It wasn’t.
And the gnawing curiosity in my gut was starting to make itself known.
With a reluctance that made my arms heavy and heart clench, I eased him back until I could tilt his chin up to look at me. “Tell me everything,” I whispered.
I needed to know it all, everything about his past that had led him here to our forest, our pack.
To me.
He glanced at where my fingers still gripped his shoulders, tight and unyielding, and raised a delicate eyebrow. “It’s not a nice story, and it sure as fuck doesn’t have a happy ending. Are you sure you want to hear it?”
No.
But I couldn’t go a second longer without knowing what that fucker had done to him. I forced myself to let go of him, to smooth my hands over his arms and then step back. “Yes. I’m sure.” Gesturing to the chair behind him, I nodded. “Sit down and get under that blanket before you freeze.”
Axel huffed. “You’re the one with no clothes on.” As if those words had reminded him of the fact, his gaze lowered and he cursed softly.
My cock reacted to the naked desire on his face, half-hard by the time he eventually looked up at me.
Snatching the blanket up, he thrust it against my chest. “I can’t have any kind of conversation with you while you’re naked. Better yet, why don’t we go inside and I can find you something to wear.”
“Nothing of yours will fit me.”
“I know that, but I probably have something that’ll—”
My snarl cut him off and he had the decency to look contrite. I had zero fucking desire to wear something that one of his lovers had left at his house. If it was something that would fit me, then there was also a good chance it belonged to a fellow pack member. I knew Axel had been with some of them, but that didn’t mean I wanted it rubbed in my face. Especially not now when I was on edge from what he was about to tell me. “I’d rather stay out here.”
“Fuck, sorry.” He dropped his head to my shoulder with a groan. His hand flattened out where he still held the blanket against me. “Wrap this around you,” he murmured, lips brushing my skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. “I’ll fetch another.”
He was gone before I could react, marching back into the house, leaving me to catch the blanket before it hit the ground.
My hands trembled as I looked at the bunched-up fabric in them. It was incredibly soft to touch, and I knew if I buried my nose in its folds, I’d smell Axel all over it.
I shouldn’t.
It would be a special kind of torture, but as always when it came to Axel, I was a slave to instinct, so why bother fighting it?
Lifting the blanket to my face, I closed my eyes and took long, deep breaths.
Goddess above, his scent surrounded me.
Getting thicker and heavier with every inhale.
“I was rather hoping you’d be wearing it, not sniffing it.”
I froze, torn between embarrassment and not giving a fuck because it smeltsoo good.
Embarrassment won out and I quickly moved to wrap the blanket around my waist. When I looked up, Axel was watching me, expression hard to read, but scent never lied.
He’d liked what he saw.
I grinned, all teeth. “Want me to take it off again?” I tugged at the edge of the blanket, preening when Axel followed the movement, but he shook his head sharply.
“No.” He pointed at the chair next to the one he’d been sat on earlier. “If you still want to hear about Zh’alek, sit down and listen.”
That wiped the smile off my face. For a moment, I’d forgotten. Axel tended to make my mind wander, but his reminder was like a splash of ice water. I quickly sat down, facing him with my elbows resting on my thighs. “Go on.”
With a sigh that seemed to come from his feet, Axel leant back against his chair and started talking.
