Page 59 of The Alpha King's Curse: Part Two

“Don’t you have the training to do or something?”

“No. No one comes here anymore,” Dylan answered. “I’m going to hang out with Diedre.”

Dylan looked back at Layla and gave her another pointed look before he walked out of the bedroom.

“Was he stressing you?”

Layla snorted as she threw the book aside and crossed her arms.

“I want to go outside,” she said without answering.

“I told you—”

“But there’s no one here.”

“I’ll carry you to the balcon—”

“Fuck’s sake,” Layla muttered before she lay down and faced the other way.

He wasn’t being unreasonable. Layla had no idea there was magic in their world. Even if no one was around outside, she wouldn’t be one hundred per cent safe. She wasn’t safe even in his bedroom, but the odds of survival were greater behind these four walls.

He shuffled closer to the longest sofa, his exhaustion finally winning. Layla would only go outside when he’d eliminated all the threats. And to do that, he had to sleep.

“We’ll talk about it later. I need to rest a little while before we start today’s lessons.”

Layla turned over. A frown marred her beautiful face, but he looked away before she could pull him in. It hurt too much to look at her. How it hurt.

For over a month, his guilt, lust and the urge to mark her had all balled up in a bitter pill wrapped up in her intoxicating scent that he had to swallow several times a day. Being near her was pleasure and pain combined. His guilt over almost losing the baby kept him from doing anything stupid, but that was wearing thin. If she looked at him like she had done in the hotel, he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back.

“Why do you need to rest? It’s barely lunchtime?” Layla asked. He heard the bed move as if she had sat up.

“I lost track of time.”

“You’re lying to me.”

Could she tell? Had her senses advanced that much?

“I do keep things from you, Layla,” he sighed as he lowered himself onto the sofa.

His body hurt like an old man, and his muscles were stiff. He stretched out but his feet still dangled over the side. The joys of being taller than everyone. He’d been sleeping on the sofa for weeks, so he was sure some of that pain resulted from resting uncomfortably. One of Diedre’s potions would have gone down well, but he didn’t want Diedre to ask him too many questions.

“But you still expect me to lie here and pretend everything is okay and I’m safe?” Layla asked.

“You are safe.”

He sensed her annoyance before he heard the bed move again.

But annoyance was better than feeling her fear every day. That couldn’t be good for the baby, either.

“When I wake up, we’ll take up your training a notch. I think you’re ready.”

“For what?”

“You’ll see.”

“Then why the hell did you tell me about it if you’re not going to say what it is?” Layla snapped. “I swear, you’re the most infuriating man I have ever known, and I lived with Gerald Carlisle.”

Her annoyance turned up a notch.

---