Sorry I'm Mated To The Commander novel Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Leilani’s life was already set in stone, like a melody composed long ago, its notes and rhythms fixed, unalterable, beyond her control.

But Atlas was different. Leilani wanted him to be happy.

November set down his optical computer, his voice softening as he turned to Zee, a faint, hopeful smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Someday, I wanna bring Mom here. I want her, Layla, and me, just the three of us, to live together.

Zee’s response was blunt, stripped of any frills. “That’ll only happen if His Majesty passes, Krish takes the throne, and he leaves you the hell alone.”

Everything Zee said was based on data-driven predictions. It wasn’t mistaken.

The odds of that happening were next to zero. For one thing, considering shifters’ longevity, Dakota was still young and strong and could easily live another hundred years.

For another, even if Dakota met with an accident or chose to abdicate ahead of schedule, Krish is not likely to leave November and Leilani alone. So, it was out of the question in the end.

When Layla came out of the kitchen with the food, she spotted November lounging there, chin propped in his hand, all nine of his fluffy tails fanned out across the floor. His fox ears kept twitching, flicking every so often. It looked like he was lost in some super serious thoughts.

“Dinner’s ready,” she called out.

“Aw, thanks, Layla!” November bounced over, wrapped her up in a hug, and smacked a noisy kiss right on her cheek. But that was as far as he’d dare, any more and Layla would totally deck him.

Except for those times she stayed with him during his rut, Layla was always a little shy, so November knew better than to push his luck. He always stopped before things got out of hand.

Layla could still feel the soft warmth lingering on her cheek. With a soft smile, she set the food down, noticing Zee had already handled the rest.

At home, Zee was using its robot butler body, sprouting eight mechanical arms to deftly deliver all the dishes, plus knives. forks, and napkins in one smooth go.

‘Pretty good for a robot server,’ Layla mused. Noticing November’s brow was still tightly knit with worry, she wanted to say something, but the words just wouldn’t come out.

November broke the silence. “Layla, my mom’s miserable in the palace. I really wish I could get her out and have her live with us, but there’s just no way. Unless my dad suddenly dies and my brother decides to leave us alone.”

Yeah, like either of those things would ever happen. At the very least, not for another ten or twenty years, if ever.

Even Leilani, with all her smarts and power, couldn’t figure it out. Layla was just a regular student with zero influence. There was no way she could do anything about it.

Unless they started a war or staged a rebellion. But come on, that was just not happening. The universe was peaceful right now, and Alpha Prime basically ruled the whole galaxy.

Seeing Layla go quiet, November added, “This is way too hard. I’m not really asking you for a solution. But Layla, if you have some free time, maybe you could join my mom for afternoon coffee sometimes?”

“I’ll try,” Layla said gently.

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Chapter 80

“You’re the best, Layla!” November exclaimed, smiling.

Layla knew November cared deeply for Leilani, but the moment his rut faded and he pulled off his mask, he’d slip right back into that frosty, distant persona of the royal Prince Atlas.

He wanted to look out for Leilani, truly he did, yet he had no clue how to put that care into words or actions.

Layla saw it clearly: both Leilani and the Atlas were trapped in a quiet misery within the palace walls. Her heart ached for them both.

“Oh, by the way, Layla, New Year vacation’s around the corner. Where are you off to?” November asked.

“I’m going back to the orphanage for the New Year,” Layla said simply.

“Oh,” November muttered, his voice barely audible.

His fluffy ears drooped even lower, his entire posture slumping into a defeated slump. He looked utterly crestfallen, every inch of him radiating “I’m gutted, I hate this, I want to go with you more than anything, but I can’t whine about it.”

Layla held her tongue. She’d already calculated the timeline: by the holiday, Atlas would be free of his rut, buried under military paperwork or obligated to stay at the palace with Leilani. For now, some time apart was probably the wisest choice.

Mired in low spirits, November was overcome with emotion that night. When they’d finished, his fluffy tail coiled gently around Layla’s waist, and he pressed soft, lingering kisses to her cheeks, tears slipping silently down his face the whole while.

“Layla, don’t leave me, okay? I don’t want my life to fall back into darkness,” he pleaded.

“Well,” Layla started, but the words caught in her throat.

“Don’t leave me,” November whispered, his voice trembling.

Layla hugged his fluffy tails close, the truth dawning on her slowly: she was no longer able to let November go. Watching him cling to her so desperately, she was all too aware that come morning, they would have to part ways.

Her heart throbbed with a dull, lingering pain. But what could she do? With his situation, it was obvious their story was destined for a bad ending.

She’d always thought about leaving, but it felt like she was getting more and more tangled up with him.

*****

Layla woke at the crack of dawn, the room still wrapped in the hush of early light. Atlas lay sound asleep beside her, the air thick with the warm, heady blend of cedar and roses.

Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she pulled on her uniform quietly, then slipped out of the room without a sound.

Zee stirred the second she stepped into the hall, rolling over to fix her with its steady gaze. “Layla, are you hungry? What would you like for breakfast? I can whip something up for you in no time.”

“No need,” Layla replied, checking the time. “I’m heading straight back to school.”

“Then take the aero-vehicle from the house, and use my master’s private route. It’ll get you there faster,” Zee suggested.

“Okay,” Layla said, nodding.

She didn’t overthink it. For one thing, it didn’t really matter to her. For another, she had a sneaking suspicion that more than a few of her teachers already knew the truth behind her unusual situation.

When Layla arrived at school, she went straight to class. Once the bell rang and the room cleared out, she spotted Annie

Chapter 80

slouched against the doorway, looking thoroughly miserable, hair sticking up in a dozen messy tufts, her expression equal parts moody and cranky.

Passersby kept glancing her way, their stares obvious, but Annie didn’t seem to care about how she looked. Finally, Kierra wandered over to her.

“Annie, this is way out of line. Aren’t you worried about making the Knight family look bad?” Kierra said.

Annie looked up and snorted. “I know you’re the one always earning face for the Knight family, so of course you care about that stuff, right? Well, I’m gonna mess it up just to drive you crazy. Let’s see what you’ll do about it!”

Kierra’s lips twitched in frustration. She wondered how on earth her cousin ended up becoming more and more reckless with each passing day.

Layla walked over. “Annie, were you waiting for me?”

“Yeah! Layla, you gotta help me!” Annie blurted out.

“Let’s talk in my dorm,” Layla said.

As Layla and Annie walked off side by side, Kierra just stood there, clenching her fists so hard her knuckles turned white.

‘Seriously, what is this even about? Annie and I are actual cousins. I’m the one who’s always making the Knight family proud. So why does she act like Layla’s her sister?’ she huffed to herself.

Meanwhile, the two ‘sisters’ made it to Layla’s dorm, where Annie sprawled out on the couch, looking totally defeated. “Layla, what should I do? Randall insists on breaking off our marriage, and he said if I don’t agree, he’ll even take me to the Interstellar Courthouse! Isn’t that just the worst?”

Hearing her rant, Layla only asked, “Why are you so against ending things with him? Is it just because you can’t stand losing?”

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