Page 127 of The Alpha King's Curse: Part One

He growled again, and Dylan stepped back. It was just for show, but he wasn’t sure if Dylan could sense how weak he was.

“I’ll... I’ll check how you are later,” Dylan said gruffly before he walked back out of the room.

Maybe he was the asshole destroying their friendship, but he couldn’t take any chances with Layla’s life.

Micah stepped forward with his head lowered.

“It’s good to see you awake, Alpha,” he said.

“How long was I out?”

“A week.”

Holy shit.

Chapter 67

Jax could feel Micah’s worry as he lowered him into the large bathtub.

‘I’m healing. I’ll be fine,’ he said through the mind link.

His head warrior nodded and then stepped back before looking at Layla standing quietly next to the sinks at the other end of his bathroom.

Their bathroom. They had been in physical contact for a week, their bond strengthening even in their sleep. She was his; he couldn’t deny that anymore.

“I’ll help him out when he’s ready,” Micah told Layla.

“Thank you.”

Layla sounded uncertain. She watched Micah leave the room and didn’t move even when he closed the door behind him. It was only when he heard the bedroom door being closed that Layla came forward. It was as if she had heard the door being closed, too.

Speed. Check. Better eyesight. Check. Sensitive hearing. Double-check.

“Can I trust any of them?” she whispered as she put some toiletries on the side and sat on the edge of the tub.

There was no point lying to her about that now. She had to learn how to protect herself.

“I’m not sure yet,” he answered as he put his head against the back of the tub. He didn’t have any more strength left to hold himself upright. “Trust no one; your life may very well depend on that.”

Layla paled, and her heart started to beat harder. That was something he needed to teach her how to control, too. Her emotions would give her away every single time.

She looked down at his side. There was only enough water in the tub for him to sit in so the dressing wouldn’t get wet.

“You were getting worse, and Dylan asked me to get Diedre,” she whispered again. “She forced me to stay downstairs, but when I eventually found my way up, you were in so much pain, and your blood was everywhere. I don’t know what they were doing to you. I told them to leave before I passed out.”

Diedre must have had to bring out the big guns, but he already knew it was Layla’s proximity that had saved him. He only hoped Dylan hadn’t put two and two together.

“Before you came, Dylan was my best friend, and Diedre is... well, I still trust her, but I don’t know what’s happening with her. They probably weren’t trying to hurt me, but we still can’t take any chances with you until I know for sure.”

“Is that why Dylan left?” she asked quietly.

So she’d heard that, too.

How would he protect her from learning too much of his world if she could hear everything?

“Don’t concern yourself, Layla. Dylan will do what I tell him,” he sighed.

Layla didn’t seem pleased with being brushed off, but she nodded and set about lathering a sponge to wash him.

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