Page 34 of The Alpha King's Fate

Erik nodded and walked back into the packhouse. The kids that were hiding behind the trees slowly stepped out. The boy who’d opened the gate was one of them, and he seemed to be the oldest of the little group. That was probably why it was his job to open the gate. And unlike the younger children, he wasn’t quaking with fear. He would probably make a good warrior one day, but it wasn’t his time yet.

If his father had still been king, he would have disagreed. King Richard trained warriors from when they could walk.

The boy bowed before he led the other kids into the packhouse.

“When’s the last time anyone checked on this pack?”

“Before you found Layla. I believe it was Micah...”

Dylan let his sentence hang, but it had already caused some emotional damage.

“I’m going to look around to see if I can find anything.” He was already pulling his t-shirt off and kicking off his shoes

“We should stay together. Something isn’t right,” Dylan said. “I’ll come with you.”

Something hadn’t been right for a while. But he was the king; he couldn’t hide from it.

Dylan’s phone vibrated as he started to take his clothes off.

“It’s Ryker,” he said with a frown.

He already knew that it wouldn’t be good news before Ryker spoke.

“My search team is missing,” Ryker said. “They didn’t check in when they were supposed to. We can’t find them; their trail has gone cold.”

Chapter 16

Layla watched Hope run through the garden, laughing as she chased butterflies.

She didn’t remember anything at that age but must have done the same with her mother. Rebecca had been involved in every aspect of their lives.

She had been a good mum until she’d gone.

What would Hope remember of her?

How long would she have with her daughter before the Hunters forced her to abandon her?

Pain lanced through her before she could block it out.

“Mummy!” Hope’s delighted squeal pulled her focus back. The little girl ran over, hiding something in her palms and a little smirk that looked so much like Jackosn’s on her lips.

“Open,” the toddler ordered.

“It’s not a spider again, is it?” she asked hesitantly.

Hope shook her head and giggled.

“Open,” the girl demanded again.

She took a breath while she held the green gaze that was the same as hers and then gently pried Hope’s fingers open. A worm wriggled in her palm, attempting to escape to safety.

She sat back and made a face. She’d never been a girly girl but digging up bugs was something she’d never done. Hope laughed as if she’d got the reaction she hoped for, then ran back to where she picked the worm up. The little girl cooed at it as she gently put it back and said goodbye. Hope was always gentle with the creatures she found, and that wasn’t something she had to teach her.

At sixteen months, the toddler showed more empathy than her father.

How could he leave like that, knowing there was this issue to deal with? Couldn’t he have spared even a minute for her? She’d spent the whole morning feeling like crap because of their disconnect.

“Are you two fighting?”

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