Page 44 of Elf Shot

Layla hurried out of the apartment and got far away from all the feelings she didn't know what to do with.

18

Layla spent the first day back in Oslo curled up in the bed in Freya's guest room. She vaguely registered Ciara coming in to wake her to say goodbye and tell her that she was going back to Sweden to finish her hunt. Layla had hugged her, waited until she had left, and pulled the covers back over her head.

Layla hadn't bothered to turn her phone back on. She wasn't ready to deal with Kenna, her sisters, and Lachie, who would undoubtedly give her shit for not sharing any of her plans with them.

Layla was getting out of her afternoon shower on the second day when she heard voices in the apartment. Three distinct male voices.

Well, you couldn't hide forever, she thought glumly.

Layla pulled on clean sweats and her favorite Legolas shirt. She looked puffy and sad, but a good face moisturizer could only do so much.

Kian, Killian, and Bayn were all in the kitchen. Bayn was fussing about, cleaning up her empty takeout bags and brewing coffee. Killian took one look at her and was beside her in a second, gathering her up into a tight hug.

"Never, ever, ever, make me worry like that again," he said, squeezing the life out of her. "And if you assholes ever let her do something so crazy without telling me, I will kick your asses so goddamn hard…" His rant broke off when Layla sobbed into his chest. She loved Kill and his dramatics so much.

"I'm sorry I kept it from you, but I had to go. The magic made me," Layla said, though she didn't know if she believed it anymore.

Killian pulled back and studied her face. He wiped the tears off her cheeks. "You are crying?! What did he do to you?" he snarled.

"He put some kind of elf mark on me before he was kidnapped. It's fucked with all my emotions, but he didn't—" Layla tried to explain. Killian wasn't in the mood to listen. His eyes had turned black, and he was gone from the apartment in a burst of shadows and black feathers.

"Fucking balls," Bayn groaned.

"Can you please stop him from killing Arne? I don't have time for a war with the elves," Kian complained.

"Yeah, I'm on it," Bayn replied and was gone in a flurry of ice.

Layla pushed her damp hair out of her face. "He didn't let me finish. Arne didn't mean to put the mark on me, and it's gone now anyway!"

"Killian has always been a bit overprotective, you know that. It'll be okay," Kian replied. He fixed her a coffee and placed it down on the counter for her. "Now, Layla, we are going to have a nice talk like adults before they get back. I have a family of Ironwoods I've managed to convince to give you some space, but I need you to tell me everything. Please, stop crying. I can't handle it."

"I can't help it. It won't stop even with the stupid mark removed. I think it's just been too much stress at once."

Layla cradled her coffee in her hands and told Kian all that had happened since she left Ireland, including her trip to see the All-Father and telling Kenna that the family could go fuck itself. He didn't interrupt, just frowned a lot at her.

"I must say, I am impressed, little sister," Kian said finally. "Kenna is pissed off at you—that's true—but it's coming from a place of worry more than anything."

Layla sniffed. "I don't want to go home yet. I can't. I need some time to think all of this through."

"And you have the mating bond to consider." Kian held up his hand when she started to protest. "Layla, no, don't argue. Listen to me. I don't know how it is with the elves, but a mating bond with the fae is something so powerful, you can't run from it. You have a choice not to explore it, but can I ask what your true objections to the idea are? I thought you liked Arne."

"I do! But he's a prince, and I'm just me, Kian. I can't let him tie himself to someone who isn't going to offer him any value. He needs someone who can be the princess his people deserve. Not a human who doesn't know anything about politics or whatever princesses are meant to know about." Layla put her head in her hands. "This connection, this bond, whatever you want to call it, it's tearing me apart. I can't live like this, Kian."

He placed a hand on her back. "Layla, it's because you are fighting it that it's hurting."

"We don't even know each other!"

"It's not how it works," Kian said gently. "And if you don't spend time with him, how will you ever get to know him?"

"Because it will only hurt more when he realizes that I'm a bad mate and decides to leave me! That's the reason I'm holding back. I'm trying to give him an out, Kian. He doesn't need a mate like me," Layla exclaimed, her heart hurting from the confession. "And I don't need the pressure of never being good enough for him."

"Oh, Layla," Kian sighed and hugged her to him. "You are more than enough for that damn elf. Besides, Fate doesn't lie, and it says that you're perfect for each other. The Norns decreed it for you both."

"The fucking Norns. They are another reason I can't leave Norway. They said I need to stand with the elves to defeat Vili. What if I leave and he attacks and then kicks off Ragnarök? I need to see this through, Kian," Layla replied, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I understand that. I must say you're off to an interesting start," he mused. "First, you somehow managed to track down Odin and pretty much tell him he's a coward to the point he admits he won't do anything about Vili until he steps foot on Midgard. Then you go and steal from Vili, in his own keep, and tell Varg to pass on the message he's a coward as well if he doesn't come to Midgard to get Arne himself." Kian laughed, a deep chuckle that made Layla smile. "And everyone thinks that you're the sweet-natured, compliant one."

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