Chapter 26 #3
Would she stop now? Or would she convince herself she was helping?
“I don’t know,” I admitted.
Axel finished with the cheese and moved to the stove, stirring the pasta. “Then maybe it’s time to stop sharing details with anyone who might talk to him. Keep your cards close.”
“You mean don’t tell my family about the knife.” That would mean keeping secrets even from Vera. I loved my sister so much. We told each other everything. But…
“If you find it? If you break the curse?” He glanced at me. “That’s your call. But until then, the fewer people who know, the better.”
My phone buzzed on the counter. I glanced at the screen, half expecting another text from Ambrose. But it was Vera. As if she knew we were talking about her.
Vera
Mom’s being weird about you again. Asked me if I’d heard from you. I didn’t tell her anything but thought you should know.
I showed the text to Axel. His expression darkened. He went back to fixing dinner.
Me
Thanks for the heads up. Had another run-in with Ambrose today. He came by trying to get me to go home with him again.
Vera
Shit! You okay? Need me to fly out there?
Me
I’m fine. Just being careful.
Vera
Love you. Call if you need anything.
I set the phone down, blinking back unexpected tears. At least I had a few people I could lean on, even if I couldn’t count on my parents any longer. I loved them. I knew they wanted what was best for us. But…sometimes it was easy for someone to want the best and still go about it incorrectly.
I looked at Axel, this gruff, damaged wolf who’d opened his home to me. Who’d faced his trauma to help me search for the knife. Who’d stood between me and Ambrose today without hesitation.
“Thank you,” I said softly.
He glanced over, brow furrowed. “For what?”
“For having my back today. For making me dinner. For...” I gestured vaguely. “All of it.”
Something shifted in his expression. Softened. “You don’t need to thank me, Rebecca. Protecting you, caring for you—it’s not a chore. It’s...” He stopped, jaw working like he was trying to find the right words. “It’s what I want to do. You’re my mate, aye? It is an honor.”
My chest radiated with warmth.
“Even though it’s temporary?” The words came out before I could stop them. “Even though I’ll eventually get my magic back and leave?”
I was baiting him.
His hands stilled on the wooden spoon. For a long moment, he didn’t respond. Then, quietly, “Aye. Even then.”
My chest ached. Because he still believed it. Still believed that once the curse broke, once I didn’t need him anymore, I’d walk away.
“Axel—“
“Dinner’s ready.” He turned away, reaching for plates. “Come on. Before it gets cold.”
I sighed and slid off the stool, helping him dish up the mac and cheese, pile on the roasted vegetables. We ate in silence, the only sounds the clink of forks and the occasional crackle from the fireplace.
When we finished, he said, “I got something to show you. Something that might cheer you up. Stay here.”
Then he disappeared outside. When he returned, I stared at the giant wooden piece he carried. At first, I couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Then he marched over to Basil and Sage’s enclosure. He scooted a few things around before setting it down.
My lips parted. What started as cautious excitement turned to absolute joy as it radiated out to the tips of my fingers. “Is that a…a climbing tower?”
It was elaborate, with carved platforms in the shape of bowls and perches. A few parts were enclosed. A quick assessment told me he’d kept the wood entirely untreated so it would be safe for when they undoubtedly chewed on it. But he’d sanded it beautifully. You could see the character of it.
“It’s kiln dried to ensure that all the harmful stuff is out of the wood,” he explained.
“Is this…is that what you were drawing in your sketchbook a few weeks ago? When you wouldn’t let me see?”
I’d only gotten a quick glimpse. It hadn’t made any sense at the time. But seeing it now…
“Aye. You like it?”
“Axel it’s… But that was weeks ago. Before you even knew me. When you were still planning to roast my little gremlins for snacks.”
He huffed a laugh. “You know I was never planning to eat them.”
“I know but…” My throat felt tight. I forced a swallow, moving into the living room space to examine the piece.
Basil and Sage hopped over, cautiously investigating. Bunnies were always curious. Sage was the first one to go up on her back legs, placing her paws on the first level.
“See? The little snacks like it already,” he decided, nodding once.
Tears pricked my eyes and I quickly wiped them away before Axel would see. But it didn’t matter. He smelled me anyway.
Bridging the distance between us, he pulled me into his arms.
“Thank you,” I breathed against his neck. “For everything.”
“There isn’t a single thing I wouldn’t do for you, sweetheart.”
“I know.” I believed him.
For now, in this moment, with Axel’s arms around me and my bunnies exploring their new tower, I let myself pretend that Sunday nights like this could last forever. And maybe, if everything worked out, they would.