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~ 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 ~“Quade!” She drops to her knees beside me as I struggle with the pain that is consuming my body. She reaches for me, but I’m unable to hold back the growl of agony. It’s low and menacing as it rips from my throat in a blood-curdling snarl.“What have I done?” she asks, panic clear in her eyes.“You didn’t. It’s… something’s…” I give up, the pain excruciating. The only thing that screams at me is the hollowness in me. Something… broken. I can’t explain this, but it’s not right. I feel like the pain has jarred through me, like something cracking.That isn’t how a bond should make someone feel. Why is this even happening? Yet at the same time, I feel the pull, yanking at the threads that connect us, but it also feels like I’m trying to reach for something else inside of myself.Is it Tray’s shard? Is it because him giving us a piece of him was something we never should have done and now my body is rejecting this?I double over and squeeze my veined arm as if that would somehow t
~ JULIAN ~Why does it look like that asshole knows what she’s about to ask me?I glance down at her, not missing the mark on her neck. The question that’s burned in my mind since she stepped into this room now reaches my lips.“Did you consent to being marked?”She looks at me sharply before she smiles humourlessly. “Regardless of if it was forced or not, the damage would have been done, would it not?” she asks lightly.A sharp ache rushes through me at the reminder that I let Quade take her yesterday. I failed my duty to fucking protect her.My expression seems to make her face soften. “Don’t worry, it was consensual, and we are fine.”Her cheeks heat and I cock a brow. And here I was, wondering what he’d do to punish her. “Good. And I’m sorry.” Again.“Don’t be, just promise me no more secrets.”I nod slightly, shoving my hands into my pockets. “Alright. So, uh, what is it?”She takes a deep breath. “Is it true that Dad is not my biological father?” she asks. My face pales as shock
~ LAYLA ~Jared… He’s Dad’s son. My stepbrother?I close my eyes and turn away as he finishes telling me what had happened and the reason he kept his identity a secret. My mind is spinning, and I don’t know how to feel. It’s too much, too much.“That is why I’ve always kept my distance, because I never wanted to start anything based on a lie.” Julian’s voice is low, but it makes sense. His constant reluctance.My heart thuds as I look up at him, seeing him in a new light. Seeing the sacrifices he’s made while he let me boss him around because I was the alpha’s daughter.Goddess.“Layla.” Julian reaches for me, but I step away.“I’m fine. I just need time,” I say quietly. The secrets are too much. Far too much.“That’s it?” Quade remarks, “No anger?”I look at him and sigh. “I guess my anger is all used up on you.”“And I’m not you. You tend to piss her off way more than I do,” Julian – Jared, or whoever he is, says to Quade.“I just invoke emotions you never could,” Quade counters cold
~ LAYLA ~Shock is the first reaction from both of them. Quade’s aura seems to change, his eyes darkening and I can see the anger flash in his eyes as he clenches his fists.Shit.Julian isn’t much different; his jaw clenched as rage ripples in his glimmering eyes.“He was here and you didn’t think to tell us?” Julian is the first to speak.“Because you told me everything?” I counter defensively.“Layla, that’s not the same!” Julian growls.“I couldn’t trust you! When I knew just how many lies you were feeding me! You should be happy I am telling you now,” I snarl, the anger that seemed to be festering inside me only rising.“What did he want?” Quade asks. His voice is deeper and rougher, almost animalistic, but at least he isn’t telling me off.“He said…” This could go very wrong. “I owed him a favour for letting me go back then, and because he told me parts of my past. He came to tell me what he wanted from me in return for that.”Quade scoffs as Julian almost throws the pizza boxes
