Page 119 of The Alpha King's Curse: Part Two

“I’ll also tell Micah to interrogate Zach’s people. The fuckers think they can just go back home with no consequences,” Dylan growled.

“Oh, there’ll be consequences. But yes, Micah should find out if they know anything about the witch or Amber’s whereabouts,” Jackson said.

Dylan bowed his head at him and was about to walk out when he stopped and looked at her again. And then he bowed at her the same way.

When she sensed him walk out of the house, she looked back at Jackson and found him watching her. Like the first time she had almost blurted out how she felt, something pulled her towards him, and it was a lot stronger than any other time since she had met him. She knew it was because she had almost lost him. She couldn’t lie to herself anymore that she could have any sort of life without him.

“Our first night together as a family,” Jackson said.”Let’s make the most of it before something else comes around to fuck things up.”

The way he said it made it seem like he was sure something would happen. But she wanted time with him and Hope, too. Just in case she ended up out in the cold, whether she liked it or not.

Jackson took the sleeping baby from her arms and set her down in the little cot set up on her side of the bed. When he got back into bed, he pulled her into his arms and buried his face in the crook of her neck again. Her body shivered in reaction.

“Get some rest, Layla. Let me just hold you.”

She put her head against his and sighed in contentment. Everything outside the room was messed up, but inside was perfect. She felt the other part of her relax, and the last effects of their traumatic separation from Jackson started to melt away.

“Thank you, Layla. I never knew how much I wanted this until I met you. I think this is the perfect ending.”

Ending?

Her heart shattered again.

Chapter 59

He shouldn’t have opened his mouth.

Though Layla hadn’t pushed him away, he’d sensed her mood change. The last thing he wanted to do now was tell her he would die. He just wanted to hold her and Hope until the day he did. Dylan was devastated by the news. Layla would be worse. He couldn't do that to her.

Eventually, she fell asleep, but he’d stayed up to look at her and Hope. How could Fate be so cruel as to give him something so perfect and snatch it away?

Hope started to whimper, but Layla didn’t stir. It had to have been a difficult few days for her to go through labour while thinking he was dead. He’d only thought the worst for a short time, so he had no idea how she’d handled that for so long.

He slowly untangled himself from Layla and got to Hope before she started crying. She was due a feed but he knew he had to check her nappy first. Max had taught him that when the kids had taken over his room after the attack. He remembered feeling depressed because he didn’t think he would get to hold his child before he died.

But there she was. The little lady who would be the best part of him. Unless her mother’s genes were more dominant. He looked down at the little face and the head full of red hair and couldn’t deny it was possible. Layla didn’t even know her strength yet. She’d somehow healed their precious little girl and didn’t even know it. The doctor had told him Hope should still have been in the incubator, getting help to breathe. But her lungs were working just fine now.

Her little face scrunched up, and she opened her mouth to start crying as if to prove his point.

“It’s okay, Princess,” he cooed as he finished changing her and picked her up. “Daddy’s here.”

Max’s baby sister had been small, but Hope was much smaller. He felt like a giant holding her and worried that maybe he was holding her too tight or would break her. But he didn’t want to miss a moment of this.

When he turned around, Layla was awake and already leaning against the headboard, waiting for the baby.

And that was when he realised she had masked herself again.

She was hiding from him.

He met her gaze as he handed her the baby, but Layla lowered her eyes and immediately started fussing over the baby. He bit his lip to stop himself from dying anything and turned around to pour her a drink instead.

"I'm starving," he said quietly as he set the drink on the nightstand. "I'll go and get us something to eat."

"I'm okay. I'll wait for breakfast," Layla said.

"You're breastfeeding and skipped a meal. I know you're—"

"What are we doing, Jax?" she interrupted.

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