13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

J ax pushed his frustration down as he watched his mate walk—no, run away from him to avoid a confrontation. It had been a long time since she'd masked her emotions from him, but he could still sense the underlying panic because they were forever bound. What the fuck was she hiding?

"Can I train with you, Alpha?"

He looked back at the trainees and saw Josh among them. The young wolf was already a warrior because his skills had been impressive even before he shifted. Micah trained Josh himself, so he would always be one of the special ones. He had the most potential out of all the young wolves to be ranked higher, perhaps even to Beta, because his wolf was more dominant.

He was right to make him focus on his training instead of a girl. If Britney was his mate, that would have been different. He wouldn't have been able to keep them apart anyway. But she wasn't. Josh's place was with the warriors, learning how to keep the pack safe. Something in the air didn't feel right; he needed his best people on top of their game.

"I'll spar with you tomorrow morning; I just have something I need to do."

Josh would appreciate the training more than Layla. One minute she was on him for not doing it enough, and the next—when he was desperate to see her improve her fighting skills—she was tapping out and running away.

He was about to turn and walk away when he remembered what Layla said. He wasn't imposing his will on Josh. No one was forced to train beyond being able to defend themselves. Those who chose to become warriors did so with the understanding that he would ask a lot from them, physically and mentally.

"Have you... Do you want to be a warrior, Josh?"

The kid frowned as if he didn't understand the question.

"I mean, I haven't forced you to do anything, have I?" It was a weird conversation. He'd never had to ask anyone such questions, but Layla had him second-guessing himself.

"No, Alpha. I've been training to become a warrior since I was a kid."

He nodded and looked over the rest of the trainees.

"You've all been working hard, but I need you to push yourselves harder now. I need you to stay focused. We were lucky with the Hunters in town, but we all know how quickly that situation can change. Know your limits; you need to rest, too, if you're going to be of any use. Finish up here, then go eat and rest."

They were back sparring before he'd left the field, proving their dedication. That was what Layla should have been doing, too.

He sighed as he walked into the packhouse. He wasn't being fair. Layla didn't know what was coming for them. When he'd been teaching her about their world, he'd told her that the Circle were dangerous and worse than Hunters. He didn't want to risk her trying to run away again if he told her about the summons before she was ready.

"Jax."

He turned from the stairs when Dylan rushed into the lobby.

"The Crimson Valley pack Beta called and said their scouts still haven't returned. They want permission to come out of lockdown to search."

If those scouts were dead, their Alpha would have felt it. It wasn't like the Hunters to leave a wolf alive, so this had to be something to do with witches, as he'd first suspected.

"Call Ryker on our old system and tell him he can go out and search, too. Small teams, regular contact."

Dylan nodded but didn't move right away.

"What is it?"

"I don't want to make you panic when you have to think of your meeting with the Circle, but the other packs that wouldn't let me in seemed very agitated. I thought they were just being too cautious, but what if they're missing people, too."

Then that would confirm that they had another enemy working in the background. Someone was plucking people from under his nose while he was dealing with his grief. He couldn't deny that anymore. Their peace had already shattered; it was time he told Layla everything so she could prepare.

"You should postpone your visits until we know what's going on," Dylan added.

"No. I'll go and see the situation for myself. Tell them that I'm coming."

There was no more time to waste. He took the stairs two at a time, with his mind filled with all the scenarios that could happen once he told Layla. She would have to stay back until he knew what they were dealing with. If magic was involved, he and Cain would smell it a mile away. It would be better if she stayed safe in the packhouse so he wouldn't get distracted trying to protect her.

He was almost past Britney's door when he heard Layla's voice.

"Just eat your damn food and let me think of how to get us out of this shit you dropped us in."

Her tone had so much anger, but he would have felt it even if he hadn't heard it. And he would have felt the fear radiating from the younger woman. It was like a feast for his depraved soul. It had been a long time since anyone had been that scared around him or Layla.

His mate came out and quickly locked the door. Her whole body shook with the anger she was trying to hold in.

"What shit did she drop you in, Layla?"

Layla turned, her eyes wide as their gazes met.

"It's nothing," she said, then her lips curved into that overly bright smile again. Her heart pounded away, and her anger still overpowered any other emotion he could feel through their bond.

‘Liar,' Cain growled in his head.

He didn't need the beast to tell him that.

"Are you seriously going to keep lying to me right now?"

"I said it's nothing. I can fix it myself; I'm sure you have more important things to do," Layla said, pushing away from the door as she headed to their bedroom.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her back, crushing her against his chest.

"You're pissed off because I have other responsibilities? I'm the Alpha!" he hissed.

"Then go and do your Alpha things. I'll handle my sister."

"Stop trying to pick a fight just to avoid talking about this. What did Britney do? Why is she so scared when she was hurling abuse at you yesterday?"

Layla loosened his fingers and stepped away from him.

"I said I'll handle it, Jax."

And the mask came back on. Did Layla even know what that did to him?

"I'm your mate, Layla," he said gruffly. "Why are you hiding things from me?"

Her eyes flashed before she said, "That's funny coming from you. You don't tell me anything—"

"Because I have to take care of all the packs, not just mine. I can't possibly tell you every little thing that happens, Layla. I have to protect everyone."

"And I have to protect my sister," Layla growled before she turned and walked away.

He looked at Britney's door and the key that Layla left in it. If Layla wasn't going to talk, Britney would. He unlocked the door and barged into the room, even as Layla shouted for him to stop.

Britney was on the bed, hugging her pillow, and her fear magnified when their gazes locked across the room. The young girl scrambled back on the bed until she hit the headboard.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Layla shouted as she stood between him and her sister.

"What did you do, Britney?" he asked.

Britney looked away, her whole body shaking.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You're scaring her," Layla growled.

"Then tell me what the fuck is going on, or Britney will," he growled back.

Layla sucked in a breath and stepped back from him. She dropped her mask, and her eyes flashed.

"Are you threatening my sister?" she asked calmly.

But there was nothing calm about the emotions he felt from her. He was fucking up. He knew that, yet he couldn't help pushing a little more.

"I don't need to threaten her. She'll answer me because she knows she has to."

Layla's anger felt like a punch in his face, knocking a little sense back into him. The last thing he would ever do was hurt anyone Layla cared about because that would hurt Layla. It wasn't in him to intentionally hurt his mate. But looking into her eyes now, it was clear that Layla still didn't understand that.

"Leave," Layla said.

"I didn't mean—"

"Leave the room, Jackson."

He looked at the terrified girl on the bed and felt like the biggest asshole in the world. What the hell was he thinking?

When he looked back at his mate, there was white-hot fury in her eyes. There was nothing he could do to lessen that anger when her sister was getting more terrified the longer he stood there. They would have to talk once she calmed down.

With a sigh, he turned and left the room. Every step he took away from Layla felt like he was creating a chasm between them that he would never be able to cross. Their bond was unique; it was meant to be unbreakable.

But it felt broken.

Layla didn't meet him for dinner, and she didn't sleep in their bed. She was only down the hall, but it felt like she was miles away.

When the sun started to rise, he got up from the sofa he spent all night on and started to pack a bag. He was still the King, so he had a job to do. He had people to find and a threat to eliminate.

Even if his heart felt like it had smashed into little pieces.