MISSY

Maddox sat on the couch, elbows on his knees. I paced the floor opposite him, chewing my nail. Faint bruises colored his knuckles, now that he'd washed the blood from his hands.

“I’m sorry…” he mumbled.

I didn’t respond. I’d been silent since we returned, trying to understand how Jeremy’s words had provoked such a violent reaction. I paused, watching Maddox stare at the floor, then resumed pacing.

What had caused this? Yes, Jeremy’s words had stung. We’d been friends in elementary school, but he’d distanced himself after my mother died, like everyone else. He knew she wasn’t a junkie; that was just a rumor spread after her death.

Getting milk spilled on me was unpleasant, but it didn’t justify Maddox nearly beating him to death. The rage emanating from Maddox during the attack paralyzed me.

“Can you please stop pacing?” Maddox asked, finally looking up.

“I just don’t understand,” I said, tugging at my hair. “You rearranged someone’s face when I could have just gone to the bathroom and washed off the milk.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I snapped.”

“Maddox, it was more than that. You were completely out of control!” He needed to know how worried I was. I felt the stress radiating from me.

“You were right; we shouldn’t have gone back yet,” he said, defeated.

“I want to know why you almost killed him over an insult, Maddox,” I demanded.

“You were hurt. What he said hurt my mate, and I reacted,” he reasoned.

“That wasn’t a reaction. That was annihilation,” I said, shaking my head. “A total overreaction. Maddox, what if you get expelled?”

“We go to a school full of werewolves, some of whom are of mating age. There’s no way I’m getting expelled for breaking his nose,” he said.

“Don’t deflect!” I shouted. He looked hurt, so I tried to calm down. Maddox rubbed his shoulders, looking sad.

“I snapped because it’s my fault,” he muttered.

I stared at him, bewildered. “I’ve been teased and taunted for years, but it’s your fault? You’ll have to explain that.”

He sighed. “I left you. I went to find Warwick. We should have been at school together. If we’d been there on the first day, I could have prevented all this. From day one, I could have made it clear that no one was to approach you. Instead, I left you, just like I left Langston. You both got hurt because I ran when I should have stayed.”

Maddox buried his face in his hands. He wasn’t crying, but I felt his despair. I stood there, blinking, trying to process his confession.

I sat down beside him on the couch, resting my head on his shoulder. “What happened to Langston?” I asked softly. He shook his head. “Maddox, please tell me.”

“Things didn’t go as planned…” he said quietly. “We found Warwick’s hiding place but ran into another Sire before we could escape. Langston created a diversion, and I ran. I knew I shouldn’t have left him.” His fists clenched, his shoulders tensed. I rubbed his back in small circles. “Bygrave crushed his spine, Missy. I left, and Langston almost died. I barely made it back to him, but it was too late. He might never walk again.”

“I had no idea,” I said, my heart sinking. My mate felt guilty for leaving Langston, and that guilt was amplified by leaving me alone. I’d been so selfish, focusing on my own needs. Maddox needed me too, and I wasn’t there for him.

“I didn’t tell you, so you couldn’t know. I was so relieved to have you back in my arms. I didn’t want to ruin that,” he admitted. I continued rubbing his back, and his shoulders slowly relaxed.

Finally, I asked, “Maddox, did you tell my dad about any of this?”

“No,” he said, sitting up. His eyes were bloodshot, his face pale. “I was going to call him after school to check on Langston. I just wanted things to go back to normal with you.”

I nodded. “I think we should talk to him,” I said, swallowing hard.

He ran a hand over my tangled, milk-soaked hair. His eyes followed his fingers. “Can it wait? I just want to be with you right now,” he said. I bit my lip and nodded.

“First thing tomorrow morning,” I offered.

He nodded. “Let’s wash your hair. I don’t like being reminded of what happened,” he said, avoiding my gaze. I cupped his cheek. We had some healing to do.

LEMON

Maddox and Missy left quickly after Liam and his uncle arrived to help Mr. Langston. I waited in my office; Axel joined me soon after. He said he needed to leave but would check on me as soon as possible. I didn’t ask for an explanation, but I assumed it had to do with Mr. Langston and Maddox’s injuries.

