Chapter Thirty-Two
Iwake up when I hear the door opening. Axe walks into the dark room and sits on the edge of the bed, letting out a sigh.
“Axe,” I call softly, not to startle him.
“Go back to sleep, Elora,” he breathes out heavily.
“Please talk to me,” I plead, sitting up and touching his shoulder. He switches on the lamp and turns to me.
“I need you to know I would never purposely hurt you. I think my subconscious took over as soon as I was inside you. I'm sorry I hurt you,” he says sadly, dropping his head in shame.
“Axe.” I grab his face to look up at me. “I'm not angry at you. I understand you wouldn't hurt me. Carson assured me most first times are like that,” I try to reassure him.
“You still want to be with me?” He frowns, looking bewildered.
“Yes, it's not a big deal.” I give him a small smile to make him feel better.
“You are one of a kind.” Axe caresses my face. “And I don't deserve you,” he whispers.
“You're the only one who does,” I say truthfully, his eyes widening and either shining or getting watery. Axe presses his lips to mine, giving me a reassuring kiss. “Where were you?” I ask when he pulls away.
“I went to see Dash. He knows how to talk me into feeling better.”
“Oh. When will you be able to talk to me like that?” I ask softly.
“Most of the time we're talking about you.” He chuckles dryly.
“Can we talk about what happened tonight?”
“I lost control, Elora. My last lay was seven years ago. So much was on my mind; her, you, the time frame. Once I slid in, my mind went numb and my body just took over. I didn't even notice you were crying.” Axe runs his hand through his hair, making it messy.
“If you were having such a complicated experience, how did you hear me say stop?” I ask, intrigued about how his mind and body reacted to our sex.
“My wolf was more present than I was. His senses helped me come back to reality.”
“Does that mean your wolf will be more... pleasant when my heat comes?”
“I don't have a clue,” he breathes.
“Well, we've had an intense night. Can we cuddle and go to sleep?”
“That sounds great right now.” Axe lifts up the blanket and frowns when he sees the blood. “You haven't washed it off. Let's have a bath. It'll relax you and help you sleep better later.”
Axe goes to the bathroom and I hear the tap running.
He comes back and picks me up, wrapping me in his arms. I lean my head on his chest, feeling utterly protected when I'm in his arms. That may sound contradictory, as I was thinking earlier how apprehensive I was with him on top of me.
But being in his arms is a different feeling.
He lowers me into the bath after taking off my nightie and surprises me by stripping and climbing in behind me. He grabs my stomach and pulls me so my back is lying on his chest. I can feel every indent of his body behind me, his chest, his manhood against my back, his legs around my body.
“Thank you.” Axe's lips press against the back of my head.
“For what?”
“Everything,” he murmurs.
I close my eyes in bliss. The serenity of this moment is mind blowing. Even though we had painful sex earlier for both of us; physically for me and mentally for him, we are both in a state of contentment and stillness now. I know we'll be fine, always.
***
I wake up on a cushioned surface. Looking around I see I'm in my room.
“Axe,” I call, sitting up. I'm wearing one of Axe's shirts. The door opens and Axe comes in with a tray. “Where were you?”
“I was changing the sheets in my room. Here, Carson made breakfast.” He sets the tray on my lap and my mouth waters at all the breakfast foods littered over the tray. “How'd you sleep?”
“Great.”
“I could tell. You fell asleep when we were in the bath.” Axe chuckles.
“I'm surprised I didn't wake up.”
“You were sleeping peacefully.”
“Did you sleep in here?” I ask.
“Can't you tell?” He gestures to the crumpled-up pillows disarranged on the bed. “Are you sore?”
“Yeah, but it's more of an ache than pain,” I tell him.
“Do you need anything?” he offers gently.
“No, thank you.”
“Well, you enjoy breakfast. I'm going to spend some time with Carson since she's leaving tomorrow. Are you okay here by yourself?”
“Yes, I think I'll spend the weekend in bed.” I prop the pillows behind me and lie back, looking at what I should dive into first on the tray.
“I'll be back later.” Axe kisses my lips and then walks out.
I smile at how sweet he is. Even though he has a traumatic past, he is the sweetest man. To me. I doubt anyone else in the pack would say that. I eat my food and by the end of it, I'm so full, I fall back asleep.