Page 45 of Cruel Mate

Zander couldn’t help but lean down and kiss her before he slipped out from beneath her. “Don’t worry. Go back to sleep. Jack wants me at the manor for something.”

Layla stretched languidly as if she were more cat shifter than werewolf and said, “I’ll come with you.”

“You don’t need to,” Zander protested. “You need your rest.”

“I want to,” Layla insisted. She laid her hand on her stomach and said, “Some fresh air will do all of us some good.”

Zander couldn’t help himself. He leaned down and kissed her again. Damn, it felt so good to kiss her and for her to kiss him back. He had spent so long fantasizing about the moment when she might finally accept him, but it hadn’t felt even half as good as this in his dreams.

“We better freshen up first,” he said, growling low in his throat. “You smell like sex.”

“Speak for yourself!” Layla said, tapping him playfully on the shoulder before she hopped off the bed. The small swell of her stomach, her ample breasts, the peachiness of her butt, it was all too much, and after the night before, it took all he had in him to keep from ravishing her again.

When he licked his lips, he could still imagine how sweet she had tasted.

It took all his restraint to wash, dress and make a light breakfast while he waited for Layla to be ready, too.

And finally, they were on their way, hand in hand. Zander wasn’t sure the day could get any better than it already was. But as they drew close to the manor, he realized it was about to get worse.

“Something is going on,” he said, realizing there were strange scents in the air. Layla stiffened beside him. “Stay close to me.”

He pulled her closer as they left the tree line and headed for the front door of the manor.

“Where have you been?” Kane demanded, stepping out from the shadows around the corner of the house, the porch creaking under his feet. “Jack texted you over an hour ago.”

“Layla can’t exactly rush,” Zander pointed out, placing his hand on the swell of her stomach.

Kane looked down at her and then back at Zander, the look in his charcoal eyes suggesting something Zander didn’t like one bit. The tatted wolf growled, “You shouldn’t have brought her with you.”

“Why? What’s going on?” Layla demanded, her back clearly up.

Kane didn’t respond to her. Instead, he turned to Zander and said, “You should go in alone. Jack’s waiting for you in his office with our guests.”

Layla looked about to protest, but before she could, Zander turned to her and said, “Why don’t you sit out here on the porch and get a little more air while I go and see what’s going on?”

Layla glowered at him. Before she could say a word, he reached up and stroked her hair back behind her ear, caressing her cheek with the ball of his thumb. “I promise I’ll tell you everything afterwards.”

Kane growled as if to remind him that wasn’t exactly a promise he could make, but Zander offered his own in return. Kane didn’t yet know what it was to have a mate. Zander wasn’t sure he could ever truly keep anything from Layla again.

He kissed her forehead and headed inside, relieved that she didn’t attempt to follow him.

And the second he entered, the scent of enemies grew stronger. His hackles raised as he realized he recognized not one, but two of the scents that lingered in the foyer.

Whoever was here, they were part of the pack that had attacked Layla that night in Pine Valley.

He hurried down the hall in the direction of Jack’s study, only to stop dead when Hanson stepped in his way.

“Get out of my way, Hanson,” Zander growled low. The man had proven a valued member of their new pack, but he wasn’t yet fully in the clear, and if he tried to get in Zander’s way, he was sure as hell going to put the big guy on his ass.

“Before you go in there, Zand, there’s something you need to know,” Hanson said, crossing his arms over his chest. He raised his chin and looked Zander dead in the eye.

“What?” Zander said through gritted teeth.

“It’s Layla’s ex.”

The words struck Zander clean in the chest. “Excuse me?”

“Christian. Claims he’s started his own pack and has come to make an ally,” Hanson explained. The look on his face suggested he didn’t believe such bullshit.

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