AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I climbed into the shower on shaky legs, and we were both silent for a minute while I scrubbed my hair and skin with soap. After I rinsed the suds, I slid out from beneath the water, shutting it off and heading toward the bedroom.
Before I could get myself dressed, Axel started doing it for me.
He pulled a soft gray sweatshirt down over my head—I knew he’d realized that one was my favorite, even though I’d never said it out loud and he had never asked.
I stayed quiet while he helped me into sweatpants and socks too, then drooled silently over the curve of his ass as he pulled his own matching getup on. His erection formed a harsh tent in the front of the pants, but he didn’t bother trying to hide it from me.
Not that I wanted him to.
I was actually pretty damn in favor of seeing that tent.
When he scooped me up off the ground, I murmured, “We need to get the condoms out of the truck for next time.
He hugged me fiercely to his chest. “We’re not talking about condoms yet. You threatened to move me out of our house, Mo.”
“I was angry,” I said, closing my eyes.
“Which is why we’re going to talk.”
As much as I wanted to avoid the uncomfortable conversation coming my way, I still knew Iris was right.
Axel was worth the discomfort.
So I nodded, and braced myself for the awkwardness.
TWENTY
He setme down a few feet away from him on the couch, with my back to the arm rest so my legs were sprawled over the cushions. I assumed the distance was for the sake of our focus.
“Alright, Mo. As far as I’m concerned, we’ve got a damn good number of things to work through,” he told me, turning sideways on the couch so he could face me head-on. I tried not to let my gaze linger on the tent in his pants, which sure as hell hadn’t started shrinking yet.
“Okay,” I said, trying to bring my mind back to the forest. My good mood faded when I remembered Finn’s thinly-veiled suggestion that I was looking to hook up with someone other than Axel, and Axel’s silence.
“First, the fact that I haven’t moved my shit back here.” He held up one finger, ticking that off the list. “Second, the things that happened when I was a kid. I shouldn’t have dodged your question. My past is sensitive, and I don’t much like to go into details, but you deserved a much better answer than the one I didn’t give.” He ticked another finger. “And third, as we both know, I was a shitty mate when we were in the forest. There’s always some tension, but Finn attacked you. I wasn’t expecting it, and I didn’t react properly.” He ticked a third finger.
I bit the inside of my cheek, but nodded.
“Fourth, the way you lied about wanting to be just acquaintances before the climax.” He ticked another finger, and then another as he added, “And fifth, the way you ran from me and threatened to move me out.”
My face was hot.
I felt like he was about to attack me, even though he was keeping a level head and voice.
“Fine,” I said, my defenses rising.
“I feel like both of us are having a hard time adjusting to this,” he told me, gesturing between us. “Which makes sense. Most werewolf couples have weeks—if not months—to adjust to the idea of being with each other, before they meet in person. Granted, most of the women start out human, but that time still helps with the processing. Without time, everything’s been dropped on our heads. If my wolf had hunted longer, I would’ve been ready to be what you needed right after I shifted. Instead, I questioned what I wanted, and I regret that immensely. I know it makes you question how much I really want you, and I wish like hell that there was a quick fix, but there isn’t. That trust will take time.”
I agreed with him about that—about needing time.
Time was the only thing that would convince me he was really dedicated to me.
“I don’t have a whole lot of stuff in my tent out there, with the pack,” Axel told me. “I never got around to moving it, because it didn’t feel important to me. I have enough clothes between my duffel bag and the townhouse to survive a week or so, and there’s a washing machine here. When I go back to work, I’ll end up back in the forest again anyway. The classes to help other werewolves find peace with the beasts inside them were my idea; the other guys can’t run them without me for long. You saw what they’re like.”
“Bad with people?” I offered.
His lips curved upward just the tiniest bit. “Yes. Finn’s bitter. Kai’s quiet and threatening. Nico prefers not to get involved unless it’s necessary. Enzo and I keep things running, but Enzo is better one on one. He doesn’t much like large groups of people. I wrangle the packs, give out assignments, keep shit moving. If I don’t show up to help for a few more days, one or more of them will inevitably show up here to apologize and ask me to come back.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “They’d apologize toyou? After being shitty tome?”
