Page 18 of The Alpha King's Curse: Part Two

Layla came out of the woods and stood beside him, but she had put her hood back on. Her eyes were lowered, so he couldn’t tell if she was trying to do what he had advised.

‘Micah,’ he mindlinked.

His head warrior appeared moments later.

“Take her back to the basement,” he instructed before he walked away without looking back at her.

“Jackson?” she said softly.

He ignored her. Did she think he would sit down and hold her hand over what had happened in the forest? He wouldn’t prioritise her anymore; he had more important things to figure out. He had to find out if what he was assuming was true. Was the red wolf capable of healing? And if so, how had Layla done it? Not one person remembered seeing anyone besides the doctors and Diedre, and he hadn’t caught her scent in any of the rooms. Could she mask herself whenever she wanted?

He let Micah lead her into the house first and followed only when he heard the basement door opening. He went straight to the conference room and grabbed a bottle from the drinks cabinet and a shot glass before sitting down. It still wasn’t far enough from Layla. He could still sense her as if she was next to him, and his body still ached to be with her.

The first shot was still burning down his throat when the door opened, and Dylan walked in. He was the last person he wanted to see, but also the only one who could help him because he had done the research.

“Can we talk now?” Dylan asked.

When he didn’t reply, Dylan walked in anyway and grabbed a glass before sitting opposite him. He poured himself a shot and drank it before he opened his mouth again.

“I fucked up,” Dylan started. “If you had told me who she is—”

“And who is she?” he cut in.

After almost killing Dylan in the woods, he wasn’t surprised that his Beta was starting to put things together.

Dylan poured shots for both of them and didn’t answer his question. Everything had already fallen apart anyway. It didn’t matter anymore.

“Did you let her out when you were attacked?” he asked.

“I gave her the key in case I didn’t make it back alive,” Dylan sighed.

“And you thought she would stay in her room?” he snorted.

So he had been right. Layla had gone out and somehow helped those children.

“She knows what we are. She wouldn’t have gone out in the middle of all of that,” Dylan said dismissively.

“Really? The woman who threw herself on top of you to save you from me wouldn’t have run into a battlefield like a lunatic?” he snorted again.

Goddess. The mess Fate had made for him. Who the hell did that? Though she was getting stronger, she still believed she was human. She should have stayed inside.

“Are you saying she’s the one who killed those wolves who got too close to the packhouse?” Dylan asked, sitting up in his chair. “How is that even possible?”

He looked at his Beta and debated how much he could tell him. The trust was gone between them, and he didn’t think they would ever get that back.

Something must have occurred to Dylan because his eyes widened.

“Is she... Was she the one who fought with Amber?” he asked quietly.

When he didn’t answer, Dylan poured himself another shot and knocked it back.

“I’m sorry, Jax. I should have known... You’ve changed a lot lately that it was easy to believe,” Dylan said as he rubbed his hands over his tired-looking face. “I’m so fucking sorry.”

He didn’t accept the apology. He couldn’t.

“Does that mean she’s already started having problems with... her nature?” Dylan asked quietly.

He didn’t hide the worry or the hint of fear. Nobody liked dealing with half-bloods when their wolf blood made them unpredictable.

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