Page 96 of The Alpha King's Curse: Part Two

“I, Jackson King, Alpha of the Midnight Pack,” Jackson started slowly.

He stopped again.

What the hell was he doing? She cocked her head and tried to read him, but he was still a stone wall.

“I, Jackson King, Alpha of the Midnight Pack, the Alpha King...”

And then he stopped again.

His heartbeat quickened. His fists clenched at his side. His eyes flashed red several times before he growled and turned away from her.

“Goodbye, Layla,” he said before he closed the door.

What the hell was that? Why had he brought up his rank and title? Those had nothing to do with her.

She went to a window next to the door and watched him get into his car. And then he started it and sped off the driveway as if hurrying to get somewhere. Maybe someone had told him there was another emergency.

She turned away before she saw the car disappear for good. She was already struggling to keep her emotions bottled up; she didn’t want him to sense how much he had broken her. This was her life now. Alone.

It took him three hours to get back. His car was the only one she’d heard in all that time. Instead of coming in to carry the groceries and packages he had bought, he put everything just inside the front door and then returned to his car.

That was how little Jackson thought of their time together. He couldn’t even pretend to be a decent person to help her carry everything into the house.

She was better off without him.

If she told herself that often enough, it would stop hurting her so much.

She wasn’t planning on staying long but put the groceries away so they wouldn’t spoil. If Jackson was going to send other people to the house, they would need to eat. But she would be long gone before they got there.

She walked over to her bag and looked inside it for her phone. Britney had described the place she was staying in several times, but she hadn't given her the address. It didn’t matter, though, because Brit was still attending school, and she knew where that was.

Once she figured out where she was, she would find her.

The house was off the grid, so she didn’t bother looking for the internet router. But when she unlocked her phone, she realised the situation was worse than that. She had no reception whatsoever. She wouldn't be able to find out her location.

She sighed and put the phone aside. It looked like she would have to do things the old-fashioned way. She would rest a little while and then walk until she reached the next house or shop. Or at least to a road where she could hitch a ride. She was done being a prisoner.

Her phone beeped, and she sighed again. She would rest and charge her phone. And then she would go.

She looked through the bag for her charger while she made her plans. Once she got Brit out of school, she would use the money Jackson had been depositing every month to get as far away as possible before looking for something as isolated as her new prison to hide in. Jackson was confident no one would find her, so at least she knew what to look for in their hideout.

She tipped the contents of her bag on the counter and looked through all the side pockets before repacking it.

She realised something when she had put everything back in her bag. She’d left her charger. It was still plugged in beside Jackson’s bed.

She’d been so eager to leave that she hadn’t thought of it.

But it didn’t matter. She could buy another one once she got away.

Two hours later, after a power nap and food, she set out with her rucksack on her back. The woods around her didn’t seem as dangerous as the forest around Jackson’s house, but she knew there could still be dangerous animals lurking in them. She’d packed a couple of knives, some water and extra food.

This wouldn’t be her first hike. She used to walk for hours just for fun when she had the chance; she could do it to save her life.

But three hours later, there were no signs of life or a proper road. Her water was finished, and she’d just had her last sandwich. She had never been sunburnt in her life, but for some reason, her arms and face were on fire. She hadn’t even seen any streams or watering holes to cool herself down.

Two hours later, she admitted defeat. At least for that day. But she was five hours away from the house and didn’t remember where it was.

There was a sound in the distance that made her perk her ears. A car! She saw it in the distance and waved her arms, screaming for help.

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