78. Chapter 78

Chapter 78

" W hat's this?"

Jax looked at the envelope in front of him with the Circle's seal. The last time he received one of those, they'd summoned him and Layla to stand trial.

He looked up at Hugo, sitting at the end of his conference table with Keith and frowned. If they thought they could punish him for defending his pack, they could think again.

"You're not going to sit at my table and tell me that piece of shit deserved to live, are you?" he growled.

Hugo shook his head.

"No, of course not, Your Majesty," he said. "That's just a formal apology from the Circle, acknowledging our mistakes. And we'd like to welcome the Queen and her family into your pack."

"They don't need your shitty welcome," Ryker snapped.

Hugo flinched and looked at Ryker, who was sitting opposite him. Out of everyone, the Alpha of the Night Walkers was the least agreeable about the new partnership. If anyone knew how to hold grudges, it was Ryker. He wouldn't be surprised if he managed to string one of them up in his basement.

"I agree. I don't trust you. You find three red wolves, and suddenly, you're bending over backwards for us," Brax stated.

"More like letting us fuck them however we want," Ryker grunted.

Chase chuckled as he took the envelope and opened it without permission. When Cole had been alive, that would have been a wrong move. All such letters used to have a dose of black magic, and if anyone other than the intended recipient tried to open the letter, they got a nasty surprise.

"What, and a ball in their honour, too?" Chase asked.

Cain immediately went on full alert. It had only been a few months since Nia returned, so the over-protectiveness was still an issue.

"No chance," he said quickly. "Now tell me what I want to hear."

Hugo sighed and pulled out his paperwork. It wasn't the end of the matter. Hugo had a massive boner for Layla even before the events of that night. He wanted to know everything about her.

"You were right. No one had seen Cole shift. He never ran with his pack; out of all the branches, his team had the most contact with witches," Hugo confirmed. "The same covens that helped the Hunters. We detained his second and third, and they admitted they knew what he was doing but kept out of his way because he promised them safety."

"I knew that piece of shit was a traitor," Dylan growled.

"We should have kept him alive longer. He should have begged for his death," Gavin spat out.

"Nah. It was much more fun to watch that way," Chase said.

It was more fun to kill Cole that way.

"When are you getting your new team member?" he asked Hugo.

Hugo and Keith exchanged glances before the new kid sat up straight and spoke.

"We're being more thorough with the interviews so we don't make another mistake," he said.

Lincoln had been a colossal mistake but had been the strongest of them. Hugo would probably take over as the First—which would work out for all the packs in his territory, but he wouldn't get involved in that decision. They were officially independent of the Circle and their bullshit.

"Yes, we're concentrating more on the Hunters. I can officially declare that the West regions are Hunter-free," Hugo said proudly.

Ryker snorted again. The Circle had officially declared war on the Hunters as if the revolution had been their idea all along. Ryker had issues with that as well.

"Well, if you..."

His voice trailed off when the sweetest scent hit his nose.

"Alpha?" Gavin prompted.

The scent wrapped around him and tightened his skin. It felt like a lover's touch, stroking every inch of him and hardening his dick.

"Dylan, you're in charge. Take care of Hope. Everyone else, go home," he growled before shooting out of his chair and jogging out of the conference room.

The scent led him up the stairs as if physically pulling him to the top floor. And when he opened his bedroom door, his gaze went straight to the bed.

Layla was naked and on her back, a sheen of sweat covering her body. Just like the first time she went into heat. But unlike the first time, his mate didn't wait for him. She'd already buried her fingers in her sleek heat, and her back arched off the bed to aid them.

He closed the door and locked it without taking his eyes off her. Then he walked slowly to the foot of the bed. The first time Layla had touched herself, she'd driven him crazy enough to mark her. His mouth watered as he watched her fingers slide in and out of her. They were moving slowly, but this was just the beginning. Layla would drive both of them delirious with need before the day was out.

"Jax," she whispered, and then she fell apart. Her body trembled as her throaty moans filled the room.

His eyes hooded and remained on the slickness between her legs. Layla only caught her breath for seconds before she pressed her thighs together and curled her toes. It was starting again.

"Fuck me, Jax," she moaned.

His clothes felt too tight. It took him seconds to pull them off, but he remained at the foot of the bed, watching as his mate became feverish with need. Her lust mixed with his until nothing mattered except satisfying Layla's needs.

When another orgasm racked her, he groaned and wrapped his fingers around his dick. He was harder than concrete, and precum was already dripping when he started to pump himself.

