JAKE
“Axel can read minds?”I blinked, struggling to comprehend what Max was telling me.
He nodded. “Yeah.”
I stood, needing to pace or do something, becausewhat the fuck? “All this time you knew he could read minds, so why haven’t you asked him to read yours? Or mine. Or, I don’t know, maybemy dad’s?” I didn’t want to shout at him, but he was making it really fucking difficult.
To his credit, Max took everything I threw at him and didn’t even raise his voice. “Because when this happened, Axel’s life was in danger, so I was kind of busy trying to keep him alive, and then he and Talis were recovering from almost dying.”
“Not to sound insensitive, but it’s been weeks since that happened.”
Max rubbed a hand through his hair. “I know, and I’ve tried thinking of that night and everything else every time I’m with Axel, and he’s never once read my thoughts.”
“How do you know?”
Max scoffed. “You think he wouldn’t say something if he knew about all of this?” He waved his hand between us. “And besides, his magic is inconsistent on this side of the gateway. It wouldn’t matter if I just asked him to read my thoughts because there’s no guarantee when it’ll kick in. I’ve tried so many times, I figured it was never going to happen.”
“And now?” I paced in front of him, the lazy contentment I’d felt upstairs now long gone. “What makes you think going over there tomorrow will be any different?”
“Because he read my thoughts in the car park the day when they came to see Zane.”
Hurt caught me like a punch to the gut. “And you never said anything?”
Max opened his mouth and then closed it again. Instead, he stood and took my jaw in his hands.
I squashed the knee-jerk reaction to step back, because this wasMax, for fuck’s sake.
“I didn’t tell you, because you had enough to worry about. You were stressed about meeting Myla for lunch, and I didn’t want to add to that. We don’t know what’ll happen tomorrow, and I knew it would’ve been on your mind if I’d told you.”
Closing my eyes, I leant into his touch. Of course he was thinking of me. I wanted to take back all the angry words I’d spat at him. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, guilt adding a rough edge to my words.
Pulling me into his arms, he hugged me tight to him. With his head tucked into the crook of my neck, I felt every warm exhale against my skin. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not.” I shook my head, but Max just held me tighter.
“I should’ve told you before now. Should’ve trusted that you could handle it.I’msorry.”
I chuckled. “Okay, so we’re both sorry.” Pulling back to see his face, I went to kiss him, forgetting for a moment until I was abruptly reminded that we couldn’t do that. I sighed, trying not to let it get to me. “No more secrets, though. Yeah?”
“I promise.” Max tugged me back into his arms. “And on that note, as much as I don’t want to know, how was lunch?”
“It was good,” I said without thinking, inwardly cursing when Max flinched. “Not like that. The food was nice, and we managed to get through it without any awkwardness. I like Myla. Under difference circumstances I think we’d be friends.”
He relaxed against me. “I think so too.”
“When do we tell your dad?” he asked, seeming in no hurry to let me go. Not that I minded. Max gave the best hugs, and there was nowhere else I’d rather be than wrapped up in his arms.
“Maybe on the way to Axel’s? I’m worried if we tell him before then he’ll come up with a hundred reasons why it’s a bad idea.”
“There’s risk involved.”
“I know that.” We had no good reason to take Dad to see Axel. It was unlikely Xen would find out, but not impossible. At the very least, he’d be suspicious, and strictly speaking, he was within his rights to force us to tell him why if he thought it affected the pack. And I was sure he’d twist it that way.
And then we’d be fucked.
“How are we going to get him to agree to go to Axel’s in the first place?” Max finally let go of me, except my hand, and took me with him to sit on the sofa.
“Lie?” I offered. It wasn’t something I ever thought I’d suggest, but in this instance, I figured the ends justified the means.
