Fight for Me

As Nick makes his way back to Layla, he sees Margret running towards him in a panic.

He had felt her trying to push a link through to him earlier, but he blocked it. He had to have his ‘talk’ with Rebecca, which actually went quicker than he thought it would.

“Alpha!”

“What is it Margret?”

“Alpha. She,…she climbed out the window. I tried to stop her-”

Without sparing a second he already turns around and runs back down the hall, ready to meet Layla outside.

When he reaches outside, he notices the rain that barely started a while ago had already stopped. And thankfully, this helps him catch sight of Layla just as she releases her grip from a ledge and falls onto the muddy ground.

She too, however, notices Nick. She instantly jumps to her feet and starts running in the opposite direction from him.

Though, with Nick’s wolf speed, it doesn’t take long for him to catch up to her.

She screams and struggles against him after he tackles her to the ground.

She’s desperate to get away. From everyone. They all saw her come back to life. Her secret is out. Nowhere is safe now. She doesn’t know what they might want to do with her, or to her.

She continues to thrash in his hold, realizing she doesn’t want hands on her, and remembering why.

But Nick refuses to let go of his tight hold on her, using both his and his wolf’s strength to fight against her trained attacks.

She however, is certain that Nick is furious at her for having shot him. And this is him trying to lock her up and punish her.

They continue to tumble in the ground, smearing their already blood-splattered bodies with thick mud.

Tears start to roll down her cheeks, and as much as she’s trying to hide them, it’s too late. He already saw.

Feeling his hold on her loosening, she kicks him away from her and tries to run again. But he grabs her from behind, practically enclosing her small body in his and holds her tight, -patiently waiting for her to calm down.

Still breathing heavily, she finally accepts her fate against this tenacious alpha, she stops fighting and gives in to cry in silence.

Nick slips his arms under her as he picks her up. Without either of them saying anything, he walks her back to the pack-house.

She hides her face in her palms, embarrassed with her tears. Thinking that he probably finds crying ridiculous. She’s certain he’s taking her back. It doesn’t even matter where to. He is still the alpha everywhere he goes. And she is still the one who brought danger to his pack. She’s certain he knows it’s somehow linked to her. And this is an alpha that doesn’t allow such things to just slide.

She’s certain he already has some sort of punishment planned for her. Seeing he already had Mike and Jason to come and say their goodbyes to her.

She whimpers softly thinking back to Blake.

He never came to say goodbye. But why would he? With that look he gave me.

Walking her back to her room, he excuses Margret and links Tyler to see to everything for the night.

Just as he puts her down, she scurries away from him. She can’t help but look at the place she shot him. His toned and muddy stomach is smeared with blood, but there is no wound.

He must have healed already.

“I know.” He sighs out in a deep and low voice as he stalks towards her.

“W-what are you talking a-. Stop. Please. Don’t come any closer.”

She fights him off but he pulls her in a tight hold. She’s too small to fight back, but doesn’t stop trying. She doesn’t know why she’s still trying though.

His deep voice rumbles through his chest and against her ear. “No one will hurt you here.”

She trembles feeling his breath on her neck. She’s not sure why he’s speaking as if he knows something. But hearing his words, she’s pretty sure he is referring to her being safe in his arms. Tears continue to roll down her cheeks again.

“With me here, that thing won’t come around you. Right?” He questions.

Nick isn’t sure what exactly it is she’s afraid of. But the last time he saw her shiver like this was that night she practically had a panic attack. And thinking back to what Melinda told him about a dark aura following her, he’s sure that must be what Layla is always looking at, when she looks dazed. With this, his dream would also make sense. –That dream of the black-shadowed figure trying to swallow Layla up. The very shadow that apparently stays away from her when he is around.

She tries pushing her palms against his chest and cranes her neck up to look at him.

“H-how do you know about that?” She’s sure that she never told him anything. And he never asked either.

“I won’t let it touch you again.” He cups her muddy face as his own morphs with anger.

He doesn’t know the specifics of any of this, ....of what happened. But he does know one thing, - that familiar nauseating feeling he got when she wasn’t waking up. She was being touched, intimately. And with the fear he sensed from her, he knows she didn’t consent to it.

“How d-.” She chokes on her words, trying to stop herself from breaking down.

His jaw clenches, but he keeps her body close to his. He’s annoyed with himself, because he doesn’t know what else he can do to make her feel better, to feel safe. “Melinda told me about the dark aura that follows you, and about our bond. Our bond. It’s extremely weak, but it’s still there………… I felt it. It hurt you.” He grunts out.

She looks at him confused. What does he mean the bond is still there? And he talks as if he knows about the shadow, but she doesn’t want to confirm it. If anything, she’d like to avoid this topic from going on any further.

“I shot you.............aren’t you angry with me? What about the fact that I didn’t tell you the truth about me. And all these hunters came. And your pack got attacked-” She rambles on with everything flashing through her mind.

But he silences her with one word.

“No.”

He takes her hand and smells her wrist, where he marked her, not being able to resist the urge.

He can once again get the slight smell of her delicious scent of roses and marshmallows. The scent is only present on the spot where he marked her. He’s tempted to sink his teeth into her again. Wondering if he gives her another mark, would her scent get stronger.

A deep but soft growl rumbles from his chest.

