Page 55 of The Alpha King's Curse: Part One

Well, that was disappointing.

“Then tell me what the hell you were thinking to be out in that!” he growled.

“I would have found shelter,” she whispered.

“You know it’s dangerous out there.”

The first night she had jumped out of a moving car just to avoid coming into the forest, and then all of a sudden, she felt safe enough to go into it?

“It’s dangerous here!” she shouted.

Her words stopped him cold. This was about Cassie and her friends. Why hadn’t he worked that out already? Layla had not been as terrified of this place until that fight.

He uncrossed his arms and balled his fists at his side, bracing himself for the conversation he was about to have.

“Tell me what happened,” he demanded.

Layla looked away from him, turning her gaze to the ceiling.

“It doesn’t matter,” Layla said.

He walked over to the bed and sat beside her.

“Tell me what happened, Layla. What was so bad that you were willing to risk your life?”

Layla sighed and then turned to face him again.

“This little girl unlocked my door and told me my food was downstairs. Then the next thing I knew, I was knocked unconscious. I woke up in some basement with three girls standing over me.”

His blood ran cold. Basement? She had been lured from the safety of her room and ambushed. And then the same girls had lied to his face about what had happened.

“I thought I could defend myself, but... they were so strong. I thought they would kill me until that guy, your friend Dylan, showed up.”

His whole world shook on its axis. Dylan. The man he was so close to they could have been brothers. His Beta.

He had fucking lied, too.

His fists balled again. Rage filled his body.

“Get some sleep, Layla. I’ll bring you some food when you wake up.”

He didn’t look back at her in case she saw that his beast had taken over and his eyes were red. He was going to fix this mess, once and for all.

Chapter 30

Jackson threw a pair of sweats on so Layla wouldn't wonder why he was walking around the packhouse naked. He’d already taken a risk when he let Cain chase her in the storm.

When he left the room, he opened his senses to find Dylan.

And when he did, Cain reared his head, ready to finally avenge his mate. He didn’t know if he would let Cain deal with him, but he was so fucking tempted. He was the Alpha King. He could command Alphas and all their packs—they trembled in their boots at the sight of him. His bloodline was the most feared and revered because he never lost a fight. He’d raided and killed, sometimes just for the fuck of it. The fear that always filled the room when he entered was for a very good reason.

And Dylan thought he could get away with lying to him?

The whole pack thought he had gone soft just because he’d taken a step back. He felt challenged from all angles, and his beast was frothing at the mouth to make them remember his name.

Rage coursed through his blood as he marched down the stairs. It wasn’t just about Dylan and Cassie. It was the faceless witch who wanted to make sure he would never get his redemption. It was Zach and his old friends who wanted to prove to the whole pack that he was not fit to rule. It was the legacy his father had left for him that made everyone wonder if he would go down the same way. It was The Circle, demanding things of him as if they had any say in his life.

Everything was conspiring against him; if he didn’t fix things, he would blow and mess everything up.

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