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~ LAYLA ~I’m getting married to Quade Steele, the Lycan King. A man who has more secrets than I can keep track of.It still doesn’t feel real.I take a deep, shaky breath as I stare at my reflection in the mirror.I had settled on the dress Quade had picked out. I don’t know why. I shouldn’t have, but it was gorgeous and he chose it just… Goddess, no.I exhale in frustration, making the woman working on adjusting my veil pause.“I’m fine, carry on.” I smile the best I can as I look at the shimmering smoky eye makeup, the soft blush, the bold red lips. I wanted that.I’m wearing contacts today and my hair is curled and put up in an elegant updo. Diamonds hang in my ears, and I had debated on a necklace but then decided against it. The veil is long and detailed and makes me look extremely elegant.The dress itself is made of net in the palest shade of champagne, its low cut fitts to the knees before it flows out with an extravagant trail, beads and embroidered flowers cover the entire d
~ QUADE ~You can imagine how a person might look a thousand times, picture something again and again, and sometimes you’ll imagine it better or worse than it could be. But imagining Layla as a bride? Was a failure.There was no way my mind could conjure up how fucking beautiful she actually looks. There are not enough words to explain just how incredible and mesmerising the temptress before me is. She is a vision.Breathtaking, beyond beautiful, she is the epitome of perfection with the power to bring any man to his knees and I am not no exception.Goddess, Layla.She approaches me, but it feels far too slow, yet I’m unable to go to her, simply frozen in my spot.She’s mine. She’s marrying me.I fucking want her, and that is the problem. I want her, and if she ever fully gets to know me… she’ll fucking hate me. That’s not something I want to think about tonight.She reaches me and that’s when I realise it’s Julian who has walked her down the aisle, right to me.I smirk slightly at him
~ LAYLA ~I sense someone watching me, and my eyes skim across the throng of people, trying to keep my calm. When someone in grey brushes past me and I feel the feathery touch of paper brushing my palm, my hand instantly closes around it. I steal a glance at Quade, but he continues to talk to one of the elders.I look down at it, my heart plummeting when I see the words on it.‘Come alone. Garden. By the trees. Don’t make me come to you.’My heart races as I scan the crowd once again, trying to find the man in the grey suit who had brushed past me.I know who sent this. I doubt he was the one who gave me the note, but he must be close.Reagon.The laughter and clinking glasses in the marquee suddenly feel overwhelming. I glance at Quade before excusing myself, and trying to act as casually as possible slip away into the crowd. Being the bride, you can’t really do that, not when the trail of my dress forces everyone to part to allow me out.“I’ll be right back,” I tell someone who tries
~ LAYLA ~I glance around before I turn and look around to the left. No one is around. Relax, Layla.“Of course I know that. I haven’t forgotten. It’s not like you told me what you wanted.”I’m not sure, but it feels like he’s smiling under that mask. “Of course, I had to make sure you don’t go spilling the beans. We wouldn’t want Quade to have learned too much if you had.”I scoff, my lips curling in defiance. “I wouldn’t have, but if you keep wasting time, he’ll notice I’m missing.” My eyes dart over my shoulder towards the glow of the marquee.The laughter feels louder now, closer, as though it’s stalking me. I try to remain calm, but the quickening of my breath betrays me. My chest tightens, and I know he sees it. “You’ll get your favour in return for the truth.” The words are steady, but inside, doubt churns like a storm. Have I gotten in too deep? I don’t trust him, not enough to believe him blindly.“The favour first.”“And what exactly do you want?” My voice sharpens, the edge
~ LAYLA~He’s right… that time he hadn’t stayed in the room… but when I had that nightmare, he had stayed…“Ok, that’s a good idea, I’ll do my best. And then when it’s done, you will tell me the full truth?”He nods. “Of course, now you should really head back to your wedding before they realise the bride is missing.”“Yes.”“When we meet again, Quade will be dead.” It’s a statement, but I don’t argue, nodding instead.“Yes, he will be.”He motions me to go, but I turn slightly away from him first, glancing at the small blade before I reach down and, lifting my skirt, tuck it firmly into my thigh garter, the cold metal pressing painfully against my inner thigh.It should stay in place until I can hide it somewhere else.“Smart,” he remarks, amused, and I try to not to show my irritation as I turn and give him a nod before I make my way back around the marquee. I’m barely halfway around when I see Eddie hurrying around it, coming to an abrupt stop when he sees me.“Luna.”“Are you alrig
~ QUADE ~She’s hot and cold, her emotions unpredictable, wearing them as a mask to keep what she’s hiding from me a secret. Why was she out here when she’s not even coming from the direction of the castle?Her heart is racing, and it is not from the kiss we shared outside. She’s acting normal, but I can’t really trust that. Tonight might just be the day we start digging up the past…She’s now talking to a few women, and I step back slowly drinking my champagne as I spot Julian brooding in the corner. If looks could kill. I smirk as his cold green eyes snap to mine, and he cocks a brow.I walk over to him and he looks away, motioning a waiter over and takes a glass from the tray.“What do you want?” he asks.I smirk. “I already have everything I want,” I can’t help but remark.“Fuck you, Steele.”“I’m sure Layla might just do that,” I mock.His death glare makes me chuckle. I know this moment is hard for him, and I can’t blame him for that. If I was in his place, I’d be as pissed if no