She’s left in awe at his actions, but reminds herself to not take any of it seriously. As serious of a man as he is, she knows he’s never serious when it comes to anything of an intimate nature. Not him. He just acts in the moment, and forgets about it in the next.

But she notices the mark on her wrist, but isn’t completely confused about it. She remembers a strange sensation on that very spot when she was still lost in that forsaken realm.

She breaks the silence. “This………this is how I found my way back. You helped me?” She doesn’t know how, but she just knows that it’s him that marked her.

He licks the wound, urging it to heal faster. Something in him, not liking the way it looks raw and sore. And then he places a soft but long open-kiss on it, hoping to savour her sweet taste before pulling back.

He doesn’t want to pull back though. He knows it’s their bond, - something he feels great relief for and is very grateful to still have. He always ever just did what he thought everyone, namely his family and his pack, expected of him to be a strong alpha.

But over the past few weeks, constantly hearing from others how he should just do what he wants, his thoughts have lingered longer on Layla than he would previously had allowed. But he still had one weakness he had too much pride to admit. - He never bothered getting close to anyone, because he knew know one would ever want him, for the cold-blooded monster that he is.

And even now, that he has made up his mind, to hold onto what he wants, onto Layla, he is still terrified that she might not want him, regardless of what others have said.

She tries pulling her hand back. “You shouldn’t. Rebecca.....” The words linger as she hopes she doesn’t need to continue to make her point.

He looks at her confused, and a smile almost curves his lips. He gently shakes his head. “She left.”

He then senses her shivering from the cold. He finally drops her hand and turns to the fireplace in the corner of her room.

“You should wash up.” He turns, making her think he’s leaving, but she stops him.

“What is going to happen now?”

He sternly looks her straight in the eyes and after a deep breath he asks in a firm voice, “Do you want me?” I can’t take it any longer. My heart feels like it will jump out of my chest. I have to know how she feels now.

A brief silence fills the room.

“What?......I-,…You-,…” Caught off guard, she fumbles over her words.

“I want you.” He finally confesses to her.

Her face contorts in confusion. “But,…you rejected me. The very moment you saw me.”

“No." He rushes out, but then sighs deeply. "I always wanted you. Since the moment I caught your scent. But,….”

“-I’m human.”

He shakes his head. “I wanted to protect you. Besides, I never thought you would want me.” And his thoughts that night were ‘confirmed’ when she accepted his rejection almost immediately.

“Why would you think that?” She's trying to get as much answers from him as she can, considering he never speaks this much especially regarding such topics.

“I’m a monster.” Is all he says. The only word he really knows how to describe himself. The one his father had drilled into him when he was still just a pup.

“No, you’re not. I’ve seen monsters.” She closes in. But when he reaches out for her hand, she flinches away.

He looks away from her. “You should wash up. Considering what happened, I’ll sleep on the couch.” He turns back and gets busy in starting the fire.

When she eventually comes out of the bathroom, hot steam pours out. She stands in a white, fluffy gown, not knowing what to say as she never brought a change of clothes into the bathroom. But he instantly walks past her and into the bathroom, giving her the room.

Sometimes, it's like he just knows what I'm thinking without me having to say a word. But, damn...........I do wish he'd talk more. It's like he expects everyone to also just be able to read his mind.

Coming out in just a pair of shorts, he sees her sitting on the fluffy carpet and leaning against the couch, facing the warm fireplace, as if waiting for him. She’s wearing that same baby-blue silk pyjamas he saw her wearing last time in the woods when he couldn’t resist kissing her.

He sits next to her on the carpet, making sure to not be too close, as to not scare her again.

But she wants to take advantage of what he doesn’t fully know. And his somewhat indifferent but direct attitude towards this night’s entire occurrences, is something she needs right now. It calms her. He calms her.

She crawls into his lap and cradles her face into his neck, resting her head on his warm chest. She doesn’t look at him, she doesn’t say anything. She just makes it seem like it’s the most normal thing for her to be doing.

Because right now, she knows that he was right. She does feel safe in his arms. Not that he ever said it out loud.

“Layla?” His slow but steady breathing, fills her ears.

“I don’t want to be alone.” She says vaguely, hoping he will take it as her needing him near her for his ’protection’ against the so-called shadow. Even though she doesn’t need it anymore.

Not knowing what to do with his hands, he just lets them rest on his sides. Thankful that the carpet is soft, warm and actually comfortable. Not that he would know of anyone who would necessarily think the same. With Layla being the exception, of course.

Layla starts thinking back on the day, on everything. On Blake’s hateful look at her. The sincere words of Mike and Jason. On Nick’s insistence on keeping her ‘safe’ and by his side. On how to face everyone tomorrow. On what the next step for her is.

She knows she still needs to answer Nick's question. Right now, she's in a state where she doesn't want to rush into things. It wasn't that long ago that she was planning to leave with Blake. She doesn't want to decide all of a sudden to be with Nick, like someone who can't be alone. She knows she might have some abandonment issues, she's not that needy to not be alone. Besides, her parents taught her how to survive on her own.

Even though all of this happened just a few hours ago, for her it was basically a whole day. A lot happened 'that side', and she has a lot of other things to think about. Especially now that she has a better idea on what she is.

As she’s listening to Nick’s steady heartbeat, she stares into the flames. Just before she closes her eyes to drift off to sleep, they yet again morph into that of glistening blue irises on a black canvas.