Page 42 of The Alpha King's Curse: Part One

He hadn’t, but Dylan didn’t need to know that. He was already worried that he would end up like his father. The last Alpha King had also made impulsive decisions that endangered the pack.

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” Dylan said. “After what you said this morning, I assumed you would hurt the girls. I didn’t mean to imply you would put the needs of the human above the pack’s.”

He stepped away from Dylan and tried to ignore the feeling in the pit of his stomach that felt like guilt. That was already what was happening. Cain was prepared to raze the place to the ground for what had happened, and with how angry he was, he wasn’t sure he would stop him.

He stilled when a terrible, unwelcome thought invaded his mind. He was losing his fight with Fate.

Worry replaced his anger. Layla’s roots had dug deeper inside him faster than he had expected. From the time he’d tasted her, he'd known he’d have to fight the bond much harder, but he thought he’d have a little more time.

How long until they figured out she was his mate and a half-blood? How long until his enemies realised she was the only way to hurt him?

“I’ll protect her myself if I can’t trust you.”

“Of course, you can trust me, Jax,” Dylan said. “Why would you even think otherwise? I know having this baby is important to you, and it’s important to me, even if I don’t understand why you picked the human.”

“Instead of who?” he grunted, shaking his head as he walked to the door. They’d already had this argument many times.

“Someone who won’t expose us and put us at risk,” Dylan answered.

“Just keep those girls away from me,” he growled as he opened the door. “Call a meeting after dinner.”

There was only one way to stop anyone from touching Layla, and that was to tell the pack why she was there. Dylan was right about that. He’d already decided to introduce her to the pack after coming from his run earlier; he’d put it off long enough. The sooner they accepted a human was having his baby, the better. He’d just have to make sure that that was all they knew.

He walked into the hallway, and the first thing he heard was Cassie’s giggle. It made his blood heat up again. He was supposed to leave them alone because ‘they were just kids’, but his authority was being challenged. He couldn’t let this go.

“...a few more weeks,” Cassie whispered. “When I’m eighteen, you’ll see. Don’t worry.”

He forced his feet to move away from them and was going up the first flight of stairs when the head warrior burst into the packhouse, barefoot and in only a pair of sweats. Cassie’s father stopped when he saw him and lowered his gaze.

“Alpha, we caught the rogue that breached the boundary and put him in the cells. I think you have to come and see this.”

Chapter 23

Jackson walked through the trees to the secluded guardhouse behind the training grounds. Dylan and Micah, Cassie’s father, followed behind.

“Has he said anything at all?” Dylan asked.

“He’s saying many things, but none of them make any sense. And he’s...” Micah stopped and sighed. “You’ll see for yourselves.”

Jax looked back at the warrior with a frown. Micah had been the head warrior when his father had been the Alpha King, so he had seen and dealt with many dangerous and unusual things. What was he about to walk into that had made Micah so agitated?

They walked into the guardhouse, and the warriors on duty were already standing on alert with their gazes lowered. He walked past them to the room at the back, where the hatch on the floor was already open.

He could smell the prisoner from there. He smelled of the earthy scent of his wolf and then the pungent, unbearable scent of death and decay. It was the scent of dark magic. He’d had that scent stuck up his nose for a long time after he’d been cursed, but lately, he’d been catching hints of it again.

Cain stirred, his attention now diverted from the girls to the more significant threat.

“Let me go first,” Dylan said.

“No,” he growled.

He looked around at the two warriors at the door and then at Dylan and Micah. Dark magic was bad news, and he didn’t want any of them near it.

“Get everyone out of the building and then ask Diedre to come.”

Both Dylan and Micah stepped back.

“Magic?” Dylan asked.

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