The Lycan king-Chapter 48

*Jax*

I watched as Leonora walked away from me. It felt like my heart was leaving. I couldn’t run after her- not when Luke was the one walking with her. I felt anger course through my body as I saw their fingers laced together. Throughout our time together, I can’t remember when we ever held hands. I can’t remember doing anything slightly romantic with her and it irked my system that she was holding his hand. I hated that she chose him. She chose that monster. I don’t know what he has told her and I really hoped that she would be able to see through him and come home to me.

I hated that I had pushed her away and she found safety with that evil bastard. I hated the look she gave me when I pleaded with her to come back. I hated that she took his hand pulled him away, trying to get away from me. I hated that I hurt her so much. I hated what I had done to her. I just wanted her back.

But I wouldn’t lie to myself. She looked happier, free. She looked like she was definitely at peace, something I never gave her. I never made her happy, I never gave her peace and there was no way she could blossom when she was always on flight or fight mode with me. I feel so stupid. Why did it have to take me so long to see her as someone other than a kitchen volunteer? Why did it take so long for me to admit that I was attracted to her? That I wanted her so bad. That I wanted to fall asleep and wake up next to her. I wanted to be her man. I wanted to be the best man for her. I wanted to be the one she would choose and go home with.

"Jax!" I heard Claire call and I sighed. It suddenly hit me. Leonora was walking away because she must have seen Claire and I hugging. Did that mean there was still hope for me? Or maybe she didn’t want to see Claire. Maybe she just wanted to talk to me privately. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised. I remembered how she left my room. Claire had entered and smiled at the sight of Leonora crying. If I were Leonora, I would also not want to be around Claire. But I wasn’t Leonora and in Claire’s defense, at that time, she didn’t know how I felt for Leonora.

Now she knows and she has been a little clingy. I hated it but what was I expecting? I knew she was going to feel threatened because me falling for Leonora meant my relationship with Claire would be severed. I had spent this last three months trying to convince her that our friendship was as important as my relationship with my mate and I wasn’t going to choose one over the other. They both meant something to me and I wouldn’t leave Claire lonely. Besides she didn’t have a lot of friends and she had only me. There was no way I was going to leave her hanging. She was my best friend, confidante. There was so much history that I couldn’t throw away because of my mate. Leonora would have to understand.

"Jax!" I heard her call one more time and I turned around walking to the direction of her voice. I didn’t like that she was calling out for me. It was partly risky and also annoying. If Luke could be so close to my pack, who else was lingering around? "oh, my goddess, where have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you."

"It was Leonora." I said and her eyes widened like a deer caught in a headlight. She shook her head lightly as if she couldn’t believe what I was saying. "I saw Leo with my eyes. It was her and she was with Luke."

"Luke? What?! What was she doing with that traitor?" Claire asked, brushing aside the topic of me seeing Leonora. I pursed my lips analyzing Claire. Was there something she was hiding from me? Claire could never do that.

"Claire, we need to secure our pack. Luke is coming for us." I said as I took her hand in mine and led her back to the house. "It seems like he has been planning for this. He wants to take over this pack and I think he’s getting information from Leonora. This is so fucked up."

"We have to kill the both of them. That’s the only way this can end. I know you really want to get her back and try and win her over but you clearly cannot be mates with someone that would sell you out." Claire advised and I stopped walking. I turned to Claire and sized her up. She didn’t have a right to talk about Leonora like that. Leonora was not a traitor. I’m sure of it.

"If Leonora tells Luke anything, we should blame ourselves because pushed her to that point. If you were in her shoes, you would have done worse so be grateful that its Luke she ran into rather than King Azrael or someone even more powerful." I said and with that I let go of her hand and walked away. I headed straight to the conference room. My mind was boggled and I needed to clear my head.

The only thing on my mind was securing my pack and getting Leonora back and if I could do this all at once, it was better for me. I needed to make a plan to infiltrate Luke’s pack, or whatever they liked to call it. I wouldn’t be surprised if he called it his kingdom. I needed to go in, get Leonora and get out while also preparing for the impending war.

There was no way Luke would get my pack and my mate. It would have to be over my dead body.