Page 49 of Cruel Mate

She had almost expected him to come back for her one day, but she had never expected she would be strong enough to reject him.

“I am mated,” Layla said, loud and clear. “I am wed. I am with child. I cannot be yours. I do not want it.”

She felt Christian’s hands tightening on her arms and knew this was the point when ordinarily she might have given in, fearful of what came next, terrified he would beat her or worse. But not today. Today, she was not alone. She had her child and her mate. He was not with her, but she could sense him. She knew he was practically a breath away if she called him.

Looking Christian directly in the eye, she said, “I will never be yours, Christian. Go and keep your promise to Jack to leave by sunset, or I will tell him everything.”

She barely dared to breathe as he released her arms and stepped away. The look of defeat on his face was almost laughable, but Layla bit her tongue.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Christian said, his eyes widening a little as if he wasn’t as sure as he sounded.

“Is that really a risk you want to take?” Layla demanded, her hands tightening to fists.

“You’ll regret this,” he vowed, but Layla bit back a smile. The only thing she regretted was not having done it sooner.

Chapter 19 - Zander

He couldn’t just sit still and wait for whatever was happening at the far end of the lawn, and so Zander paced up and down the porch. Jack and the others took up defensive spots all over the place, leaning against the house or on the railing, standing on the stairs while Christian’s men remained on the lawn, awaiting their alpha.

It took all Zander had in him not to pick a fight with them again after what they’d done to Layla that night, but right then, his senses were all fixed on her, trying to listen to whatever the hell they were talking about. It was next to impossible. They were standing too far away, and the wind was blowing in the wrong direction, carrying their voices away from him.

When he saw Christian put hands on Layla, his hackles rose once more. He would have charged all the way down there and ripped his arms right off his torso if it weren’t for Jack and the others, who warned him to let his mate do what she needed to do.

“She asked you to trust her, remember?” Jack told him, and Zander’s hackles only rose further.

“If it were Bonnie down there, would you just be waiting around up here?” Zander snapped at him. Jack laid a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

“No, but you would be standing in front of me just as I am in front of you right now, ordering you to keep a level head on your shoulders. If he harms her in any way, I’ll help you tear him apart myself.”

By then, it would be too late. Zander was about to say so when he heard Christian barking for his little dogs to come running.

Turning, prepared to fight, Zander was surprised to see Layla walking back up toward the house as Christian’s men rushed right past her. Whatever had been said, it had worked; Christian and his men were headed for town.

“Remember, Zander, go easy on her,” Jack warned him before he stepped out of the way. Zander rushed down the porch steps to meet Layla.

The second he reached her, he saw just how badly she was trembling. “What happened? Did he hurt you?”

Layla shook her head and reached out for him in a way that made his heart swell. “Please, just take me home.”

There was nothing he wanted to do more, and so he scooped Layla up into his arms. “I’ve got you.”

There was just one thing he needed to do first, so he walked back up to the manor where his friends were all still standing.

“Jack, tell me you aren’t taking this lightly,” he growled at his alpha, meeting his gaze unflinchingly. “We need hawk eyes on those guys until they’re gone.”

“You have my word they’ll be watched,” Jack assured him before he inclined his head to Layla. “Now get her home. She’s exhausted.”

Jack was right. Layla hadn’t even attempted to protest when he had picked her up, and her head now rested on his shoulder, her eyes closed as if she were totally unaware of anyone else’s presence.

“Call me if anything happens,” Zander said. “I mean it. Call me.”

Jack nodded, a look of understanding in his eye.

“You keep your wits about you, too,” Jack warned. “I’ll send one of the guys to keep an eye on the house.”

“No, don’t. Send them all to keep watch on the B and B. I’ve got the house covered,” Zander said, shaking his head. If a single one of Christian’s men set foot anywhere near their home, he’d rip their head clean off their shoulders.

Zander didn’t bother to ask Layla what she wanted when they got home. Instead, he carried her straight up the stairs to bed. And she didn’t offer up a single protest until he began to unlace her boots.

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