♡ What do you think Layla's first question will be?
~ 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 ~That was the wrong answer, even if it was the truth.Something in those gorgeous blues changes. It’s almost as if I can see right into her soul through them, see something shatter, and this is the very reason lying to her is better.“So, all along, what you really wanted wasn’t to help me because of who my father was but to bridge the pathway to the Sapphire Pack… Well, congratulations, you got what you wanted.” Her smile is forced. Once again, she’s putting up her walls before my very eyes. I can see it from the way she squares her shoulders, the smile becoming effortless, and she becomes the image of perfect control. But I had seen the real her, she had begun to lower her guard, and I saw behind the mask she has in place for the world.“Layla, I-”“It’s been an extremely long day; I think I’m going to get to bed. Excuse me.” She doesn’t wait for a reply as she turns away. I take hold of her wrist, and she stiffens.“Lay-”“A deal is a deal. I owe you nothing more. I. Am. Ti
~ LAYLA ~Silence.But even in that silence, I see the deadly shift in Quade’s eyes, the way his aura sends a chill through the room and… through me.If he orders me now, I won’t be able to win against him or his men. I have to act now!“She was dying, and her crime wasn’t that bad that she deserves death.” I don’t trust Nikita entirely, but I am not letting them kill her.I rip free from Eddie’s hold as I stride across the room to the shocked Nikita.“You know nothing of her crime,” Eddie says quietly.“Are you stupid?” Nikita hisses. “You’re as good as dead now, too.”I ignore her as I turn my attention back to Quade. My stomach twists at the unbridled rage on his face. I swallow.“Can I speak to my husband privately?” I ask the room, not wanting to anger him further. I’m already in boiling water.All eyes shift to Quade waiting for his command, the cold reminder that I am indeed alone in this place. Goddess, has Julian moved in yet? I wish he was here. I could use his help right abo
~ LAYLA ~I swallow as I watch him make his way over to me, his cold eyes trained on mine, his face devoid of all emotions. The dim light casts sharp shadows across his face, only making him appear more ominous.His eyes trail over me and my stomach twists with nerves, realising in this position my night dress is not covering my panties and if it wasn’t for the gown I’m wearing, it wouldn’t be covering my ass either.I keep my eyes fixed on him as if looking away might make him snap and decide to tear me apart. He walks over to me until there is only a mere few inches between us, my breasts lightly crazing against him every time one of us breathes.There’s something wrong with me… I’m terrified, yet at the same time, my body seems to be extra sensitive to every brush or almost caress of his body against mine.“I really didn’t think you, of all people, would turn out to be such a conniving little snake.” His voice is cold and chilling as he glares into my eyes.“I learned from the best.
~ LAYLA ~My heart thumps as we reach the fifteenth snap of his belt against my ass, but it’s the way he’s stilled by my side. I refuse to look at him, my breasts rising and falling rapidly as I try to contain my slew of emotions.His gaze incinerates me. I know if he checks, he’ll see how soaked my panties are, because he can already see how hard my nipples are. That coil in my stomach is so intense that I’m struggling not to moan.And it angers me.I should be angry at him, I should detest him, yet what I want is for him to take me right here and fuck me until all the rage he’s feeling is gone.But my mind is still trying to overpower the desire that my body craves.He brushes his hand down my ass, massaging my sore cheek, and I’m unable to stop myself from hissing. He pauses and I feel his eyes on my face.I clench my jaw as he removes his hand and circles around until he stands in front of me, and then he’s untying the sash from my eyes and mouth and it falls, resting loosely aroun
~ QUADE ~She can deny it all she fucking wants, but she’s turned on, and that just fucks with my head even more. Makes me want to push her to her limits until she begs for me to fuck her.The anger I feel is there, but this little punishment is a good distraction from me going on a killing spree… I don’t know how she decided to help Nikita or why she would even do that. She’s not foolish, she isn’t stupid… so what exactly made her help Nikita?I look down at her sexy little thong as I flog her pussy lightly with the belt. Every time her body jerks a little on impact, but it’s the way she swallows, the way she bites down on her lip. Simple proof that she’s the perfect match for me…That she’s enjoying this, even if she’s angry.I keep my eyes on that pussy, resisting the urge to tear her panties off as I keep flogging her lightly, sliding the belt over her pussy before delivering another tap.Each time she lets out a delicious little sound, one that fuels the hunger inside of me and I
~ LAYLA ~I’m numb, the shock of his words making me freeze as I try to digest those words.No… how could she…My heart thunders and I close my eyes, trying to calm the storm in my chest.“So yes, I want her dead. I never should have shown her any compassion, which was my mistake,” he finishes, his voice ice cold.I don’t know what to think. It’s too much.I sit up, brushing my hair back as I try to organise my emotions that are beginning to suffocate me.“I don’t know if I can believe you… but can you blame me? Because how am I supposed to know with all the secrets you keep?” I whisper. He’s silent for a moment before he too sits up and combs his fingers through his hair.“And you trust Nikita based on what?” he asks icily.I close my eyes. He’s right about that.“I don’t know.”“Her mate was part of my team, and that is how they even met. However, he betrayed me for a petty sum of money. If you really want to, you can do your own research. His name was Cole Foxton.”But how can I do
~ 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