24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

T he sun was starting to set when Layla's phone rang.

She rushed back from the window where she had been trying to map a way to the front gate to grab the phone from the nightstand. The number flashing on the screen was unknown, but she already knew who it was.

"Brit?" she said as she answered.

"Hi, Layla."

Britney sounded cheerful. That immediately put her most pressing fears to rest. Her sister would never have been able to hide her emotions from her if something terrible had happened to her.

"Sorry, I didn't think about getting you a new phone until now," she said as she sat on the edge of the bed. "I've been busy settling in, and this place is huge. Have you been okay?"

The lie came so easily again. But she knew she would have to tell her sister everything when she was ready to escape.

"Don't worry about me," Britney said. "This is so surreal. They gave me a whole wardrobe full of expensive clothes, and I'm allowed to order anything I want."

Her heart ached. Those were the things she'd always hoped to be able to provide for her sister, but now she had to take her future away. But they would survive. Brit would never want her to leave an innocent child with abusive people, and certainly not a cult.

"That's great," she said a little too brightly. "What about school? Did you go?"

"Yes. I was chauffeured. I came out of the back of a Bentley; you should have seen Gina's face when they opened the door for me," Britney laughed.

Gina was a name that was constantly on Britney's lips. A typical mean girl whom she'd always advised her sister to try to ignore so that the bullying would stop. It never worked.

"All of a sudden, I was invited to the popular table. Can you believe that shit? Just a hint of money and suddenly, I'm worthy to be their friend. Gina hated that, though."

Brit sounded nothing like the terrified girl she had left behind. She was enjoying her new life a little too much, but she would have done the same in her shoes. Who didn't dream of having the world at their feet? Of not sleeping on empty stomachs or worrying about bills?

"What about those men that took us from the house? Did they follow you?"

"No," Brit sighed, her earlier enthusiasm disappearing from her voice. "I think these guys stayed outside the school the whole time to protect me. But I did see someone."

"Who?"

"Dad. He tried to see me at school but was told to leave. He'd looked terrible, Layla."

"He sold us, Brit. Don't feel sorry for him," she said firmly.

If it weren't for that sorry excuse of a father, they wouldn't have been in this position.

"I know," Brit said.

There was a knock on her door that startled her from her conversation. No one had knocked on it before; they tended to disregard her right to privacy and just walk in.

"Someone is at my door. I'll call you a little later," she said as she stood up. She picked the vase up and held it against her chest as she walked towards the door. "Keep your phone on you at all times, and tell me the second you think something isn't right."

"Why are you saying it like that?" Brit asked quickly. "Is something going on?"

She should have remembered that her sister picked up on things quickly.

"No, of course not. I've never been apart from you; I'm just a little anxious."

"I'm okay. I'm not a baby anymore, Lay."

"No, you're not," she sighed. "Love you, Brit."

When she hung up, she prayed her sister would remain safe from Costas and their father until she could take her away. And she prayed Brit wouldn't get too attached to her new life in the expensive hotel. They would never live in such luxury again.

The knock came again, but she stood in front of the door with her vase ready and didn't open it. The knife she had taken from the tray of food Jackson had left was in her waistband, ready to take out as soon as she felt threatened.

"Who is it?" she called.

"My name is Faith. I've been asked to tell you to prepare for dinner downstairs. We will eat in an hour."

"Just me and Jackson?" she asked.

"No, ma'am. He's invited everyone for dinner. Please dress formally; there are suitable dresses in the wardrobe. The Alpha will come for you when it's time."

What? After what had happened earlier, she didn't think it was a good idea for her to be among these people.

She didn't say anything as she looked at the time on her phone. It had been a few hours since Jackson had walked off with his terrifying temper. Her headache was gone now, and she felt as good as new, but she didn't want to go near those girls again. What if the whole pack was like them? What if they were all that strong, and her little knife couldn't protect her?

She was sitting on the sofa when she heard the key in the door. It swung open, and Jackson walked in. He looked at her in her little corner as if he had already known that was where she would be.

She clutched the vase tighter as she watched him put his hands in his pockets and slowly walk towards her.

He was dressed in a suit, and she could tell from this distance that it wasn't cheap. It was dark blue and matched his eyes perfectly. This was how he had looked the first time she had met him, so polished and out of her depth. He didn't look angry anymore but still looked serious and unapproachable. A million years away from when he had made love to her that morning.

But the air still became charged with sexual tension as it had earlier. Her body still remembered every touch, every kiss.

How could someone make love like that and still be a bastard? How could he even stand there and look so high and mighty when young girls were waiting to be in his bed when they turned eighteen? And to have them call him Alpha as if they were all a bunch of animals and his word was the law was disgusting.

"You should be ready," he stated.

"I don't want to have dinner downstairs. I'll eat in my room."

She didn't look away from his stern gaze when she said this, even though giving him any attention made her body tingle.

"It's not a choice, Layla. I'll introduce you as my guest, and no one will question it when you walk around freely."

And that was what she needed. She had to be free to plan her escape. But she could still feel how hard she had been punched and how vulnerable those girls had made her feel. She didn't want to be the centre of attention.

"Maybe tomorrow. I still have a headache."

Something flashed in Jackson's eyes, but he looked away quickly as he strode to the walk-in wardrobe. He held a navy blue dress on a hanger when he walked out.

"I think this one will suit you," he said.

"I'm not going, Jackson. Let me process all the shit that happened today; I'll go tomorrow."

"Things don't work like that around here, Layla. What I say goes."

Yes, she was starting to see that. He'd brainwashed everyone so well and then surrounded them with wolves and a dangerous forest, so they had no choice.

"Now get dressed. Tonight's important; I don't have time to argue with you," Jackson continued as he put the dress down.

"I agreed to have your baby, not jump every time you snap your fingers," she said, finally looking away from him.

She knew she couldn't antagonise a man like Jackson. He was so drunk on his power that he wouldn't like being challenged. But she had one thing to her advantage, and that was the fact that he needed her to be his surrogate for whatever reason. That had to give her some sort of leeway, even if he didn't like it.

"If you want me to treat you like a whore and lock you in here all day until I need to use you, then I have no problem with that," Jackson said.

He walked to stand right in front of her. She felt the truth in his words, and it made her nauseous. He ran a cult; he would have no trouble imprisoning her until she gave him a child.

"Do you need me to help you undress?"

Heat spread through her body at an alarming rate. She jumped to her feet and put some distance between them. What the hell was wrong with her to still find him attractive?

"I can manage," she said through her teeth as she snatched the dress up.

"You have five minutes. They're going to come and move your things soon."

She turned back to see Jackson settling on the sofa she had just vacated.

"Move me where?"

"To my room. No one will hurt you there. Also, you'll get pregnant much quicker if you're in my bed, and I can have you anytime I want."

Her jaw dropped as she watched the man confidently cross his arms. All night in his bed? She screamed in her head, but her body tightened at the thought of him touching her again.

"Drop the indignant act. That's why you're here," Jackson said. "Now run along, or I will come and help you dress."

She walked into the bathroom in a daze. Sleeping with him again was out of the question, so she would have to escape sooner rather than later. Perhaps this dinner was a godsend after all.