Page 82 of The Alpha King's Curse: Part Two

He'd be going to war in a few days, and then he would say goodbye to her. This was the only time they had left.

"Can you be gentle, Layla?" he whispered. "Can you take me without making a sound?"

Chapter 41

Layla had just helped him out of his boxers when Cain started to unfurl and wake up.

Every part of him started to rejuvenate along with him as his beast’s strength coursed through his veins. It felt like a shot of adrenaline going straight through his already overactive heart.

Layla was naked in front of him for the first time in a long time, and he felt like a kid at Christmas. His gaze wandered greedily over every inch of her until it stopped at her stomach. He’d seen her bump through her clothes, but seeing her naked brought a sense of pride that he couldn’t hide. She was carrying the future of his pack within her. She was carrying a part of him.

Their paths had been destined to cross for a reason because he couldn’t imagine anyone else better suited for that role. He could admit that now, despite their rocky start. In only a few months, Layla had shown him what real strength looked like. She’d been scared shitless but still jumped in front of him and Dylan to protect them. She’d gone out twice to fight a war she could have just hidden from. She’d stood up for herself when he’d been a dick to her. She’d known who and what he was but had still challenged him.

And she had brought a beast to his knees simply because she was strong enough to walk away from him.

She had no wolf yet, and yet she had humbled him, the Alpha King. No one else in the world would have been able to do that, bond or no bond.

For the first time since he met her, he wouldn’t hold anything back because he wanted to feel everything. He wanted to give her everything except his mark. Because when the pain of the broken bond eased, and he was dead and buried, he wanted her to have good memories of him, too.

Layla looked at the open window on the other side of the room with the sounds of the pack still drifting in.

“Leave it.”

He wanted to watch her try to contain herself until she couldn’t. Because he knew she wouldn’t. His little screamer felt too much.

And maybe that was what he wanted. He could claim her a different way without giving her his mark. The pack would know who she belonged to.

“Are you sure?” Layla asked, looking at his leg. It was propped up on pillows and still sore, but Cain was on it now.

His beast practically vibrated inside him like someone had just given him a bowl of sugar. Cain’s eagerness to finally have Layla again matched his; it made him lightheaded as his heart almost beat out of his chest.

Instead of answering, he lay back and put his hands behind his head. Layla’s eyes were still glowing when they settled on his dick.

“Take me, Layla.”

His mate didn’t hesitate again. She came to the side with his uninjured leg and knelt beside him on the bed. Her gaze roamed every inch of him, making the fire inside him burn brighter. She looked at him like he was a feast, and that almost set him off because he’d been ready to explode for months. Mates were not meant to go that long without touching each other.

Layla’s cheeks were flushed, and her mouth parted. She slowly brought her trembling hand to his chest and trailed her fingers over his abs. Her touch was soft but it made every nerve in his body react. Her scent wrapped around him and his mouth watered. Goddess. She was going to kill him before they even did anything.

His heart was beating so hard and loud, but so was hers. Somehow their hearts were beating in sync as if it was another sign from Fate that their bond was already cemented without the mark. It would hurt like hell to break it.

He met her gaze and felt the pull, more potent than it had ever been.

“Let me kiss you,” he growled.

His voice was strained as his beast surged forward. He knew Cain was done waiting.

Layla leaned forward and put her lips on his. His heart skipped several beats, and his dick twitched in anticipation. But it wasn’t that kiss he wanted. He devoured her mouth only for a few seconds because that was how much he could handle, and then he gently pushed her away.

Layla knew exactly what he wanted when he grabbed her thigh and pulled it across his chest so she was straddling his chest.

“Let me kiss you,” he repeated.

Layla’s breath hitched. Her heart skipped a beat, too. But she moved forward and allowed him to position her how he wanted while she steadied herself with her hands on the headboard.

The first taste had him howling along with Cain in his head.

She was like the sweetest wine. Like the purest drug. He groaned and tightened his grip on her round cheeks as all the emotions hit him at once.

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