68. Chapter 68

Chapter 68

L ayla washed quickly and let the water out of the tub. How the hell had she got herself into this mess? There was no trust involved in this place. She wasn't safe.

And she was a crazy fool to feel even the slightest bit safe with Jackson.

Something had changed. She could feel it even though she couldn't understand it. Her head was a lot clearer, yet she still wasn't herself. She couldn't be, not when she felt like this for Jackson. How could she feel so... attached to him? Her feelings had been wild before she had passed out on top of him, and those feelings seemed to have settled even though she was very well-rested. Madness.

She looked back at the man who'd fallen asleep when he had found his release. The image tugged at her heartstrings, something it shouldn't have done. But he still looked so... defenceless. If he couldn't trust the people around him, then that meant he expected her to look out for him again. And she felt compelled to because of whatever twisted thing was happening in her head.

Was it because of the stupid ring that was still on her finger?

She lifted her hand to inspect the small, classy diamond on her finger. It had to be a real diamond. If Jackson was as loaded as he said he was, she didn't think he would give her fake stones. Maybe her subconscious had already put too much weight on the meaning behind this gift. Jackson probably had many of these lying around. It was just a ring and didn't put her under any obligation.

But she was still being stupid.

She sighed as she grabbed many towels from the cabinet and started to dry Jackson before he caught a chill. She paused over the bite mark on his side. It still looked terrible, but it was nowhere near as horrible as it had looked when she had run to get Diedre. It was indeed healing, and the middle looked like a discoloured bruise rather than an infection. She had been sure they had cut into him when they'd made her stay downstairs. Had Diedre done something to help him after all?

Once she'd covered Jackson with dry towels, she rushed out of the bathroom to pick out some clothes, only to stop immediately when she saw Faith and another girl changing the bedding.

Faith offered her a big smile before turning to hide it from the other girl. When had they come into the bedroom? Had they heard...?

Her cheeks coloured. She'd heard the man who'd helped Jackson leave the bedroom as clearly as she'd heard Jackson and Dylan discussing when to kill her. How could she have missed these two walking in? And Jackson thought she could take care of him when she had missed this?

"Someone is on his way to help the Alp... To help Jackson, Miss Layla," Faith said.

All she could do was nod before entering the closet and shut the door behind her. Was she supposed to ignore their slip-ups? Almost all of them had called him Alpha to her face. If she didn't question them, wouldn't that look suspicious?

When she was dressed, she waited and listened. She heard the rustling of sheets and the girls muttering a greeting when someone walked into the room. Warrior Micah? They had warriors here? She heard his footsteps as he went to the bathroom and then came back out. And then she heard them all leave.

All without having to put her ear against the door.

Which was ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. Someone must have done something while she'd been asleep.

There was just no way she should have been able to hear all that.

And yet when she opened the closet door, Jackson was tucked into bed, and the room was empty. They had gone, just as she'd heard.

That heaviness settled on her mind again as it started to spiral. She wouldn't let all those things pull her under again; she had already wasted enough time feeling sorry for herself. It was a matter of life or death; to survive, she needed to get smarter. She had lived among wolves her whole life as she'd fought for her and Brit to survive. She would treat living among actual wolves the same.

She checked on Jackson and made sure he was completely dry and warm before walking over to the door. They hadn't locked her in when Jackson had passed out. Had that changed now that their Alpha was on the mend?

She slowly turned the handle and let out a breath when it opened. Step one was done. If no one stopped her and brought her back, she would walk among them as if she belonged and learn everything she needed to learn. An escape plan wasn't worth shit if she didn't know what her enemy was capable of.

When she made it down the last flight of stairs, the two guards standing at the entrance had already turned to look at her even though she had stepped lightly and hadn't dared to breathe too hard. She could tell they had heard her long before they had seen her.

But they didn't tell her to return to the bedroom. They didn't question why she was walking around without an escort.

She nodded in their direction before walking towards the hallway to the kitchen. As before, the smell of food had her mouth watering and reminded her that she had been asleep for a long time. At least five days if what she had overheard was accurate.

The chatter in the kitchen died down before she opened the door, and once again, they all turned to look at her. Faith, the only truly friendly face she had seen since her arrival, was not among them.

"I... I'm hungry. Can I make something to eat?" she asked no one in particular.

The woman she assumed was Faith's mother came forward with a smile as warm as her daughter's on her face.

"We were just preparing something for you and Jackson," she said, gesturing for her to sit at the kitchen island in the middle of the activity. "I'll give you something now, and we can take a tray to Jackson when he wakes."

She smiled gratefully and waited until a steaming bowl of soup was placed before her. It was the source of the amazing scent that had led her there.

"It will be easier for your stomach to digest."

"Thank you, um...?"

"Grace," the woman answered with a smile.

And then they all went back to their jobs. While she spooned the soup into her mouth, she studied them from under her lashes. Their attitudes were a world away from the day Jackson had walked in. They looked content. Perhaps Faith had been telling the truth after all, and none of them were there under duress. Although there was no more talking, they were communicating. She could see it on their faces and their body language. They would pause briefly, and their eyes would lose focus on whatever they were doing. Some smiled to themselves, and others looked like they were holding back laughter.

But she knew that was the extent of anything she would get out of them. She needed to go somewhere where she could observe them freely.

"This was delicious. Thank you," she said as she stood to walk over to one of the sinks.

"You don't need to wash up," Grace said as she returned to her side and took the bowl from her. "You need to go back and rest so you don't get ill again."

She smiled again and walked out of the kitchen. She had only gone a few steps when they started to talk again, and like before, she heard everything.

"I don't understand why she's still being treated like a guest when she's a rogue."

"I think it's insulting that she thinks she can share our Alpha's bed, and we have to clean up after her."

"They should have killed her."

"Alpha practically declared war when he killed Alpha Kendrick because of her. I've been unable to rest because I feel like they will retaliate anytime. She shouldn't be here."

What? Did they all want her dead? And who was Alpha Kendrick?

"Shut your nonsense talk and get back to work. I'm sure the Alpha has a good reason for having her here."

That was Grace's voice, and they all shut up after she said that.

Was it true? Jackson had killed someone because of her? Or were they referring to the monster in the woods that had almost killed her?

Instead of going back upstairs, she walked down another hallway. She immediately heard Dylan's voice and stopped. Seeing the people in the kitchen was one thing; running into Dylan was another.

She was about to turn back when she heard something that made her freeze.

"Yes, Rebecca Carlisle. Her last known location and any associates..."

Why were they still interested in her mother?

"Could be dangerous, so don't engage."

Dangerous? The woman who'd spent her time taking her to the park and baking for school functions? Rebecca had been a lot of things, but dangerous was not one of them.

"I'll kill her myself."

Her breath hitched, and she stepped back. What was it with these people and killing?

The door swung open before she could move further, and Dylan stepped out. There was a snarl on his face, and the hatred had returned in his eyes. He looked like he was ready to carry out his threats.