“I did.” Axel leant on the doorway to my bedroom, a blanket wrapped around him, but he shivered where he stood. His skin was ashen, his beautiful silver hair clung to his forehead, and the purple shadows under his eyes were almost the same shade as his irises.
He looked like he’d been the one near death, not me.
“You shouldn’t be out of bed,” Rys grumbled, rushing to catch him when Axel stumbled into the room.
“I felt him wake up,” he murmured, smiling at me. “And I wanted to explain.”
“Explain?” My brain struggled to catch up with everything happening, and I frowned, looking from Rys to Sasha before finally landing on Axel. He sagged against Rys, only upright because Rys had his arm around him.
“What did he do to you?” I growled, but it was weak at best. The rage building inside me was anything but, though. “And where is he? Because if he’s not fucking dead—”
“He is,” Rys cut in. “They all are.”
“Good.” A small part of me felt cheated that I hadn’t been the one to do it, but I pushed that aside, my concern for Axel easily taking over. “Get in here,” I urged, shoving back the quilt, not caring that I was naked underneath.
Axel hesitated. “Are you sure?” His gaze dropped to my wrist, expression wary. “I need to explain—”
I whined, suddenly needing him close, needing to feel his skin against mine more than anything in the world. “Please.” I didn’t care how desperate I sounded, only that he came close enough for me to wrap my arms around him and hold him tight. “Whatever you’ve got to say, you can say it in here.” I patted the empty space beside me.
Axel stared at me for what felt like hours before offering me a tentative smile. “Okay.”
Rys helped him walk to the bed. Once he was safely under the quilt, I shuffled closer, careful not to lift my head too much, and slid an arm over his waist.
“Is this okay?” I asked, wanting to nuzzle his neck so badly, but I held off, waiting for his permission.
“Yeah,” he breathed, almost melting into the mattress. “Please.” The desperation in his voice matched mine from moments ago, and I carefully tugged him against my body, his sigh of relief settled something inside me. I finally gave in and pressed my face against the side of his neck.
That next breath in was full of Axel’s wonderful earthy forest-pack scent I’d recognise anywhere, but with a subtle difference.
He smelt likemine.
A satisfied noise rumbled through my chest, and I held him that little bit tighter. My heart beat hard against my ribcage as the truth of our new situation finally began to sink in.
I vaguely registered Sasha and Rys leaving the room, the door clicking shut behind them, but my focus was all on Axel.
“Are you angry?” he whispered.
“Angry?” I frowned, wanting to see his face but not willing to move from my spot.
He traced soft fingers over my wrist, following the lines of the ink. “Because I did this without your consent. I tied us together without asking if it was something you truly wanted.”
I kissed the base of his throat, a flash of longing swelling through me as I imagined my own mark on his pale skin. “You know I would’ve said yes in a heartbeat if you’d asked me. You wouldn’t have done it otherwise.”
“You were dying,” he said, voice rough. “I would’ve done anything to save you.”
I pushed myself up on one elbow, the desire to see his face too hard to ignore. “And you did. But at what cost?” I reached up and smoothed his hair back. “You look worse than I feel, and I was the one who was poisoned.”
Axel shrugged. “I’m fine.”
“You arenotfine.” I cupped his jaw, forcing him to meet my eyes. “Why do you look like you’re the one who nearly died?”
He sighed, eyes closing for a moment. When he looked at me again, I saw the familiar fiery resolve in those violet eyes. “Because I shared my health with you to help you heal.”
My eyes widened, but before I could say anything, his gaze softened and his hand covered mine.
“I’m okay, I promise. It was rough for a bit, but I’m already healing.” He slotted his fingers through mine. “I’d do it a thousand times over if it meant saving you.”
And that cut straight to my heart. “Thank you,” I said, placing a soft kiss on his forehead. “I’m so fucking sorry you had to do this, though. I know it wasn’t what you wanted.”
