Chapter 40 Axel #2
He knew it was pointless. She wasn’t here. The smell of her blood was though, and he followed it back downstairs. There was nothing on the floor or anywhere nearby. Someone had cleaned it up, but that didn’t erase the scent.
Heading to the lift doors, he found it. A faint handprint. As if they’d tried to wipe it away as they were leaving.
Her handprint.
Her blood.
Someone had her.
And he knew exactly who.
Adrenaline and instinct were the only things driving him now.
He’d deal with the ones who drugged him later.
Right now, all he could focus on was finding Kat.
The edges of his vision were tinged with red as he followed her scent.
He had a feeling he already knew where she was. The only place Bree would take her.
He really should have checked a clock before he left. How long had he been out? Hours? Days? This godsdamn Underground. He had no idea if it was day or night. How long had they had her? Was she still bleeding?
He prowled across the Underground, moving quickly and quietly.
He didn’t see the people moving to the other side of the street as he went.
Missed those who averted their eyes or slipped down side streets to avoid him.
The bloodlust he was feeling now had nothing to do with hunger or need; this was pure vengeance and wrath.
Time was lost to him, all of his focus on moving forward and staying on his feet.
The scent of her blood was getting stronger, more prevalent.
She’d bled the whole way there, and each step had him giving more and more over to the monster his father had turned him into.
This is what Bree had wanted after all, right? May as well deliver.
It could have been minutes or hours before he stalked across the bridge that led to the House of Four.
“Hey, stop!” a vampyre called out.
He didn’t even slow, one shirastone knife flying from his hand a second later.
The male cursed as he sank to his knees. Axel grabbed the knife as he passed, yanking it from his chest and fisting it as another vampyre came running from the security post.
“You can’t—”
Axel paused, slowly turning to look at him. “My wife is here. Where is she?”
The vampyre held up his hands, taking a step back. “I don’t—”
He didn’t get to finish. Axel lunged, his fangs sinking into the vampire’s throat and tearing as he shoved the same knife into his stomach, slicing wide.
Dragging his forearm across his mouth, he felt the warm blood smear, but he kept moving.
It was the first time he’d truly descended into his new vampyre being, and a dark part of him wondered why he’d waited so long.
The speed was everything, even against beings of the same.
He met them blow for blow, the strength behind his hits fiercer than they’d ever been.
It was a song he’d been listening to his entire life, only now he’d learned how to dance to it.
Flipping a dagger in his hand, he let it fly, grabbing another and dropping to a crouch as more vampyres descended.
His hand snapped out, snagging a female by the arm.
She hissed, baring her fangs, and then she was screaming as he snapped her forearm in half with a quick move.
Another knife was in her chest a moment later.
An arm wrapped around his throat from behind, and Axel smiled.
Leaning back, he used his newfound strength to flip the male over his head.
He grabbed his skull with two hands, twisting hard to one side.
The male stilled, but Axel still sank a blade into his chest. None of the fuckers would move again.
They wanted to serve Bree? Then they could face the same fate she would.
A mess of bodies and blood was left in his wake. He wanted the bitch to know he was coming. He’d warned her this would happen if she came near Kat and his child again. He was, after all, a male of his word.
Veering to the left, he avoided the lift and opted for the stairwell, still following the scent of Kat’s blood. It was growing stronger, and there was a lot of it. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
The stairwell was narrow, but it was perfect for fighting his way up.
Before he’d turned, he thought that vampyres were savage beings, but he understood now.
Understood the power that came from sinking fangs into flesh and inflicting agony and death.
He didn’t need his shadows. Didn’t need magic when he was the weapon.
Kicking off the wall, he propelled himself over the next vampyre to meet him. A knife was in his back before he shoved him down the stairs, hearing the pained howls as he went. Blood was everywhere now, smeared on his hands, his face. His shirt was torn, and his shoes left red prints.
He didn’t know how many floors he climbed when the scent had him pausing. He inhaled deeply, smelling and tasting. A female came through the doorway, and he grabbed her by the throat, slamming her against the wall. His forearm pressed on her airway, and her eyes went wide, fangs snapping.
“Where is my wife?” Axel demanded in a low, cold tone that was nothing but death.
