10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

T he red wolf didn't shift to reveal her identity to her daughter.

The last time he had spoken to Rebecca, she had been cryptic and explained a whole bunch of nothing. She'd wasted his time, and he was the gullible fool who had believed her.

Protect her daughter? He was the one who needed protection from her!

He had no interest in whatever she had to say now because Layla was on her own after she gave birth. She had been resourceful before he'd found her; he was sure she would do the same after. And now she knew about their world, she would know what was happening to her when the changes didn't go away.

Besides, she had her mother following her. She would be fine.

He looked away from the wolf to look at Layla and found she was looking at him as if she had seen an alien.

"Your time is up. Let's go," he growled and started walking back where he had come.

"Wait!" Layla said, scrambling off the rock. "Can you...? Did you...?"

He didn't answer her, but she didn't chase after him as he had thought she would. When he looked back, Layla was facing the wolf and had her head cocked to the side as if she was listening.

Was she? Could they mindlink even though Layla was only half a wolf? What else could they do?

The images of that girl and the little boy running towards Layla came back to him. They had spoken as if they had shared something and bonded. Surely Dylan hadn't gone against his wishes and let Layla out during the attack?

His fists clenched as his gaze remained on the mother and child.

She could have died! Again! What the fuck was wrong with people? Why did everyone always do the opposite of what he said? If those wolves had got their hands on her, Cain wouldn't have differentiated between the Red Moon Pack and his own. He would have obliterated everyone.

"Do you want me to drag you back to your cell?" he snarled.

The wolf and his mate turned to face him, and the red wolf's hackles rose as she snarled and lowered her head.

He felt the energy change in the air. Rebecca's anger stung him like someone had lashed him with a silver whip. He stepped back as the emerald eyes started to glow, and her teeth seemed to extend as she advanced on him. He stood perfectly still, waiting for her first move.

He blinked, and then she was gone.

Whether she had disappeared or moved too fast for his eyes, he couldn't tell. He immediately understood why red wolves were considered to be so dangerous. Rebecca was gone, but he could still sense her emotions. She was pissed off that he had put her daughter in a cell, and all her rage and fury would have made a lesser man reconsider his actions.

"Didn't you hear me the first time I said it, Layla?" he growled before he turned away. "Let's go."

If Rebecca was pissed off that he was angry with her child, then she could find him and say it to his face. She was the one who had abandoned her children and left them in the care of a useless human. When Layla found out who she was, she would go beyond rage. Good luck to both of them when that happened, but he was staying the fuck out of that.

This was his territory, and all traitors belonged in a cell, regardless of who they were.

"Are you serious right now?" Layla asked as she caught up with him.

"About what?"

"You saw that! I know you did. That wasn't my imagination," she stated.

"I don't care what you saw. I have things to do; I shouldn't even have come out here with you."

"I didn't ask you to."

Ungrateful little...

"I'll remember that next time."

"Can you stop and just give me some answers? What the hell was that? What's happening to me?"

Again, the image of her covering her ears came to his mind. He'd known her hearing had heightened but it must have improved even more since their time together. Wolves instinctively knew how to focus their hearing but half-bloods tended to struggle with that.

But it was happening too soon.

The noise from the activity around the packhouse grew closer. Layla slowed her steps. He glanced at her and saw her unconsciously raise her fingers to her ears. Her head lowered, and her anxiety returned. Was it because she could hear everything they were saying about them? Or was all the noise unbearable?

"Focus on one sound," he said. "Just one thing until everything else fades into the background."

If she had been anyone else, he would have walked away without saying a word. He cursed the bond again as he came out of the woods and looked at all the tents. He shouldn't have been worrying about Layla but his pack. They had buried their dead under the full moon the previous night, so the biggest tent had been moved. It made it more evident that there was a part of them missing.

Layla came out of the woods and stood beside him, but she had put her hood back on. Her eyes were lowered, so he couldn't tell if she was trying to do what he had advised.

‘Micah,' he mindlinked.

His head warrior appeared moments later.

"Take her back to the basement," he instructed before he walked away without looking back at her.

"Jackson?" she said softly.

He ignored her. Did she think he would sit down and hold her hand over what had happened in the forest? He wouldn't prioritise her anymore; he had more important things to figure out. He had to find out if what he was assuming was true. Was the red wolf capable of healing? And if so, how had Layla done it? Not one person remembered seeing anyone besides the doctors and Diedre, and he hadn't caught her scent in any of the rooms. Could she mask herself whenever she wanted?

He let Micah lead her into the house first and followed only when he heard the basement door opening. He went straight to the conference room and grabbed a bottle from the drinks cabinet and a shot glass before sitting down. It still wasn't far enough from Layla. He could still sense her as if she was next to him, and his body still ached to be with her.

The first shot was still burning down his throat when the door opened, and Dylan walked in. He was the last person he wanted to see, but also the only one who could help him because he had done the research.

"Can we talk now?" Dylan asked.

When he didn't reply, Dylan walked in anyway and grabbed a glass before sitting opposite him. He poured himself a shot and drank it before he opened his mouth again.

"I fucked up," Dylan started. "If you had told me who she is—"

"And who is she?" he cut in.

After almost killing Dylan in the woods, he wasn't surprised that his Beta was starting to put things together.

Dylan poured shots for both of them and didn't answer his question. Everything had already fallen apart anyway. It didn't matter anymore.

"Did you let her out when you were attacked?" he asked.

"I gave her the key in case I didn't make it back alive," Dylan sighed.

"And you thought she would stay in her room?" he snorted.

So he had been right. Layla had gone out and somehow helped those children.

"She knows what we are. She wouldn't have gone out in the middle of all of that," Dylan said dismissively.

"Really? The woman who threw herself on top of you to save you from me wouldn't have run into a battlefield like a lunatic?" he snorted again.

Goddess. The mess Fate had made for him. Who the hell did that? Though she was getting stronger, she still believed she was human. She should have stayed inside.

"Are you saying she's the one who killed those wolves who got too close to the packhouse?" Dylan asked, sitting up in his chair. "How is that even possible?"

He looked at his Beta and debated how much he could tell him. The trust was gone between them, and he didn't think they would ever get that back.

Something must have occurred to Dylan because his eyes widened.

"Is she... Was she the one who fought with Amber?" he asked quietly.

When he didn't answer, Dylan poured himself another shot and knocked it back.

"I'm sorry, Jax. I should have known... You've changed a lot lately that it was easy to believe," Dylan said as he rubbed his hands over his tired-looking face. "I'm so fucking sorry."

He didn't accept the apology. He couldn't.

"Does that mean she's already started having problems with... her nature?" Dylan asked quietly.

He didn't hide the worry or the hint of fear. Nobody liked dealing with half-bloods when their wolf blood made them unpredictable.

And just like that, he knew Dylan wasn't ready to deal with the truth. If he knew what Layla was going through...

"I don't know if I will ever forget what you did, Dylan," he told him honestly. "I can't sit here and drink with you as if everything is okay."

Dylan nodded and put his glass down on the table.

"I understand," he said. "Everything that happened is my fault, so I know I can never make up for that. I'll do my best as your Beta. That's all I can offer anyone right now. I'll go and find out if there were any survivors in the Silver Oak Pack."

The Silver Oak Pack. If he never set foot on that land again, it would be too soon. How could they continue to plague him from their graves?

"Keep it to yourself. I've caused enough problems for the pack. I'll fix this myself before we get attacked again."

"Yes, Alpha."

When Dylan left, he picked up the bottle and poured another shot. He would have to find out about red wolves himself. Had Layla healed his wolves or not? And if she had, what did it mean for her?