Chapter 14
Isat at the kitchen island watching Axel as he rolled out pizza dough. We’d spent the morning running errands in town and the afternoon milling about the cabin. Me, grading assignments. Him, doing whatever he did in his workshop, coming and going as needed.
Redding was quiet on Sundays, with most businesses closed until mid-day. Besides getting more things from the bungalow, I’d accompanied him to the market. It felt domestic in a way I didn’t want to overthink.
Not after the way he had kissed me yesterday before promptly ripping my heart from my chest and stomping on it. Because of course he wasn’t interested in me. I was the one who’d tackled him, after all.
But for a moment there, I could have sworn it was something…more.
Something deep.
He’d backtracked after his cold dismissal, trying to engage in small talk, which wasn’t his specialty. Peppering me with little questions. Things about my life. About the bunnies. My job.
Why?
Because he felt bad?
Guilty for what he’d said?
He could have simply apologized. But he hadn’t. And perhaps that was for the best.
His words were the reminder I needed. I wasn’t here for romance. There was a job to do and an expiration date looming. I needed to get my magic back, break my family’s curse. If I failed, marrying Ambrose was my only backup plan. And I couldn’t let that happen.
I didn’t have time to get distracted.
Still, that was easier said than done, given the perfect specimen on display before me.
I watched Axel’s fingers as he formed the pizza’s crust. He wore a long sleeved flannel, the sleeves bunched up at the elbows, showing off his ropy forearms. My gaze spent far too long tracing the veins there, watching the way his muscles bunched as he worked.
I could still feel those same hands on me. The way he tugged my hair. The way he’d ground his hips into me. How he’d devoured my mouth, licking and kissing. The feel of his weight over me, pressing me into the ground. Pinning me beneath him.
He was so much bigger than me. Could easily overpower me. I’d be helpless against him, unless I used what little magic I had left. Even then…
But I felt safe with him, like a deep, innate knowing.
He might have hated witches. He’d made that clear from the start. But he would never hurt me.
The more I got to know him, the more endearing he became.
His passion for cooking was obviously attractive.
But there were other things, too. Thoughtful things.
Like the way he cared for my bunnies, even though he’d made a fuss about them.
Or how I’d found a stack of his T shirts neatly folded on the bed an hour ago, after he’d laundered the sheets for me.
Or how he’d brought me several cups of tea while I graded assignments this afternoon, before slipping back out to his workshop.
The tea was new. He’d picked it up at the market, dropping it into the shopping cart without asking. All because he’d seen me drinking tea at The Roost.
It wasn’t fair. The way he did this. Hot and cold—
“You got any topping preferences?”
“What?”
“On your pizza.” Axel stared at me, his gaze unnerving.
“Oh.” I blinked. “I mean…I like a good Hawaiian but I’ll eat just about anything.”
He hummed, spooning sauce from a small pot and spreading it over the dough.
Because of course he didn’t just get it out of a jar.
Then he took a ball of fresh mozzarella and cut it into round slices.
There was no shredded stuff here—not for his masterpiece.
For the toppings, he made an arrangement of pepperoni, bell peppers, olives, and mushrooms.
It was relaxing, watching the steady movements of his hands as he worked. Watching the way the pizza came together. Seeing the process of the food before we ate it.
By the time he slid it into the oven, my mouth was watering.
“Would you like a glass of wine?”
My heart leapt. “Sure.”
He hesitated, then motioned me over with his head. He pressed a button and a panel in the wall opened. My lips parted. I was out of my seat in half a second, rushing to his side. “Is that a hidden wine cellar?”
“Something of the sort.” He looked at me, amusement dancing in his gaze.
It was a narrow space, temperature controlled. There was more than wine in here, I realized, after following him in.
“How about a Chianti?” He lifted a bottle, running his thumb over the label. “It’s from southern Italy. You’ll like it, I think.”
“Sure. Sounds great.” I’d become something of a wine lover during my PhD days, going from cheap ten dollar bottles to fancier stuff, but only on special occasions. Considering his collection, I didn’t want to know the price of what we were about to drink.
He led me back into the kitchen, closed up the entry panel, and set about uncorking. He poured two glasses and handed me one. I swirled mine around, lifting it to my nose for a sniff. It was a lighter red, and I smelled a hint of berries.
“To the best fucking pizza you’re about to taste,” Axel said, clinking his glass against mine.
