Flex muscles

“Why do they want me?!” I blasted.
“She still has to stand trial. They’re demanding it.”
“I didn’t do anything. They want to drag me out to a death pool in the middle of the night?” I fiddled with my fingers and paced to the window.
“Wait here, I’ll take care of this,” Dean said.
“No, what are you going to do?”
“Sort this out. No one’s putting you on trial. Gabe stay here with her.”
Gabe ran his tongue on the front of his teeth but didn’t say anything.
“Make sure she doesn’t leave.”
As much as I wanted to fight for my own fate but the thought of being dragged into a death pool paralyzed me. The door slammed and seconds later Gabe’s hand ran up my back.
“Dean’s going to take care of this.”
“So, what you trust me now?” I asked.
Gabe chuckled. He caught me off guard by tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Do you really give a fuck?”
“No, not anymore.”
“You’re clearly not going anywhere. So we have to learn to live with each other.” Gabe settled on the edge of the bed.
I nodded, “You’re right—” A blood curdling scream froze us both.
“What the hell—” Another yell stole the worlds from my mouth. Gabe was on his feet.
“Wait here,” He ordered.
I darted out the door after him. “I said wait in the room, Layla!” A mixture of male and female yells came from downstairs.
Something heavy hit the ground followed by a cry for help.
“You might need help let’s go.” I pushed Gabe aside and ran down the steps.
Others hide in the living room while a few betas stared at the closed kitchen doors from a distance. None of the betas said a word. Gabe slammed his foot through the door and stormed in. I followed after. I stopped dead at the sight of blood pooling on the floor and smeared on the walls. The stench of blood went to my head.
Crap.
“Dean?” I whispered. I scanned the bodies again, hoping he wasn’t one of the bodies faced down on the kitchen floor.
Bodies lay on the floor, by the sink, slumped against the cupboards The heavy object we heard crash was the kitchen aisle. It had been ripped from the stand and broken in two. I backed up.
“I told you to stay in your room,” Dean said.
He appeared from nowhere covered in blood and with rabid yellow eyes.
“What-what did you do?”
“You killed them all Dean,” Gabe said, inspecting the deceased body of an elderly man under the sin.
“I had to. Go upstairs… please,” Dean said to me.
I couldn’t pull my gaze from the blood on his hands and dripping from his mouth. His clothes were torn and stained. My heart rate accelerated. I couldn’t stay there a second longer.
I turned around and ran up the stairs. I was a soldier who had never been to real battle. That much blood was foreign to me. I wouldn’t get the red walls out of my mind for a while.
I ran to our room and retreated to our bed. I cradled my legs and willed my mind not to go back to my pack. If I went back to the night, the pack was invaded I would cry. Dean wasn’t a monster he had to have a reason for what he did. I couldn’t lie. It terrified me. The burst open and Dean walked in.
He changed his shirt and pants. He kicked the door shut and fixed his gaze on me. Thank goodness the blood was gone.
“I told you to stay here Layla,” he growled.
“Why did you do it?”
“I had no choice.”
“That doesn’t answer my question Dean.”
“You don’t need to know everything.”
“Stop it.”
“Stop what? Stop trying to protect you?”
“No,” I snapped. I jumped off the bed and marched up to his face. His sweet soapy scent made my knees weak but I remained strong. “Stop treating me like a child. I’m your mate.”
He ran a hand down his face and turned away from me. I grabbed the front of his shirt and made him face me.
“I’m your mate. We’re partners don’t treat me like I’m a little kid who can’t take care of herself. I’m a warrior too Dean.”
“Damn it Layla. You think I don’t know that?”
“Why did you kill them Dean?”
“Because I needed to. I don’t need elders in my pack anymore dictating my moves. The plan was always to kill them.”
I swallowed, “Weren’t you going to tell me?”
“No, because you didn’t need to know. I planned on killing them all the day of your trial. That way you would be safe and they would be gone.”
“Two birds with one stone? I could handle that. I’m a trained beta you know?”
