Fight for Me

Later that night, as Nick sits in his office, deep in thought, he takes the business card out of his desk drawer. The card, that doctor craftily left behind on his desk the last time they were here.

He sighs deeply out of annoyance as he stares at the business logo in the corner of the card. Its outline of a Greek ‘b’ encircled in a pentagon, so reminiscent of the already faded lines on his palm where Layla had dr on just the previous night.

Nick knows now, the doctor has something to do with this. BioTech has something to do with this. The very company that is supposed to bring peace between their kind and humans. But the humans are using it as a front to attack them, probably trying to destroy them.

He crumbles the card in his hand, frustrated that this threat has been sprouting for almost two decades, - if he leads it back to the Michaelsons, as Sebastian mentioned.

Dr. Elizabeth Michaelson was known as an amazing medical practitioner, to humans and shifters. She was about to open a treatment centre for that very purpose, just as her husband, Harris Michaelson used his private law firm to fight for protection laws for supernaturals to be included in the constitution.

Their accidental deaths were just a few years back, but even then, Nick knew nothing would come of their supposed efforts. As much as he hoped for peace, an end to war between their kind, an end to bloodshed, to being used as a weapon, - hope is nothing but a lost cause for the weak. Or so his father always says.

And his father proved him right when he sent Nick on yet another one of his secret missions, -on the Michaelsons tracks. Courtesy of his father’s ever-present suspicions. That’s when Nick found them having secret meetings with hunter guilds, - shifters’ worst enemy.

It was obvious what Nick had to do.

And now he knows that BioTech is getting the formula for their so-called treatment drugs from Dr. Michaelson’s work, continuing where she left off. That they’re working with hunters, probably trying to start a war again. That they attack smaller packs, killing who they can and capturing the rest as test subjects. And now they’re expanding their tests to the general public of shifters, just watching how it affects them. Probably taking notes on how to ‘improve’ it.

The crack of wood drags Nick back to calm, as he sees the imprints of his fingers on his chair’s arm.

Nick gets up and pours himself a glass of brandy, hoping the bitter liquid would take some of the edge off.

He takes a huge gulp before focusing on the one thing that still has him full of questions. Layla.

She’s the only puzzle piece that doesn’t fit. But somehow does.

Why are mercenary shifters hunting her? Whoever is behind it, why are they trying to keep it a secret? Why is Layla trying to keep all of it a secret? Then there’s her mysterious backpack. How would she get a hold of so much money and so many passports? She’s an orphan, a drifter. More like a runaway now. Which means, she must have come from a background with money, and extensive resources.

But the one thing that has his mind bothered, is the slip up Blake had this morning when he spoke to Nick. Blake mentioned that he didn’t know Layla before his pack was attacked. Yet, when he got here with the other two shifters, they all said they’ve been looking for her since they escaped that underground prison. Which means they must have met her there.

But why would she be there? She’s too young to have been a doctor to help with the torturing. Unless,….she was the one being tortured.

Crack!!! The glass of brandy shatters in his hand at the thought. The lump in his chest appearing again squeezes his heart, seeming to force blood rushing through his veins, heating his entire body.

She must know something then. Something these people desperately want. And she’s doing whatever she can to get away from them.

Even if it means blackmailing an alpha to have her stay as his maid.

Nick gives a gentle smirk at the reminder of their acquaintance. Wondering how things would have been had they been different. If he didn’t have the burden of his bloodline’s responsibilities on his shoulders. If Layla didn’t have to continually run for her life. Would they have both said yes if they met then? Would he then have been able to fight for something he wanted for once?

Failing to keep his breath steady, he slowly exhales shakily, as he grips the front of his shirt in an attempt to grip the lump from his chest.

But there’s no denying it anymore. All that’s left is admitting it.

Nick knows the truth, - his truth. He knew it since the moment he got her sweet scent. Since he looked into those sky-blue eyes, his favourite colour. Since he felt her raven hair, which still begs to be touched. Since he first kissed her under the moonlight, and she kissed him back like she actually wanted nothing in this world but him.

He knew his dark and corrupted soul would only desecrate her bright and innocent one. And it would be selfish of him to even consider having her by his side.

But for just this one moment, he wants to think it possible, even if it’s just to himself, for himself. Just a glimpse of something else in his dark and lonely world. A glimmer, a light, - hope? Regardless of its lost cause.

- I want you to be mine, Layla - .