73. Chapter 73

Chapter 73

L ayla smoothed her summer dress and adjusted the straps before she took a fortifying breath. Not that the expensive clothes would make a difference. Compared to how vibrant she'd looked when Nia manifested, she looked like crap now. No amount of makeup could hide the bags under her eyes or how lifeless her eyes had become. And she couldn't tame the frizz, no matter what she did. She'd tied her hair up in a puff— the same style she used to have before she'd met Jax.

She tilted her head to see the angry red mark on her neck.

Her stomach churned, almost bringing up the few bites of food she'd managed to eat. Images of her night with Jax returned, and her nostrils flared. What did he think would happen now? The bite wasn't healing as it did the first time; it was starting to look infected.

Jax poisoned himself for nothing.

She ripped out the hair band and the millions of pins holding her hair up and fluffed her hair, covering the mark again. No one else needed to know what Jax did. They would find out by themselves soon enough.

There was a gentle knock on the bathroom door.

"Miss Layla? Are you okay?"

She closed her eyes and mentally counted to ten. With Nia, she had taken things like privacy for granted. She could no longer shield her emotions.

"I'm fine," she lied.

With a last look in the mirror, she opened the door and smiled at Faith. Her roommate for the day.

It was long past breakfast time when they drove up to the house after dropping Gerald off at a secure motel. The training fields had been fuller than she had ever seen, and their drills looked more intense. As if they were still training for war. It hadn't been just the warriors training but other pack members. And other packs, it seemed. Chase and Ryker were among them, already sweaty as if they had been going at it hard.

And she recognised some of the wolves. She had seen them in the cages around her.

They all stopped to stare when Jax stopped the car. She couldn't tell if they were happy to see her or if they despised her. Did they still think she was a traitor?

It was clear from how they all turned back to their training that Jax ordered them to stop. Jax led her into the house and told her their room wasn't ready because he had given it up to some of the kids they rescued. Faith was the one to come forward and tell her she could rest in her room.

"They'll be here soon. Are you ready?" Faith asked.

And the young woman smiled the same smile she'd always had before being kidnapped. How was it that Faith seemed to be okay? She was in the cages longer; she saw more of the Hunters' depravity. And being so empathetic, she would have felt more. So how did the young girl still walk around as if everything was still the same?

"Yes," she lied.

Her emotions were all over the place. Would Hope sense that something was different? What about Britney? How would she have that conversation with her, that she was uprooting her life again? There was no way to get ready for that.

Faith smiled at her again and started walking out of her room. Her mother sat at a corner table, reviewing some paperwork. She smiled up at her briefly before going back to her work. Faith and her mother were the only ones she interacted with since that morning. Grace had pulled her into a tight hug, and her eyes were teary when she welcomed her home, but the two women hadn't talked about the Hunters.

Faith's room was on the second floor of the packhouse, and it seemed all the rooms along the hallway were full of wolves. She couldn't hear or smell them, but the dead silence that filled the house as she walked was telling.

"Everyone will be back tonight," Faith said as they walked down the stairs. "We've housed the rescued wolves who wanted to stay; some have moved to the Dark Moon Pack with Alpha Chase. With everything going on, most people wanted to stay close to you and Alpha Jackson."

She ignored the implication that the wolves still relied on her and concentrated on the rest of Faith's revelation. Everything going on? Did the Hunters breach their territory? The Circle? Was it really safe for the kids to return?

She had so many questions but no right to ask them.

"We're preparing all the rooms, and tomorrow, we'll have a welcome home party," Faith continued. "I think things will finally start getting back to normal."

Faith continued to babble as they walked out of the packhouse when the sun began to set. And then she stopped, a big smile lighting up her face.

"They're coming," Faith said. "Will you be alright?"

"Of course. Go," she answered with a smile.

Faith ran down the steps and headed for the gate. A group of people were already waiting there. She couldn't sense their emotions or see that far to judge them, but even without Nia, the excitement in the air was almost palpable.

She smoothed her dress again and sat on the top step. It had been hours since Jax left her with Faith and walked back out of the packhouse, and she didn't really want to see him after what he did. But her heart still yearned for him. She wanted him next to her when their daughter came back home.

"Why were you hiding all day?"

She almost jumped when she heard Dylan's voice behind her.

"I wasn't hiding. I was resting," she lied.

Dylan snorted and sat next to her.

She looked up at the man who was once her biggest enemy. She noticed he looked different, though he wasn't looking at her. He was leaner, almost as if all he did was train and fight.

