The Healer's Mate

Chapter 8: We can't tell...

Chapter 8: We can't tell...

Jayden's POV

I could hear the pack gathering outside in the backyard and saw Alpha Neal and the wolves from the White Thorn Pack talking to some of the pack members. They all looked so at peace and happy with their lives.

Lives that I wanted to destroy.

Father was right. Living with the people and living the lives of the ones who I wanted to kill was the worst punishment for someone like me. I saw how the mothers looked at their pups with love and how their mates held them knowing that they were safe and together. I would have destroy their happiness.

My eyes roamed the crowd outside my window until they settled on a familiar dark brown hair.

She was standing alone over to the side and was wearing a denim shirt and black jeans. Her hair framed her face with a few strands that rested on her shoulders. The wind blew her beautiful locks back and her scent was carried through the air, making my insides churn with want for the girl standing outside.

Mother walked out with a few of the pack women following her with bowls and platters of food. They set it down on a long table which was surrounded by many round tables of ten. Father gestured everyone to come forward once the food was laid and I saw the kids running for their plates.

Alexis and Iris called her from across the lawn and I saw her flinch from being caught off guard. Seeing her so vulnerable made me want to hold and keep her safe from the world that had made her so scared.

Everyone had collected around the tables and I saw her walking to the area reserved for her pack. She placed her plate down beside a boy and began to sit down when I saw him grab her arm.

I clenched my fists, How dare he touch my mate! I stormed out of my room and went downstairs. I was about to open the door leading to the backyard when I stopped my hand on the door knob.

How would the pack react to me being out there? Father? Mother?

I moved me hand back and put it in my pocket when I heard, "You gonna come outside? You are still a part of the pack and it is a pack dinner."

Damon stood behind me with neutral expression on his face avoiding eye contact.

"I don't think they want me out there, little brother." I said gesturing outside.

"Damon. My name is Damon. I hate it when you call me 'little brother'." he said scolding me.

"Can you blame me? Mom tried and failed to rhyme your name with mine." I said with a smirk on my face.

I saw Damon's face turn red, the fact that mother told us that our names were meant to rhyme always bothered him but it was the easiest way to get him to talk to me when we were kids.

"Stop being an ass and come outside. Mom has been worried." Damon side stepped me and walked out the door.

I followed behind him and kept my eyes levelled in front of me. Damon went ahead and sat by Iris while I lingered back. When the pack noticed me they fell silent and I could see their eyes going back and forth between my father and myself. My mother got up to greet me but fell back into her seat when Alpha Cairstay stood up. I bowed my head and directed my eyes down to show respect and to hide the look of embarrassment that would surely come when I was told to leave. But instead his words shocked me,

"Come and join us son."

I walked around and since the seat separating her and the boy was left vacant I sat down and gave a slight nod to my father and mother. The pack began to whisper and send dark looks towards me but I ignored their stares and draped my arm over the back of Layla's chair and skilfully turned it towards me so her legs where lightly brushing my own under the table. Even the smallest contact sent my body craving for her touch and claiming her as my own. I turned my head closer to her so my lips could brush her ear and whispered so only she could hear, "You look lovely tonight."

I saw her eyes widen and she gasp at my touch but instead of looking up she hide farther behind her hair and looked passed my shoulder to the boy sitting two seats away from her.

A sound resonated from my chest which would have been mistaken for a growl and I looked over to the boy meeting his eyes. Even if I did not have a wolf I was still the rightful Alpha of the Shadows. I still possessed an air of power even without a wolf. He broke eye contact first and began to pick at the food on his plate.

"My fellow pack mate! This dinner has been dedicated to our friends from the White Thorn Pack who came in our time of need. Thank you Alpha Neal!" Alpha Cairstay raised his glass and the pack followed suit. Alpha Neal stood up and smiled thanking him for his warm welcome. Both packs cheered for their Alphas and I saw Layla clapping for her father.

Dinner ended and many of the families had returned to their homes. I watched as Layla spoke to some of my pack members and I knew I couldn't weigh her down by claiming her as my mate. She deserved a mate that could shift, that had a wolf. The night grew upon us and I saw Layla lingering by the tree line away from the crowd. I knew this was the best time to get her alone, I crossed the lawn and dodged a few children that were running around with their friends. Her back was turned to me and I grabbed her hand, pulling her into the forest. The tingles from the contact confirmed it was me so she didn't protest and allowing me to haul her deeper into the forest. I stopped when I got to the familiar clearing with the pond glistening behind me.

"You need to leave."

I kept my eyes down unable to look at her. Every cell in my body pulsated with want for her but she deserved better than me.

"If you leave now your wolf will not feel like she's missing something. And since I don't have a wolf she won't have anything to reach out to."

I heard her step closer to me and I looked up to see her eyes level with mine.

"What I've always wanted and hoped for is a mate. I'm not going to run away just because he has his own baggage to deal with. You don't get to decide that for me." She held my eyes and continued, "Just because you made a bad choice and now you have to deal with the consequences doesn't make you a bad person, it doesn't make you any less deserving."

I watched her clench her fists and scowl the ground at her feet, "I see the way my pack looks at my brother, they worship him. I see the way they talk to my father. You saw how they looked at me. I c-can't allow you to be the mate of a mistake."

My voice cracked and I raked my fingers through my hair turning around not being able to look at her, "I will only hurt you."

It was physically hurting me telling her to move on when she was mine.

"I've been hurt before. I can deal with it."

I turned around to see her standing there with tear in her eyes. The wind blew in the trees and her hair was blown forward. Her mystifying scent invaded my senses and before I knew it I had her pressed against my chest. I felt her small arms wrap around me and I buried my face into her neck pulling her closer into my embrace.

"I see the sadness in your stance. I know you have been hurt. But I can only bring you more pain." I whispered against her collarbone.

"You have been the only good thing that has come into my life for a long time. I don't want to let you go."

I pulled back hearing this and placed my hand on her cheek tilting her head up,

"We can't tell our packs about us being mates."

A/N Jayden's POV! I thought I should add that in to show how Jayden was feeling about the whole situation but I didn't really feel this chapter did justice to his character. Plus its kinda hard to all of a sudden think like a guy and write in his POV so I'm going to stick to writing in Layla's POV unless it really can't be avoided.

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