Page 81 of Broken Souls

Carson laughs after I tell her about last night. “Damn, girl. You're a great match for my brother.”

“Thanks.” I chuckle. “Dash wants me to train with Brian.”

“That's not going to happen.” She laughs. “Axel hated that I trained with him. He's not going to let you train with him.”

“Anyway, how's the pregnancy?” I ask.

“I'm getting fat,” she says sulkily.

“No you're not, baby.” I hear Timothy's voice in the background.

“I'm sure you look great.” I chuckle. “You're not even that far along.”

“That's why I'm sad. I'm only a couple months and I can't stop eating,” Carson complains, making me laugh. “I want you and Axe to visit when I have the baby. I will be lonely.”

“We will. Don't you have friends there?” I ask.

“Yeah, but they're still in their party phase. I'm the first one out of the group to get pregnant.”

“Aww, well they'll probably be very attentive when you get married. Is that happening soon?”

“Actually... I'm already married. No one knows. I didn't want any bullshit at my wedding so Timothy and I eloped last year on vacation,” Carson reveals.

“Oh, wow. Do you wear a ring?” I try to remember back to when I saw her if she was wearing a ring.

“Yeah, but everyone believes it's a promise ring so that works out good.”

“As long as you're happy.”

“I am.” I can hear the smile in her voice.

“I feel confident enough to say me too.”

Chapter Fifty-Five

FIVE MONTHS LATER

Today is Axe's thirtieth birthday. Dash and I have arranged a little get-together for him. He hasn't celebrated his birthday in years so I want to make this special for him. Axe is out with Brian right now while Dash and I set up. We've put a birthday banner in the living room and just have some black and blue balloons littered around. Carson and her mate arrived this morning and she has been in the kitchen cooking. I've been watching her bake the cake with amusement. Smiling as she reaches over her big belly to stir the cake and such. I've noticed how she keeps sticking her finger in the icing and eating it, thinking no one knows.

The past five months have been great for everyone. Axe and I are great. We even had another dinner with his parents. Manson didn't say anything to me but it was a quiet dinner. Timothy and Carson are excited because the baby will be coming soon. Dash has brought Ryleigh into our world and she's accepted it surprisingly well. They don't live together but she comes over a lot and hangs out with us. I've actually grown a friendship with Ryleigh, which I'm happy about. It's good to have a human friend. I still talk to Amelia on the phone sometimes. Amelia and I spent a lot of the Christmas holidays together since we knew we wouldn't see each other this year. She left for university so I'm glad for her. She's still got her relationship going with her sugar daddy. She seems happy, so that's good. I'm proud that she made it out of this town.

As for the pack, things are quiet, which is also good. Everyone has continued on with their daily lives. I think everyone has gotten used to Axe being the alpha again. No rules have been broken. Dash mentioned people used to break the little rules when he was in charge but now Axe is back, everyone is in line, probably in fear of Axe punishing them. I think people have gotten used to me being the luna as well. I don't know if they've accepted me as the luna, but they're used to it. They used to stare at me like crazy at pack meetings but now they focus on Axe.

I feel safe going for walks in the pack now. Some people stare but no one comments. A few of the younger kids have greeted me as the luna, which has made me smile. Everyone who's old enough to understand everything that has happened is stubborn. But it's refreshing that the younger pack members will grow up with Axe and I being good leaders, so there's hope for a more open-minded future, instead of the elders who are stuck in their old ways.

A lot of the people I went to school with have gone to university so there's a noticeable absence in the pack area. I have seen Jenna a few times walking around the pack. She didn't go to university. But when she sees me, she just averts her eyes. We haven't spoken since the after party on graduation night. At the time I felt right about hitting her but when I saw her a few days later, I saw her purple bruised face. I really was atrocious with that fight. Seeing bruises on her and realising I'm the one who did them made me sick. I don't want to hurt people like people hurt me.

I have been training, not with Brian. Like Carson said, Axe wouldn't allow it. So I train with Axe and Dash, mainly Dash. It feels good to know skill and defence but I still think the savage approach would be more beneficial in certain situations.

Not much else has happened in the pack. Except it was a surprise when I heard Jayceon beat the shit out of Mitchell. Apparently Mitchell never stops giving the guards a hard time because he wants to get to Ember. Jayceon lost his patience and took it into his own hands. I had a conversation with Jayceon after that and he was disappointed in himself. He always has his composure so he was annoyed that someone made him unable to control his anger.

“It's done,” Carson says cheerfully, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I look down at her work of art. The cake is huge and is covered in chocolate icing. I really just want to dive into it.

“Okay, well Axe will be here soon so should we bring the food to the table now?” I ask.

“I think maybe everyone will socialise before we have dinner so we'll leave it warming in the oven,” Carson says.