Chapter 3: If looks could kill...

A/N Book Trailer attached!

Chapter 3: If looks could kill...

It was now almost night fall and my wounds were close to completely gone. Much of my strength was used in healing my hand and bruised ribs so when it was time to walk home I could barely stand up. I leaned against my bicycle when I heard a car coming up the road. I saw the headlights of the vehicle and moved to the side of the road.

I kept my head down trying to blend into the darkness but when I heard the car stop and the door open I began tremble in fear. I cowered away from the wolf standing in front of me and when he reached towards me I flinched back knocking over my bicycle.

"Hey. It's okay. It's just me." Noah said.

I looked up and saw his brown eyes looking straight at me. He held me up by my arms and brought me to his car. He opened the passenger side door and helped me into the seat. He rounded the car and put my bag in the back before coming to sit in the driver's seat.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he said in a reserved voice fearing that I might break down any second.

I shook my head and continued staring ahead. We sat like that for a while. The car parked to the side and us sitting in the darkness.

"It was the pack again." I said

"What did they do?"

"The usually. Hurt me then force me to heal myself. What hurts more than anything is that the ones I grew up with and found a new family are the ones who now terrorize me." I said in a whisper.

It fell quite again and I heard Noah move in his seat to pull out his phone. The light from his cell lit the inside of the car.

"It's almost eleven. I think I should take you home." He said and started the car.

I leaned over to pull the seat belt over me but winced when I tried to grip the buckle with my injured hand.

"Here let me." Noah said and reached over to my side. He pulled the buckle in place and looked up to give me another one of his warm smiles.

I didn't notice how close he was but when I looked up to match his eyes our noses were a few inches away and I could see the small flecks of black in his eyes. He leaned in closer and brought his hand to my face and brushed a stray strand of hair behind my ear. My breathing had stopped and was frozen still with Noah being this close to me.

"You are a beautiful girl Layla." Noah said and began to lean in closer.

I was still frozen and my eyes grew bigger as Noah's eyes fell in my lips.

My eyes were the size of saucers when I heard Noah laughing. He pulled away and laughed at my expression.

"Calm down Layla. I won't kiss you and judging from the way your heart was beating it would have been your first." he said still laughing as he fell back into his seat.

I was still shocked and flushed from Noah's little prank but when I recovered I sent my hand flying against his shoulder.

"There is no shame in saving your first kiss for your mate!" I said fuming that Noah the one guy in the pack who was actually nice to me was now the cause for my embarrassment.

"Oh. So you're one of those girls!" he said as he pulled away from the side of the road.

"What do you mean, 'one of those girls'?" I said eyeing his next move.

"The ones that wait for their mate who will sweep them off their feet." he said with sarcasm laced in every word.

"Sorry for believing in true love. If you haven't noticed already but a mate is something I won't find in my pack so that gives me reason to believe that he is out there somewhere. And when we find each other we will love one another unconditionally. That when we see each other there won't be anyone else on his mind. Only me. I want a mate that would hug me and hold me close at night."

I was looking out the window and saw the pack house come into view. I looked over to Noah and saw his eyes held a sadness and deep emotion. Almost guilt.

But why would he be guilty of something. I brushed it away and got out of the car. Noah followed me and carried my bag to the front door.

"Thank you Noah." I said and took my bag from him. I turned to open the door when I felt his hand on my elbow again.

"Layla, you're a nice person." he paused and looked down then said, "I'm sorry"

Before I could ask him why he was sorry he was already getting into his car and driving away.

I'll just ask him tomorrow.

I opened the main door and walked in. Our pack house was not one of extreme size or bedrooms. It was your ordinary house for a family of six with the available guest rooms if any of the pack members required a place to stay at night. Other than that the pack liked to live on their own and have their own house to call home.

I placed my bag on the hook and walked into the kitchen. The guys must have been out with their friends on a run and Kate was most likely in her room with a book or asleep. I turned on the light in the kitchen and saw a silhouette standing by the fridge. I reached for the closest weapon and ended up chucking a bowl of apples at the person. I saw the shape catch the bowl and place it on the counter.

As the shape neared me it came out of the dark and the silhouette was actually Alpha Neal.

"Layla, can I ask why you decided to assault me with apples?" Alpha Neal said with a teasing smirk.

Alpha Neal was my second father and the one man that I actually went to for advice or to just talk. When the bullying had started at sixteen Alpha Neal was the one who would talk to me and wipe my tears. Over the years I began to hide the bullying and now he thinks it's all over.

Ignorance is bliss.

"Sorry Alpha Neal. You kinda spooked me." I said picking up the apples that now lay bruised on the ground.

"I told you to just call me Neal. Not Alpha Neal." he said laughing and picking up an apple. "You're the closest thing I have to a daughter. Let me spoil you." He said.

"Alright Neal" I said smiling and stretching out the e.

We moved to the family room and sat down in front of the TV. Neal pulled me into his side and we relaxed back into the couch.

"So how was Day 1 of adulthood?" Neal asked.

I took a bite out of my sandwich and said around the food, "s'okay"

I finished eating my sandwich and said good night to Neal. Once I got to my bedroom my bed looked extremely inviting that once my head touched my pillow I was out like a light.

➖

I was stepping out of my last lecture when a guy from my pack said, "Baby if you want someone to hold you I can hold you in many different ways all night long."

His friends and him laughed and walked away.

"Aw. Does little Layla feel lonely at night?" I heard a girl say from my left.

"Hey! Layla! Wanna come over tonight? You are all I have on my mind." I heard a guy's voice say from my right.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and I saw I had a video message.

"And when we find each other we will love one another unconditionally. That when we see each other there won't be anyone else on his mind. Only me. I want a mate that would hug me and hold me close at night."

It was a picture of me sleeping in my room with my hair in a mess and mouth slightly open. The picture had the words Desperate to Mate below it and had my conversation with Noah recorded in the background.

"Aye! That was amazing man! You are officially welcomed at Northern College while you are staying with the White Thorn Pack."

I turned around hearing this and saw Tony and Andrew grabbing Noah's shoulder and giving him a friendly shake. Kegan and Ryan went and shook his hand giving him one of those man hugs. Noah was smiling and soaking in the fame and glory he was getting. His street cred might have gone up but to me he was now just another asshole in the pack.

"Oh come on sis! You didn't really think Noah was your friend?" Andrew said.

"This was Noah's initiation task. And he delivered!" Ryan said patting Noah's shoulder and causing the crowd to burst into laughter again.

I looked at Noah and saw his smile flatten. I directed all my anger and hurt to him and if looks could kill I would be the only one standing in this courtyard.

A/N Noah! OMG how could you?!?! LOL. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and decide to VOTE COMMENT SHARE AND FOLLOW!