A laugh burst from my chest. I hated that he could stomp on my feelings one day, and have me laughing the next. It was annoying, really. Even more annoying that he looked delicious, like a deranged mountain man, and could probably fuck like one too.
“We’ll see about that,” I managed. “Won’t know until I try it, yeah?”
I lifted my glass and took a sip. Then moaned.
“It’s delicious.”
His gaze heated, the uninjured one dilating until his pupil was so large it nearly swallowed all the color. He blinked and the look was gone. “You feed the little snacks their dinner yet?”
“Not yet.” I stood and went to go scoop the bunnies their pellets. They were wandering the great room again.
Axel watched me as I returned, his expression unreadable. Like he was tracking every single movement I made. It sent an eager shiver up my spine. I regarded him similarly, and the tension between us rose.
I had so many questions. Like, why the self imposed exile? Had his pack kicked him out? Wolves didn’t do well alone. They were pack creatures—
The sound of gnawing filled the air.
“Not that, little snack.” Axel was across the room in a second, shooing Sage from the corner of the wall where she’d decided to test her luck. I spotted a few teeth marks.
“Sage,” I chided. She bounded away from Axel, her paws slipping across the wood. I went over and scooped her up, carrying her back to the island. She lifted her face to mine and began licking my nose. “Hi sweet one.”
I nuzzled her.
The weight of eyes told me Axel was watching but I ignored him.
“They don’t mind you holding them?”
“Not really.” I buried my nose in her fur and inhaled.
She smelled clean. I wondered if this was how moms felt about their babies.
Always inhaling their clean scent. “It took time, but they warmed up to me. A lot of bunnies hate being picked up and handled. It’s a trust thing. And a comfort thing. She tolerates it.”
I was careful to keep her pressed to my chest.
“Will she eat this?” Axel was on the other side of the island. He lifted one of the leftover pieces of green bell pepper.
“They love peppers. But can’t have too many. Here—” I held out my hand for it, then lifted it to Sage’s mouth. She promptly snatched it up and devoured it.
“Never knew they required so much care.”
“Most people don’t. They assume since rabbits live in the wild, that domesticated rabbits are the same.
Far from it. They need a diet that’s like eighty percent hay.
They’d die in the wild, foraging on grasses.
Not enough nutrients and all that. Plus, predators like you, intent on having them for snacks. ” With that, I gave him a glare.
He huffed, then went to check the pizza. I took Sage back to the enclosure, setting her in. Basil was lounging on the couch. I scooped him up and put him in with his bond mate.
A few minutes later, Axel was removing the most beautiful pizza from the oven. The entire house smelled like Italian herbs and fresh bread. If it tasted anything like it smelled, I knew he was right. That this would be the best pizza I’d ever tasted.
Never mind the fact that he’d made it.
After letting it cool a few minutes, he sliced and plated it.
When he took a seat beside me, he didn’t dig in immediately, instead waiting for my reaction. “Well?”
“Oh. Right.” I lifted the slice to my mouth, biting in.
It was almost hot enough to burn the roof of my mouth.
But it held together perfectly. I got a mouthful of pepperoni and mushrooms. And promptly groaned.
Because the richness of the cheese cut with the spiciness of the pepperoni.
It was the best combination for my tastebuds.
“I want to hear you say it.” He looked so smug.
I chewed and swallowed. “Fine. Yes. It’s the best pizza I’ve ever had.”
He nodded, then turned to his plate. The slice looked almost comical in his large hands. It was my turn to watch him lift it to his mouth. Chew. Then swallow. I traced the side of his profile, the lines where his jaw met his neck. The corded muscle as it bunched while he ate.
An urge to lick up the length of his throat had my insides warming.
His nostrils flared. “You’re staring.”
Instead of answering, I turned back to my pizza.
We ate in companionable silence. When we finished, we tackled the small bit of dishes. “Are you going for another run tonight?”
“Just a short one,” he explained. “I’ll be back by bedtime.”
I frowned before the realization hit. “They’re just nightmares, Axel. I don’t need a babysitter.”
He grunted, then turned and left.
I sighed, going to the bedroom. His master bath had a huge clawfoot tub. I decided a bath was in order. While I soaked, I called Elle.
“So you are alive,” she greeted on the first ring. “Tell me you’re not calling from a jail cell.”
“Ha. No, just a bathtub.”
