Page 46 of The Alpha King's Fate

“Perhaps you’ll quickly remedy that for me at the desk? The helpful young man who checked us in doesn’t seem to have the correct details.”

Hugo lifted his gaze briefly, and that hatred he’d seen before was still in his eyes. It was going to be a long fucking trial.

Hugo looked back at the new Finn and nodded before their eager Third rushed past them to head to the front desk.

“It doesn’t matter how you try to fight this. You lost the moment you killed Alpha Finn,” Hugo said.

“We’ll see.”

He turned away from them to walk back to his desk, where the incubus was furiously putting together more paperwork.

“Forgive my error, Your Majesty,” the man said, still with that same fucking smile.

He looked back at Layla. There was a frown on her face, and unease or suspicion rippled through their bond. He didn’t have to worry that his mate would find herself in a demon's bed before the end of the night. Their bond worked right on that part, at least.

“If you require anything else, please call the front desk anytime,” he continued.

And then the demon smiled at Layla. Layla moved back slightly as if she was disgusted. He didn’t know if she’d done it subconsciously, but the slight frown on the man’s face at the apparent rejection made him smile.

“I’m sure we won’t need you. But thank you.”

What had these freaks had in store for his mate?

He took the extra paperwork and looked back at the Circle members who were still in the same spot before he took Layla’s hand and led her towards the hallway.

The guard was almost as big as he was, but he couldn’t read what he was. He didn’t move out of the way until Lincoln sighed and told him to let them through.

‘Shouldn’t we have gone somewhere else if we had that option?’ Layla asked quickly.

‘The Circle is everywhere, Layla. It doesn’t matter where we sleep; they can snatch us from our beds if they want to. We can’t fight them. We just have to make them believe they need us alive.’

Layla’s eyes widened, her fingers squeezing his. He didn’t want to scare her before the trial, but she had to understand why he said they were worse than Hunters. The Circle had access to the darkest magic, the vilest creatures and the most dangerous spells. It was a bad combination.

But the fact that they wanted his bloodline was the only reason they were alive. By the end of the trial, the Circle leash would probably be firmly back around his neck as punishment for all his sins, and Layla would be the icing on their depraved, rotten cake. They would make whatever deal kept them alive.

He followed the boy down a long, curved hallway. The glass walls allowed them unhindered views of the hotel's expansive grounds. It was out of the way of the noisy city with manicuredlawns and woods around it, as well as a host of amenities for the guests to enjoy. Only super-wealthy humans frequented this little slice of heaven, and it probably had a mile-long waiting list. It said a lot about the Circle that they’d been able to commandeer it for the trial.

The bellboy unlocked a door near the end of the hallway and stepped aside for them to enter. He could sense the almost indiscernible waves from the cameras as they walked into the spacious, open-plan suite.

“You’re free to walk or run in the gardens, but please be aware of the boundaries. All the information is in the pamphlet on the coffee table,” the boy said as he put his bag on the glossy floor.

With that, he nodded and turned to walk away.

‘There are cameras in here. Don’t say anything.’ he warned Layla as the boy closed the door behind him.

‘I don’t understand what’s going on. Are we being tried separately?’ Layla asked.

‘It seems so. But they have to allow us a chance to defend ourselves. They need us, Layla, for whatever reason. If they separate us, remember that.’

He released her hand and walked over to the glass wall that ran the whole length of the room. He doubted it was one-way glass. The Circle wasn't even trying to hide that they were watching everything.

‘I think you need to tell me everything, Jax. I can’t be in the dark about this.’

‘You’re right. I should have prepared you better.’

And he would have if he hadn’t spent the night trying to calm his wolf.

He looked back out of the window and focused his senses. His improved eyesight allowed him to see the slight movement in the woods across the vast lawn. His ear picked up the light footsteps. Probably the Circle's sanctioned assassins. If things didn't workout the way he hoped, there would be a lot of bloodshed before the trial was over, and it would be almost impossible to escape.

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