31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

W hen Jax woke up at dawn, Layla was still in his arms. His heart squeezed when he saw her puffy eyes.

‘She's where she's supposed to be,' Cain said.

The beast's contentment rippled through him. Cain didn't understand that this meant nothing to Layla. She could still walk away from them.

He gently rolled over so Layla was on her back and started to move his arm. Letting go of all the children had put a heaviness on the pack that hadn't gone away even after receiving the call to say everyone was where they were supposed to be and they were all safe. He had no idea how he would have handled that if Layla hadn't been beside him. If she hadn't felt the same way. If she hadn't let him take comfort in her body.

He'd almost freed himself when Layla rolled back to him and snuggled against his chest. So trusting. Why couldn't it be like that between them all the time?

He brought his hand to gently move the strands of hair that had covered her face, and Cain puffed up his chest with pride.

"Are you only here because of our bond?" he whispered.

Layla's eyes shot open. He hadn't meant to wake her since she'd been up most of the night, and he didn't particularly want to hear the answer when she'd already clearly stated how trapped she felt.

"Sorry," he whispered, gently lowering her and freeing his arm. "Go back to sleep. I'll bring you some breakfast when you've rested."

He started to move away, but Layla rolled back and put her arm around his torso. Even that innocent contact was enough to send his body into a frenzy.

"Are you with me only because of the bond?" Layla whispered, turning the question back to him.

How was he supposed to answer that question? For any other wolf, the bond was enough. It was Fate's gift, a bond with the other half of your soul. But if Layla didn't feel it like that, then any answer he gave her could be taken the wrong way.

He sighed and lay back on the pillow.

"My father was a very ruthless, difficult man," he started. "He was harder on his pack than anyone else. We had to know how to kill a man before we learned to read or write. Everyone feared him, but we couldn't do anything because he was the king."

"I'm sorry," Layla said.

"One day, he raided another territory—I can't even remember the reason now. And when he'd killed almost all of them, he caught his mate's scent. His mate, rightfully so, chose to kill herself rather than be bonded to a man who had done such horrible things to her pack."

Layla brought her hand to her mouth. He'd never really talked about his father; everyone else knew why he'd had to kill him.

"Since that day, my father slowly lost his mind. His wolf was grieving because of the bond that would never be. We all watched my father's mental health decline so much that they called him the Mad King. It was sad, really."

He turned and looked at his mate.

"You know how hard I fought not to bond with you. I hated that such a small thing could cause so much damage and that we're never free to choose anyone else. I hated that my life would be in someone else's hands. I never wanted a mate, even before I was cursed."

Something flickered in Layla's eyes.

"But even as I fought not to mark you, I got to know you better. When you nursed me back to health. When you saw my beast and didn't run away. When you risked your life for the pack when they still didn't trust you. Through all of that, you thawed my dead heart."

He brought his hand to her face and trailed her soft cheek.

"So I don't know how to answer your question. I don't know the answer that won't send you running away from me. I don't regret mating with you. Things have been fucked up lately, so you may not believe me. I'm not good with such words, but I'm hoping you'll give me a chance to show you."

Tears slid down the side of her face. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he wiped them off.

"Do you think you can at least give me that? Give me a chance to show you how I feel before you..."

He couldn't even say the words because it was incomprehensible that she would even think of leaving.

Layla nodded, and a weight lifted off his shoulders. Maybe they could still work through how disgusted she had been with him for what he had done to the vampires.

"The second plane is loading up. I'm just going to see them off while you rest some more. Okay?"

Layla nodded again, and he smiled as he brought his lips down to hers.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips.

"I love you, too."

It took him much longer than planned to move out of her arms, but being between her legs again was like a balm for his wounded soul. His movements were slow and deliberate, and when her breath hitched and her muscles squeezed him, he fell off the edge right along with her.

He only had time for a quick shower and didn't bother dressing when he came out of the bathroom. Layla had already gone back to sleep, but there was a smile on her face—possibly the first smile he had seen in a while.

Maybe things were going to be alright after all. Maybe the Hunters and the Circle wouldn't kill them, and they would be free to grow old together.

He gently closed the door and kept his steps light as he rushed out of the packhouse. When he was out of the door, he shifted and ran towards the forest.

There were only a few older people in his pack. Wolves tended to be able-bodied for much longer than humans, but few survived under his father's reign. Thankfully, the ones that had survived were not like Zach and wouldn't try to take over the pack.

He arrived at the plane just as the last of them got on. He shifted and nodded at Chase and the other Alphas in greeting before he got on the plane, too. When everyone was seated and comfortable, he walked to the middle and looked around at them. It was the first time all the packs had mixed like this, and the tension among the older members was more palpable.

"I'm counting on all of you to guide the young ones should anything happen to us," he said. "We kept it light for the children, but you all know what we're up against. I pray to the Goddess that we will meet again, but if we don't, our kids will depend on you. Whether we're with Alpha Chase, Alpha Braxton, or anyone else, we're one pack right now. We're all family. So I trust you will teach the children the same."

"Yes, Alpha," they said.

He looked around again and felt that heaviness Layla had only briefly dispelled. Would it be the last time he would see these faces?

Although he was the King and their Alpha, he lowered his head as a sign of his respect for them. And then he walked out of the plane.

Their family members were outside and would have heard his speech to them. There were already sniffles as the plane door closed and the lights came on along the runway.

The engines roared to life and the jet started to move forward. And when it was nothing but a dot in the sky and the noise was too far for his ears to pick up, he started the walk home.

The next group would be the hardest for him. He was going to send Layla with them.

"Shall we come for a meeting once everyone is gone?"

He looked up to see Chase and Brax had waited for him.

"Yes. We'll need to be on the same page and bring our wolves home," he answered.

"And if we can't?" Brax asked.

It had been drilled into all of them that they couldn't fight the Hunters or the Circle. They were too powerful, and any gains they made would be nothing but a ripple in the grand scheme of things.

If they couldn't bring anyone home, then it was likely none of them would be going home at all.

"If we can't, then at least we tried."

He parted from the Alphas and headed towards his territory. His head was already back with Layla. He knew he would put her life in danger if he went out and fought, but at least he would be less distracted if she was safe with Hope and Britney. It was for the best. He only had one more night left with his mate.

He hadn't even reached the territory when Dylan's wolf bound up the path to the main gates. His Beta shifted when he was close enough.

"We have to go to the city. The scouts didn't check in," Dylan said.

His heart grew cold. That would mean...

"How long since they missed the check-in call?"

"Half an hour. But I don't feel good about this. We have to—"

He pulled Dylan's arm to stop his friend from walking away.

"Go home and tell everyone that we're stopping the evacuations. You have to go back to the pack."

"Jax—"

"I'm not sending anyone else into the Hunters' hands," he growled. "I have to do this. Go home and take care of my mate."

He turned and started to jog in the direction of the city.

"Jax! You can't go out alone!"

"Go home, Dylan. That's an order."

As the order rippled through the air, he let Cain take control as he shifted.

It was time he found out exactly what they were dealing with.