“Oh? His bathtub. As in, your new wolfish roommate?”
“His bathtub,” I confirmed. I sank deeper into the water, relishing in the way the heat melted away the tension in my muscles. I hadn’t found any bubble bath to pour in, but there was some epsom salts under the sink.
“Fancy,” Elle hummed. “And how’s the great werewolf cohabitation experiment going?”
We’d exchanged a few texts over the past few days. The same with my siblings. Just so they knew what was going on with Ambrose and that I was safe. Elle, as usual, read way too deeply into the situation. Which meant she was going to love this.
“Well. He kissed me.”
“What?!” she whisper-hissed. “Oh, my God. Yes! Was it good?”
“Elle,” I groaned. “Everything is such a mess now.”
“Oh, no. It wasn’t good? Damn. I figured, werewolf and all. You let him down gently, though, right? Didn’t hurt his male pride?”
“Ugh. That’s not at all what happened.”
My pride was the one hurting in the end.
“Okay, spill!”
I gave her every detail. The brownies. Me tackling him. Him kissing me. I told her exactly how it felt kissing a burly werewolf, and how he’d reacted afterward. The tension between us during the remainder of my hike. The awkwardness that followed over the next twenty four hours.
“Now he’s trying to get back into my good graces,” I explained.
“And you don’t think home made pizza qualifies?”
I made a grumbling sound. “It’s not that. It’s this hot and cold routine. It’s giving me whiplash.”
She was silent for a while. “Sounds like he’s struggling, Becca.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s a werewolf. Wolves don’t run off into the wilderness and hide—go into exile—unless something is wrong.”
“That’s the problem. He won’t tell me. Every time I’ve tried to get things out of him, he closes himself off.”
“Typical male.”
“Typical male,” I agreed.
“You don’t believe what he said, do you? That it was just biology for him?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “He sounded pretty convincing.”
“Becca, what does your heart tell you?”
I lifted my foot from the water, wiggling my toes to study them. They were due for a pedi soon. Maybe I’d hit up the cute little place right off Main Street.
“My heart’s telling me that it meant something. For both of us.”
“Which means there’s more to it than he’s letting on.”
“He said he’s not good for me, Elle. He doesn’t want a relationship, casual or serious. Physical or otherwise.”
“Males will say all sorts of things to put you off.”
I blew out a breath. “I’m not sure it matters anyway.”
“Oh, here we go.” Elle snorted.
“I’m serious. I’m here to find the knife. I can’t afford to get distracted.”
“I’d hardly call it a distraction. Find the cave, drag him inside, fuck him. Find the knife, fuck him again. Break the curse, victory sex.”
“I just got out of a relationship with Ambrose. If things don’t work out—let’s say I fail to find the knife—then I’ve got to go back to that asshole and marry him. The last thing I need is heartbreak in the process. Especially from someone who isn’t interested in reciprocating.”
“You are not marrying Ambrose.” Elle’s voice turned hard. “I will kidnap you before I ever allowed that.”
“Elle. I am not passing on the chance to break my family’s curse.
Not when someone is literally offering to do it.
In case you forgot, blood curses can only be broken by the blood that cast them.
Ambrose’s blood. His family’s blood. He’s willing to end the feud if we marry. Tying our families together.”
“It’s bullshit. You’re going to find the knife. So what if you have a little fun along the way?”
But it was already more than that—more than just fun.
“I can’t afford to get attached,” I said, more firmly this time.
The thought scared me. Because I was already falling for him. It was annoying, since I barely knew him. But I knew enough. He had a big heart hiding under that gruff exterior.
“Becca. You literally sent me a block paragraph text detailing exactly how he arranged the salad for Basil and Sage yesterday.”
Heat crept up my neck. “Okay, well, he did a good job. Considering he practically wants to eat them.”
“My point is, I think you’re already attached. That ship has sailed.”
“Well, regardless of how I feel, he made his point.”
“Give him time.”
“All right.” My voice was low.
We spent a few more minutes catching up. The water was cooling by the time I climbed out. It was as the tub was draining that I caught the faint sounds of Axel’s voice.
Quickly dressing, I crept to the door and cracked it open.
It would have been better if I hadn’t. Because then I wouldn’t have heard him talking to my bunnies. Cooing at them as he presumably engaged them with one of their toys.
Yeah. I was definitely already in trouble.