Chapter 60
Eden
I wake to the sound of wind whistling softly outside the wooden shelter. The cold bites at my nose, but the rest of
me is… surprisingly warm.
Which is strange, because there’s no blanket.
I blink and realize I’m not just warm. I’m draped over something…or someone. A person? It is very firm and very much alive. Is this…? I notice my hand is curled around a massive pec, gripping it to cop a feel like a pervert.
My eyes shot open.
Axel.
He’s in his human form now, fast asleep beside me. No, under me. I’m practically lying on top of him like some overgrown blanket, my legs tangled with his, my face pressed against his chest.
My entire body stiffens.
And then I feel it.
Morning wood.
“Oh gods,” I whisper and carefully peel myself away like a ninja trying not to trip a mine.
Axel grunts and stretches like a cat.
Do not look at his naked body, Eden. You belong to Azriel.
Somehow, I will my eyes away even when Axel sits up. “Mornin‘,” he mumbles in a gravelly voice, making my traitorous gaze flicker back. His dark lashes flutter, and those glowing green eyes find mine. They are heavy with sleep but striking all the same.
And he is entirely naked.
Perfect.
I scoot to the far edge of the wind shelter, trying not to show how red my face has turned. His muscles aren’t the
only big thing…
For flip’s sake, what am I even thinking?
“Good morning,” I croak.
Axel rubs a hand through his dark hair and yawns, muscles shifting under his brown skin. “You okay? You were freezing last night so I kept rubbing you with my hands. Didn’t want you turning into a fox popsicle.”
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“In your human form?”
“Myeah, I like my wolf form, but it felt nice to stretch as a human and I don’t freeze like this. Not one bit. Your fox is somehow feeding my wolf with strength.”
“Oh…” I mumble, then, “Well, thanks for… keeping me warm,” I murmur almost shyly, still avoiding his eyes since
I’m redder than a tomato.
He chuckles. “Anytime.”
His smile lingers a second longer than it should, and I glance down at my fingers. They’re stiff with cold. I flex them and look back up to see Axel watching me closely now.
“You feel anything through the bond?” he asks gently.
I shake my head slowly. “It’s… quiet. Too quiet.”
He doesn’t say anything right away. Just nods and turns his gaze to the wind outside. After a moment, he says,
“We’ll save him, Eden. Somehow.”
I don’t answer.
Because I don’t know how we could.
How do you fight someone like Mara?
My legs are numb when I try to stand. The cold is getting to me, so my loyal Beta transforms back into his wolf form
without a word.
A weak laugh leaves my lips. “More loyal than a horse.”
He chuffs, and I climb up on his back, tucking my fingers into his chocolate fur. We leave the shelter behind and
wander into the woods.
The world is a white abyss. Snow clings to every branch. The sky is the color of steel. Beautiful but eerie. We walk
in silence for what must be hours. I don’t have a clock, but the cold is creeping into my bones despite Axel’s body
heat. It must mean we have walked for a very long time.
I’m half–dead and half–frozen, but just when I think I might start crying from exhaustion, I spot something through
the curtain of trees.
A cabin.
“Axel,” I breathe, hope sparking. “There. Do you see it?”
His enormous ears flicker. He turns his head, chuffs, and picks up the pace. I bounce up and down on his back. Worst part is that my mount doesn’t even notice.
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“Whoa, take it easy!” I warn. “Don’t wanna throw me off, do you?”
Axel snorts in response, but does slow down.
I slide off his back once we’re in front of the cabin. I stumble a bit, then reach for the handle.
Unlocked.
Inside, it’s dusty. It also smells of mildew, but it’s shelter. There’s an old wood stove in the corner, a rusted metal
sink, and a faded map tacked to the wall.
Axel shifts back to human form, naked again. He finds a tattered blanket and wraps it around his waist before
wandering to the map.
“Lapland,” he mutters. “We’re in fucking northern Lapland.”
I’m already rifling through a drawer and find an oversized flannel and a pair of thick wool pants. They swallow me
whole, but I don’t care. Warmth is more important than fashion right now.
Axel feeds logs into the stove, coaxing a fire to life. The cabin begins to thaw.
I find a can of instant soup and set it over the fire to heat. We sit on a threadbare rug as the steam rises in the air
between us.
“We could be in another realm for all I care,” I say quietly. “As long as it’s far from Mara.”
“True.”
3 2 = £ R 2 FEE
Axel smiles weakly. “Still. It is nice to know which continent we’re freezing our asses off on.”
Then
We eat in silence for a while, both of us tired. Then Axel leans back, stretching his big arms over his head. The firelight dances over his muscled chest, and I almost choke at the view. I’m not proud of it, but I gawk. Such big muscles. Call me simple, but looking at abs and pecs keeps me from worrying about Azriel. At least for a few seconds, and Axel is a very pretty male specimen to brainwash myself with.
Unfortunately, the big flirt catches me looking and grins. “Enjoying the view?”
I roll my eyes and toss a cracker at him. “You wish.”
His grin widens.
Then, more softly, he says, “He’s strong. He’ll come for you.”
My stomach twists. I hold the soup close to my chest, warming my frozen fingers.
“I know,” I whisper. But it sounds like a lie, and I worry that it is, since the mate bond has gone so silent.
Axel leans forward. “Hey… I’ve seen what you two have. Azriel would rip apart every realm to get to you. Even the Nightmare Court isn’t strong enough to kill that kind of loyalty.”
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I look at him, and something softens in my chest. “Thank you.”
He shrugs, playing it off, but I know Axel cares deeply about me and doesn’t want me to be sad. My big–hearted
Beta.
We fall into another silence, broken only by the crackle of the fire. Then I bring the mug to my lips again and drop
- it.
The ceramic shatters on the floor, and a gurgling sound leaves my lips since I can no longer breathe. I clutch my neck, but there’s no stopping the pain from raining over me. It slams into my chest like a sledgehammer and
travels up my neck. I gasp and drop to my knees, clawing at my throat.
“Eden!” Axel is on the floor in an instant, gripping my shoulders. “What’s wrong? What is it?”
I can’t speak. I can’t breathe. My head spins. Fire tears through my veins. My vision blurs.
Then comes the nosebleed. It drops down onto the floor, and Axel freezes, watching it fall.
“A–Azriel…” I choke. “Something’s wrong. He’s-”
My entire body trembles. I feel it. His pain. Like it’s my own.
“He’s dying,” I whisper, voice shaking.
Axel goes still.
“We have to go back,” I sob. “We have to…how are we supposed to save him?”
There’s a silence.
Then Axel’s expression changes. His jaw clenches.
“We’ll need help,” he says darkly. “Either we find more pack members…or we go back to the Valentine pack.”
I look at him in disbelief. “Logan? Why would he help us?”
Axel’s eyes gleam with something sharp. “He won’t. But he’ll be forced to… if I challenge him for Alpha.”
I freeze.
The fire crackles, casting long shadows!
And suddenly, the room doesn’t feel warm anymore.
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