Lowlander Silverback (Gray Back Bears #5)(39)

“Death,” Jason agreed from Beaston’s other side.

Matt nodded slowly, eyes on the fire. “Death. For you and for Layla.”

Kong gritted his teeth and inhaled deeply at the image of Layla lying in the field of red-stained wildflowers that had almost been his deathbed. “Creed, you have a family to protect.”

“I do,” he said somberly. Creed swung his dark gaze to Kong. “And you and Layla are a part of that now.” He jerked his chin toward the girls who were bobbing on the waves, talking low and laughing with each other. “What kind of alpha would stand by while your people hurt Layla? Hmm? Losing Layla would hurt the rest of my crew now. And what kind of alpha would I be if I stood by and let you sacrifice yourself for your cause?”

“It’s my cause—”

“Choosing your own mate is a just cause!” Creed barked out in a steely voice. “You don’t belong with Fiona’s people.” He dragged his attention back to the waves, his jaw clenched in the flickering firelight. “You never really did.”





Chapter Fifteen


Today had been an incredible respite from everything that had happened. Waterlogged, full of hot dogs and s’mores, and chilly from the late night breeze, Layla watched the Gray Backs filter into their trailers, chuckling softly and talking low as they disappeared.

She was sitting on the top stair of 1010’s porch, legs splayed on either side of Kong where he sat a couple of stairs down. He was leaning back into her as he chewed languidly on a long piece of wild grass.

Layla wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and pressed her cheek against the back of his head. “You make me so happy.”

Kong chuckled as he threw the grass away from him, then kissed her hand. He turned and opened his mouth to say something, but a limb snapped in the woods, and the words got caught in his throat. Kong jerked his head to the side, listening.

“What is it?” Layla asked, panic clawing through her.

“Go tell Creed they’re here,” he rumbled in an inhuman voice. When he turned, his eyes were hard and churning bright green. “Warn the others, then get inside and stay there.”

“Kong, what’s happening?”

“Fiona’s here.”

Fiona? She didn’t understand. This was over. Over. Why was that horrible woman still after them? And why did Kong look completely unsurprised that she was here?

“What are you going to do?” she asked as he stood to his full height and pulled his shirt over his head.

He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, then murmured, “What I should’ve done a long time ago.”

He sauntered off toward the front of the trailer park, and Layla blasted off the porch and toward Creed and Gia’s trailer. “Creed!”

The alpha was already coming down the steps of his trailer, pulling his shirt off. “I hear them. Matt! Jason!” He was punching something into his cell phone but he stopped to turn and yell, “Beaston!” off toward the tree line.

The Gray Backs trickled out, faces somber and ready. Gia came to stand by Layla with baby Rowan in her arms. “I think we should go inside.”

“You go,” Layla said drawing the knife that Easton had made her from its sheath on her hip. “This is because of me. I can’t just hide and let Kong get hurt for me again.”

A silver sedan pulled slowly up the gravel road. Its windows were tinted too dark to see inside but Layla would bet her life she knew who was driving. After the vehicle stopped, a slim woman in a dark business suit unfolded from the car. She stood ramrod straight, chin held high over a long, graceful neck as she looked down her nose at them in turn. Her chestnut brown hair was pulled so tightly into a curled updo, it looked headache inducing. She looked pale as the moon from the glow of outdoor lights that illuminated the trailer park. Her eyes were so light, they looked white, and were cold as death as she narrowed her inhuman gaze on Kong.

“Fiona,” he greeted in a dead voice.

“You’ve caused us quite a mess of trouble, Kong, breaking your contract for a human whore.” She clenched her fists and smiled thinly. Voice steadier, she continued. “And then you killed my best guards and made us come all the way up here to retrieve you.”

“Us?” Kong gritted out.

Behind Fiona, the trees shook with dark figures, and giant gorillas appeared from behind the tree line on the forest floor, roaring and beating their chests. There had to be a hundred of them, at least.

Layla gasped as they approached closer from the shadows of the trees, the animals illuminated silver in the moonlight. Each was massive and thickly muscled as they exposed bright white canines that looked impossibly long and contrasted starkly against the dark knight.

On shaky legs, Layla weaved through the Gray Backs and stood next to Kong.

“Hi there,” she said, meek as a mouse. Layla gripped the handle of her knife harder and anchored herself in the moment. In a stronger voice, she said, “Human whore here, and I’d just like to say—”

“You don’t speak to me,” Fiona said, eyes livid. “How dare you—”

“Shut the f*ck up!” Layla yelled, fury blasting through her like a grenade. Red tinged everything. Red gorillas, red Fiona. “You are so desperate to keep Kong at your beck and call.” She dragged her gaze across the gorillas inching closer out of the trees. “Are any of you happy? Are you? Are you so weak you would put a monster like Fiona on a pedestal and allow her to make all the decisions for your lives? How many of you has she broken? Huh? How many! Are you happy with the family groups she places you in, or do you wish you could choose your own? Do you wish it was about more than just some scientific chart that shoves you together regardless of your feelings? Regardless of your similar interests? Kong chose me. Me! He doesn’t want to be with you, doesn’t want to head a family group. He doesn’t want to breed mindlessly. He’s happy with me. And P.S.,” she snapped at Fiona. “I tainted his seed, like, ten times already.”