63. Chapter 63

Chapter 63

L ayla sat on the carpet floor in the walk-in closet, hugging her knees as she waited for Jackson to return.

His face had been different, and he'd had claws. Fucking claws. But still, there she was, waiting for him because she didn't know what was going on and if she was safe.

Why had he knocked the door over like that? And who had been chasing him? Those people who had come for the meeting?

The moment he'd looked behind him, something had crossed his face that looked like fear. The huge monster from the forest was scared of something. That had been enough to hammer in that something could be out there that was much worse than what she had seen with her own eyes.

Jackson had constantly told her to just follow the rules. To not challenge him and not ask questions. She was starting to wonder if that had been his way of keeping her safe from his people.

She lifted her hand and looked at the ring that had appeared on her finger in her sleep. Jackson hadn't explained why he'd given her another piece of jewellery, and she wasn't even going to presume it meant he had feelings for her. But was the ring supposed to protect her like the pendant? Did it repel wolves?

If so, why had he been so scared when they had come after her?

She didn't know how long she sat quietly, but her shock wore off after a while. She had already guessed Jackson was a werewolf, but realising he was the same monster in the forest that had scared her was a different story.

But that monster had saved her. He had somehow realised she was gone and rescued her just in time. If he hadn't, she would have died. That thought was sobering and made her nauseous.

It felt like hours later when the closet door slowly opened, and Jackson stood at the entrance. His chest was bare now, and the dressing on his side wasn't in place. She could see the top of what looked like an infected animal bite. When her eyes lowered to his hands to see if he still had claws, she saw blood on his fingertips instead.

The reality of her situation hit home. This wasn't the first time she'd seen blood on him, so Jackson was indeed a murderer. Maybe that was why he had been so blase about his conversation with Dylan about getting rid of her.

Jackson balled his fingers and looked away from her.

"I'm going to wash up. You're safe; you can come out now. We can talk when I come out," he said gently before walking away and leaving the door open.

Talk? Was he finally going to give her answers, or would he try to brush it all under the rug again?

She stood and slowly walked out of the closet. Her eyes were drawn to the door that still lay on the floor, mocking her. She had been constantly locked in, but even with the door gone, where would she go?

There was no point in trying to escape again if she ran into dangerous werewolves.

She had no choice now. She would have to trust Jackson.

But what would she do if she got pregnant?

Her hand went to her stomach as she thought about the reason she was there. It made sense now. Jackson didn't want her to be a part of the child's life because it would be like him. Her child would fit in better than she did. She knew nothing about what they were capable of. Did they turn into wolves from when they were born? Or later on, as they matured? She wouldn't know how to protect her child on her own.

Only days ago she had decided to escape even if she was pregnant. There were only a few days until her cycle, so there was a high chance she already was. Now she would have to learn to live with the guilt of knowing she would abandon her child.

Was it still abandonment when it was the only choice? Had her mother had no choice, either?

It was painful to admit that maybe Rebecca had left for a good reason.

"I'm sorry I scared you."

Jackson had come out of the bathroom so quietly that she hadn't heard him. She turned quickly and saw that he had redressed his wound and washed his face. He looked sombre and tired. She'd never seen him like that before, and it pulled at something inside her.

"I thought someone was hurting you," he admitted.

"You'd know if they were?"

Jackson nodded, gesturing at the couch for her to sit down. When she settled back in front of her cold, forgotten breakfast, Jackson sat opposite her. She noticed how much he winced at that movement.

"Do you need to see a doctor?"

"I'll be fine. It's just going to take longer than normal to heal."

There was an awkward silence as she waited for him to start talking. She wouldn't even know where to begin with her questions.

"Are you scared?" Jackson asked.

She hadn't expected him to ask that. Of course, she was scared—what normal person wouldn't be? She'd been thrown into a different world. But even after seeing his monstrous face, she could admit that she probably wasn't as scared as she was supposed to be.

"A little. I think not knowing was scarier."

"I still can't tell you everything, Layla. When you return to your real life, they'll probably keep tabs on you for a while to make sure you don't know anything."

"They?"

"A bunch of crazy werewolves who think they own the world," Jackson answered with a shake of his head.

"So I'd be in danger even when I leave?"

"Only if you act like you know about us. I told them you didn't see anything in the woods, and they didn't see me half-shift in front of you."

Jackson sat back in the chair and stretched his long legs out.

"Does it hurt?" she asked quietly. "When you shift like that."

"Only the first few times. Our bodies adjust to it quickly."

"So my baby..."

He nodded, confirming her suspicions.

"And I'll never see him?"

Jackson's gaze lingered on hers for a moment before he looked away. That was his answer. No, she would never see her child. A sharp pain she hadn't expected lanced through her heart as she sat back.

"I'll take you back as soon as the child is born, just as we agreed."

"But will my child be safe here?"

"This will be the safest place for him. He'll be one of us."

Again, he only confirmed what she had already guessed, but it still hurt. Inexplicable feelings rushed through her body when she thought of everything she would miss in the child's life. She recognised that a part of it was jealousy. Jackson would get to experience everything while she would have only her imagination.

Even if she bought a house as Jackson had said she would be able to do, or finished her education and got a better job, a chunk would always be missing from her heart.

"You're not pregnant yet, so we've got plenty of time to get used to all this. And I'll teach you how to stay safe here and when you get back home."

He could tell whether she was pregnant or not? She was about to ask if he could tell her more about a werewolf's physiology when she noticed the beads of sweat that had formed on his forehead. He looked much paler than when he sat down and much more tired.

"Jackson? Shall I call Diedre?"

He grunted and wiped his forehead.

"I think I just need to sleep. I haven't been getting much of that lately."

His eyes were already drooping, and the sweat was already back on his face. Did werewolves get sick? Jackson looked like he was on the brink of death.

She stood and went over to him to put a hand on his forehead. He was burning up! When she stood back from him, she could feel the heat from his whole body as if he were a furnace. She looked down at his face and then the dressing on his side. That wound looked infected, so she was willing to bet that was the cause. He should have gotten antibiotics for it the moment it happened. The wolf that had bitten him hadn't looked healthy at all.

His head lolled to the side as if he had passed out, making her heart pound hard against her chest. Without waiting any longer, she ran towards the broken door and down the long hallway.

"Dylan!" she called out as she ran down the stairs. "Diedre! Someone help us."

Before she reached the stairs, Faith came out of one of the hallways with a frown on her face.

"Where's Dylan?" she asked urgently. "Jackson passed out. He's injured."

Faith's eyes widened before she rushed to unlock the front door. And then Dylan pushed in and ran up the stairs as if he had already heard her. She didn't question it as she rushed back up the stairs behind him.

By the time she reached the bedroom, Dylan had already placed Jackson on the bed and had removed the dressing. He looked shocked to see the infected bite.

She was shocked, too, because it looked a lot worse than it had when she had seen it only a little while ago.