Fight for Me

As the full morning sun came, people started their day as Layla was looking for Margret.

Strange enough, Margret doesn’t call Layla to do house chores anymore. Every time Layla asks to help out in the house or in the kitchen, Margret rather intervenes saying her help is not necessary. At first she thought it was due to her lack of knowing how to work a mop, but now it just seems like Margret actually likes her, with how nice she's becoming.

All she figures is that her duties as personal maid to the alpha has come to an end. And Margret keeps giving her looks she’s not sure should be worrying her.

In fact, almost everybody’s behaviour around her is changing. Everyone was so suspicious and cautious of her since she arrived here unannounced. Which, she can’t really blame them for. But now, they're all rather friendly.

Even Rebecca has tuned down on her rude remarks with her. Now she just resorts to her annoyed looks at Layla.

But Layla's search through the massive castle has her running into a certain brother, with particularly longer brown hair and those sparkling brown eyes which always seems to brighten his smile. A brother she wasn’t really sure why she was still avoiding.

“Hi there, Layla.” He says with a worried tone.

“Oh, hi Anthony.” She says avoiding his eyes.

With a brief silence on the verge of becoming awkward, Anthony finally speaks, eager to know what it was that made her look at him that way, the night of the fight.

“Layla. Can we talk for a minute?” He looks desperate, though, he’s flashing that dashing smile of his again.

She can’t help but want to smile back, that she bites her lips before answering.

“Sure.” She gives a confused expression, not sure why that sounded awkward.

Following him into one of the outside gardens, she watches his tall back seem tense.

“Did I do something?” He spins around to face her.

“Huh?.......” She stares at him, a bit caught off guard, as she suddenly stops in her tracks as well. “N-no.”

“Then why won’t you look at me?” He takes a step closer, catching her attention.

Looking into his sad eyes, she knows she can’t stay mad at him. Especially not when he really didn’t do anything wrong. It still just hurt knowing that it was because of him that Samantha treated Cody so cruelly.

“I’m sorry, Anthony.” She hesitantly maintains eye contact with him, somewhat feeling guilty. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I was just,……going through a lot, and think I took it out on you too. I shouldn’t have. And I’m sorry for that.” She says with a stern voice but ends with a shaky and nervous breath.

“So,….does that mean we’re good now?”

Anthony knows there’s more to it, but he doesn’t want to push it. He just wants his friend back.

“Yeah. All good, if you don’t hold it against me.”

“Of course not.” He says with a huge smile she hasn’t seen in a while, and he pulls her into a tight hug.

They spent the next few minutes just talking in the garden. Anthony was excited to talk to her about Jason, and he got even more restless when he started asking her all sorts of questions about his mate, wanting to know even more.

Layla tried to give him advice on what he could do, especially relating to his stern father.

Just as they were about to part ways, Layla catches a familiar figure walking towards her.

“Hi, Blake?” She says in a question, not familiar with the sombre look on his face.

“Layla. I am leaving later today, and going back to my pack.”

Getting silence in return, he steps closer to her and takes her hands in his. “Are you going to come with me, or will you be staying here?”

“What?” She asks, still confused.

She knew this day was coming, but she didn’t think it would come this quick. She hadn’t even thought about it thoroughly. And why did he say ‘I’ and not ‘we’?

“Wait. What about Mike and Jason? Are they not coming?”

“No.” He responds gently. “Jason is staying and will accompany his mate back to his pack. He and his alpha-mate already discussed it. And Mike,……..” He sighs deeply. “Mike says he’s staying here in Blood Rose Pack to help fight against the hunters. Alpha Nicholas saw no reason to reject his offer it seems. And I need to return to my pack.”

He gives her hands a small squeeze reminding her to respond.

“This is-,….I-,…..” She struggle to find her words.

“Come with me Layla.” He says in a soft but deep tone.

But seeing the almost sad and desperate look in his eyes, the deep guilt inside her hints at her of what his words actually mean.

“Blake?” She looks down at their conjoined hands.

“Do you want to stay?” She looks up at him. “Is it because of him? The alpha.”

Her eyes go wide at his revelation.

How did he know?

“What? What are y-,….what do you mea-“

“I see the way you look at him. In fact, he seems to always be looking for you too. It’s clear you two aren’t just strangers. And you definitely aren’t friends.” He sighs as he rubs his thumb over the back of her hand.

“I always wished you’d look at me that way.” Blake thinks to himself of how the two of them always share these looks like they have an understanding, like they trust each other.

He knows Layla is keeping something from him, but he always thought with time she’d tell him. And now he and his wolf feel threatened for having her attention move to another wolf, an alpha no less. His urge to fight, to dominate and stake his claim kept him from sleeping last night.

“But that doesn’t mean I’m giving up on you.” He pulls her closer and against his warm body. “The only way I’ll give up, is if I’ve tried everything to keep you and still lose you.”

He gently brushes a loose strand of her raven hair behind her ear and cups her face. He smiles when she doesn’t pull away from his touch.

“We can be great together.” Hearing her breath hitch and her heartbeat racing, he knows she’s nervous. “But I won’t push you.”

He releases her hands and takes a step back from her.

But she’s quick to cut the gap as she steps forward. She jumps on her toes and wraps her arms around his broad shoulders as she kisses him. A soft but firm kiss that gets Blake to reciprocate quickly, enjoying the feel of her warm lips on him. He envelopes her in his arms, deepening the kiss.

But it stops as soon as it began, as Layla hesitantly pulls back from him. With both of them almost gasping with shaky breaths, she looks up at him with an intense shy blush.

“I wanted to know what it would feel like,….to kiss you.”

He raises a brow, keeping his hold on her. “And?”

She curtly nods her head as her smile turns mischievous. “I like it.” She pulls back, trying to stand on the soles of her feet again. “Let's take it slow then?” She tries to sound firm.

“Of course.” He says with a smirk.

“Then yes………I’ll go with you.” She gives him another, but slow kiss.