chapter 80
Damien’s POV
“What the fuck have you done, Tabitha?” The anger I felt in this moment was unbelievable, all this drama. The trouble she caused and the strain she has placed on my relationship with Lily, which is only just hanging on by a thread and the kid isn’t even mine. How does one fuck that up so badly?
“I’m sorry, I thought when I got the results back it was yours” She stumbled over her apology.
“Have you any idea, the problems this baby has caused me and it isn’t even mine? What were you thinking, I just wouldn’t notice?”
“No, that’s not it, I didn’t know. I swear”
“Who’s is it then, it clearly ain’t mine? And where did you get the test done” She looked away guiltily. I watched tears brim in her eyes before catching movement as the bundle in her arms wriggled. Stepping closer, I pulled the blanket back, It’s scent hitting me like a slap in the face. Tabitha stepped back worriedly.
“I may be an asshole, but I won’t hurt her. Does he know?” I asked when I placed where I smelt the scent before. Tabitha shakes her head nervously.
“At a human facility, I got the test done at the same place they did my scan” She answers.
“Are you stupid, what the fuck were you thinking? You could have taken anyone’s DNA in there. It would have come up positive from the werewolf gene” I scolded her.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.
“Does Lily know it isn’t mine?” Tabitha shrugged unsure.
“I don’t know. I am truly sorry, I only just realised with everything going on. There were too many scents when the door exploded. I don’t think she knows” Tabitha confessed. I pinched the bridge of my nose, frustrated.
“I need to go check on her, ring Tatum and let him know he has a daughter” I tell her before turning my back and looking for Lily. Just as I was nearly out the door, Tabitha spoke up again, making me stop.
“Alpha” I turned to her and glared. She took a step back. “What Tabitha?”
“Can Trey be released?” She asks.
“Are you fucking joking right now, we just got attacked by rogues and you want me to release one?” I ask her incredulously. The nerve of this woman.
“Let him out, I was going to ask you, anyway. He isn’t a threat” Lily says, walking back out into the kitchen. I look at her shocked, since when is she on team Tabitha?
Lily looked toward Tabitha before walking over and looking at the baby in Tabitha’s arms. I watch as she sniffs the air before looking up at Tabitha. “It isn’t his. I am so sorry Luna, I swear I didn’t know” Tabitha tells her. Lily nods her head before stroking the baby’s hand.
That’s it, that’s her reaction? Why isn’t she just as angry as I am? “Something isn’t right,” Darian says, and I agree with him. Lily was way to calm, her heart rate completely normal and no longer thumping loudly, even the way she spoke was different.
“Layla?” I say softly and she turns to look at me. Her eyes blazing, her odd coloured eyes burning brighter as she looks at me and smiles sadly.
“Where is Lily?” She doesn’t answer, instead looks to the bodies on the ground before she bends down picking up limbs like she is picking up just ordinary garbage. Once her arms are full, she then marches out the back dumping them in the firepit. Tabitha watches her worriedly.
“She seems calm” Tabitha said, shocked.
“Yes that’s what I am worried about, too calm”
“I think it might be best if I go” Tabitha says and I nod to her and watch her leave. Lily walks in, or Layla, I am unsure. I watch as she bends down, grabbing a leg and a torso from the ground. The sight before me was strange to witness someone that looks so gentle just casually stroll around with pieces of a person that she killed. I watch as she kicks a head out the door. The head rolled unevenly as she kicked it, the entire way to the firepit while dragging the body down the stairs. Grabbing the man that was leaning against the kitchen counter, I tossed him over my shoulder and follow her, dumping the body in the pit.
Pack members start coming through the treeline. They all stare at Lily curiously and I can tell they know something is off about her. The waves of fear coming off everyone as they walk past are so thick I could almost taste it. I watch as they walk inside, grabbing what is left before bringing it out and dumping it in the pit before walking back inside to help clean up.
Max and Tatum walk over and Max freezes next to me. “Lily?” He questions and her eyes snap to his and he steps back.
“No, I am Layla” She says simply before looking back at the corpses in the pit. Tatum brings a drum of petrol over and tips it in, I watch as he strikes a match and the bodies catch alight. The smell of burning flesh is putrid as the smell spreads throughout the air.
“God that smells ghastly, I hate the smell of burning hair” Max states, pinching his nose. Layla looks at Tatum.
“You must be Tatum,” He nods, looking at her nervously.
“Yeah, how did you know?” He asks.
“Your scent, you gave Lily blood, and” Her eyes darted to me and I shook my head before turning to Tatum.
“Have you spoken to Tabitha?” I ask and he shakes his head, confused.
“No, she tried to ring me though”
“You best go see Tabitha” I tell him and he looks at me strangely before nodding his head. Max’s voice echoes in my head through the mind link.
“Does she realise she is using her Alpha aura?” My head snaps in Max’s direction. I hadn’t noticed but her aura wouldn’t affect me. But it explains the fear in the other pack members.
“I don’t know how to control it” Layla says, answering the question Max just asked. Making both of us look at her. Max said that only to me through a private link.
“You heard that?” I ask. She nods.
“I can hear everyone” She states, her tone completely emotionless and cold, sending a shiver up my spine.
My phone rings in my pocket and I pull it out, looking at the screen. Aria. Walking away, I answer it.
“Aria, I’m sorry for your loss” I tell her.
“Where is Lily?” She asks.
“With me” I hear her breathe a sigh of relief.
“I am on my way don’t let her out of your sight”
“Why?”
“That’s not Lily in case you haven’t noticed”
“I noticed, but she seems fine,” I tell her. I can feel Layla watching and listening in. Literally feel her eyes boring into my back.
“Yeah, for now. This is only the calm before the storm” Aria says hanging up. I turn to Lily, but she is gone. Scanning around only to see her retreating frame walking into the house. I let out a breath of relief before chasing after her.
Walking inside, everyone is busy cleaning and a few are patching the hole in the wall. Lily walks past everyone and they part, stepping away from her as she heads toward the stairs.
“Layla, when is Lily coming back?” I ask, chasing after her.
“She’s not” She says walking up the stairs not even looking back.