Page 157 of The Alpha King's Curse: Part One

The full force of Layla’s emotions hit him like an avalanche. What the hell...

He tuned Chase’s voice out and pulled his tie off before ripping his shirt open.

“Your Highness?” Chase questioned.

“Alpha?” Micah said at the same time.

He was naked a second later and shifted as he ran back towards his territory without an explanation to the two men.

Had Amber gotten to her? Was it Dylan? Had he used this as an excuse to finally get his hands on Layla? Dylan had been so angry when he’d thought he had beaten Amber up, and then he’d suddenly changed his mood when he had agreed to meet Chase. That should have been a clue. How could he have been stupid enough to believe that was the end of that?

Cain ran faster than ever, cutting through the forest rather than taking the road. His huge paws snapped fallen twigs and branches, and the leaves in the trees shook as he whizzed past them. The animals that made the forest their home sensed the danger and scurried away from him.

He never thought he would see the day when Dylan became his enemy. He had been so sure that he would eventually explain the truth to his Beta and all would be right again. He had been so confident Dylan would still be the one to look out for his child.

He sensed Dylan’s location before he reached the gates and changed his direction to follow him. There wasn’t a trace of Amber anywhere; that fucker had lied. But he had Layla with him.

His mate was still projecting her emotions so strongly that his anger increased with every step he took. Cain growled as anger turned to fury. He saw nothing but red as the urge to kill took him over. The forest became quiet as everything within it sensed the danger. Did Dylan feel it, too? Did he realise how much he had fucked up?

‘I’ll kill him,’ Cain said. ‘I’ll rip him fucking apart. I will bathe in his blood and leave his remains to be devoured by rodents.’

He had no objections this time.

The speed with which Dylan was moving confirmed his suspicions. What was his end game? Dylan knew he could track anyone. Was he going to kill Layla as he had been itching to do? That was the only way he would ensure that Layla never came back.

He saw the car's headlights and sped up to get ahead of it. Then he lept into the air and landed right in the middle of the road. Dylan braked hard, and the car almost spun out of control before stopping only a few inches in front of him.

But the fucker didn't get out of the car. He didn't beg and kneel even though his fear was all he could smell now.

With rage boiling over, he shifted and marched to the driver's side. He yanked the door open so hard it came off its hinges. He threw it into the forest before grabbing Dylan by the throat and pulling him out.

Layla wasn't inside, but he could sense her fear. The trunk. The fucker had put her in the trunk of the car.

Had he hurt her first?

"Jax..."

He whirled around and punched Dylan in the face before he walked to the back of the car. Layla came first. She had to be okay. Fate wouldn't be that much of an asshole to give her to him and then take her away just when he accepted that she was his now.

When he wrenched the back open, relief flooded through him when he met her emerald gaze.

He didn't scent any blood or see any bruises. She was okay.

He doubled over as his limbs weakened. His heart was still beating out of his chest as he realised how close he had come to losing the only thing that mattered to him now.

A groan from the side of the road brought his attention back to Dylan.

His former friend. The man who wanted to kill his mate.

The red haze was still over his vision when he straightened and started walking back to Dylan.

"Did you really think you could get away with it?" he growled.

It was Cain's voice, and judging by how Dylan's eyes widened as he tried to get back to his feet, he realised that, too. No one fucked with Cain and got to tell about it.

"You're not yourself, Alpha," Dylan whispered. "It's the only way."

He roared and grabbed him by the throat again.

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