Chapter 157

Layla’s POV

"Oh goddess," I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth to stifle a sob. I had hurried ahead of the others in hopes that I would be reunited with Beta Stephen.

Nate's footsteps faltered, his gaze fixated on the object before us. My heart clenched with dread as I followed his line of sight, my stomach churning at the sight that greeted us.

There, in the dim light of the moon, in a box, laid the body of Beta Stephen, crumpled inside the wooden crate. Blood stained the ground around him, a gruesome testament to the violence that had been wrought upon him.

Nate's jaw tightened, his fists clenched at his sides. "AUGUSTUS!" he growled, his voice low and dangerous. I must have seen none of us see this coming, it was not among the options we explored. How could one man be so wicked? We all knew he could not feel affection such as love for him but not like this.

I could feel the tension radiating off him in waves, his anger and frustratio