Her Safe Place
Chapter 6

Edited✅

Layla Andrews

I couldn’t get the she-wolf’s words out of my head. I felt as if they were on repeat.

“I am his queen. Axel is just waiting for me. I know he loves me. He wouldn’t keep coming back if he didn’t.” Darcy said.

“And if he doesn’t choose you?” Her friend had asked.

“I plan on faking a pregnancy.” Darcy had said the words as if they hadn’t been treasonous. I had almost dropped the spoon I was working with.

“But won’t he know that you aren’t pregnant?” Her friend asked.

“I will have to become pregnant. My smell will change with the pregnancy. He just won’t know it's his. By the time I have the child, it’ll be too late and he will have already marked me.” Darcy had seemed so sure of her plan.

I knew it wasn’t fair to blame Axel. Axel must’ve had a life before he had found me. I had also known he was searching for a chosen mate. I also had to give credit to Axel. He had sent her away as soon as he got here and had admitted to me being his mate. He wasn’t hiding me.

“Layla,” I turned at the sound of his voice. He looked at me from where he stood by the door to the bedroom I had woken up in. His eyes looked over me as I stopped in front of the balcony doors. “Are you sure you’re alright?” He asked.

I only nodded before heading for the stairs.

Axel reached for my hand, “are you going to eat?” He asked. I shook my head. I didn’t feel hungry. Especially after the conversation I had just overheard.

Axel allowed me to leave. I wanted to be fair with him, but I knew I was a weight around his neck.

I was his true mate. He wouldn’t be as strong as he could be without me, but that didn’t mean he wanted me. He could easily have acknowledged me as his mate for the power. However, I felt unsettled by the assumption. As if i disagreed with it.

I knew that kings didn’t take people like me as chosen mates for a reason. I was weak. Not only that, but human looks never seemed to compare to werewolves. They weren’t immortal, but they aged slowly and gracefully. Even now I could see that Darcy looked younger than me.

I stopped in front of the mirror in the room I had woken up in. I was unsure what or whose room it was, but I planned to utilize it when I could.

I looked over myself in the mirror. The clothing I wore swallowed me whole. They hung off my skinny frame. My stepmother had prioritized my insecurities over the years, leading to extremely dark times.

My eyes landed on the sleeve of my hoodie. Scars. They were years old. I had only been around sixteen when I got them. Jane had been especially cruel that day and I hadn’t wanted to be there anymore.

“Layla?” I heard Axel’s voice and pulled the sleeve of my shirt down. I didn’t want him to see the scars, no matter how long ago they were created. I knew something as horrible as scars wouldn’t help my case in looking beautiful.

I turned just as Axel opened the door. He looked around until his eyes landed on me. “The doctor is here. I would like her to take a look at you.”

I nodded and kept my gaze to the floor.

An older women, around her fifties, walked into the room. She wore a white lab coat and had a clipboard in hand. She also came with a bag and a stethoscope around her neck.

“Hello, I’m Doctor Hadley. I came here just to give you a checkup.”

I nodded once again.

“I’ll be just outside if you need me,” Axel said, before he exited the room and shut the door behind him. I get slightly comforted by Axle’s words. He wasn’t going to leave me.

Doctor Hadley walked towards me.

“First, I’d like to listen to your heart and take your blood pressure.” I nodded, holding out my arm. The few times I had been to the doctor after Jane’s temper had taught me a lot.

After the checkup was done, I sat on the bed as Doctor Hadley packed her things up. “Be careful of those ribs.” I nodded. She had seen the scars and bruises along my body. She had asked about the bruises around my ribs then felt to see if anything was broken. Luckily, nothing was. I was only bruised.

After Doctor Hadley left, Axel returned. He sat next to me. “How did it go?” He asked.

“Good, I think,” I replied. I wasn’t sure what the correct answer was as I wasn’t a doctor.

“Doctor Hadley said you had some bruising. Can you show me?” Axel asked. I could see in his eyes that he was worried. I bit my lip before nodding. I slowly lifted my shirt to the bottom of my bra.

