of the previous Lycan King himself. I know he has lived isolated from the Lycan family. In fact, rumours say that he was thrown out of the Steele household at the age of fifteen and others say that he left of his own accord, vowing that one day he would get his revenge, and he did.Rumours say he built his own kingdom in the business world too. With money came power. Relying on his quick wit, ruthlessness, and power, he overthrew his father, defeated many of his brothers who were next in line for the throne, and took the Lycan throne for himself.The Lycan King
~ LAYLA ~I exhale slowly. Logan has never raised his hand at me before, but to know he’s capable of it disgusts me further.“You should not interfere in our matters,” Logan says, his eyes flashing as he runs his hand through his hair.“And you should not treat your woman like this,” Quade counters quietly.“What happens between us is none of your business. She disrespected me - her alpha. It is up to me how I punish her.”My brows furrow as I look at him. I made him an alpha.“So, you’re going to challenge me now?” Quade’s voice becomes deadlier as he advances on Logan, who steps back, his face paling. “Your fucking king?”“No, I… you don’t know her. She isn’t the type of woman you would want to be tangled with. She only danced with you to try to make me jealous.”“That’s a lie!” I snarl.“You admitted it, Layla! You said if it’s ok with me to dance with someone else then so can you!” He looks at Quade, whose cold eyes remain fixed on Logan.“Apologise and get out of my sight,” he sa
~ LAYLA ~“Just have the locks changed please,” I say to Julian. It’s the following day, and I have moved back into my parents’ old home.“Understood.” He lowers his head before he leaves, and I sigh heavily as I look at the boxes that are piled to the side. I really had persuaded myself to accept Logan as my alpha and husband, but after this no way.I had packed everything and taken it into what I thought was our home, only for everything to go down the drain.“Here, dear.” Nadia hands me a mug of green tea and I accept it, thanking her. I take a sip just as the doorbell rings.“It’s your uncle,” Julian says from the hallway.I nod, placing my mug down, “Let him in.” It’s time I asked Uncle Drew exactly why he pushed for me to make Logan my mate and why Dad thought it was the perfect decision. Did neither of them see that he wasn’t worth it?“Layla!” Uncle’s voice is as jovial as ever as he hurries into the room, worry etched on his face. “Goddess, I was so scared! What is all this?”
~ QUADE ~I swerve to the left, hitting my car into the side of one of the attacker’s cars, the move throwing her against the window.“Fuck!”“I’m fine.” She presses her trembling hand to her upper arm, blood spilling down her hand and wrist. Her soft voice is breathy and for a moment I stare at the blond, petite woman.“You’re crazy.”“I’ve been told,” she responds with a small smile despite the pain she’s no doubt in.I can’t help but smirk as I lower my window and fire a round of shots at the tyres of the chasing cars. Satisfied when two spin out of control and are forced off the road.I press my foot down to the floor, zooming through the traffic with precise concentration. One wrong move at this speed and we could both be dead.I spare her a fleeting glance, once again reminding me of someone… I turn my attention back to the road, satisfied that I’ve left the attackers far behind.“I guess we have a little change of plans,” I say, not slowing down as I run my fingers through my n
~ LAYLA ~“I was expecting better.”My heart thuds as I look at Dad as he looks at my reports from my trainers and teachers. But those simple words, void of any emotion, cut like a knife.“I have paid for the best teachers for you. You have had the best of the best martial arts sensei, and your education has been nothing less than the highest of levels, yet your results show that money indeed cannot buy talent.”“I did my best,” I say, staring at the stone-hearted man.“Well, it wasn’t good enough,” he answers coldly. “Perhaps if you spent less time on meaningless things and focused better on what was important, these results might have been better.”“Dad! I have scored over 90 percent on all my exams! I made it to the quarterfinals in the martial arts championship! I was the only girl to make it to the top 20! And most of them were alpha males!”“Yes, as a girl; I should never have expected so much of you. Even Julian made it to the quarterfinals. You did nothing special there.”My ey