~ QUADE ~She laughs breathlessly, turning her face away at the last moment. “You’re good.” She smiles slightly before pulling free. “We have a long day in front of us tomorrow. Weren’t you undressing to shower?”“Clearly not good enough,” I reply mockingly, but I don’t push it. She simply smiles slightly, and I head to the bathroom. My smirk fading, Reagon asked her to kill me. I may feel a pull towards her, but it’s a reminder that no one can be truly trusted.I know that, yet I still want her in my life. At this rate, she’ll be my ruin, but I’m not about to admit that. I step under the running water, replaying the plan we’ve got in place. It’s not exactly what I would do, with more risks of it failing than I would usually agree to, but maybe that’s what we need. A plan with all of us giving our input, to step out of the way we usually would think so even Reagon can’t figure out what’s coming. I hope it works.When I return to the bedroom, she’s already finished packing and is standi
~ QUADE ~I pace the room as Axel sits unconscious in the chair I’ve bound him to. He’s tied up with his legs bound to the chair legs, and his hands bound by silver chains. We’re in the hotel room we’re staying in. Layla is sitting on the bed, staring at him.“So, you had no idea where he was all these years?”“No, I didn’t even know if he was even alive. I thought the only surviving member of the pack after the massacre was you. Reagon and Axel were a part of that pack, unlike Julian or I. But how did they survive?” I reply, running my hand through my hair.I don’t know what to think. How is Axel part of the Or’ethian? How does he even manifest his Sapphire’s abilities into magic in a mere few years rather than two decades, which is the standard? Were they not around when the massacre took place? Or worse, behind it?I don’t even want to think that, they were just kids back then.“You weren’t expecting this,” Layla states the obvious.“No, I wasn’t.”“The Or’ethian were a part of the
~ 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
~ LAYLA ~My heart hammers and I’m not even sure why. Is it because I shouldn’t be doing this? Is it because I feel guilty? Is it because years ago I imagined this? I’m not sure. He’s a good kisser, his lips rough, yet somehow slow and dominating against mine.Look beyond my feelings…I slowly kiss him back, feeling the tingle course through me, the way my body reacts, the way my mind reacts to the sensation of it.He tastes of chocolate and something else, it’s appealing. There’s always been something between us, and I realise now is my chance to put it to rest. Is Quade my choice, or is there something more with Julian?Safety and comfort, or temptation and risk?I slowly fist his shirt in my hand and he wraps his arms around me, the sliver of guilt lingering in my mind even as I try to force it from my system as we kiss one another.A moment or two, that’s all it lasts before I slowly pull away, my heart pounding, and the nerves of what I just did consume me.I look into his green e
~ JULIAN ~Layla gasps as I turn sharply.“There won’t be anything in there if he’s alive,” I say.“Dead or alive, I’ll find out. There will be bones, and if I do find bones, I’ll have his DNA checked.”“You are… twisted,” I remark.“I prefer to think of it as efficient. I’ll get us the answer, whatever the method.”“Well, how long will you be gone?” Layla asks.“It’s several hours away. I’ll keep in touch. It’s late already. Get some rest,” he says, combing his fingers through Layla’s hair. She nods slowly before she tiptoes and kisses his cheek.“Take care of yourself.”He nods before he casts me a final look. “Keep her safe.”“Obviously, I have for years,” I reply.He simply nods and leaves, shutting the door behind him.Layla sighs, dropping onto the small sofa again and removes her glasses, running her hands over her face as she groans. “Goddess, this is disturbing.”“No kidding,” I reply as I massage my jaw.“I wish I remembered more.”I glance at her and cock a brow. “Your memor
~ JULIAN ~We’re all in the small lounge of the cabin where we are waiting at for Axel to do as Quade hopes. Layla and Quade have just filled me in on everything.“I don’t think Reagon is the mastermind.”I cock an eyebrow at Quade’s assumption. “Who else can it be? He has Axel on his side. That’s proof enough they’re working together.”He shakes his head. “There’s been moments that felt…” He runs his fingers through his hair, “Just hear me out.”He has always been smart, so I decide to humour him and hear his assumption out.I’m sitting on the loveseat, the only sofa in this tiny place, my arm spread across the backrest and Layla is next to me, her legs tucked up as she sips her coffee, watching Quade pace back and forth.I glance between the both of them.Are they really meant to be? Why him?“Are you listening?” Quade’s cutting tone drags me from my thoughts and I cock a brow.“Always,” I reply, bored, as I smirk and place my arm around Layla’s shoulder. She smiles at me and leans i
