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I tense as my core throbs at those words.Oh fuck, not now, please. I don’t need him to know he’s turning me on!I remain still as he releases me, but he still stands incredibly close. I can feel his body brush against my ass.“You got your phone… you should go,” I whisper breathlessly.But rather than just walk away, he leans dangerously close.“If you need a little help, ask for it,” he whispers. “This time I’ll let it slide.”My heart is thumping as I feel his fingers brush my back as he unhooks my bra for me. I gasp as I hold my bra over my breasts to keep what little modesty I have left.“Hmm… maybe I do need to see you fully naked… those breasts look extremely enticing…” he murmurs seductively into my ear.“Thanks… for helping…” I whisper, making the mistake of looking up at him over my shoulder.His eyes are filled with a carnal hunger, and for a second I don’t know how to react. Suddenly he steps back, his eyes becoming cold once more and I quickly back away, too.“I better go
~ LAYLA ~I shiver at the memory of last night and look around shaking off the unease.Quade is out at the moment; he usually is at this time and that only makes the itch to do something I shouldn't, grow.I pace my room, the sound of my padding footsteps loud in the room. How much do I actually know about him?He didn’t even let me speak to Julian, although he said he has passed the message on. I feel uneasy not being able to talk to him.Julian and I go way back. There was a time I even crushed on him, but he never had eyes for me. I just remember we went to school together and lived next door and he would always ignore me, although I was the alpha’s daughter. He was the one boy who never gave me attention, and it was his attention I always wanted.But despite growing up as a rebellious teen, with a temper and creating a bad reputation for himself, he never did anything to me.In fact, often we’d walk back from school and he’d always hang behind, and even when I tried to match his sp
QUADEWhat is she doing in my room? My face is emotionless as I watch her for any signs of panic, but her eyes simply run over me, and I decide to simply observe her without showing her that I might not just trust her…“Are you in that much of a rush to get back into my room that you enter uninvited?” I ask arrogantly as I walk over and take out a towel from the shelf above her head in the wardrobe, invading her personal space as my eyes flick over my shelves. Trying to see if anything was out of place.She instantly moves back, trying to put distance between us.“Not at all. I was a little cold. I thought I’d come steal a hoodie. You don’t mind, do you?” she asks, cocking a brow.I tilt my head; I don’t believe you…“Not at all. Help yourself,” I answer, my attention falling to the picture frame I have in there.Did she see it?I glance at her, catching her eyes on me again, but she doesn’t seem nervous… she’s far too distracted by me.I smirk as I move back. Maybe I am being overly p
~ LAYLA ~“And that pretty much sums it up but you cannot tell anyone this.” I finish, crossing my legs as I lean back on the sofa looking at Julian, who is as angry as he was the day I told him about my decision to marry Logan.His jaw is ticking, his fists clench, his veins popping as he tries not to lose control.I filled him in on what the plan is but left out the fact that Quade was on my side and would be working with me on this plan. That was something Quade had made me swear I wouldn’t share, and he had made me take a Blood Oath.I glance at my right ring finger. The slight mark that remained from the Blood Oath is still there.Even if I wanted to I couldn’t tell Julian, even though I trust him.“I have a few questions, so I’ll start with the one that is fucking with my head the most. So let me get this straight. You will pretend to be ok with the man who fucking tried to rape you?” he snarls, glaring at me. My eyes widen, my heart skipping a beat at his visible display of rage
~ LAYLA ~Julian drives me to the office building, and I make my way up to Logan’s office. I pass through security with no issue. After all, I have every right to be here, and no security guard tries to stop me.Julian is a few steps behind me. When the lift opens on Logan’s floor, I head straight for his office, walking straight past Sadie’s desk.“Excuse me!”I turn, frowning as I realise it’s not Sadie. The woman quickly gets up, rushing to block my path. “Y-you can’t go in there, Ma’am!”I stop in my tracks, narrowing my eyes.“Before you forget your place, remember, in this office I have every right to do as I wish. Now step aside.” I command in a low, menacing snarl. She gulps, hugging the file she’s holding, and steps to the side.“Wait here,” I say to Julian. “Please.”He looks away, his jaw ticking again, but I know he’ll listen.I push open the door to see Sadie standing extremely close to Logan as she plays with his tie. His hands are resting on her waist and they are far to
~ QUADE ~“So, is it good enough?” her voice comes down the phone. I glance out of the hotel window where I’m staying, looking in the direction of her home.This hotel teeters on her pack borders. One that gives me access to her pack without having to pass the guards. With her guidance, of course, or so she thinks. I already knew about the entryway she had disclosed to me from long ago.“It’ll do, Miss Blackwell. Although I hoped I’d get an invitation into your home, or a late-night offer if you get my gist,” I reply.She laughs slightly. “Well, at least it’ll do. As for any kind of invitation, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Besides, I can’t magically invite you here. People wouldn’t trust that. Look, tomorrow at the dinner meeting with Logan, just make sure our stories correlate or-”“Relax, deception is an art I’ve mastered a long time ago. I’m more concerned that you might blow our cover.”I can just picture her expression of irritation. I’ve learned that about her. Her patience
