Vicious Voice

“You’re not going to lay a hand on her,” Dean warned.
“Get used to the idea of not having her around. She should be dead.”
I swallowed. It dawned on me that I was facing the death sentence.
“You don’t get to decide what happens in my pack! Your pack’s laying in ruins.”
“Because of your bitch!”
“Gabe,” Dean said, grabbing his brother by the collar before unleashing a bomb of alpha power.
Gabe winced as he ground his teeth. He had it better. I stumbled and smashed my back against the wall.
“Layla?” He turned.
The door opened again as Killian walked through the door. His eyes crawled through my skin like a creature with a thousand legs. The feeling it invoked in me was as nasty as his sneer.
“Your orders, your highness?” He folded his arms behind his back.
“What? What’s going on?” I asked as I tried to raise myself.
“Your case got complicated,” Dean said.
“How?”
“Cora…” Dean stared at his brother.
“Your accuser is dead,” Gabe finished.
“Excuse me!” That got me to my feet fast.
I walked up to Dean but Killian got between us. He flashed his wolf. Two full pools of blood red light. My hand went to my uncomfortable chest. I backed up.
“Enough Killian. Layla wouldn’t hurt me.”
“We don’t know that. After all that’s happened. She could have killed the maid to shut her up. She already told us Layla attacked her.”
“I didn’t attack anyone. For goodness sake, I was in this room all day.”
“We don’t know that. Lyle wasn’t at your door you could have easily slipped out. This favours you more than anyone else.” Gabe said as he circled me.
I found Dean’s gaze. Fire burned in them as his brother moved around me. The veins popping out in his arms told me it took all his power not to reach out and pummel Gabe.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to keep her in this room. She should be in the dungeon,” Killian said.
“I don’t pay you to think, got it?” Dean warned.
If Dean turned on me now where did I go? The only other place I knew was Gabe’s pack. The downside of being shielded my whole life.
“Alpha I have to insist—” Killian started again.
“Out.”
“Dude,” Gabe frowned.
“I said out! Now.”
Gabe and Killian marched out of the room. Maybe Dean believed me. I was his mate there had to be some way for him to know I was innocent. We shared a bond. When I looked at him, I thought I saw hope. Dean turned and walked out.
I slumped on the bed. Crap.
***
*“You should have listened to me Layla, now everything you thought you had, is coming down.” A rumbling laugh echoed around me.
I stood in the centre at the bottom of a dark abyss. I stared above me and a red volcanic light circled above me. I felt no fear but all I felt was unnatural.
“Who are you?” My voice echoed.
“You know me darling. I can help you.”
“How? You can’t bring back my pack.”
“Worthless fools. If they gave me what I wanted the first time they would all be alive.”
“What?” I gasped.
“The Alpha King is a ruthless man. He killed his own father.”
I shook my head, “Dean isn’t like that.”
“I know all Layla. Now do you want to get out of here? You want to freedom? Follow my voice.”
The darkness parted like the red sea. My legs moved against my will. I got an incredible sense of déjà vu. My mouth glued shut and my eyes focused on the dim hall of the castle that materialized in front of me. Wake up Layla! I told myself. This was a dream and I needed to wake myself up.
“Just a few more steps. Follow me…” the feminine voice hissed.
Powerless to defy her I turned down the hall. What floor I was on I didn’t know. The doors were shut, but I know the open window with the lace curtain was my destination.
No, no wake up Layla.
“This is your way out my dear… see you on the other side.” A deep laugh surrounded me like a swarm of ravens.*
“Layla!”
“Stop!”
My eyes opened to see the concrete ground staring at me. I gasped and gripped the window frame.
“Oh my gosh,” I panted.
My nails broke as they dug in the wood. What the hell?
My left leg dangled outside a fourth story window.
“What the hell are you doing?” Dean blasted.
He hoisted me to safety and embraced me. My heart slammed forward and bruised my chest. Dean kissed my head vehemently.
“Why would you do that? Don’t do that to me.” He breathed out. “Lyle, shut the window.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
Lyle shut and locked the window.
“Fuck, Little Wolf, what were you thinking? Things haven’t gotten that bad.”
My hands trembled. It was a dream, though it actually happened. I would have fallen out of that window. That female voice wants me dead.
“No… I didn’t try to kill myself. I was dreaming. I think I was.”
“That sounds crazy Layla,” Dean hissed.