~ QUADE ~The wedding is over; the guests retreat once they have finished their dinner. Escorted by my men to the edge of the property, making sure no one lingers. The union is done, and the elders are stepping back from her pack’s business as I had demanded.This was what she wanted, and she has gotten it. The Jade Pack is hers and now I just hope she stays busy with pack business, so she doesn’t have too much extra time to interfere where she shouldn’t. But who am I kidding? I know her enough to know she isn’t the type to simply sit back though, especially with the questions I know she’s about to ask me. And I would bet on it that some won’t be easy to answer.But this is for the best, I do know that. Even Julian at one point thought it was too. I just hope it doesn’t break whatever this is between us before it even has a chance. But that all depends on the questions she asks.We enter my- our room and notice the changes. I had asked the staff to move her stuff in here and the room d
~ LAYLA ~My ears ring as I try to focus, but my head is spinning too fast, only making the whistling intensify. He’s speaking, but I can only see his mouth moving, unable to make out the words leaving him.I had assumptions, but this was not it. It cannot be true!“No. It’s not true.” But why did the look in his eyes make me believe he was telling the truth? “Goddess…” I place a hand on my head, trying to steady myself, trying to pull away, but he refuses to let me go and I have no choice but to rest my head on his chest to collect my thoughts. And then I laugh.“Layla?” There’s concern in his voice, and I wonder if I sound borderline hysterical.“Really, Quade? Did you think I’d believe that?” I ask scornfully now looking up at him, my laughter coming to an abrupt end as I try to focus on my mind and body.“I’m not lying, I assure you of that. I made a promise to you, and I answered your question because I agree, enough is fucking enough.”I clench my jaw. “You named some random pers
~ QUADE ~Her glittering eyes widen, and I can’t help but smile.“I love you, Layla. I fucking love you. You make me feel what I never knew I could.”She closes her eyes, tears trickling down her cheeks and I cup her face, leaning in to kiss her. “Wait!” she whispers, and I cock a brow, removing her glasses.“I did brush my teeth and shower in the hospital wing before I came to see you,” I murmur, making her laugh. “No! Not that, I want to tell you something first.” She pouts, “I love you, too.” I smirk. “I knew that, but I do want to hear that every single day.”This time I don’t wait for a response and press my lips against hers, claiming them in a deep hungry kiss. She whimpers against my lips as she cups my face, pulling herself even closer. I wrap my arms around her and lift her up as I place her on the drawer she was standing beside when I had snuck into our bedroom.I kiss her hungrily, my hands running up her thighs, enjoying the feel of her skin beneath my fingertips. She’
One Month Later…~ LAYLA ~It’s been a month since everything went down and it’s oddly… peaceful. To feel safe and relaxed is something I haven’t experienced for ages. My memories returned, so many where I spent moments with Quade, where I was crushing on him. He was my first crush, and that crush remained until my memories were erased. Through those memories I noticed how he became distant after a while. Cross-checking those memories with Julian, he confirmed that was when Tray told them I was his mate.Sickening.And right now, that’s all I have, these memories of him.The shot Reagon took was aimed to kill, containing the same poison as the blade I was given. But somehow Quade didn’t die. I felt his heart slow in my arms, and then it began pumping again. Julian thinks it was my gift, but if it was, then why is Quade still asleep? He didn’t wake up, and it’s killing me not knowing if he ever will.Nikita is healed; it took her two weeks of complete bed rest before she was able to g
~ LAYLA ~I have to trust Julian not to hurt Quade, or Quade to not kill Julian because I need to find Tray.They’ve been protecting me for so many years. It’s my turn to protect them. They are all that’s left of their brotherhood. Their bond is the only legitimate one.I need to think!It’s hard to, with the growls and snarls of the two men I care for fighting one another. I need to look past the illusion. But how do you do that when they are so powerful?Think! My heart is thudding, my ears ringing as I try to look beyond the storm within my mind.I need to shift! I’ll be able to mind-link Quade too!I shift, bones cracking and reforming before I look around me with keener eyes. The scent of my mate is intense in my nose.‘Quade…’ I trail off when something else fills my nose. The metallic stench of blood.I sniff the air, sensing Tray and Axel’s blood. I might be able to find him to put an end to this. I have to act fast before Tray realises and disguises the scent. He is able to ma