~ QUADE ~Tyres screech, headlights blare and the sound of a horn screaming in warning fills the car as I am thrown into my window.I knew it all along, knew that he died saving Layla, but that was a secret I took with me, knowing I couldn’t tell anyone. He asked me to take care of her, and although I went in to get him; it was too late, and he was gone. Leaving behind the woman fated to be his.I grab the steering wheel, swerving to the right as we narrowly miss the oncoming lorry.“Get a fucking control of yourself!” I snarl as he blinks, his heart thundering and his face the colour of ash.“That’s not possible. Layla wasn’t there…”“I got her away from there,” I spit, not wanting to continue this conversation.“You lied.” There’s anger in his voice.“Don’t we all?”“WE had a right to know – wait, did Reagon know?”“No, he fucking didn’t. But it doesn’t matter. You three were so fucking devastated when he died, I didn’t want Layla to become the target of that hate,” I spit. “He would
~ JULIAN ~“Layla’s been kidnapped.”Those were the words Quade spoke on the phone as I lost my shit. How? How the fuck could he let this happen to her!? I had left instantly, only taking a little time to grab some weapons.This was my worst fucking nightmare.Every word that leaves Quade’s mouth isn’t only making me fucking insane with worry, but it’s also making my gut twist with dread.And the final nail in the coffin is when he says the name of the man who has taken her. A name that makes panic settle into the pit of my stomach, mixed with shock and worry.Reagon.He should be dead.He was dead.How is he here?“You fucked up by taking her somewhere you had shit security-” I snarl, watching the speed hit max on the car as I zoom through the highway.“I had fifteen men posted!” he cuts in. “I wasn’t predicting anyone but Logan or Drew to do something! My men are fucking dead!”“Who Reagon fucking killed! Shows what we’re fucking dealing with!”“Yeah, but he wasn’t working alone. I k
~ LAYLA ~“Ah, you’re awake.”My heart races as I look up, realising that I’m tied to a chair in a room that is lit with a sickly red light. One that is only making my already aching head spin. I don’t have my glasses either, which doesn’t help.“Who are you, and what do you want with me?” I ask. My throat feels rough.“What do I want? Relax. Be grateful you're alive,” comes the voice. It’s the man from the garden, the one I got into a scuffle with.My eyes flash, but although he’s not wearing his mask, with the dim red lighting casting shadows on his face and the fact I can’t see properly, I’m unable to make out his features from where he sits. But what I do know is he is watching me.“Who sent you? My uncle? The Dartmouths?”“The who? Your uncle? I never knew you had an uncle.” He chuckles grimly.“Logan then?”“You really are becoming more and more disappointing by the second.” He stands up and leaves the room.I take a deep breath, trying to focus on my surroundings. Where am I and
~ QUADE ~“There’s no sign of her, Alpha. She may have left town,” Eddie says, massaging his temples. “What was with that website?”“That’s none of your concern. Focus on Nikita. We’re talking about a psychotic maniac. She doesn’t just show her face for no obvious reason. There’s a reason she came back.”“Well, you did say she took something of yours. Maybe that’s what she wanted? And since she got it, she’s bailed.”I shake my head. “No. She could have done that without me noticing if she really wanted to. She made herself known for a reason. I just don’t know why. Keep searching for her. I find it hard to believe that she’s actually gone.”He nods and I frown. After enjoying Layla earlier, I want nothing to ruin my mood tonight.“Well, we won’t stop looking.”Maybe I could ask Julian… I don’t know… “Alright, just stay on alert, I’m going-”I pull out my earpiece. I’m sure I heard something. I pause for a second, listening carefully, a frown creasing my brow.“All ok, Alpha?” Eddie as