"Have you been alright?" Dylan asked.

"I should be asking you that. You look exhausted."

"No more than anyone else," Dylan shrugged. "We did what we had to do. The only thing we could do."

"Did the Hunters come back?" Did they look for her after what happened at the base? Her biggest fear was that she put everyone else in danger.

"No. We went after them. We lit the fire that started the revolution," Dylan said, finally meeting her gaze.

And in his eyes, she saw a man who went through too much. Would they all be like that? Would they all have traumas to heal?

"Don't worry about me," Dylan said with a little smile as he nudged her with his shoulder. "I don't think you will find anyone here who regrets what we did."

"Did you... did you lose people?" she whispered.

The smile left his lips.

"A few."

Dylan picked imaginary lint off his jeans and then looked at the people at the gates.

"But everyone agrees that life will be easier for our kids now. They will know how to defend themselves if the Hunters ever regroup," Dylan said.

The gates started to slide open, and the excited chatter from the gates became louder.

"It's a new start, Layla. And you're a vital part of that, so don't pull that disappearing shit again," Dylan said gruffly before standing.

He offered her his hand and helped her to her feet.

"Take care of your kid and mate," he continued. "Be happy. Jax went through a lot so you two could have that."

How much did Jax confide in his friend about the foolish plan to bite her again? Somehow she didn't think Dylan would have approved when it meant their king would no longer be a king.

The first truck came through the gates, and all her worries disappeared. Whatever came, whatever Fate decided to throw at them again, it was a miracle that there was still a home for the kids to return to.

The truck stopped, and Jax was the first out of the passenger seat. He met her gaze before he turned and reached inside. A pair of chubby little arms wrapped around his neck.

Her heart started to hammer, and tears flowed down her cheeks when father and daughter turned to face her. A big smile formed on Hope's chubby little face, and her emerald eyes twinkled. The little girl held out her hands and called, "Mama!"

Her vision blurred as she raced down the steps and took her little girl from Jax. She couldn't stop the sobs, the tears of joy when Hope's arms tightened around her neck. Moments later, Jax embraced them both, kissing the tops of their heads and whispering that he loved them. It was the embrace she dreamt of for months.

"Save some for me."

At the sound of Britney's voice, she looked over Hope's head and saw the beaming smile on her sister's face. When Brit ran over, she hugged her with her free hand, raining kisses all over her face. Sobs mixed with laughter.

Her family was safe. They could finally move on from all of this and start healing.

She stopped kissing Britney and held her away to inspect her body. No bruises or scars, no missing fingers. And Brit's eyes were twinkling. She was happy.

"I'm okay," Brit said with a smile before she let her go and walked to the group of people waiting near the truck.

Right next to Josh. Josh couldn't stop the redness that appeared on his cheeks. Well! She saw that one coming.

"I told you he wouldn't keep it in his pants," Jax said with a growl.

She nudged Jax when Josh lowered his gaze.

"It has nothing to do with you," Brit snapped, linking her arm through Josh's in a familiar way that suggested they probably sorted out their differences the second they left Jax behind.

"Brit," Josh whispered.

Brit rolled her eyes like a typical teenager and lowered her gaze. She must have learned the rules in her time away.

It was a little worrying but comforting at the same time. Josh would have cared for Britney as promised, but what would happen once everyone else realised Brit was human?

Jax grunted in amusement and put his arm back over her shoulder.

The other cars stopped and more children ran out of the trucks. Max and his sister ran straight to their mother, and Jax's rescued children stood with Josh and Britney. They were nothing like the scared little kids they were when they left. They had filled out, and they beamed up at Josh and Britney. Even the older boy who'd protected the younger ones. They seemed to have formed a bond while they had been together. Brit fit in with them perfectly.

Her heart settled as she kissed Hope's cheeks again. The grounds filled with parents welcoming their children back and the sounds of laughter that she hadn't heard in what felt like a lifetime.

Including Britney's. Brit wasn't scared, even though she knew what everyone around her was. She looked confident. Did she look... different? There was something about her sister that wasn't the same.

Brit looked back at her and smiled again. Maybe having a boyfriend changed her. Would they have to have ‘the talk' about sex and boys?

Jax's arm stiffened on her shoulders.

"This is going to be fun," he muttered.

"What?"

Jax looked down at her.

"Nothing. Let's go and settle the girls inside. I'm sure everyone wants to rest now."

She didn't need Nia to know it wasn't ‘nothing'.