Fight for Me

Layla rushes up the stairs towards the private entertainment rooms, forcing herself to calm down.

What is he doing to me? Why is he the only one that makes me feel this way? When I couldn’t feel anything, I could only feel his touch. And when my feeling came back, which I suspect was because of him, I’ve been feeling nothing but pain, loneliness and just cold for these past few months. And the second I’m in his arms again, it’s like none of that ever existed. Uuuggghh. It’s this damn mate bond.

But she can't even dare herself to think about rejecting him officially to cut their mate bond. she'll rather just avoid it for as long as she can, before he tries to do it again.

Her thoughts has her stop in her tracks as she realizes something.

Wait. That must be how he found me in the woods that night. Even if I hide my scent, he can still sense me through the bond.

She hears a loud thud from the door she was approaching, - Esteban’s reserved room. But with the loud music roaring downstairs, one would almost not be able to hear anything going on upstairs. And she can only imagine why.

The halls are filled with unconcerned people, clearly more interested with what they’re about to get busy with inside their own rooms.

Another thud is heard, and she reaches for the thin but bedazzled silver head chain on her hair. She unties it and wraps one end around the palm of her hand as she gets ready to enter the room.

Layla quickly grabs a bottle of Tequila Ley from a nearby table stacked with various bottles of alcohol. Surprised by how heavy it feels, she takes a deep breath as she wraps her hand around the door knob.

Entering the room, she says seductively, “I came ready for you.”

But the sudden eerie silence in the room has her fake smile dropping. The wide windows fully open, sending a cold breeze blowing through the room.

“Hello?” She asks as she walks further into the room, closing the door behind her, and tightening her grip on the chain.

Making her way to the large leather couch in the middle of the room, she hears an odd gurgling sound. Taking a few more steps, she sees someone lying on the ground behind the couch. And looking down at his face, she gasps when she sees Esteban on the floor, gurgling on his own blood as he holds his bloodied stomach.

She rushes to him as she removes his hand from his stomach to look at the damage, careful to not let the silver chain in her hand touch him.

It’s bad. Really bad.

She looks up trying to find something that could maybe help, but then she spots two mangled bodies lying in the far distance. The two men that came with him.

Looking back down at Esteban she sees his eyes becoming drowsy.

“No, no, no, no. Not now.” She grabs his cheek and shakes his head. “Stay awake.” She practically begs.

But it’s clear he’s struggling to keep focus.

“Tell me. Tell me what you know about Captain Graden,….of the hunters.”

Esteban looks at her confused, but with brief realization on his face, he curses under his breath.

“Tell me! Where is he?”

Esteban chokes on more blood, sending a few droplets staining Layla’s face.

“It’s you.” He mutters softly, she leans down trying to hear clearly what he has to say. “He knows,……….They’re coming,……for you.”

He coughs a few more times before the door swings open, and she finds herself shoved against one of the walls, gripped by the throat.

Seeing the fury in Nick’s eyes, she can’t help but feel the need to explain that this wasn’t her doing. Even though she did say she came to kill him, she never intended for the other men to get hurt as well. And definitely not this brutal.

“Ni-“

But before she can get a word out, he pulls her to the large bookshelf and pushes it open.

A hidden connecting door.

He closes it behind them and shoves her against the wall again, trapping her between him and the wall behind her.

“Ni-“ He covers her mouth with his large hand and a soft growl.

Crap. He’s really angry. What should I do?

She grips the chain tighter, but before she can even throw her punch, he grips her wrist and holds it firmly above her head. She flails, trying to get out of his hold, but he pushes his body firmly against hers that she’s stuck against the wall.

She can hear the bustling outside as the party continues. Sure that it would probably be a while before someone noticed what was happening.

She gives Nick a daring look.

If he’s going to hurt me, he might as well just get it over and done with. It’s not like he’ll be the first or the last.

He suddenly removes his hand from her mouth. And before she can get another word out, he crashes his mouth onto hers.

She gasps from the shock, but can’t help enjoy the heat he’s spreading through her again. She kisses back, hoping this moment could last a little longer, even if it will just be in her memory of him.

Nick releases a deep growl that vibrates against her whole body, she can’t help but moan into his mouth as he deepens the kiss.

He glides his hand up her naked thigh as he pulled up her knee and around him.

Nick continues his rough and possessive kisses, and growls the moment his fingers find the strap of her thong. Layla can feel his smile as if relieved, but his growl makes her think otherwise as his fingers hook into her strap.

The door to the room abruptly opens and the intruder annoyingly turns away. “Nothing here.”

Layla pulls from the kiss and looks at the empty open doorway, noticing the bustling getting a little more restless. And she realizes.

“Leave.” She looks at Nick as he orders her.

Confused, she continues to look at him, waiting for an explanation or something as she hears commotion coming from the room next door.

But he steps back, releasing her.

“Leave. Now.”

She rushes out, realizing what all the commotion is about.

They must have smelt all the blood.

Whether this death is on her or not, she needs to leave now if she doesn’t want to get her cover blown.

Just as she reaches the doorway, she briefly looks back to find him looking back with a look in his eyes that she can’t make out.

She turns and rushes down the hallway just as Nick makes his way down the opposite end of it, towards the crowding shifters. Both running further away from the other.