~ LAYLA ~I scan the trees and bushes that line the tall brick wall that lines the bottom of the garden, feeling certain I saw movement in the far corner. But when I squint, wishing I was wearing my glasses, I don’t see anything. I walk backwards to the bedside table and grab my glasses. The feeling of being watched only intensifies.Frowning, I move to the glass door that is on the other side of the window, my eyes stuck outside. I hesitate before I unlock it and step outside.“Who’s there?” I call, a small frown on my face as I scan the garden again. I look around when I catch something moving from the corner of my eye. I turn sharply, certain something moved behind the trees.I see the shadowed outline of a person.There!“Hey!” I call as I break into a run. The person moves fast, as if not wanting to be caught. My eyes blaze as I speed up, my bare feet silent on the stone paths. I jump over the low wall and look around.Where have they gone? Fuck!I should call Quade.I turn, ready
~ LAYLA ~“Come to me, Layla.”“Come to me.”“Come to me!”Why are there voices in my head? I look around, confused, as I stand at the edge of the pond.Winter’s fallen, and it’s all iced over. Why are we here in winter?Didn’t we only visit during warmer seasons?I tilt my head as my body moves forward and I walk onto the ice. This is dangerous. Why am I not stopping?“Layla!”Someone’s calling me in the distance, but I still go on, laughing as the ice cracks beneath my feet. Why am I finding this completely normal? Move!But my legs have a mind of their own.“Layla! Get back! That’s dangerous!”It’s that voice again…I try to turn but my body doesn’t move. Instead, I do a twirl on the ice, enjoying the cool air that rushes through my hair. The pinch of biting cold at the tip of my nose makes me smile.“Layla, Goddess! Layla, don’t do this to me. Come here, you know it’s dangerous.”“It’s not, live a little, Tray! Join me.”“Layla, I can’t come to you. I’m too heavy. Please come here.
~ LAYLA ~I sit up and flinch at how sore my pussy feels. I feel good though; I don’t remember the last time I’ve had such intense orgasms, or when I’ve moaned so loudly. Just the thought makes my core clench.I’m only wearing my gown, and it barely covers my thighs, the marks of our passion remain clear, and I reach for my glasses before putting them on and gazing down at the red marks that cover my thighs, mostly from where he had held me.Oh, he was good, and you aren’t meant to fuck your business partners. Yet, I did just that. But I have no regrets.I bite my lip, gazing outside at the moon for a moment before looking at the man who lies beside me. The sheet covers him from the waist down, his arms behind his head, his muscles bulging and his chest rising and falling. He doesn’t snore, that or he isn’t asleep.Sighing softly, I run my fingers over the mark where he had held my thigh as he fucked me remains; I blush, unable to suppress the small smile that crosses my lips. Julian’s
~ QUADE ~I kiss her hungrily, wanting to do this for far too long, and if she refused me tonight, I would have gone crazy. Her tantalising kisses when she was drugged have been on my mind. Being around her fuels those feelings, and I’m a fucking man. And although we are not exclusive, ever since I saw her again, I want only her.I tighten my hold on her neck as I kiss her passionately. Her eyes are hooded with lust, that beautiful blue that reminds you of the ocean. I let go of her neck, wrapping my arm around her waist, the other cupping her face as I kiss her, carrying her to the bed. I place her down, my eyes raking over her as I climb between her legs and claim her lips in a kiss once more.She pushes my shirt down, tugging it off and dropping it onto the bed beside her as her hands roam my body. I can smell her arousal, that slight intoxicating scent that wants me to ravage her and never stop. I attack her neck again with kisses as I undress her swiftly, tossing the flimsy pieces
~ LAYLA ~I gaze out into the darkness, admiring the moon that shies away behind the clouds. But even if it’s mostly hidden, the warm glow from it casts a serene light over the deck and garden.After we had eaten, I showered and got ready for bed. It’s been a long day.Quade told me to take the main bedroom, the one that’s decorated. I now glance at the bed, smiling slightly at the petals that cover it. I walk over to the bed, ready to shake the sheet off when there’s a knock on the door, and I look up to see Quade standing there. He’s freshly showered, wearing light-coloured sweatpants and his shirt is left open as if he threw it on as an afterthought.“Are you headed to bed already?” he asks. My heart races as his eyes trail over me, lingering on my thighs. I’m wearing a satin slip dress with an extremely short gown wrapped over. Neither covers much of my legs.“I think it’s best I do?”“And why is that?” He enters the room as he walks over to the bedside table, placing his phone dow