Page 158 of The Alpha King's Fate

“How could it be your fault that you were born a red wolf? How could it be your fault that Hunters exist?” he asked as he pulledher against him and put his arms around her. “Things happened the way they were meant to happen. All we can do now is deal with that together and move on with our lives. You’re still my life, Layla, bond or no bond. I would still die without you.”

He kissed the top of her head and breathed in her scent. The beast within him reared his head, eager to mark her again and end his misery. That happened a lot when he was close to Layla. His body tightened, and Cain was ready to go. He forced the beast down and concentrated on how she felt in his arms. Cain wasn’t thinking of the consequences.

The chances that the Hunters’ drug was still in Layla’s body were very high, and he didn’t know if that would kill Cain, too.

“You told me to tell them what happened, and I did, but they’re all here anyway, waiting to take you home. Let’s go home, Layla,” he whispered.

She pushed out of his arms and looked up at him with wide eyes.

“They know?”

He nodded. Layla wrapped her arms around herself again, and a frown formed on her face.

“They don’t count. They’re all my friends,” she mumbled.

“I heard that!” Dylan shouted from outside.

Layla rolled her eyes and then sighed.

“Let’s go out then. We need to talk about this privately,” she said.

She wanted a chance to give him more reasons why they couldn’t be together, but all he heard was he’d have her all to himself for the first time in days.

“I’ll make reservations—”

“No. Let’s just pack some food or something and go for a drive. I don’t feel like dressing up.”

“I prefer picnics anyway,” he answered with a grin.

He found some Tupperware quickly and opened the fridge. By the time Layla came back out of the bedroom with a light jacket and her mass of red hair tied back, he’d already packed a basket.

He knew the perfect spot to have one.

Layla got into the passenger seat of his truck and they set off. It didn’t take her long to realise where he was headed because she sat up and glared at him.

“Where are you going?”

“Trust me.”

She didn’t argue, but he knew that wouldn’t last long.

Once he drove through the Packhouse gates, Layla’s heart started to beat a little harder. He sensed her uneasiness and her pain. Then why was she doing this to both of them? Why was she choosing to be alone? He took the car as close to the trail as possible and commanded the curious pack to give Layla space.

Walking up the trail took a little longer than before, and Layla became breathless quickly. He had to keep reminding himself to slow down. But once their lookout spot came into view, he smiled down at Layla, putting all other thoughts out of his head. It was time to remind Layla why she had to come back home.

He set the basket down on the smooth rock where he’d made love to Layla several times before. His vision sharpened as his eyes glowed at that reminder. Caine surged forward and took control, drowning him in a pool of all his emotions. The pain tore him into pieces. All Cain wanted was Layla, at whatever cost.

Being alone with her wasn't a good idea after all.

Chapter 70

“Jax?”

He kept his back to her with fists clenched. Cain wasn’t backing down. It felt like the time the beast had completely taken over when he killed Alpha Kendrick on his doorstep to protect Layla.

Now all he wanted was to sink his teeth into her neck and return what was lost.

“I’m sorry I don’t have the endurance I used to have,” Layla said as she came up behind him.

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