Page 53 of Freed By the Witchbone Knife

Axel watched me as I returned, his expression unreadable. Like he was tracking every single movement I made. It sent an eager shiver up my spine. I regarded him similarly, and the tension between us rose.

I had so many questions. Like, why the self imposed exile? Had his pack kicked him out? Wolves didn’t do well alone. They were pack creatures⁠—

The sound of gnawing filled the air.

“Not that, little snack.” Axel was across the room in a second, shooing Sage from the corner of the wall where she’d decided to test her luck. I spotted a few teeth marks.

“Sage,” I chided. She bounded away from Axel, her paws slipping across the wood. I went over and scooped her up, carrying her back to the island. She lifted her face to mine and began licking my nose. “Hi sweet one.”

I nuzzled her.

The weight of eyes told me Axel was watching but I ignored him.

“They don’t mind you holding them?”

“Not really.” I buried my nose in her fur and inhaled. She smelled clean. I wondered if this was how moms felt about their babies. Always inhaling their clean scent. “It took time, but they warmed up to me. A lot of bunnies hate being picked up and handled. It’s a trust thing. And a comfort thing. She tolerates it.”

I was careful to keep her pressed to my chest.

“Will she eat this?” Axel was on the other side of the island. He lifted one of the leftover pieces of green bell pepper.

“They love peppers. But can’t have too many. Here—” I held out my hand for it, then lifted it to Sage’s mouth. She promptly snatched it up and devoured it.

“Never knew they required so much care.”

“Most people don’t. They assume since rabbits live in the wild, that domesticated rabbits are the same. Far from it. They need a diet that’s like eighty percent hay. They’d die in the wild, foraging on grasses. Not enough nutrients and all that. Plus, predators like you, intent on having them for snacks.” With that, I gave him a glare.

He huffed, then went to check the pizza. I took Sage back to the enclosure, setting her in. Basil was lounging on the couch. I scooped him up and put him in with his bond mate.

A few minutes later, Axel was removing the most beautiful pizza from the oven. The entire house smelled like Italian herbs and fresh bread. If it tasted anything like it smelled, I knew he was right. That this would be the best pizza I’d ever tasted.

Never mind the fact that he’d made it.

After letting it cool a few minutes, he sliced and plated it.

When he took a seat beside me, he didn’t dig in immediately, instead waiting for my reaction. “Well?”

“Oh. Right.” I lifted the slice to my mouth, biting in. It was almost hot enough to burn the roof of my mouth. But it held together perfectly. I got a mouthful of pepperoni and mushrooms. And promptly groaned. Because the richness of the cheese cut with the spiciness of the pepperoni. It was the best combination for my tastebuds.

“I want to hear you say it.” He looked so smug.

I chewed and swallowed. “Fine. Yes. It’s the best pizza I’ve ever had.”

He nodded, then turned to his plate. The slice looked almost comical in his large hands. It was my turn to watch him lift it to his mouth. Chew. Then swallow. I traced the side of his profile, the lines where his jaw met his neck. The corded muscle as it bunched while he ate.

An urge to lick up the length of his throat had my insides warming.

His nostrils flared. “You’re staring.”

Instead of answering, I turned back to my pizza.

We ate in companionable silence. When we finished, we tackled the small bit of dishes. “Are you going for another run tonight?”

“Just a short one,” he explained. “I’ll be back by bedtime.”

I frowned before the realization hit. “They’re just nightmares, Axel. I don’t need a babysitter.”

He grunted, then turned and left.