The next morning, I woke thinking of Axel. He’d taken control of the situation without hesitation, calming and refocusing me. I’d never seen so much blood; I panicked until he intervened.

I decided to stay home from work. All day, I cleaned and did laundry, with Axel in the back of my mind. He was so capable, so rational and quick in emergencies.

I was worried I hadn’t heard from him since the previous afternoon. He’d said he’d check in when he was free, but it had been a long time. I had no right to demand his time, but I was still nervous.

A lunchtime knock revealed him on my porch. He looked haggard but freshly showered. “Hey,” he said with a tired smile.

“Glad you’re alright,” I said, stepping aside. He raised an eyebrow as he entered.

“Was someone worried about me?” he smirked.

“Only because I’m used to you being around. I never go more than eight hours without seeing you,” I said, hiding my blush. He laughed.

“Fair enough. Sorry, things took longer than expected, and I really needed a shower,” he explained.

“You don’t owe me anything,” I said, getting water from the fridge. He sat at the kitchen table. “Have you eaten?” I asked, changing the subject.

“No,” he said, amused.

“Let’s have lunch,” I said, grabbing my phone. I texted the inn chef to send something over. I needed groceries; my cupboards were bare. “What do you want to do while we wait?”

Axel shrugged. “I have all the time in the world,” he grinned. I looked away from his gaze.

“A movie?” I squeaked. “We could watch a movie. Lunch should be here in twenty minutes.”

“Sounds good,” he said. I grabbed the remote, tossing it to him.

“Guest chooses,” I said, sitting on the couch. Axel sat at the other end, leaving a cushion between us. He found a crime thriller I hadn’t seen.

We watched in comfortable silence for a few minutes before he spoke. “So, how are you feeling after yesterday? It was a lot.”

“I’m okay,” I said. It was true. Knowing he was okay lessened yesterday’s events.

“I was worried you didn’t go to the inn today because of it,” he admitted.

I ducked my head. “I thought it was a good day to take off,” I said. He nodded, his eyes watching me intently, as if trying to figure something out.

The doorbell rang—lunch. I got it, bringing the bag to the coffee table. “We can eat here,” I said. “No need to stop the movie.”

Axel scooted closer. I set a box in front of him; he opened it eagerly. I sat down and ate as he practically inhaled his.

“Are you even tasting that?” I laughed. He paused, laughing.

“Sorry,” he said. “I was hungrier than I thought.”

“Here,” I said, pushing some of mine to his box. “I never finish it all.”

He smiled. “Thanks!” We ate; I didn’t notice the distance between us shrinking. When he finished, he leaned back, his arm resting on the couch behind me.

When I finished, I leaned back too, pretending not to notice his arm almost over my shoulder. I felt it would be rude to move, so I watched the movie, internally panicking.

The movie was almost over; I was planning my escape. We hadn’t moved. I was afraid to give the wrong impression.

“Lemon,” he whispered.

“Yes?” I turned to him.

“Do you think you’ll ever act on those feelings?” he asked. Heat rose in my cheeks. I should have known he wouldn’t forget my words.

He cupped my face, turning me to him. His fingers were warm and rough against my cheek. “I need to know I’m not wasting my time chasing you if you don’t want me,” he said softly.

“Axel, I…” I trailed off. How could I explain my internal conflict? I remembered my list. “There are so many ‘what ifs’ I can’t ignore.”

His eyes searched mine. “What if I could love all your ‘what ifs’ away?” I gasped. He continued, “I know you have reservations and worries. I want to show you we could have something more. I promise they won’t matter. I care too much to let them matter, Lemon. All I ask is a chance. Take a leap with me. Maybe the real ‘what if’ is what if we could fall in love?”

That was the most romantic thing I’d ever heard. In seconds, Axel swept away my worries. They didn’t matter as I looked into his shining eyes. I could give him a chance; I wanted to.

“Okay,” I breathed.

“Okay?” Axel asked.

“Let’s see where this goes,” I said, my heart thundering. His face broke into the biggest, most adorable grin I’d ever seen.