Chapter Seventy-Six
Come on”, Levi says. He taps me on the shoulder.
“Take me through that door,” I command, pointing to the metal door.
“Why?” He frowns.
“Because I'm the luna and I'm telling you to.”
I have to know if he's alive. And if he is, I have to know why Axe lied.
“You were just here to see Ember. Now come on, time to go,” Levi says.
Why won't he let me through? I look to the other guards in the room and they avert their eyes.
“I want to go in.”
“I'll check with the alpha.”
“Why? I'm the luna.” I scowl.
I'm getting more frustrated. Is Axe hiding something from me? Why won't Levi let me through? Levi's eyes glaze over like what happens when you mind link. I cross my arms over my chest and impatiently tap my foot. Levi's eyes come back into focus.
“The alpha will be right over,” Levi tells me.
“Then I suggest all of you leave before you witness an alpha-luna showdown,” I state.
Axe gets here in record time so Dash must be looking after Cash. When Axe walks in, I glare at him, letting him know this will be an argument.
“All of you leave,” Axe demands.
The guards leave and so does Levi.
“Start talking,” I say.
“Tell me why you're angry first,” Axe says.
Is he kidding? He wants to find out what I know first in case he outs himself as a liar.
“You're not as smart as you think you are. Now spill.”
“Fine, I lied to you. Joel is alive,” Axe says simply.
“Why did you lie?”
“I knew if I told you he was dead, that would be the end of it. I'd no longer have to worry about him being a threat.”
“If you were so worried, why didn't you actually kill him?” I question.
“Because I lost my mate, okay? I'm not going to kill someone's mate no matter how much I want to,” he says angrily.
“For an alpha, you're insecure. I have your mark on my neck. What more can I do to show you I'm yours? No, forget the mark. I bore your child for fuck's sake.”
“I know you're mine, because I wouldn't let anyone take you from me,” Axe says possessively.
“What are you going to do with him now?”
“Nothing. Leave him in solitary and be done with it. Can you meet me halfway and not visit him again?”
“Let them all go. I'm sick of the back-and-forth insecurity bullshit with you. Give them a rogue sentence and then you know I won't see him again.”
I storm back through the metal door I came through and leave the prison. When I reach home, I go to Dash's and pound on his door. Dash opens it, looking confused.
“Give me my baby,” I say angrily.
“Okay.” Dash frowns but goes to get Cash. He hands him over to me. “What's wrong?”
“Nothing,” I growl, turning around. I don't mean to take it out on Dash but it just happens. I turn around and he's still waiting in the doorway. “Did you know Joel was alive?”
“What? No.” Dash's eyes widen.
“Don't lie to me, Dash. I have Axe for that.”
“I'm not lying. I don't go to the prison. That's not my department.”
“I'm sorry I snapped.” I sigh.
“It's okay,” he assures me with a smile. He's so sweet.
I hold Cash to me and go home, going upstairs and bonding with my son to rid me of my frustration. What frustrates me even more than Axe lying is I couldn't sense that Joel was still alive. Since our mate bond had faded so much, I really couldn't tell if he was dead or alive.
The front door opens and I wait for Axe to walk in. When he opens the door, he looks at me but doesn't say anything.
“Say something or leave me alone.”
“What did Ember say?” he asks.
“Seriously? You want to talk about her over everything else?” I raise my eyebrows at him.
“Listen...”
“Hold that thought,” I interrupt him.
I quickly mind link Dash to come pick Cash up, knowing Axe and I need to settle this.
If yelling happens, I don't want Cash here to see it.
Dash shows up within a minute and walks into the room.
He looks between Axe and me, then takes Cash.
Dash looks at me again as if he's trying to predict what's going to happen, but then he leaves.
“Go on,” I say.
“What am I supposed to think about you just telling me to let Joel go?” Axe's forehead is set into several frowning lines.
“Well, judging by your thought process, you're probably thinking I want Joel to be let go so I can run off with him,” I presume.
“Do you?” Axe gives me a pointed look.
“If I wanted Joel, I'd be in the cell with him. Get a grip, Axel,” I roar.
“Don't fucking raise your voice at me,” Axe warns.
“I'm allowed to. We're equal, right?” I say.
“Yes, but it's disrespectful,” Axe remarks.
“Well in that case, let Joel, Ember and Mitchell go. Even Hannah, what do I care anymore? Make it known to them they can't ever set foot on this land again. Then we can go back to raising our son and not having to worry about the past.”
“I don't agree with that.”
“Even if you don't agree, it shouldn't matter, right? Like you said, we're equal. These people never crossed you so this should be my decision. It's my past we're talking about.”
Axe growls and paces around the room. I feel like I've got him in a checkmate position. He realises my point. I know Axe saved me in more ways than one, but if we're making a decision about people in my life, I should have a say in it.
“Fine,” Axe grumbles then storms over, grabs my neck and smashes his lips against mine.
I'm shocked by his advance, but I kiss him back, feeling how feverish he is through the kiss. His hand goes to my hair and he yanks on it making me hiss, pulling my head back to look at him.
“Get on your knees.”
His eyes are dark and piercing. His order was dominating and clearly not a suggestion.
It's new to me, his controlling sexual side.
I haven't seen it much. I drop to my knees and he unbuckles his belt and pulls it out of each loop in one quick movement.
He leans down and wraps the belt around my neck, pulling at each end to pull me closer.
“You're lucky you're still not ready for sex otherwise you wouldn't be walking for a week,” Axe speaks in a low voice.
I decide to test his dominant side. Maybe we need to fuck each other hard to release the tension built up between us.
“Is that right, Alpha?”