Chapter 15

☆ ☆ Layla ☆ ☆

"Hold on a second, dear; slow down and start from the beginning.", I urged. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled; Kara began again without speaking frenetically. My heart sank as she told me that her father had sold her to a vampire.

I interjected, asking for more clarity. He had lied to all of us about the arranged marriage, but the pack was under threat from attack by the vampire whom he sold Kara to. Her mother would be so disappointed in him right now; I bet she was rolling in her grave.

Kara went on to tell me this fantastical story. A blood bond, a prophecy, reincarnation, a hybrid, or a king. if I hadn't known better, I would have assumed it was fabricated. Her tone was grave, and I knew she wouldn't lie to me. The poor girl had already lived a difficult life; I tried my best to always comfort and console her when she lived with us in the pack house.

I was her mother, figuratively speaking, and was relieved that she had come to me seeking advice. I paused for several moments, taking in this new information. "Kara honey," I asked, "if there were no children involved, would you willingly stay with James and forsake your bond with your true mate?."

After a thoughtful pause, she chimed in, "I don't know, that's why I called you. I knew you would be able to help me." I sighed, "This is not a decision that I can make for you, dear." Kara let out a sob. She had never had a say in what happened in her life, and I know she must have felt so overwhelmed.

This wasn't a normal situation or disagreement between significant others. This was a world-shattering, life-altering decision she was dealing with. She was young and didn't truly understand the connection and completion a wolf felt once they found their mate.

That was part of the reason I looked away at her father's cruelty toward her; she was the spitting image of her mother, aside from her eyes, and I knew that it must have been heartbreaking for him to see his mate every day knowing that a massive piece of his soul was gone forever. It wasn't right or an excuse, but I could be empathetic to his reasoning. 

Poor Kara. I feared that I wouldn't be able to help her this time. "Listen to your heart, Kara, but use your brain. I know that you will make the best choice for yourself in the end.", I paused, "Remember that I will always be here for you, and I will love you no matter what you decide." Kara started to speak, "Layla, I…" Cutting her off, I said, "I need to talk to the other members of the pack right now; we have to prepare for either outcome. I will talk to you soon, honey." I hung up the phone.

Storming through the pack halls, I used our mind link to summon all the wolves in our pack to the meeting room. I was the wife of the beta to Alpha Kayn's pack, so I had some authority. Once all the members arrived, I spoke to them, telling them all I had learned. The pack was in an uproar, "Kara will have to choose her mate.", one elder member of the council sneered.

"And why do you presume that she will do that?", I snapped, "She has never known the kindness of another wolf; she has no reason to be loyal to us now." They looked at me with fear in their eyes. "The alpha's selfishness and all of your compliance will be the death of our pack and the reason wolves from all over will meet their demise. The finger will be pointed at you when our history is written once the prophecy is fulfilled.", I said.

The room grew quiet, but it wasn't my accusation that had shut them up. Alpha Kayn approached, "Layla, you will cease all contact with my daughter.", he commanded. "I did what I had to do to keep this pack safe.

I already contacted our alliances. After that, vampire Sylas turned on us three nights ago." I was aghast, pointing the finger back at him, "You should have never been conspiring with vampires in the first place." "Silence.", he growled, "You have no clue what kind of sacrifices I have made." 

Everyone sat speechless in front of their Alpha. Kayn began to divulge his secret plans with the other packs. Apparently, they were aware that Sylas had been targeting a specific type of female wolf, one born with heterochromatic eyes. They had put two and two together after the third attempt but were unsure why he was targeting them.

Kara was the pawn in an attempt to end this. Now, with my knowledge, they knew why and what they had to do. Kayn commanded me to follow him into his office after calming the other wolves. 

I was pissed; why hadn't he just been honest with us before? Why did he turn the entire pack against her? He should have spent these last 18 years preparing her, not alienating her. Her mother, Rayne, would have never stood for this. Alpha Kayn dialed a number and put the phone's speaker on.

The phone was answered after one ring. "We have an update.", he looked at me and nodded his head, encouraging me to recite everything again. The gruff voice over the line said, "We're listening." I began to divulge the information that I had again, wondering if I was betraying Kara's trust. "Thank you, Layla, you have been most helpful.", they said when I had finished.

One voice said, "Put out a call to all packs; see if they have a missing wolf from three nights ago. Once we know where he started, we should be able to intercept him before he gets himself foolishly killed." "Agreed.", the voices said in unison before ending the call. 

"I'm sorry, Layla.", Kayn said to me afterward, "I would have told you and the others sooner if I could have." He paused, "Thank you for always being there for Kara. It means the world to her mother and I." I glared at him. "Right now, the best thing we can do for Kara is to prepare the others and await the call to arms. Her offspring will give us an advantage against all those blood-sucking cretins in the future.", he began.

I said sharply, "If she doesn't complete her blood bond with the vampire's son first. It's not Sylas who is trying to convenience her; It's his newly-turned progeny. He loves her, Kayn, and I could tell from her voice that she loves him too.

She's been hurt and mistreated for so long by wolves, and he has shown her kindness and compassion. Why do you think she would risk the pain of being around another wolf when she has someone, vampire or not, who cares about her now?"

I paused, "Do you think for a second that Sylas would have allowed her to contact anyone from her past once he got his hands on her? That was his successors doing. James wants her, but above all, he wants her to be happy."

"Leave me.", the Alpha growled, displeased with my previous comments. He could have done this differently. The outcome that is ahead is one that I fear will not align with the packs pulling the strings.

I sighed; my heart was heavy; if I spoke to Kara again, I would be betraying my pack and all the other werewolves. If I didn't tell Kara, I would be betraying her. I knew in my heart what I had to do I just needed to silence my brain for a little while. I went to my room to get my phone. 

I searched everywhere for it. Someone had definitely taken it from my room while I was sitting with the Alpha. I rushed back to Alpha Kayn's office. "Where is it?", I snarled. He sat there calmly, "I told you that you would cease all contact with her, wasn't I clear?" "She is expecting to hear back from me. I told her I would call her back.", I stated with authority.

He replied, "Yes. When you thought I was a traitor to our kind, conspiring with the enemy. You know now that is not the case, so I don't see a reason why you would need to contact her again." I should have written her number down. Damn it. "I don't want her to think I abandoned her too.", I said defeatedly, "I'm certain if she feels I have betrayed her, she will definitely choose the vampire."

The Alpha thought to himself before agreeing with my thought process. I will allow you to call her, but the call will be on speaker phone, and you will read from a script. He began writing. I looked at the words and scoffed, "She'll know that I'm being forced to say that." "It's the only choice you have.", He said coldly.