“You will show him some respect. You will never speak about him as if you’re equals,” Jackson’s boyfriend growled. “Do you understand?”

Her mouth went dry, and no words came out when she tried to speak. The man’s fury burned through her and made all the lessons she had learned about self-defence fly out of her head.

Her heart started beating triple times, and her limbs weakened. For Brit's sake, she could endure a lot, but what if the cost was her life? Because this man looked ready to kill her, and he looked mean enough to enjoy it. Maybe that was what they did here—killed people.

“Do you understand?” the man repeated louder.

She nodded, and the man released her as he stepped back.

“Move,” he growled.

She did, even though her limbs were weak and threatened to stop working. And when she looked towards where she was going, she saw Jackson standing in the doorway again. He had heard that.

He’d heard his boyfriend threaten the woman he wanted to carry their child and had done nothing.

He wouldn’t protect her.

She was on her own here.

“I don’t appreciate being kept waiting,” Jackson said as he returned to the room. “Have something to eat, and then I’ll take you to see the doctor. The quicker you get pregnant, the quicker you can leave.”

She followed him into what turned out to be a large dining room with the dining table fully set. The food smelled delicious, but she knew she couldn’t swallow any of it, despite her last meal having been the eggs she had cleaned off Brit's plate for breakfast.

Only one thought filled her head. She couldn’t leave a baby here. She couldn’t carry a baby for these arrogant, sadistic bastards.

Chapter 15

Jax pushed his eggs around his plate while his eyes remained glued on the large, finger-shaped bruises forming on Layla’s arm.

He had never had to fight Cain so hard to keep him caged.

Out of the entire pack, it was Dylan he had trusted to help him protect Layla, despite how he felt about her. His Beta knew the trouble he had gone through to get her to the packhouse.

He’d stalked her. Offered her money that should have gone to taking care of the pack. He’d killed for her and possibly started a war with the humans.

Dylan should not have dared.

Layla’s fear hung in the air and spoiled his breakfast while the man responsible was shovelling his food into his mouth as if he couldn’t sense the danger in the air. He pulled his gaze from the bruises to look at his Beta and Gamma.

Jon sat across the table from Layla and glared at her instead of eating. Cain was pissed off with him, too, but it was Dylan he wanted.

He gave up pretending to eat and put his fork down before turning his gaze to his friend.

‘Rip his balls off,’ Cain growled. ‘Show him that she is mine.’

He wanted to. It felt like their lifelong friendship had ended just because of this bond. Layla had already taken root in places she didn’t belong, and as much as that pissed him off, it was terrifying. Cain had always had Dylan’s back, but now he had switched his loyalties so swiftly.

So completely.

He balled his fists under the table and waited for Dylan to look up.

Maybe his Beta finally sensed the danger because he paused in the middle of lifting his fork to his mouth and lifted his head. He immediately lowered his gaze, submitting to Cain, as he put his cutlery down.

‘Touch her again and I’ll kill you.’

The shock was evident on Dylan’s face when he lifted his head briefly to look at him.

‘Jax, she was disrespectful. She—’