“I know,” he grumbled.
“Then why do you do this? You lock me up, you order me around and you don’t tell me things.”
“That isn’t treating you like a child! I treat you like the only woman I’ve ever loved. I fucking love you Layla and I don’t want to lose you.”
Heat rushed to my face and I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Oh…”
Dean grabbed my shoulders and pulled me to his chest. He bore down on me for a second I thought he would kiss me.
“It feels like very minute I’m on the verge of losing you. I’ve already lost you. I had the scar to prove it. I’m not going to lose you again.”
“Dean…”
“Listen to me. I go crazy just thinking anything could get you. Now a Locus Lake’s after you? I’m losing my head. Nothing and no one could get to me before you came along now I’m vulnerable. Everyone knows I’ll rip off my right arm than lose you. I love you Layla.”
My heart nearly stopped from an overload of emotion. I slipped my arms around his waist and sniffled. “I love you too… I don’t want to lose you either.”
“Do you understand where I’m coming from now?”
I nodded. He stroked my hair for a while. We remained like that for what felt like hours until Dean picked me up carried me to the bed.
“You can’t keep locking me up and keeping things from me. I’m not a paper Luna. I’m a warrior.”
“I know. I promised to train you as well. Things got complicated. We can start again tomorrow.”
I grabbed his cheeks and pressed our lips together.
“Thank you. I intend on kicking your ass tomorrow.”
Dean barked out a laugh. “We’ll see about that.”
***
I landed on my back with a loud thud for the third time in succession. I panted and stared at the clear blue sky. My bones cried out for mercy and my muscles threatened to give up but I kept hearing my father’s voice in my head telling me to keep going then he appeared above me with a fat smirk.
“Ready to give up Little Wolf?”
“I’m…uh… just getting started.”
Dean smirked and held out his hand for me. I brushed him off and got to my feet. I hated to admit it but Dean was stronger and faster. He could pick me up like a rose and step on me with ease. I tried to give myself credit because I was up against The Alpha King but I needed to beat the best to feel good.
I wore a sports bar and leggings. Dean and I sparred in his private section. At least no one saw me get picked up and slammed on the ground by the King.
“Come here,” he grabbed my cheeks and kissed me.
“Hey, stop it.”
“You know you like it,” he said between kisses.
I gave in and wrapped my arms around his waist. “Let’s get back to work.”
He dipped his head to the side. “I never stopped.”
He grabbed my arm, twisted it and spun me so my back was to his front.
“Dean!”
“You let your guard down.”
“You started kissing me.”
“I know. I’m irresistible, but those are the things you’ll have to avoid if you’re going to make it into my army.”
“Ugh, do you really think something like that’s gonna happen in combat.”
“Fuck, I hope not. I’m the only one that gets to touch those lips.”
He released me and grabbed a towel from the bench.
“We’ll finish this later. I have a meeting with pack representatives. Apparently there’s something wrong with the water in a small section of the pack.”
“Is it serious?”
He cupped my cheeks and smiled. “No, I think the river needs cleaning.”
Dean captured my lips in a slow spine tingling kiss.
“Are you going to stay here?” He pressed our foreheads together.
“I’m going to see my friends.”
He pulled back and nodded. “Okay, let’s finish sparring early today. I need you tonight.”
My cheeks turned red. When would I stop being shy when it came to sex?
“Sounds like a plan.”
He kissed my forehead before walking off. My eyes lingered too long on his firm ass. I bit my bottom lip. I was certainly looking forward to tonight. Sam and Ginger would be at the base I hoped. Ginger was still depressed when I left but she did help Sam sneak into the dungeon so I hoped she was back to her old self.
The Gammas were training on the field when I got there but there was no sign of Sam and his glasses. The beta field was empty. I assumed they had gone out to the forest. I headed to the gym instead but before I got there a familiar friend emerged from the building near the gym. Her head turned and her gaze settled on me.
“You,” I said.
She smiled. “Layla, good to see you.”