Pathetic.
She’d asked for it.
She should have listened.
She should not have tempted them.
The words kept repeating in her head. Over and over. Dylan’s face. Those three men. Jackson’s icy glare, the anger he had shown her.
She knew it was a bad dream but couldn’t wake herself up. She couldn’t stop them.
It went on and on until it just stopped. Something warm enveloped her, providing security that she hadn’t felt in a long time. The warmth pushed everything away until all that remained were positive feelings and emotions, and only then did her sleep become restful.
When she opened her eyes again, the early morning sun shone through the windows and glass walls. And the space next to her in the bed was empty but still warm.
Chapter 46
Jackson looked at the two young men and their kid sister as they hung suspended on silver chains.
The girl had passed out before he could do anything to her. The boys had lasted a little longer. They were bloody, and he could smell their impending death as the silver poisoned them, but he wasn’t satisfied. His rage still filled him and clouded his mind. It had been worse when he’d held Layla and listened to her talk in her sleep.
The hatch opened, and he caught Dylan’s scent as he came down. Cain growled in his head at the intrusion. He knew why his Beta was there. Dylan thought the kids had had enough, but he and Cain begged to differ. It would be enough when he could no longer smell their scents or hear their heartbeats.
“Alpha Chase is still trying to get a hold of you,” Dylan said as he came to stand beside him.
“I’m still busy,” he growled.
“You killed their dad, Jax. I think they’ve learned their lesson.”
“It’s because I killed their dad that they must die. I don’t need these little shits plotting revenge on top of everything else.”
Because he wasn’t as angry as he had been when he had seen Layla pinned down like that, he’d already thought about the repercussions of his actions. If he let them go, they would come for his defenceless child and Layla when he was dead.
“Then just exile then,” Dylan said. “Please, Jax. Things aren’t good out there. They’re all saying you’ve lost your mind.”
“And you, Dylan? What are you saying to them when they tell you this?” he asked, turning to his Beta.
Dylan dragged his eyes away from the wolves and swallowed. He couldn’t hide his displeasure at what he was seeing.
“You said you would never use this room unless you really had to,” Dylan said.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed again and looked back at the wolves.
“You showed more mercy to the rogues that attacked us by killing them quickly. They’ve suffered all night—”
“Why were you in my room?” he asked.
Dylan looked back at him at the sudden question.
“Ah... You asked me to go and check on her wounds,” he answered.
“I asked you to send the doctor.”
Dylan lowered his head.
“I didn’t know if it would be safe for him,” Dylan said. “You’ve changed. You’re putting the human over your pack, over everything. How will you hide anything from her when the moon is full again? If the Circle told you to kill her, then I think we should. You can get another—”
He growled loudly and stepped up to Dylan, daring him to finish that sentence.