Page 43 of The Alpha King's Fate

“Let’s worry about where we’re going. We need to stay focused,” Jackson cut in.

“How can I focus on anything else? I can feel how angry you are with me.”

Jackson chuckled but there was no humour in his tone.

“I deserve it,” she added. “I’m a terrible person.”

Was this how it all started? Exploding and taking things too far, then apologising only to do the same thing again the next time? She didn’t even know what came over her. Her wolf had been a little unhinged when she could hear her in her head,but now everything inside her felt unstable. How could she even promise she wouldn’t do it again when she wasn’t sure?

"What you did changes nothing."

"But it should, Jax. It should."

The muscle in his jaw ticked but he seemed to be pushing down his emotions—smothering them so she only felt a little of it. It was enough, though. She knew she had already damaged their relationship.

"What do you want me to tell you? That something's messed up between us? That something like that shouldn't have even crossed your mind?" Jackson growled. "It changes nothing, Layla. Your life is linked to mine, and mine to yours forever."

And for the first time, she felt like Jackson regretted meeting her. The weight of their bond settled on her shoulders like a tonne of bricks.

“Get some sleep. We have a few hours of driving to do. We would have gone on the plane but it’s better to leave all the available avenues of escape for the pack in case they have to evacuate,” Jax said.

She bit her lip and looked outside her window. Minutes of silence stretched into half an hour and then an hour, and still, she couldn't shift the weight off her shoulders or stop her heart from hurting.

She must have fallen asleep because the car had stopped at a rest stop when she opened her eyes. Everything looked unfamiliar, and even the air smelt different from Wolfdale's. Her lifelong dream had been to explore the world once Britney was in college, but her first trip that far from home was on her way to her death.

"We'll get something to eat and stretch our legs for a bit," Jax said, opening his door.

"Wait."

Jax looked back at her with an impatient look on his face.

"What if we just keep driving? Just go and not look back?" she whispered.

Those beautiful ice-blue eyes flashed briefly before they turned cold.

"I'm not abandoning my child," he growled, shoving the door open and getting out. His anger showed in the force he used to slam the door shut.

She closed her eyes to try to stem her tears. If they were the problem and bringing the enemy to their child's door, wasn't it better if they removed themselves from the equation? It wasn't a decision she would make lightly. Couldn't Jackson see that?

Jax only walked a few metres from the car before he turned back and got back into the driver's seat.

'It's not safe here,' he said in her head as he pulled out of the parking space. 'Don't look back.'

Her whole body tensed, and she gripped her seat as she tried to sense whatever danger he saw. Jax drove within the speed limit towards town, looking in the mirror occasionally. She sensed nothing. Maybe her head was too messed up, thinking about the Circle and what she did, but she didn't feel the darkness that usually filled the air when Hunters were around.

Jax drove at an average speed through the picturesque town until he made a U-turn and then sped back, taking some turns with a skill that showed he had done something like that many times before. And then, once again, he took her to a busy car park and wiped the inside of the car thoroughly before they swapped cars. Did they leave getaway cars in every city?

Back on the highway, Jax was more relaxed but still drove at high speeds without speaking to her again. At some point, he drove through a fast food restaurant and ordered them something to eat before continuing the journey.

She kept her thoughts to herself and dozed off again. A prickling against her skin woke her up. She shot up in herseat and looked around, only to realise they must have passed through a protective barrier. It was dark, and Jackson was pulling into the car park of a lowrise, sprawling modern building with glass windows, well-lit on the outside.

“Are we here?” she whispered.

“Yes. This isn’t their headquarters. They don’t disclose where that is for security reasons, but they usually take over a hotel and secure it for such gatherings.”

“Like the Hunters do when they bring a hunting party to town and say it’s a conference?”

“Exactly like Hunters,” Jax answered wryly.

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