~Kade’s POV~
”You need to stress down,”
”How?” I said and saw Anna jump back from my raised voice. My blood was boiling and my nerves were jumping around like crickets in a field. This hadn’t happened before, never in my life had I been this disoriented and unfocused. I needed Layla back.
”Honestly though, what did you think was gonna happen?” Cara was staring at me with a befuddled expression and her eyebrows were hunched together like they did when she was angry. Only she was better at hiding her anger than I was.
”What do you mean?” She scoffed and looked back over her shoulder at Danielle sitting outside the office talking to some pack members.
My office was sound proof but as though she knew we were talking about her Danielle turned her head and smiled as she looked at me.
Her rosy cheeks blushed even more and I remember her sitting there waiting for me when I had meetings.
She would throw me a glance every now and then I couldn’t wait for the meetings to be over so that I could go and grab her but it was different now. I didn’t feel an urge to be with her, the bond was still there of course but there was a reason for that. Danielle and i never properly rejected each other. She just left one day and the bond grew weaker, I felt it when I was with Layla, how I could never truly commit to her and the bond as I should’ve.
”What did you think was going to happen when you let Danielle stay here?” I sighed and leaned back against the desk.
”I don’t know, I wasn’t thinking. She came back, you know,” I said and looked through the glass at her profile.
”Yes but the problem isn’t that she came back, it’s that you accepted her in. You pushed Layla aside and made room for another woman, for your ex.”
”You guys were just as happy to see her!” I was getting defensive and Cara laid her head on her shoulder and frowned.
”We weren’t in love with her and she isn’t our mate.”
”You need to talk to her,” Mason said but no, I didn’t.
”I need to find Layla.”
~Sebastian’s POV~
I was pacing around the pack house waiting for my father to finish up with the meeting and I was growing more and more impatient with each passing second that the door did not open.
It clicked and creaked as they walked out and I turned, fumingly I stared at them and walked over.
‘did you do it? Did you find her?” I asked and my father seethed.
”No, we didn’t. How could you be so stupid to let that girl go?”
”I didn’t know what she was! Find her and bring her back here!”
My father sighed and shook his head. He looked past me and I saw his demeanor changing. He nodded to his friend, Alexandria, and he went into the office. People were piling into the house pushing and shoving as the chefs served the food.
‘hey watch out, dickhead!” Jackson looked at me and tossed his head.
”Come on let’s eat!”
”I’m busy.” I looked back at my father and he gestured for the door.
”Let’s talk in here.”
The door closed and my mom sat on the chair looking at her diamond bracelet and playing with the rings on her fingers. Anything shiny caught her attention more than a fight ever could.
”i want her back!”
”It’s not that easy, son. We first need to find her.”
”And then what? Are you gonna kidnap her? Alpha Kade will never allow that,” Alexandria said and glared.
Everyone was looking at my father who stood stale in his spot.
”Layla is no longer with Alpha Kade. I have gotten word that she left, we don’t know how to find her. She’s gone.” My blood froze in my veins and I felt my face heating up.
”I don’t care if it takes weeks. Tell all our warriors to get out there and find her! I don’t want them back before they do!”
”Sebastian, we can’t leave the pack unprotected.”
”I don’t care! She’s mine and I want her back!’ my mom rose her head for the first time since we walked in.
”Oh honey but why? She’s nothing special and honestly she’s not that pretty and she has no money. What do you see in her?” It took every ounce of restraint I had not to lash out and scream bloody murder in her face.
”She’s an Emberclaw, mom. She has abilities, powers, she’s valuable and with her by my side nobody would ever touch this pack.” She scoffed and turned back to her bracelet.
”She’s a freak you mean,” she said.
”I want her, threaten the family, start a search, I don’t care. Just bring her back!”
”Son, we believe she may be with the Emberclaws and if that’s true than she’s untouchable. If we go in alone we’re doomed.”
”Get Alpha Kade on the phone.” Alexandria said. It looked in his eyes like he had a plan and it better work.
~Kade’s POV~
I hung up the phone and looked at Anna. Her brows furrowed and her blue eyes turned dark.
”Why the hell does Sebastian want to find Layla?” Mason asked.
”She’s an Emberclaw, he wants power.” Anna scoffed and shook her head. Her eyes were now pitch black and her wolf was rising and growing angry.
”No. Sebastian’s a man-child. He wants what he can’t have and as soon as you walked in and claimed Layla, he wanted her back. Her being an Emberclaw only makes it worse because now he’ll have help from his father and their contacts to get her. Now they want her power and he wants her as his mate and Luna. Sebastian won’t stop until he gets her, he’s used to getting his way and this time will be no different. Even if it means sending every warrior they have into their deaths.”
Fuck.
The door opened up and Danielle poked her head in.
”Sorry to disturb but I was wondering if you guys wanna grab some dinner?” She asked and everyone stared at her. Anna was growling lowly and her wolf was front and center but it didn’t look like it bothered Danielle in the least.
”No, we’re good.’ She smiled and nodded her head but her eyes pierced mine.
”Maybe we can talk later?’ Anna turned her gaze on me and though she’s sweet and bubbly and normally wouldn’t hurt a fly, Anna was strong and her wolf had strength like our best warriors.
”Probably not, I have a lot on my mind right now.” Danielle walked in and closed the door behind her softly.
She walked over to me and dragged her fingers over the desk.
”That’s why we should talk, it always helped clear your mind before.” I grabbed her hand just as she was about to touch me and held it back. Though I have to admit it took a lot for me to hold her at a distance. It was probably the memories of what we’d had together, the life we shared and the bond that was still very much there. But despite all of this I still wanted Layla back. I knew I couldn’t have two mates but part of me desperately wanted to invited Danielle back in again.
