Page 92 of The Alpha King's Curse: Part One

Layla finished stretching and then jogged over to join him. He had to look away to stop his mind from going straight to the gutter.

“Where are we running?” Layla asked.

“There’s a trail in the woods that is fairly even,” he started, pointing through the trees where he had caught her during the storm.

Layla stepped back with a frown.

“Would we be safe?” she asked, a little of her apprehension returning.

“Yes. I run through there all the time. The wolves don’t go down that trail,” he lied. “And I won’t leave your side.”

Layla looked towards the trees and then gave him a little nod. Diedre’s potion had taken the edge off her fear, but he could still sense it within her. He’d seen the potion work before—Layla would be as good as new in another day or so.

He turned and started jogging towards the trees slower than he would have if he had been on a run with his pack or by himself. When Layla easily kept the pace, he increased his speed. The trail through the woods was wide enough to allow the wolves to run together during the full moon runs, even enough that Layla didn’t trip on anything. Though a bit of light made its way through the trees on this side of the woods, it was still dark. Maybe a little too dark for human eyes. He hadn’t thought of that.

But Layla didn’t complain. He wasn’t sure she’d even noticed. She jogged next to him with sure steps and increased the speed herself.

She’d shown him how fast she could run the night in the storm. Maybe her wolf blood also gave her better vision.

Unless this was a side effect of their bond.

He frowned as he watched the smile on her face as she ran faster and faster. If their bond was responsible for that, would it settle down after he died? He hoped so. The extra abilities would get her noticed by Hunters or the Circle quicker than anything once she was back among the humans.

An hour later, Layla didn’t seem like she would stop anytime soon.

“Let's take a break,” he called out. “We need to hydrate.”

Layla turned back to look at him and had the most amazing smile he’d ever seen. She looked like a carefree young girl without the weight of the world on her shoulders.

“Are you already tired old man?” she laughed.

And she didn’t stop. She increased her speed again, and the beast within him reared his ugly head. The chase. It was always about the hunt with Cain. But he couldn't have her this time. He couldn’t pin her down somewhere and fuck her until she passed out. Layla wasn't okay; that would be taking advantage of a vulnerable person.

There was already a tent in front of his running shorts, but he couldn’t look away from her perfect form. The way her ass moved as she ran. The way her feet hit the ground and pushed her forward. Her graceful steps as she effortlessly navigated the few obstacles in their way.

How did anyone get to be so fucking perfect and still be human?

He was so lost in watching her that he didn’t sense the danger until they were already in it. A strange scent filled his nose and took his attention away from Layla.

A wolf. Someone outside his pack.

“Stop!” he called out to Layla.

She must have sensed the urgency in his voice because she did so without arguing and turned to face him.

“Okay, I’ll hydrate,” she said with irritation as she pulled out her water bottle.

The wolf came even closer. He didn’t sense any malice in it, and if the wolf had made it past the magic wards, then he was sure it didn’t want to hurt them. But the last thing he wanted was for Layla to see it.

It was only metres away when he took Layla’s hand and started jogging back.

“Can’t we stay out a little longer?” Layla asked.

“No.”

The wolf was following them. What the hell did it want?

He started to run faster, still pulling Layla along. It was only when she dropped the water bottle she’d still held in her other hand that she forced him to stop.

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