"No," Layla protested when she opened her eyes and saw what he was doing.

She rushed off the bed and knelt in front of him. His dick was down her throat before he could refuse her. This wasn't about him. He was supposed to take the edge off Layla's heat, not fuck her pretty little mouth. And yet when she hollowed her cheeks and took him deep down her throat, he didn't protest. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he fought the urge to hold her down. He watched his dick slide in entirely and then out. Felt her hands cupping him, gently squeezing him.

But seconds before he shot his load, she released him with a slight smirk on her lips. She returned to the bed, went on all fours on the edge, and then turned her head slightly to look at him. Her eyes were glowing, burning with the fire that infected them both. She looked sexy as fuck.

"Fuck me, Jax," she repeated.

As if he could have held out any longer. He slid into her swiftly, and her breath hitched as he stretched her. She lowered her torso to allow him to go deeper and moaned his name before he even moved. Her muscles tightened around him before she started to twitch.

"Fuck," he groaned.

She hadn't been that strong that first time. He leaned in deeper and closed his eyes, calling on his beast to help him keep control. He had to hold on. This was a long game, and pacing himself was just as crucial as ensuring Layla was satisfied.

He moved, and immediately Layla started to moan again.

Hold out? No, that wasn't happening. As he lost his head and thrust deeper and deeper, he almost laughed at himself for thinking there was any part of this that he could control. Layla's emotions took him over, hurtling him head-first into the delirium that already gripped her. He came inside her with a roar, coating her walls with his cum while she milked him for all he was worth.

The second time he came, she was riding him from the top. Layla threw her head back and desperately tried to ease the heat in her core. His chest was already beautifully marked by her nails. He sat up and pushed her hair aside as she called out his name, trailing his lips along her collarbone until they found his mark. He licked it gently before he latched on.

Lightning struck. His mind exploded. Layla's body trembled as if someone had sent electricity down her body. He pressed her down onto him and continued to coat her walls as she screamed his name.

Not for the first time since she returned home, he mentally gave himself a round of applause because he soundproofed the room. The last thing he wanted was to explain to Hope why her mother screamed his name like that. Over and over.

He lost count of how many times Layla reached for him. And every time, everything was more frantic. More animalistic. Just more. He loved every second of it.

After what seemed like a lifetime, the fog cleared. They ended up on the floor next to the bed with Layla sprawled on top of him. Her hair covered her face, and sweaty strands of it covered his. He didn't bother trying to lift his hand to brush it aside. He had no energy left to do that.

Layla took everything he had to give her until he was a shell of himself. His body was sore, and his skin was on fire. There were marks on him as if he'd been in battle.

Excruciating.

But still so worth it. There was no better place to be than inside Layla Carlisle, soon to be Layla King. He would make her his in every way possible.

"What are you thinking about?"

His smile widened when he heard her sleepy voice.

"I don't want to say it out loud, or I'll jinx it," he answered.

Layla didn't question him any further, and she didn't move. By the sound of her breathing, she had drifted back to sleep.

"I love you, Layla Carlisle," he whispered.

*SIX MONTHS LATER*

Jax loaded the car before he walked around the house to the training fields. They were some newly shifted wolves that Dylan was training and a couple looked strong enough to spar with Britney. His sister-in-law was excited, but she was probably the only one. No one wanted to train with a lethal red wolf.

He stopped next to Layla and put his arm around her waist. Layla smiled at him, which always set his mood right for the rest of the day. His mate was the most beautiful woman in all the territories, especially now. She was glowing. His hand lowered to the bump on her stomach, and his heart warmed again. After their rocky start, he never expected to feel so complete.

"We're ready."

He looked back at Brit and Hope, already waiting by the car with Rebecca. He couldn't tell who was more excited—the kids or his mother-in-law.

Once they were on the road, Rebecca quietened and masked her emotions. She was taking a big step, and none of them could blame her for keeping everything private. The trip to the other side of town took over an hour, and once the car pulled up the driveway of the neat little house, Gerald came out as if he had been waiting at the door.

Brit and Hope ran to him first. And then Rebecca took a breath before she followed.

A small smile played on Layla's lips as she watched them. There was still some healing to do, but he believed they would all get there.

He took his wife's hand and brought it to his lips.

The curse was once the worst thing to happen to him, but he couldn't imagine it any other way now. Layla and Hope were the silver lining in that dark cloud. He had no regrets. He would do it all over again if it meant all his people were free and happy.

****