Page 29 of The Alpha King's Fate

“I said it’s nothing. I can fix it myself; I’m sure you have more important things to do,” Layla said, pushing away from the door as she headed to their bedroom.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her back, crushing her against his chest.

“You’re pissed off because I have other responsibilities? I’m the Alpha!” he hissed.

“Then go and do your Alpha things. I’ll handle my sister.”

“Stop trying to pick a fight just to avoid talking about this. What did Britney do? Why is she so scared when she was hurling abuse at you yesterday?”

Layla loosened his fingers and stepped away from him.

"I said I'll handle it, Jax."

And the mask came back on. Did Layla even know what that did to him?

"I'm your mate, Layla," he said gruffly. "Why are you hiding things from me?"

Her eyes flashed before she said, "That's funny coming from you. You don't tell me anything—"

"Because I have to take care of all the packs, not just mine. I can't possibly tell you every little thing that happens, Layla. I have to protect everyone."

"And I have to protect my sister," Layla growled before she turned and walked away.

He looked at Britney’s door and the key that Layla left in it. If Layla wasn’t going to talk, Britney would. He unlocked the door and barged into the room, even as Layla shouted for him to stop.

Britney was on the bed, hugging her pillow, and her fear magnified when their gazes locked across the room. The young girl scrambled back on the bed until she hit the headboard.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Layla shouted as she stood between him and her sister.

“What did you do, Britney?” he asked.

Britney looked away, her whole body shaking.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“You’re scaring her,” Layla growled.

“Then tell me what the fuck is going on, or Britney will,” he growled back.

Layla sucked in a breath and stepped back from him. She dropped her mask, and her eyes flashed.

“Are you threatening my sister?” she asked calmly.

But there was nothing calm about the emotions he felt from her. He was fucking up. He knew that, yet he couldn’t help pushing a little more.

“I don’t need to threaten her. She’ll answer me because she knows she has to.”

Layla’s anger felt like a punch in his face, knocking a little sense back into him. The last thing he would ever do was hurt anyone Layla cared about because that would hurt Layla. It wasn’t in him to intentionally hurt his mate. But looking into her eyes now, it was clear that Layla still didn’t understand that.

“Leave,” Layla said.

“I didn’t mean—”

“Leave the room, Jackson.”

He looked at the terrified girl on the bed and felt like the biggest asshole in the world. What the hell was he thinking?

When he looked back at his mate, there was white-hot fury in her eyes. There was nothing he could do to lessen that anger when her sister was getting more terrified the longer he stood there. They would have to talk once she calmed down.

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