Page 117 of The Alpha King's Curse: Part One

“The witch is masking them. I was able to track the magic,” he admitted.

“Well, some of us can’t do that as well as you. How are we expected to defend ourselves?” Chase asked. “How will I protect my pack?”

Chase’s concern sounded genuine, pushing more of his suspicions out of his head.

“Speak to my witch before you leave. Maybe she can help.”

“And you think she can defend anyone against dark magic?” Kendrick asked.

He stilled. Kendrick’s heartbeat spiked seconds before he turned to look at him.

“Who said anything about dark magic?”

Tensions rose even higher. His face tightened, and the red haze covered his vision as he looked at the traitor among them. The warriors behind Kendrick looked at each other uneasily because they knew they were grossly outnumbered. He could do whatever he wanted to Kendrick before they could stop him.

“It’s quite obvious,” Kendrick said uneasily. “You said they were hexed. You don’t hex someone with light magic.”

His fists balled up at the table. He could feel his claws starting to lengthen. Kendrick’s gaze fell on them before he looked back up. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, and his fear magnified. There was no way he could hide his emotions now. When faced with death, emotions tended to be more honest. Fear. Anger. Deceit. It was all coming in waves from Alpha Kendrick.

“What have you done, Kendrick?” he growled.

His warriors started to close in while Chase’s warriors backed off. Kendrick wouldn’t leave his land until he had told him everything. The Alpha was already trembling so much that he was almost ready to break. How the man had become an Alpha was beyond him, he would spill everything the moment he got his hands on him. He wouldn’t even have to string him up in the dungeon.

And then the sound of another erratic heartbeat joined in the fray.

Layla’s.

Something was wrong.

He rose from his seat without a word to anyone and rushed out of the room. He took the stairs two at a time, scanning the house for any dangers. Had the dinner been a mere distraction? Had someone slipped away to get to his mate?

He didn’t wait to unlock the door, he just shoved it off its hinges when he barrelled into it.

He assessed the room quickly but found the windows and balcony doors were still locked. There was no one else in the room except Layla.

And she was looking at him with horror on her face.

Because his face was still mid-change. His claws were extended, ready to slash through anyone. His suit felt two sizes too small. And he was pretty sure his eyes were still red.

Chapter 62

Jax stepped back and tried to rein his beast in, but his heart was pounding, and his head was still trying to process what he had just done.

And Cain, the bastard, he was raring to go. He had a mate to mark and enemies to rip apart, in no particular order.

“It was you,” Layla whispered.

Behind him, the sound of footsteps pulled his attention away. Dylan and his warriors were running up the stairs. Shit! His door lay on the floor, and he couldn’t stop his shift. Like a newly shifted pup, his beast had taken all the control from him.

He had to stop. If they saw Cain, then he would never be able to lie that Layla didn’t know the truth.

‘I’ll kill them all,’ Cain growled. ‘And then you won’t have to hide her from anyone.’

‘They will take her from us!’

“Hide, Layla,” he growled before Cain turned them around to face the coming deluge.

By the time Dylan appeared on the landing, Cain was already halfway down the hall, ripping off his jacket and shirt as he became half man, half beast. The beast ignored the pain in his side as the half-shift pulled at his bite when his body started to stretch and fill out more. His men sensed the danger and immediately started to run back down. If he’d had control, he would have sworn at them all for being so stupid. It was always better to stand still and submit to Cain than to give him something to hunt.

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