Fight for Me

With the awkward silence drifting through the air, one by one, everyone starts grabbing pants to put on.

Seeing Tristan approach with Melinda, Nick looks between his brothers and Blake. With everyone in one place, he takes the chance to address them all.

“It is time for you to leave. Brothers, you have long overstayed your welcome.”

Nick knew from the beginning that his brothers’ stay would surpass a so-called weekend. But the time for family reunions has long past. He needs to get order back into his pack.

The silence continues.

Blake takes a step forward, trying to get closer to Layla’s still and bloody body.

“Don’t.” Nick commands, getting him a suspicious look from Blake.

They all hear the rustling of dead leaves and breaking twigs as Tyler and Ben show up to the crowd, almost breathless.

Nick turns to the new arrivals, who clearly came as soon as their alpha summoned them. Neither having enough time to properly take in the sight of Layla’s bloody body and Samantha’s headless one not that far from them.

“Ben, Micah. Escort my brothers and our guests off of our pack’s property.”

He’s barely done speaking when more rustling is heard.

Mike and Rebecca make their presence known, as they too wonder what is happening with this small crowd.

Rebecca’s breath hitches, as she sees her once-friend’s headless body lying among the crowd as well. It was such an odd friendship to begin with. The only thing they really bonded on was their annoyance for Layla. But her incessant pestering, which had gotten Rebecca in the bad-books as well, made it clear that Samantha wasn’t a good influence at all. But Rebecca stayed and tried to protect her, because she realized that Samantha was just a child that wanted and needed attention. She somewhat pitied her. But for her to have met such an end, such a punishment, could only mean she did something to infuriate Nicholas. And seeing Layla’s body, she can already guess what.

Mike instantly shifts, seeing the dead silence of the crowd, and Layla. But Tyler is quick to stop him from approaching any further.

“Get off of me.” He tries shoving Tyler off of him. His anger is just building at seeing Blake just standing there, not doing anything, when Layla’s body is just lying there behind alpha Nicholas. What’s more, is that Jason is silently crying on the other end, not doing anything either.

“Get off!!.... What’s going on?!” He turns to Blake as he realizes this Beta is stronger than he looks.

“She’s dead.” Blake says bluntly.

Mike release a deep growl, of anger and annoyance. Of course he can see that. But why?!

“Enough!” Nick gets Mike’s attention as well. “You all need to leave.” He nods at Ben and Micah.

“What?” Mike mumbles out, as he sees Nick kneeling down in front of her body again.

Nick once again looks over her body. Through the blood splatters, he can see the wound already completely sealed. In fact, there’s not a scratch on her. But she’s still not waking up.

It’s taking longer than it did last time.

“If we’re leaving, we’re taking her with us.” Mike announces, as he sees Blake still not doing anything.

Nick snarls at him, but Mike is too busy snarling at Blake.

Jason speaks up. “Yes. She is one of us.”

Nick looks at the teary-eyed man beside his brother, and sees nothing but sincerity. He wonders if their loyalty to Layla will also flip like a switch if they heard the old man’s rumours of her, - like Blake did.

Gggrrhhh!!! Nick growls out of annoyance, just thinking of him. –A man he almost thought he could consider as someone respectable, and perhaps even a friend. An agreeable opponent, -for Layla.

But then, Blake speaks again. “She’s not one of us. She lied to us, about who she is. About everything.” It burns his ego, realizing she never needed him, the way she made him believe she did. Especially if everything that old man said was true. But the truth still remains, that she could have brought these hunters to his pack as well. Even when she knew he was just trying to create a home for them all. He feels betrayed, for her having taken his dream as a joke. “She’s a traitor.” He says under his breath, but loud enough for shifters to hear.

Nick releases a louder and deeper growl than before, which is practically vibrating off of the tree trunks.

“She didn’t betray you. She chose you. You were the one that betrayed her trust.” Nick grunts out, and is now more eager to keep her from him.

But suddenly, Nick feels a very strange sensation, through his whole body. His body feels like it is burning, and being stabbed multiple times all at once. But yet there is also a numbness. It’s like he feels pain, but at the same time, he doesn’t.