~ LAYLA ~“Exactly. We all know Quade took good care of his little sister. He had a soft spot for her, so I wanted him to kill her. Sucks though, but he turned out weaker than I hoped. And he held out, even when I made it look like she was the one that killed your little baby brother!” He laughs again and Quade snarls, the sound ringing through the room as his rage surges forward.“You!”“Nikita didn’t kill him,” I whisper, Tray’s words sinking in and my heart leaps. I feel relief that I didn’t let Quade kill her, because he would have only felt worse.“No, she didn’t. Shame, she had it in her. And she decided to become a disobedient little bitch. Even after I made her think Quade had killed her mate, she still wasn’t able to harm Layla. Pathetic whore,” Tray spits at me.“Fuck…” Julian murmurs as he glances at me before he turns and walks over to Nikita and begins cutting her ropes. There’s going to be a lot of guilt there… I just hope both men can forgive themselves for how she was t
~ LAYLA ~“Tray,” Julian breathes.“Why? If you’ve been alive all this time, then why did you pretend to be dead back then?” Quade is the first to ask the question on all our minds. His voice is low but strained with emotions, he’s good at hiding his emotions, but for him to let them slip, shows how much this is affecting him.“Oh, you mean that entire pond fiasco? Well, I had to plant the seed of doubt somewhere in the boys.” Tray smirks and I’m disgusted. This man is meant to be my mate? I feel nothing for him. There’s nothing, not even a pull. All I feel is anger.“But why, for what?” Julian asks. His anger is clear, and unlike Quade, he’s not trying to act in control of it. It makes Tray chuckle.“Look at the three of you, working together yet still. So. Fucking. Dumb! Why do you fucking think!?” he snarls. “You, Steele! You were the mother fucker I wanted to take down.” His eyes are fixed on Quade and I glance at him, feeling a pang of hurt for him. Quade’s eyes flicker. Is that c
~ LAYLA ~My heart is still hammering, even though it’s been ten minutes since I used the poisonous gas. But I still can’t wrap my head around it as I look at Nadia, who is tied up in the same place where I found Nikita.Her leg is bleeding profusely where Quade had shot her. Axel is tied to another chair, but he’s badly wounded. If he doesn’t get medical attention, he may die, not that either of the boys would care.“We should go take a look around her quarters and see what we can find. She must have a phone. We might be able to find out who she’s been talking to.” Julian moves forward, checking her pockets before he pulls out a phone.“Password lock,” he says, passing it to Quade.“I’ll have Eddie look into this. You and Layla go see if you can find anything else in her quarters or anything regarding her true identity.” Quade frowns as he looks at the unconscious woman, then back at the device.I cast a final glance at Nadia, feeling sick. This was the woman I trusted…“Come on, Layl
~ QUADE ~“Something isn’t right… they are on castle ground,” I mutter, as we park a good 100 yards from the entrance gates. Something isn’t right. Why is Axel here?“We need a plan before we just go in there,” Layla says quietly. I glance at her, trying to squash the jealousy that I feel and still feel knowing she kissed Julian. I’m acting irrationally, but there is nothing I can do to rid myself of this burning rage from inside of me, no matter how pathetic it is.I frown, “I think the only thing we can do right now is to get inside, find Axel and put an end to this.”“We need some kind of plan, Quade. If Axel’s there, then they have friends on the inside, and also it means he’s here to meet someone. I don’t think you should tell Eddie we’re here either,” Julian says.“A reasonable point. Let’s arm up.” I walk to the trunk and take out a few weapons. I’ll shift if I need to, but there is one thing I have to do before we enter.I need to tell Layla about what happened with Tray, even
~ LAYLA ~“All, ok?” Julian asks as I step out of the bedroom feeling horrible.“Yes,” I say with a small smile, before heading to the kitchen area to start cleaning up.“Lay?”I turn and give him a small smile. “What is it?”“Don’t do that. What happened?”“Nothing. Now please let’s drop it,” I say, sighing softly.He glances at the door, then at me. “You told him that quickly?” he asks quietly, now coming over as he tosses the rubbish into the bin.“No, he knew.”“Because you’re not a good liar.”I sigh and look up at him. “It wasn’t because of you. I did something because I wanted to, because I realised something last night,” I whisper.His green eyes soften. There’s something there, a longing mixed with acceptance. “That you love him.” It’s a statement.I nod. “Yeah, exactly that. And I have no idea how to process that. I don’t even know when my feelings became more.”“Then when he’s cooled down, you should tell him.”I look up at him and nod slowly, when I have the courage becaus
~ QUADE ~Leaving Layla with Julian somehow made me uneasy. The gnawing feeling in my stomach kept growing, and although I told myself it's because of what I’m about to do, I couldn’t shake it off.I ended up parking halfway there and travelled the rest of the way in my lycan form. Keeping to the shadows of the night.The grave wasn’t hard to find, even if I haven’t visited it in ages, the memory of it isn’t one that will ever fade. Entering these forgotten lands where the Sapphire Pack once stood is harder than I thought it would be.I remain in lycan form, holding my bag in my hand as I pay attention to every sound around me.This was once a place I loved to spend my summers.If he’s alive and this is all his game, then those memories were all a lie, and proof that trust is usually misplaced.I look around the fields, it’s overgrown, covered in grass and brambles. No one visited, and neither did I. After the massacre, this was a place I didn’t want to come to, remembering the death o