Novels by Layla

MYRA I was in the middle of training, pushing myself harder, sweat dripping down my temple, when a guard rushed over. His face was tense, his steps hurried.“The Alpha requests your presence. Now,” he said.Something in his tone made my chest tighten. Without hesitation, I followed him, my boots pounding against the ground as we hurried back. My heart thudded louder the closer we got.When we entered the chamber, the air felt thick, heavy with tension. Alpha Gray stood like stone, his expression unreadable, while Reid’s eyes blazed with something between anger and triumph.Before I could ask anything, Reid’s hand shot out. With a sharp yank, he tore at my clothes. The sound of fabric ripping cut through me like a knife. My shoulder burned under the sudden exposure.I gasped, my arms flying up to cover myself. My eyes widened as I realized what he had revealed.The mark.My breath caught. My entire body froze.“What’s going on?” I stammered, my voice breaking.Reid’s lips twisted into

GRAY How could I tell her? How could I open my mouth and say the truth, that it was because I loved her? That the thought of her leading the front line made my chest twist in ways I couldn’t control?I clenched my jaw, staring at her as she looked at me with those questioning eyes. The weight of the necklace around her neck seemed heavier on me than on her. I didn’t want her hurt. I knew what it meant to be front leader. Risk piled on risk. Death stared closer at that position than at any other. And Reid had forced her into it.“You…what?” she asked quietly, her voice unsure but steady enough to pull me out of my thoughts. Her gaze was sharp, demanding an answer.I was about to respond, to finally be a man and say the words that had been burning inside me, but then—Knock. Knock.The sound was harsh, cutting through the heavy silence.“Soldier Myra, are you there?” a voice called from outside.Myra’s back straightened instantly. She raised her voice. “Yes!” she shouted loud enough fo

MYRA The courtyard vibrated with the deafening chant of my name. Myra! Myra! Myra! The sound pressed against my skin, making it hard to breathe. “Alpha,” I started, but Reid stepped forward, his smirk curling at the edges like poison.“You have to prove yourself,” Reid said, his tone sharp enough to slice through the air. His eyes glittered with mockery, though his words carried weight. “Because I still don’t trust you.”The crowd hushed for a moment, only the echo of his words lingering. My chest tightened, my heart beating so loud it drowned everything else out. My eyes darted to Alpha Gray. His face was carved in stone, but the vein in his temple throbbed. He looked ready to rip Reid apart, his jaw clenched so tight I thought his teeth might crack. Fury poured off him, hot and suffocating.Reid raised his voice again, louder this time, feeding the soldiers’ doubt. “And every one of these soldiers also doesn’t trust you. You have to prove yourself to them too.” He spread his arms,

MYRA For a moment, I didn’t move. His lips pressed against mine, warm, stealing the very breath from my chest. My eyes flew wide, but my body betrayed me, my knees went weak, my heart thundered like it wanted to break free.It was wrong. I knew it was wrong. Yet my lips tingled, my skin burned, and a strange shiver rushed down my spine. Then my mind caught up. My stomach twisted, heat crashing into fury. What was I doing? What was he doing?I shoved him, hard, palms slamming into his chest. He staggered back a step.“How dare you!” I snapped, my voice sharp, almost shaking with fury. My hands flew up in the air, ready to strike again, but then movement caught the corner of my eye. Soldiers. They were approaching fast. My anger faltered, and I immediately lowered my hands, curling them into fists at my sides.Gray’s jaw tightened, his shoulders stiff as his voice boomed across the air. “What are you doing here? I told you to leave!” His eyes blazed at them, his tone sharp enough to

GRAY “What! How come? Have you checked her chamber?” My voice came out sharp, cracking with disbelief as I shot up from my chair.The guard, still kneeling on one knee, bowed lower. “Yes, Alpha. We checked thoroughly. Her chamber is empty. We only found these…” His trembling hands lifted a bundle of folded fabric, Myra’s clothes.My chest tightened. The sight of her clothes felt like a punch straight to my gut. Sweat trickled down my temple. My voice thundered. “Could it be Reid?” My fists clenched so hard my knuckles burned.The guard’s eyes darted nervously. “We…we don’t know, Alpha.”“Where’s Reid?” I barked, my voice echoing against the stone walls.“I—I don’t know.” The guard stammered, fear flashing in his eyes.“Then go and find him!” My roar shook the room. The man scrambled out like his life depended on it. My heart pounded harder with every second.Moments later, he rushed back in, panting. “Alpha… Lord Reid is nowhere to be found.”My breath caught. Myra gone. Reid gone.

