Page 79 of The Alpha King's Curse: Part One

"Come on then. We'll start in the flower gardens."

Layla lifted her hand and touched the pendant that Jackson had given her. He'd said it would protect her out there; she hoped he was right. Maybe it was a sign of his ownership. Perhaps that was how men claimed people in his cult.

Diedre put her arm through hers as they walked down the hall. She was still making small talk and not giving her a chance to speak. She appreciated that. Having to think of something to say was the last thing she wanted right now.

Once they were outside, she was surprised nobody was there again. All the people she had seen from the window were gone.

"Nothing like fresh air in the morning," Diedre said as she led her in the same direction that Jackson had been taking her the day before.

It made her curious about what was on the other side where everyone had gone earlier.

She had no idea how long they walked, but Deirdre carried on speaking. She was right; there was something about being out in the open air. Her mind felt unburdened for the first time in hours since Jackson had been to see her. It felt like a weight had been removed from her body as she lifted her face to the sun. What would have made this complete would have been a run.

"We have an indoor pool and an outdoor pool. There are several public pools in the town, too," Diedre said. "Maybe one day we can even go shopping there. I feel like we're going to be good friends."

Again, that wasn't likely, but Layla nodded and smiled.

"The outdoor pool is on that side of the house. We'll stop there, then go in for some refreshments."

They turned the corner, and Layla stopped when she saw the last person she wanted to see blocking their path. The girl who had dragged her out of her room to get beaten up in the basement.

Chapter 42

Layla took a step back. Her first instinct was to run, but where the hell would she go?

The girl was blocking the path down the side of the vast building, and they had come quite a distance from the main door of the house. The girl was strong. Maybe she was fast, too. Trying to make it back to the room would be a gamble. She should never have come out in the first place. She should have listened to Jackson.

"You shouldn't be here, Monica," Diedre said, stepping in front of her as if to shield her.

The woman's sunny nature had disappeared, and it actually felt a little chilly in the air. Layla had no idea if Diedre was just like the girl, if she was just as strong from whatever they ate or injected themselves with in this place, but she hoped so. She did not fancy getting her ass kicked again.

"But I didn't do anything wrong," the girl, Monica, said.

Her voice sounded small. That fierce snarl she had shown the first day was nowhere to be seen. The anger and the attitude were gone as well.

"You should have known better," Diedre said firmly.

"But Cassie said it would be okay," Monica insisted.

Tears started falling down her cheeks. Monica sniffed and angrily wiped them away before she looked back at Diedre. In her fashionably torn pair of jeans and t-shirt, her brunette hair in a braid, she looked every bit the little girl that she was. Monica reminded her of the mean girls at Britney's school. She would be harmless without the ring leader, the girl who said she would be Jackson's girlfriend. Cassie, she assumed.

Diedre sighed and relaxed her stance.

"You still can't be here, Monica."

"Can't you talk to him? He listens to you."

Did he? Was Diedre the one she had to appeal to to find a way out of this place?

"I can't interfere."

"But you're a—"

Diedre took Monica's hand and started to drag her back the way they had come.

"Layla, give me a second," the woman said with a tight smile.

Not that she gave her any other choice. They were already far around the corner by the time Layla responded. She turned to watch them and saw the stern look on Diedre's face. The friendly woman suddenly looked as dangerous as everyone else as she hissed something at the girl. Obviously, Monica had done something terribly wrong, but what had she been about to say? Who was Diedre to Jackson?

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