Chapter Sixty-Four
What did you just say?” Axe's eyes are black.
“I want to go home, Axe.” I sigh.
“Why won't you accept his rejection? Do you want him? You told me you were in this with me a hundred percent but you lied. Have you been visiting Joel all this time?”
“No. You know I love you. Look, all this is a misunderstanding...”
“No,” Axe cuts me off, stalking toward me. He puts both his arms on the wall to the sides of me, trapping me in. “You are carrying my child. Don't fucking push me, Elora.”
“I'm not doing anything.” My voice sounds small.
“You are disrespecting me. Seeing Joel behind my back...”
“I went to see Jayceon, not him,” I defend myself.
“You can explain that later. Right now I want to know why you won't accept his rejection?”
“I don't want to hurt him,” I confess loudly. Axe's eyes go wide. At first he's shocked but the anger starts radiating off him.
“You're defending him after what he did to you? You want to keep your bond with him.”
“It has nothing to do with the bond. Joel is practically lying in his coffin and all it'll take is me to push it into the ground. I'm not hurting someone just because I can. I'm not you,” I yell at him.
When I finish the last sentence, I grab my mouth, knowing I shouldn't have said that. Axe stands back, his angry demeanour faltering for a second.
“Everyone has seen the unstable alpha. If you keep it up, you will too.” He walks out of the room, seething.
Within five minutes, Dash shows up and escorts me back to the house. He doesn't say much and neither do I. He clearly knows something just went down. When I walk in the house, the living room is destroyed, making me wince. I was gone for less than a day and that was his reaction.
“Where's Axe?” I ask since I can't sense him in the house.
“I don't know. Why don't you go upstairs and I'll bring you some food?” Dash says.
I do what he says but when I reach the hallway I go to my room.
I'm not sleeping beside Axe while he's filled with anger.
I sit against the headboard and grab my stomach, looking down at it.
Am I in the wrong with Axe? It's not like I cheated on him.
I had a mere conversation with Joel. Dash walks in with a tray of food and sets it on the bed.
“Are you okay?” Dash sits in the chair in the corner and turns on the tv.
“I'm just... I feel like my feelings are overwhelming me.” I pull the tray towards me.
“Well you're pregnant. Why don't you talk to one of the doctors?”
“I'll think about it.” I quietly eat but Dash doesn't leave. “Why are you still here?”
“Elora.” Dash leans forward in the chair and looks at me. “Axe assigned me to... watch you.”
“What? You're babysitting me?” I frown.
“He just said to stay by your side and whenever you go anywhere, I have to accompany you.”
“Oh my God,” I growl.
I haven't done anything wrong. Axe is overreacting about this.
The only reason I don't want to accept Joel's rejection is because I don't want to feel like a murderer.
I don't want him. I'm happy with Axe. I just don't want Joel to suffer.
Am I really that bad because I don't want to hurt a man who is defenceless?
I don't believe in kicking someone when they're down.
“Elora, he just wants you to be safe,” Dash says.
“No, he's being paranoid.” I push away the tray and stand up.
“Where are you going?” Dash stands up.
“I want to talk to Axe.” I reach for the door handle.
“Elora.” Dash grabs my hand. “He lost his mate. Can you really blame him for being paranoid about losing you too?”
“I'm not going to leave him. Why can't he see that?”
“Look, you don't need the stress. You just have to accept that Axe is going to be possessive when it comes to you now. You being pregnant is just going to make him act more extremely.”
I head downstairs and Dash follows me. The door opens and I walk towards it. Axe walks in, his eyes still dark like before.
“We need to talk,” I state.
“Dash, you can leave,” Axe says, and Dash walks out.
“I think the way you're reacting to this is bullshit. I'm yours, I have your mark on me. You can't control everything I do. You need to start easing...”
“Joel's dead,” Axe cuts me off.
I freeze at his words. No coherent sound comes out of my mouth, just a breathless gasp.
Axe's face is void of emotion, his eyes icy and cold.
Is that where he went before? I feel sick.
How could this happen? This is my fault.
If I hadn't gone to the prison, Joel wouldn't be dead.
Axe is unstable. He killed a man because I had a conversation with him.
“Elora.” Axe steps forward but I immediately take one back.
“Don't come near me.” I turn around and head for the back door. I go through the gate that links this backyard to Dash's backyard.
I knock on the back door and Dash opens it, his eyes softening when he sees me.
“Hey, why are you crying?” Dash caresses my cheek and wipes his thumbs underneath my eyes. I didn't even know I was crying.
Dash brings me inside and sits me on the couch.
Ryleigh comes over with a glass of water but I can't even bring myself to grab it.
I don't even understand the mental place I'm in right now.
My destined mate is dead. Even though I never had a relationship with him, I feel like my heart is crumbling.
Axe didn't have to do that. Only an unstable person would do that.
I don't understand. I can't even put into words any of this.
Why the fuck did Axe do this now? He could have killed him in the battle.
He said he didn't then because he didn't want to hurt me by having me lose my mate. How does he think I feel now?