She shook her head, and he slammed her into the wall again. She coughed as the air was forced from her lungs, and then she was gasping as he pressed on her throat more. He didn’t ask again. Only held her stare, knowing he could be the face of Arius himself when needed.
“You are too late,” the female hissed around gasping breaths. “The babe is almost here, and then—”
Her words morphed into a scream as he dug a knife into her chest, dragging it down. No, this wasn’t going directly into her heart. She wanted to be the one to deliver the news he was too late? Then she would pay the price for saying the words.
The knife sank in again, dragging once more. Carving through flesh and bone, his vampyre strength cut through everything with ease until he could reach a hand in and wrap his fingers around her heart.
“Tell me again I’m too late,” he said with deadly calm. “Or tell me where the fuck my wife is.”
“Down the hall,” the Night Child cried, tears of red streaming down her face. “On the left.”
He yanked his hand back, taking her heart with it, and letting her collapse in a heap on the ground. His knife still in his other hand, he sank it into the muscle, feeling it die in his palm.
Letting the organ drop onto the still body, he stalked down the hall. The smell of her blood getting stronger as a scream reached his ears. Then he was running, another cry piercing the air as he threw open a door.
Only to find himself thrown against the wall and being held in place by a large Night Child. Dirty blond hair hung to his shoulders, and he bared his fangs as another appeared to help detain him.
Cade and Rayell.
The whole lot of the vampyres were in on this.
“Stay back, St. Orcas,” Cade snarled.
“I’m going to kill you,” Axel promised, jerking hard against their hold. One he might have been able to handle, but two of the most powerful vampyres? There was a reason they held their places in the House of Four.
“Let him go,” a feminine voice lilted. “He’s so lost to his true nature, he’ll kill her anyway.”
“Axel!”
His name dissolved into another scream, and it was the only thing that could penetrate this bloody haze that wouldn’t let him go.
He shook his head, trying to focus, but everything was still tinted red. Cade. Rayell. The walls. The bed. Kat.
Kat.
He blinked, unable to believe what he was seeing. Trying to comprehend Kat on the bed, curled in on herself with tears streaming down her face. Then she was seizing and crying out again, her back arching as what was clearly a contraction tore through her.
Bree stepped in front of him, blocking her from view. Her long fingers gripped his face, and her nails dug in.
“Axel, darling,” she purred. “Color me impressed. I underestimated how long it would take you to get here. I hear you left quite the trail of destruction. The Underground is terrified of you.” Her head cocked to the side. “Thank you for that.”
Kat screamed again, this time clutching at her stomach, and his chest twisted in agony. He needed to get to her. She’d already done too much of this alone. There was no way he was going to let her give birth by herself.
Bree moved to the side, turning to watch Kat suffer on the bed.
“Poor thing,” she tutted. “She’s been in this state for hours.”
Hours.
That was all he’d heard.
“Nearly an entire day,” Bree added with faux sympathy. “Thinking she can stop this.” She crossed the room, leaning in to gather Kat’s hair in her hands. “But you can’t, can you, poppet? That babe is coming whether you like it or not.”
“Don’t fucking touch her!” Axel roared, surging forward and freeing one of his arms.
“Fuck,” Cade barked, trying to grab him again, but Axel was too fast.
He already had a knife in hand and was bringing it down. Cade shifted just in time, the blade sinking into his shoulder rather than his chest.
“Motherfucker!” Cade snarled, grabbing Axel and shoving him back into the wall so hard his head snapped against the stone, cracking loudly. Spots flashed in his already hazy vision, but Kat’s cry of agony reached him once more.
“Stop!” Axel yelled. “Let me help her! Let me go to her! Why don’t you have a Witch here?”
“She’s on her way,” Bree said calmly, her hands on Kat’s shoulders now. “Lie back, poppet.”
Kat shook her head frantically, panting, “Your father— The babe.”
Axel went still. He couldn’t have heard her right.
“Oh, poppet,” Bree tutted. “Spilling secrets I shared with you. Shame on you.” Kat cried out again, and Bree used the moment to help her onto her back. “See? Isn’t that better?”
“What about my father?” Axel demanded, pushing against Cade and Rayell, but they held firm. Cade looked like he wanted to punch him, the knife still in his shoulder, and Rayell looked…not exactly bored, but not like she cared either.