GRAY “I'll take my leave now.” Myra’s voice cut through the tension in the room. She turned, her shoulders stiff, and started to walk away.Then she paused. Her eyes met mine briefly, sharp and unreadable. “And please…let’s keep our relationship professional. I’m just a soldier, and you’re the Alpha here.” Her tone was firm, but there was a subtle edge of something else, maybe caution. She left before I could even respond.I slumped into the nearest chair with a heavy thud. “Shit!” I muttered, burying my face in my hands. My chest felt like it might explode. That was a rejection. A real, full-on rejection. And from her. Myra was the first person to ever reject me like that. My blood boiled hotter than I expected.And what did she just say? That she has someone else she likes? Who the hell is that? My mind raced, and the ache in my chest turned sharp and fiery. I slammed my fists on the armrest. “Someone out there! Now!” I bellowed.A guard appeared instantly, bowing low, eyes wide. “

ElysiaMy entire body was killing me. Pain came from everywhere. I hadn't showered in days, and my foot—I was pretty sure it was infected. The swelling didn’t stop; it only got worse. The pain had spread all the way to my knee. I had cried so much, it felt like the tears in my eyes had run out.“Are you okay?” Lily asked, her voice filled with so much concern.Ever since I met her that day, the guards had kept us together. They wanted her to take care of me so that I would appear ready for sale. No one wanted to buy me because of my foot. Just thinking about it devastated me.“I’m fine,” I said, my voice cracking. I was shivering from the unbearable cold.It had been six days, and I had foolishly hoped—just maybe—someone would come to save me. I was stupid for thinking that. I had run from Gabriel straight into the worst misery of my life.The way the guards looked at me, even with my condition—they gave me filthy looks, staring at my body. Thinking about it disgusted me.And Lily—sh

GabrielI sat at the end of the long table. The council members were busy discussing taxes and borders. Honestly, I wasn't really paying attention. I kept drifting in and out of the conversation. I just wanted to leave.Sometimes, I hated being a king. I wished I could just be normal. Not royalty, nothing like that. But if only wishes were horses.The door opened, and Carl walked in and came straight to where I was. He leaned in and whispered into my ear.“We can't find her.”I frowned, trying to understand what that statement was supposed to mean.“Can't find who?” I whispered.He froze for a moment. He paused, looking half terrified, half confused.“Elysia,” he said.“What?” I snapped.The council went quiet.I stared at everyone before standing up and walking out. Carl followed quickly behind me.“What the hell do you mean you can't find her?” I said when we were in the hall.“When the maid went to attend to her this morning, she was nowhere to be found,” Carl said. “And we have se

ElysiaI held onto a tree, trying to steady myself, but even the slightest step made pain shoot through my legs, and the sound of the horses grew even louder. From a distance, I could see the torch lights.“No, no, no, no, no,” I whispered. “I can't let Gabriel's men take me back to that devilish place.”I heard a branch snap behind me, and I started running, even with the pain.“Over there!” I heard somebody yell.But I didn't stop. I dragged my feet. The pain was unbearable. My legs were totally swollen from the first steps. I wasn't going to be a prisoner to Gabriel, not again.“Stop running!” I heard someone call from behind me.I ignored them.I pushed through the bushes, my breathing ragged, my heart racing so fast it made my chest ache.But no matter how I ran, I was too slow. I couldn't outrun the horses.And suddenly a horse appeared in front of me, blocking my path. I looked around and realized I was completely surrounded. There was nowhere for me to run.A rider jumped down

ElysiaI tried to calm down, but my heart wouldn't stop racing. I followed Stella through the quiet halls of the palace. Every step felt like it echoed through the entire hall, even though we were walking as quietly as possible.“Stay close to me,” she whispered, turning to make sure I was still there.I nodded, pulling the cloak tighter around myself.We turned a corner and suddenly Stella grabbed my arm, pulling me back into the shadows. Two guards walked past the corridor, their voices low as they talked about something I couldn't hear.I held my breath.My heart was beating so loud, the sound scared me. “If they turn around, they’re going to see us, and everything will be over before it even starts.”But it didn’t.They kept walking, not looking back.Stella waited until the footsteps were far enough and we couldn’t hear them anymore.“This way,” she whispered, moving fast.We walked through a narrow hallway, and I looked around. I had been to a lot of places in the palace, but no

Elysia I paced my room back and forth, restless. I didn't know if this was the right time, if what I was about to do was even right, but I knew I had to do something. I wrapped the cloak I wore tight around me. My heart was racing so fast, it felt like everybody in the palace would be able to hear it.I tiptoed to my door and pressed my ear against it. I could hear guards, but they weren't close. "Oh, goddess, what the hell am I doing?" I whispered to myself. I wasn't even sure if my plan was going to work.But I couldn't wait anymore. The longer I stayed here, the more uneasy I became—and I was also really worried about my mother.For the past couple of days, Sylvie had been acting a little suspicious. I tried my best not to give anything away, but I wasn't sure I was convincing enough. I knew she just wanted to help, but I couldn't even face her properly because, out of everyone in the world, I had to be pregnant for my best friend's brother. Slowly, I pushed open the door of my

SylviaI was furious at him. Absolutely furious. But that didn’t mean I didn’t love him.And that was the problem—only if there was a way to be mad at him without caring.I found him exactly where I knew he would be—at the balcony in his chambers, staring at the sky.I stood still for a moment, just watching him. And he looked lost. Broken. And it broke my heart to see him like this.“Do you know you’re an asshole?” I said, stepping closer.He didn’t turn immediately. Then slowly, he looked over his shoulder.“Gabriel, what the hell is wrong with you?” I scolded.He stared at me, confused. “What are you talking about?”I walked further into the room, folding my arms across my chest. “I know what you did.”“Okay… what did I do?”“Don’t play dumb with me, brother.”His jaw tightened slightly. “You have to be more specific, because I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.”“I know what you did to Elysia. Even if she refuses to speak to anyone, the guards aren’t blind. They talk