Jaguar Moon ; Redemption

Vulnerable

Layla rarely cried, but as she lay in bed, cradled in Axel’s arms, she let the tears fall. She cried for her mother, and all the lost time that had been taken from her, and she cried for Axel, who now had to deal with an older brother who seemed hellbent on destroying him, and she cried for her brother, whose innocence had been taken from him, because of lies and deceit.

“Shhh,” Axel pulled her closer, stroking her short black hair. ”It’s ok kitten,” he murmured in her ear, ‘Everything will be ok.”

Layla didn’t say anything, just turned into her mate and let him hold her. There were no words for the way she was feeling. So many emotions filled her head, tearing at her heart.. Anger, sadness, longing, fear, hatred, for whom she wasn’t sure, but she had to let it out.

By the time she was able to calm herself, Axel’s shirt was soaked with her tears.

He himself was full of emotion, anger and resentment, fury and fire, with a hint of sadness, for his mate.

Even though she was willing to talk to her half-brother, Axel was not. In fact, if he got near him at the moment, he would rip him to shreds. Nix was weak, and now would be the perfect time for him to strike… To kill the older brother who had made his life hell for the past seven years.

The only good thing to come out of their dysfunctional relationship was Layla, who had wound up in his arms because of Nix, and now, just as their lives seemed perfect, Nix had come back to tear at the very fabric of their happy lives.

His mate lay sleeping in his arms after she had cried her eyes out, mourning the loss of her innocence, being treated like a slave since she was old enough to walk, and living without parents to love her. 

No one ever spoke of her father, even Roan, who was the only one who had gotten to know him. Axel often wondered what he had gotten up to after all these years, but never found the time to ask, for Roan was rarely around, so busy with his own pack that he rarely had time to

visit. The only time he came around was when Layla summoned him to help train Axel, to help him hone his newfound powers, but even then, his visits were few and far between.

At last Axel had nearly mastered the art of creating portals, which came in very handy tonight. He could also muster lightning bolts, and had destroyed several trees mastering the art of condensing his magic.

But that was neither here nor there at the moment, he thought, as he held his snoring mate in his arms. This day would be rough on everyone involved.

He had mind linked Madden, to find out Layla’s mother was sleeping peacefully, under the protection of several female guards.

She was weak, like Nix, and much more malnourished, but according to Madden’s doctors, should make a full recovery. The thought made a smile creep up on his face. Layla would finally get to know her mother, and they had plenty of room within the pack for her to stay.

In fact, he had already planned, in his mind, to let her have a house in the middle of town, where she would be surrounded by wolves who would keep her safe. As a human, she would need the extra protection, if she allowed Axel and his pack to give it to her.

Yes, a plan was forming in her mind, all for Layla, the love of his life. He thought back to the time before he knew his young, inexperienced mate, and how lonely he actually was. 

She had mended his heart, and warmed his soul, and for that, he would be forever grateful. Layla may never understand why he was so protective of her ,after all she was the jaguar princess, both powerful and foreboding when she took on her goddess form, but to him, she would always be his quiet, reserved kitten who felt she had to save every lost soul in the universe.

She was always selflessly putting others before herself, even Axel, and she needed someone to look after her, whether she wanted it or not .Layla, it seemed, had no idea how much he really loved her, even though she gave him her all, but he was going to prove it, and try not to be such a brooding asshole.

Today would be hard on her, when she would go to see her mother. He was relieved when she cried in his arms, so she could be strong for her mother when she finally reunited with her in the hospital.

Nix, on the other hand, was another story. Aeohbeann had used a scrying spell to let him watch Layla interact with their older brother while he was locked up in his cell. Jealousy ran through Axel’s veins as he watched Layla comfort Nix, saying she believed him to be truthful.

He lay awake in the wee hours of the morning, in the fancy room Madden had given he and Layla, and thought of the night’s events.

A new threat was on the horizon, one that even Madden and Aeobheann had not foreseen. It seemed no one was safe from the mysterious Council’s clutches, especially Layla and Nix, and now it fell, at least partly, on him, as an alpha, to hunt them down.

At least now, he knew who had deceived them, who had used Tonya, and Nix. the unseen force that was the council had wreaked havoc on Madden's packs, without even knowing it.

They would have to inform Aiden and the City Wolves as well as Tonya, who clearly suffered from PTSD after everything she had been through. 

Aiden, like himself, would want to destroy Nix, and Madden would have to stop him, for Nix was the only one, besides his mother, who could give information on their new enemy who had been in the shadows for who knew how long.

Yes, today would be hard, but he would be there with Layla every step of the way, after all that’s what mates did for each other, and he wasn’t about to let Layla deal with this on her own, as she would do the same for him.

He finally closed his eyes, content for now, just to hold his new fiancee. Life wouldn't be easy, but it would be worth it with Layla at his side.