Page 1 of The Alpha King's Curse: Part Two

Chapter 1

It had been two weeks since Jackson had locked her in a room and disappeared.

And she knew he had disappeared because Faith, the only person she had seen in those two weeks, had told her so.

It was funny how nothing else seemed to matter just because her worry had taken her over. Her stronger hearing, eyesight, her messed up head... None of it.

It didn’t matter that she was somehow able to sit by her window listening in to all the conversations outside just because she wanted to hear any information about Jackson.

It didn’t matter that she had become so violent that she’d beat Amber up as if it was nothing.

It didn’t matter that she could now see all the way to the gate and the guardhouse when she had seen nothing when she first arrived.

It didn’t matter that she was living among murderers.

It didn’t matter that when she sat by the window at night, she saw the glowing eyes in the woods. She heard the snarls. The growls. And she was becoming just like them just because she was living with them.

It didn’t matter that she could hear the soft footsteps of the wolf coming up the hallways and smell the food on the tray she carried.

Jackson was gone. And her world had ended.

The door was unlocked, and Faith walked in with her dinner. She was early. As always, the young wolf locked the door behind her before carrying the tray to the table, and then she turned without saying a word.

“Is there any news?” she asked. She had hardly spoken lately, so her voice was hoarse.

“I’ve told you not to keep asking me,” Faith said.

Faith was no longer friendly like she had been before. There were no warm smiles or stolen conversations.

“I need to know.”

“If you needed anything from him, all you had to do was ask. I don’t know why you had to destroy our home by being so selfish,” Faith said, walking towards the door. “Breakfast will be late tomorrow, so I brought some sandwiches and fruits in case you get hungry.”

She was still being taken care of even though she was a real prisoner this time. The door closed firmly and then the key was turned. She sighed and looked back out of the window. The sun was almost setting and the full moon was already out. There were more people than usual for the end of the day out on the lawn, and the whispered conversations were about a run.

Was that a thing wolves did? Run together under a full moon?

That was something she would never really know because even if Jackson came back, he wouldn’t talk to her like he did before. Had she hurt him that much? Did he feel like she did? Like there was a hole where his heart used to be?

The lock turned in the door again, surprising her out of her thoughts. She hadn’t heard anyone else come up the stairs after Faith. Could it be... Her heart rose to her mouth as the door opened, and then immediately crashed again when she saw who had walked in.

She turned completely from the window to look at the dark-haired man. His beard had grown and his green eyes looked tired. But he had healed entirely from the beating Jackson had given him. Jackson had snatched her up and dragged her back to the car, and he had driven it with the missing door back to the packhouse. They had left Dylan lying in his blood on the ground in the forest.

Dylan’s eyes were sharp as they met hers, and there was none of the coldness she was used to in them. He stood by the door for a long while without saying anything. She wasn’t surprised that she remained calm—she’d felt dead for weeks. Her heart was steady as she looked him in the eyes.

“Why did you do it?” he asked finally.

She turned back to look out the window without responding. Moments later, Dylan came to stand beside her and looked out into the yard, too.

“You’re going to have to stay away from the windows tonight in case you see something you shouldn’t.”

Something else, he meant. She knew he had been conscious when she had thrown herself between him and the red-eyed beast.

“Why did you do it, Layla?” Dylan asked again.

“Would you rather have died?”

“Jackson was right. I haven’t been good to you, and I did want you dead. You must have known that. So why did you save me?”

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