~ LAYLA ~“Luna? I have brought you some turmeric milk. It’ll help you.” Nadia’s voice comes from outside the door.I pale as I scan the room. He’s closed the window too!He’s clearly finding this funny, which only annoys me further. I push my glasses up my nose as I try to push him back. “Hide!” I hiss.“Are you really telling me to hide?” he scoffs arrogantly. “You do know who I am, right?”An arrogant asshole, that’s who.“We can’t blow our cover, remember?” I reply with mock politeness, shoving him back.“It’s just a member of staff. Who cares?” he winks at me suggestively.I get to my feet, continuing to force him around to the other side of the bed and shove him to the ground with my full strength.I flinch as he hits the ground with a thud. I scramble to my feet as I hear the door handle turn, but my legs tangle with his and I tumble face forward onto him.“Luna! Are you alright!”I jerk upright, realising I’m straddling him, and I’m about to get up when I realise my shorts have
~ LAYLA ~“Julian…” I say tensely.Both men simply stand there staring at one another. Something about the exchange makes me feel uneasy. I can practically smell the hostility between the two. I have half a mind to jump out of the window, but I doubt my landing will be anywhere near as smoothly as Quade’s was.“Julian, is it? Nice name,” Quade says almost mockingly.“The Lycan King? Not very king-like, jumping out of a window, now is it?” Julian counters icily.“Maybe if you were a better bodyguard, I wouldn’t have even been able to get to her. If I wanted, she could have been dead by now.” Quade’s voice is equally hostile.“I’d like to see you try. Hurt her and I won’t care who you are.”Quade’s aura suddenly bleeds through the air, getting heavier. I can feel it from up here.“Julian, please-”“You’re no threat to me. Kind of disappointing, actually.”“Don’t underestimate me. That’s how a person falls,” Julian answers. I try to glare at him warningly, but he doesn’t even glance my wa
~ 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 alri
~ 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 ~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 trie
~ 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 hi
~ 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
~ LAYLA ~I did something I know I shouldn’t have.My heart is racing, and I feel nervous just thinking about the consequences if he finds out it was my doing. And when he finds out, will he suspect me?My stomach twists and I feel nauseous. A few hours ago, whilst Quade had been out, I had managed to go visit Nikita, only to find her nearly dead with a dagger in her stomach, bleeding out onto the floor down there.Although my every instinct was telling me to leave her, I couldn’t. Unable to leave the woman who is about to die down there. So, I moved her. She was light and easier to carry than I thought, and I managed to sneak her to one of the unused corners of this castle.I had applied some healing balm and wrapped up her wound. There was too much damage for me to stitch her up and now it all depends on her, if she’ll be able to heal or not. But I just couldn’t let anyone find her.I had then sprayed some scent disguiser along the hall and in the room before I had left her to clean
~ QUADE ~I look at Nikita from the chair I’m sitting in, drinking some bourbon, a frown on my face. The smell of blood is slick in the air, mixing well with the strong smell of the alcohol in my hand.“I’m growing tired, Nikita. Truly. You may be my sister, but that doesn’t really stand for much. I’m sure you know that by now. You’re only alive because I don’t have that crystal in my hand,” I remark quietly.She simply glares at me. “I don’t care. I will die before I tell you where that Sapphire is,” she sneers.“What are you going to do with it? You don’t have blood from that pack in you for it to work,” I remark.She frowns. She knows I’m right, even though I don’t know how exactly the power of it can be reached, but she definitely wouldn’t be able to. Yet she’s adamant to keep it from me.“What do you want, Nikita?”She’s quiet for a moment, and I stand up and now walk over to her, crouching down in front of her. I take hold of her chin, forcing her face up. There’s defiance in her
~ JULIAN ~The rain patters down on my car as I drive towards Quade’s home. His words swirling in my mind. The final moments before I left that car replaying in my mind. He looked almost… hurt.Almost.I shake my head, parking up in the shadows and slip through the trees and over the wall. I don’t think Quade is back yet. Good.I then take out my phone and call Nadia.“Hello, dear,” her voice comes.“Hey, I’m outside. Think you can let me in? I wanted to have a word with Layla.”“Oh of course, but you are welcome here, aren’t you? You could use the door.”“I don’t want to run into Quade.” It’s the truth.She pauses for a moment before she speaks. “Very well then, come on around to the back. I’ll let you inside.”I smile. Nadia is the best.Once I’m let inside, I make my way up to Layla’s room before I take my phone out and message her.JULIAN: Hey.I glance down the hall as I wait for a reply, hoping no one comes up.LAYLA: What is it, Julian?I pause at the reply, scrolling up, a remi
~ QUADE ~The rain pours down outside, causing the windscreen to be a blur of water. The door opens, and a man gets in, soaking wet in the few seconds it took for him to get from his car to mine.“You better have a good reason for calling me here,” he growls, shutting the door.“She knows,” I say looking over at Julian.He cocks a brow at me, a frown furrowing his brow. We’re both sitting in my car, which is parked down a dark alleyway.“That’s impossible.” He shakes his head.“It isn’t. We knew it could be a possibility. When I first brought up the Sapphire Pack to her and her useless ex-fiancé, she had said she had never heard of the Sapphire Pack. Yet last night, she probably thought she was being smart and witty when she said her father told her some things about it. But, in the process, she just gave herself away.” I scoff coldly, remembering her words.“Are you sure?” He sounds tense.“Yeah, she knew far too much. Even if she recalled a rare mention of what she was coming out wit