This isn’t my pain. Something is wrong. He slightly groans from the strange discomfort.

But then a familiar feeling rushes through him, - one of extreme nausea as his stomach twists from this phantom pain.

He can feel his own heart start pounding in his chest, from what he can sense as uneasiness and worry. –Emotions long forgotten by him, yet they are so clear to him now.

Remembering Melinda’s words of his bond with Layla not being completely broken, he picks up her delicate hand in his.

Lengthening his canines, he bites deep into her wrist, imprinting his mark.

Gasps are heard throughout, filling the air with confusion and fury, as the others are shocked by what Nick is doing to Layla’s dead body.

Both Jason and Mike get furious and try running to stop Nick. But they are quickly blocked by Nick’s trusty subordinates.

Nick releases her wrist from his mouth, and soon feels the phantom pain within him quickly fade away. His focus is completely settled on her, waiting for her to wake up and not at all bothered by his onlookers.

Nick knows Layla chose Blake and she was going to leave with him. But he wanted to fight for her, knowing that he does care for her, with that damn lump still swallowing his heart. And hearing that she may have wanted him too, made him feel another thing he thought he had forgotten, -hope.

In fact, Nick never considered that she might want him, because no one ever wants him, -except for his title and power. That belief solidified with her instant acceptance of their so-called rejection.

He knows that he is not one to be easily bothered enough to care for things. But,……should that phenomenon actually happen, he will definitely not give up easily, if ever. So even when the doctor spoke, he didn’t care. He knew she had secrets. He may not know Layla for as long or as well as Blake and the others do, but he would never question her sincerity.

She was the one person that he felt comfortable around the moment he met her. She was always honest and sincere with everything she said and did. He never felt uneasiness, constantly wondering of what she might be scheming against him or his pack.

To Nick, it doesn’t matter what history she has with Blake, because he nonetheless betrayed Layla’s trust in him. He already feels the overwhelming sensation of wanting to protect her, both physically and emotionally. He knows he will spend the rest of his life begging Layla for her forgiveness for all the pain he must have put her through, with Rebecca.

Mike is pushing harder against Tyler, as his lion is forcing its way through.

“How dare you! You have no right!”

Ggrh!. “I have every right. She is my mate.” Mike’s eyes widen and stops struggling as he hears the news.

Silence fills the air, as they take in this information.

Nick, however, calmly continues. “I have every right to do what I can to save her.”

More silence continues as they wonder how this alpha believes he can bring back a dead mate by marking them.

In an instant, loud gasps fill the air, as Layla grabs her throat trying to urge the air into her oxygen-depraved body.

Seeing the masses of people standing around her, she suddenly gets an intense fear rushing through her and tries crawling back from them.

But Nick is quick to stop her, and pulls her into his arms and into a tight hold.

Practically petrified of what they just witnessed, they all feel a sudden fear strike them and their spirit animals as their eyes meet Layla’s. Her blue irises glowing with an ethereal glimmer, accentuated with the whites of her eyes now completely black.

Feeling all eyes on her, Layla tries to escape from Nick’s hold, but he doesn’t let go.

She already feels weak, exhausted and terrified of everyone. Her eyes catch the scene of Samantha’s headless body lying not that far from her. The thought instantly rushes to her, - is she next?

Nick forces her to look away, and hides her face into his chest, wanting everyone’s attention away from her.

Nick can sense the fear coming off of everyone around them. He understands why. His own wolf, who isn’t one to fear much, felt an intense wariness when his eyes met hers.

But he can also feel her own fear, from their now slightly strengthened bond.

Blake mumbles to himself, about how she lied to him about being human.

Even Maxim feels the need to question her. “Samantha mentioned something about Layla not being what she said she was.”

Nick growls again as he hears a slight whimper from Layla.

Unbothered of those being a nuisance, Nick picks her up and starts carrying her back to the pack-house.

The thick clouds start to rumble with thunder as rain drops begin to fall.