Page 76 of The Alpha King's Curse: Part Two

He took a deep breath and took in all the scents around him. Jasmine and Diedre hadn’t been in his room in the last twenty-four hours. And Layla? Had she stayed in the house this time, or had she risked her life and their child’s?

He lifted his head to look into the emerald eyes. Layla blinked and looked away.

Fate had taken his strength and broken his leg for a reason. He was ready to murder someone.

‘Dylan!’

‘I’m sorry, Alpha.’

Dylan answered quickly as if he had been waiting for him. His Beta knew what he’d done wrong. He felt Dylan’s guilt through their bond.

‘Get up here,’ he growled.

‘I’m still helping Alpha Brax figure out what happened. We’ve helped them gather their dead, and they camped in the forest. I can’t let them in, just in case.’

Right. Alpha Brax.

He put his anger to the back of his mind as he remembered the look in Brax’s eyes and the welts across his back. If the witch managed to do that to such a strong Alpha, could she do the same to him?

He felt more useless than ever.

‘When we’ve all rested, I’ll come and see him.’

Once Cain recovered, he would heal a lot faster. Judging by the pain in his leg as his flesh and bones knit back together, it wouldn’t take too long for him to be able to put weight on his feet.

‘Yes, Alpha,’ Dylan said, and then he cut the link.

Dylan had bought himself a little time, but he wouldn't let this one slide.

He turned his attention back to Layla. Her eyes widened like a deer caught in headlights, and her mouth opened and closed.

“What did you do?”

"I'll go and get us something to eat. You need to get your strength back quickly," Layla said as she moved out of his arms again.

She couldn't hide her guilt as she left the room without looking back at him.

He wanted to be angry with her but he couldn’t. Their bond would have pushed her to disregard her life to try to help him. Her wolf would have taken her over and put her in a dangerous situation.

There was only one thing he could do to sever that bond, something he probably should have done before he had got her pregnant. And though it hurt to think about, it was perhaps the only thing that would make her hurt less in the long run.

He had to reject his mate.

Chapter 39

Layla walked slowly down the stairs, keeping her ears open to hear what was happening.

She still felt something pulling her back to Jackson but forced herself to continue. Admitting what she had done would need a little fortification first.

The house was quieter than she had expected. Instead of wails like last time, there were only soft, whispered words. Instead of the pain and grief, there was a sense of calm and peace.

That meant no one had died. She hadn’t caused any more deaths.

Hope flared up inside her but she squashed it down. She didn’t want to tempt fate. Maybe they hadn’t been on the brink of death as she had suspected. Even Jackson had woken up after a day and not weeks like the last time.

Still, relief and hope mixed inside her as she stopped at the last step.

There was a lot of activity outside. She’d heard them setting up the tents again, but their mood was more relaxed this time.

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