“It’s the same woman’s voice. I haven’t felt her for a while.”
“Fuck.”
Dean tightened his hold on me. Despite everything this was my safest place.
“What’s going on?” Gabe’s sleep filled voice startled me.
Dean grumbled and loosened his hold on me. I was the elephant in the room. I was the one building a rift between the brothers.
Gabe stood in plaid pyjamas pants without a shirt. His black hair fell over his forehead. He walked forward his muscles begging for attention with each step.
“Can’t we sleep in this house?” Gabe eyed Lyle by the window and then me cuddled in Dean’s arms.
“I don’t have time for your sarcasm. Go back to bed.”
“You’re not my dad.”
“My roof.”
“Oh fuck off.”
Dean pulled away and growled. “Come with me Lyle. Don’t move Layla.”
Lyle paused for a millisecond to cast me a warning glare before hurrying off with Dean. I wrapped my arms around myself. I rubbed my foot on the back of my bear calf. I had on an oversized shirt and shorts hidden by my dress shirt.
“Trying to run?” Gabe raised his brow.
“Leave me alone. I don’t have anything to say to you.”
“Why?”
I scowled. “You hate me. You don’t give a damn about a thing that comes out of my mouth.”
“That isn’t true!” He snapped.
For a second a vein popped out of his neck. He backed me into a wall. I trembled.
“I had feelings for you. If you hadn’t showed up Ginger would have been my chosen mate. I fell for you.”
I shuddered, “Dean—”
“Fuck him. I saw you first.”
He stroked his index finger on my cheek. I ducked under him, stumbled and slammed against the wooden wall.
“Even if I’m a spy? Or has your jealousy gotten the better of you?”
“The evidence against you is damning Layla. Your friend was killed by a Locus Lake.”
My jaw dropped. “Then why did you accuse me of doing it?!”
“The only time the Locus Lake appeared in any of our packs was when you showed up. For all we know you could be controlling in.”
“No,” I snapped.
“We don’t know that.”
“I think you need to get your act together because one minute you want me and the other you fucking hate me. Pick one.”
A smirk played on his lips. “Who says I can’t do both?”
“Gabe,” Dean growled. “Step away.”
I shut my eyes. Their smells in one confined space was driving me insane. Thanks to the window being shut their scents fought for dominance and my wolf got an overdose of pleasure.
Gabe straightened but didn’t move. “What are you going to do with her?”
Dean yanked me away from where I was rooted to the spot. He tucked me behind him and asserted dominance. It didn’t bash Gabe this time but it did scatter my brain.
“Stop,” I whimpered.
“Oh, sorry.”
“I’ll handle this alone. Layla’s my business.”
Gabe folded his arms, “She may have ruined my pack which makes her my business.”
“Doesn’t work that way brother.”
“Why? I can think of a few punishments for her,” the mischief Gabe’s voice set his brother off.
“Don’t you—” I grabbed the back of Dean’s shirt.
“Let’s go! We need to talk anyway.”
Dean draped his arm over my shoulder and turned me the other way. He took me back to our room. Dean was in his pyjamas but I didn’t know if he was in bed with me. The bed was only wrinkled on one side. That shattered my heart. Lexi’s venomous words came back to me. “Dean’s busy tonight…”
Our first adversary he went running back to his omega. Should I be thankful he even came after me? I hugged my trembling body. My mind went everywhere with endless scenarios of what would happen to me now. Dean sunk into the mattress. He placed his finger under my chin and brushed my cheek with his thumb.
“What happened?”
“Don’t touch me,” I moved away.
“Why not?”
I glared at him, “Are you going to tell me where you slept? Or should I guess? It won’t be that hard.”
Dean clenched his jaw, “I can’t be here. Not when you’re being investigated.”
“Oh yeah? If you really gave a damn that wouldn’t matter!” I shot up.
“I fucking know that.” He blasted as he rose. “I sat in my study for hours. I was on my way here when I saw you turn into the hallway. I spoke to you and you wouldn’t respond.”
“Stop—” He cupped my cheeks and squeezed.
“No, this is what you want to hear. Having a mate can make you vulnerable. You’re my fucking weak spot Little Wolf. My soul nearly left my body when you tried to climb out that damn window. I’m boarding it up myself tomorrow.”
“Dean—”
“Get it through your head Little Wolf. I’m mad about you but you broke me with every little lie you told me.”