I didn’t look at Axel, rather, I looked behind him.

I flinched when Axel reached out and touched it, “its still tender,” I explained.

“I’m sorry.” Axel was quiet a moment before he reached out again. His fingers gently ran over the bruises, soothing them. “Did Luna Andrews do this to you?” He asked after a moment of silence.

“Yes,” I whispered out. I hadn’t talked with someone about the abuse in a long time and I wasn’t ready to reveal all my secrets to a man I just met.

“How long ago?”

“Yesterday,” I replied. “She used her supernatural strength. That made the impacts worse.”

“Why?” He asked.

“She doesn’t need a reason.” I whispered. A lump had formed in my throat and was causing it be hard to speak. I knew if I talked louder, I would break down into tears. Axel let out a low growl.

He suddenly pulled me into his arms. I felt myself flinch at the fast movements, but the sparks that followed allowed me to stay calm. He breathed in my scent from my neck. I knew the neck was the area where your scent was strongest. I also knew that it would help him stay calm.

I gently ran my fingers along his back. My touch would help to keep him calm as well. I felt Axel heave a sigh.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered. He pulled back enough to look into my eyes, “I promise no one will ever hurt you again. I will protect you from anything that will hurt you.”

He then pulled me back into his arms.

I knew it was a mistake to allow him to get this close, but I didn’t care in that moment. I wrapped my arms around his as well. We sat in each others embrace for what felt like minutes.

“Axel!” The female voice rung through house and I flinced.

Axel sighed, not one of annoyance, but one of complaint. I didn’t want to meet another one of Axel’s past lovers. I knew I shouldn’t hold any past actions against Axel, we hadn’t met and it was presumptuous of me to expect him to wait. He probably thought he would never find me.

A women walked into the room.

“Axel, I got a bone to pick with you!” The women stopped at the sight of me in Axel’s arms. She looked between the two of us before she squealed. “You must be Axel’s mate!” She moved towards us and I flinched. She emrbaced me quickly. “I’m so happy for him!”

“Georgia, you are scaring her,” Axel said. The girl, Georgia, released me.

“I’m sorry, I’m just so excited that my cousin finally found his mate. We had all given up hope. He had even begun to search for a chosen mate.” Georgia continued to ramble on, talking a mile a minute.

my mind stuck on one of her words. Cousin. She was his cousin. Not a past lover. I suddenly felt embarrassed by my assumption.

“Georgia!” Axels shout cause Georgia to stop talking. She turned to Axel. “Why don’t you introduce yourself first?”

“Oh!” Georgia turned to me, “I’m Georgia Donavan, Axel’s cousin. I’m the Royal Beta Female and the Royal Beta, Vince, is my mate.” She stated the words so quickly, I almost didn’t catch what she had said.

“I’m Layla Andrews,” I replied.

“Georgia,” Axel said, “you said you had a bone to pick with me.” He was obviously looking the reason for her sudden burst into the room.

“Right, Vince just told me that you are requiring him to visit a pack.” Georgia’s voice turned into a whine.

“Georgia, the pack is only an hour away and I said he could take you with him.” Axel said.

“But you know what pack he’s visiting,” Georgia said. “And you know his mother hates me for taking away her ‘precious baby boy.’” Georgia crossed her arms, nearly in a pout. “Can’t you go? I know you’d be able to smooth over anything that Vince can’t. Plus you are higher in title.”

“Georgie, you know I can’t. Vince has agreed to take this trip and he wants you to come along with him. I’m sure you can put up with his mother for a couple hours.” Axel replied.

“But she always tries to make him stay and to leave me. She makes awful comments about me and my body. She knows I gained weight after the baby!” Georgia continued to ramble on about everything.

“You have a baby?” I asked.

“Oh, yes, I do. She is three months old.” Georgia beamed with pride at the mention of her baby. “Her name is Sydney. She’s the most adorable baby there ever was.”

“I’m sure she is. My little brother was such a cute baby too.” I replied. Xander always helped to lighten my mood. I could always count on him to bring my spirits up. One of the reasons I missed him.

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