37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

J ackson balled his fists and looked over at where Dylan stood with Micah and a few other warriors.

They all turned to look in his direction as he stood on the patio and then immediately lowered their gazes.

But he could feel their disgust, even if it was laced with a bit of fear. If he had come to sort out the mess the rogue had caused instead of fucking Layla on the conference table, this wouldn't have been happening. He wouldn't have threatened Dylan like that, either. He knew it was only the fact that he'd still been buried inside Layla and holding her against him that had stopped him from ripping his friend's throat out.

‘Get back to work!' he ordered through the pack link.

While the warriors turned away to go and start their training or patrols, Dylan approached him. Cain watched his every step while still growling in his head. His wolf's possessiveness made his blood run cold and pushed forward what he had realised from the first time he'd been between Layla's legs. Diedre was right. Cain wasn't letting her go.

‘I'm sorry. I didn't realise you would have the human in there."

Dylan tried to hide his disgust and confusion, but it was like reading a book. From the time he had shifted, he'd had to learn to block out all the unnecessary emotions around him. But he didn't block anything now. Dylan was upset that he had threatened him, and it was no doubt because Layla was human.

"What was so urgent?" he asked out loud.

"Someone already sent a report to the Circle about the human and the rogue attacks. They've requested a meeting at the hotel tomorrow. I think it's time we took her back until we have things under control here," Dylan answered.

"Why is your answer to everything to send Layla away," he growled.

‘You've become attached to her, Jax.'

He ignored Dylan and looked over at the training fields.

‘Do you know who told them?' he mind linked.

Having the Circle here before Layla was pregnant would complicate things.

‘It could have been anyone. I've been fielding questions about the rogue all afternoon. We'll take her to the hotel and leave her there—'

"She's staying here. Diedre will protect her."

The Circle would know what she was the moment they saw her, and they were a much more significant threat than the unknown witch attacking them. And besides that, Layla couldn't run away from the packhouse, but she could easily give him the slip if he took her back to the city. Anyone would be able to track and find her. She was safer here, no matter who came after her.

"Jax—"

"Arrange the meeting I cancelled for tomorrow, too. We can't be away too long, just a few hours, but we'll have to fit both in," he cut in before walking towards the gate.

"You're being unreasonable. Send her back," Dylan said.

He clenched his fists and continued walking. Dyan forgot his place, but he wasn't the threat now.

"This witch is going to attack again," Dylan continued. "You need to have your head in the game."

That was true. Being with Layla was Cain's top priority, but he couldn't let that continue. Not after he'd almost given himself away by growling like that in front of her. He wasn't entirely sure he hadn't given himself away because Layla's emotions had been confusing. She'd been more anxious and sad than scared.

But he had to think of the pack now. If there was an attack while he was gone, all the vulnerable pack members would have to move into the packhouse for Diedre to protect them. Everyone else would have to fight, but there was enough room on the packhouse grounds for the whole pack if they needed to retreat. They hadn't become the strongest pack by hiding from their enemies; they wouldn't start now. He would just have to make sure Layla stayed in the bedroom while he was out.

He stopped at the gate and pulled his shirt off.

"How many teams have you sent out to track where the rogues came from?" he asked.

"Two, but they've already come back. They didn't find anything," Dylan said. "It was like with the first wolf; their tracks just disappeared."

He looked back at the packhouse to make sure Layla couldn't see him before he pulled his sweats down.

"Is Cassie gone?"

"Yes. Micah saw her off after he met with you."

"Good. Protect Layla."

He didn't speak again as he started jogging out of the gates, then shifted. He gave Cain control and breathed a sigh of relief when the beast didn't immediately head back to his mate.

But he knew why the second he started paying attention. The rogues' scent was still strong in the air, more potent than it should have been, and all over the place. He couldn't pinpoint exactly where it was coming from. A hint of magic pricked at his skin as he ran in the direction they had come from.

The witch used magic to mess with the scents so they couldn't be tracked. None of the warriors would have been able to trace that. But Cain could. He could follow the magic.

People moved out of his way as he raced towards the boundary. The rogues had cut through their wall, unlike the first rogue, who had somehow climbed over it. Some Omegas were already starting on the repairs, but he squeezed through the small hole and followed the scent of dark magic.

He didn't know how long he ran. The ground in the forest was still soggy and flooded in parts, but he could see the tracks his warriors had followed easily.

And then they just stopped.

Deep in the forest, not too far from the boundary of another pack's territory, the tracks and scents just disappeared, as Dylan had said. But the smell of magic continued towards the Dark Moon Pack.

They were the second biggest pack, next to his, and still technically his pack because he was their King. There were never any tensions between them and his pack; he considered them an ally. They had been part of the battle that had condemned him; they had fought by his side. But why would the magic lead to their lands?

Unless this was just a trick by the witch to cause another war. Everyone knew Cain blew up at minor things, and giving him this seed of doubt was more than a little thing.

But he knew not everything would be as it seemed, so he followed the scent cautiously. Magic was tricky. Maybe all he had done was follow a spell leading him into a trap.

Cain stopped at the edge of the forest and looked towards the gates. This place was not as secure as his, but being next to his territory gave them a level of security they wouldn't have otherwise had. The rogues could have easily breached the Dark Moon territory before they had come to his. Or they hadn't gone there at all, and Cain would rip into people for no reason.

Once he was gone, this pack would be Dylan's backup if he needed help. But if he let Cain go in there without proof, it would be Dylan's rival. His child wouldn't be safe.

He forced himself to shift back before Cain could be seen and headed back.

‘No! First those girls, and then Dylan and now this? You're letting everyone shit all over us! We need to fight them!'

The beast was right. Trying to leave a better world for his child had clipped his balls, but there was nothing he could do about that.

‘We can't start a new war when we already have one hanging over us,' he told his beast, shoving him back into the recesses of his mind.

By the time he returned to his territory, he was muddy and sweaty. Dylan met him at the gate to the packhouse with his clothes.

"Anything?" Dylan asked.

"No," he lied. "But make sure everyone stays within the walls."

"Everyone is already on alert. And we leave before dawn for the meetings; everything is set."

He nodded as he put his clothes back on and then jogged towards the packhouse. All he had to do now was figure out how to keep his mate bond a secret from the Circle. If they figured out he was dying, he was pretty sure that half of those sick fuckers would be the first to try to take his territory.