~ QUADE ~Fifteen minutes later, he refuses to speak still, simply continuing to laugh between grunts of pain.“Get angry. Show me that face when you killed Tray!” he sneers.“What happened with Tray isn’t what you think! What do you and Reagon expect to achieve out of all of this?” I snarl.He simply spits out some blood and I grab his jaw, squeezing painfully as I slam his head back. Something snaps and although no sound escapes him, his face contorts with pain.I take out my small pocket knife and flip it open.“Layla, go to the bathroom,” I command.“Quade, we-”“Now.” I look towards her, “Please.”She hesitates before she turns and hurries to the bathroom. The moment the door shuts, I clamp my hand over Axel’s mouth and drive the knife into the tendons of his shoulder. His entire body tenses as I muffle his agony, his eyes are full of rage as he looks at me.I move back after a moment, yanking the knife out. “If you aren’t going to talk, I have no use for you. So, start talking. W
~ QUADE ~I pace the room as Axel sits unconscious in the chair I’ve bound him to. He’s tied up with his legs bound to the chair legs, and his hands bound by silver chains. We’re in the hotel room we’re staying in. Layla is sitting on the bed, staring at him.“So, you had no idea where he was all these years?”“No, I didn’t even know if he was even alive. I thought the only surviving member of the pack after the massacre was you. Reagon and Axel were a part of that pack, unlike Julian or I. But how did they survive?” I reply, running my hand through my hair.I don’t know what to think. How is Axel part of the Or’ethian? How does he even manifest his Sapphire’s abilities into magic in a mere few years rather than two decades, which is the standard? Were they not around when the massacre took place? Or worse, behind it?I don’t even want to think that, they were just kids back then.“You weren’t expecting this,” Layla states the obvious.“No, I wasn’t.”“The Or’ethian were a part of the
~ QUADE ~She laughs breathlessly, turning her face away at the last moment. “You’re good.” She smiles slightly before pulling free. “We have a long day in front of us tomorrow. Weren’t you undressing to shower?”“Clearly not good enough,” I reply mockingly, but I don’t push it. She simply smiles slightly, and I head to the bathroom. My smirk fading, Reagon asked her to kill me. I may feel a pull towards her, but it’s a reminder that no one can be truly trusted.I know that, yet I still want her in my life. At this rate, she’ll be my ruin, but I’m not about to admit that. I step under the running water, replaying the plan we’ve got in place. It’s not exactly what I would do, with more risks of it failing than I would usually agree to, but maybe that’s what we need. A plan with all of us giving our input, to step out of the way we usually would think so even Reagon can’t figure out what’s coming. I hope it works.When I return to the bedroom, she’s already finished packing and is standi
~ LAYLA ~Shock is the first reaction from both of them. Quade’s aura seems to change, his eyes darkening and I can see the anger flash in his eyes as he clenches his fists.Shit.Julian isn’t much different; his jaw clenched as rage ripples in his glimmering eyes.“He was here and you didn’t think to tell us?” Julian is the first to speak.“Because you told me everything?” I counter defensively.“Layla, that’s not the same!” Julian growls.“I couldn’t trust you! When I knew just how many lies you were feeding me! You should be happy I am telling you now,” I snarl, the anger that seemed to be festering inside me only rising.“What did he want?” Quade asks. His voice is deeper and rougher, almost animalistic, but at least he isn’t telling me off.“He said…” This could go very wrong. “I owed him a favour for letting me go back then, and because he told me parts of my past. He came to tell me what he wanted from me in return for that.”Quade scoffs as Julian almost throws the pizza boxes