"Maybe..." I answer his earlier question, but it comes out as more of a moan. Damn him and his effect on me.
He chuckles at me, but doesn't stop. He rests his head on my shoulder and lightly kisses my soft spot. I sigh and lean my head on his shoulder.
"We're leaving tomorrow, so make sure you're packed. I don't know how long we're going to be there, so pack the essentials," he lightly says into my ear and I sigh again.
No, he still doesn't know that the Moonlight Pack is my old pack and I intend to keep it that way. It will cause me pain, knowing that he and my old pack might get hurt, because although what they did is in the past, Axel won't think of it that way. It will be a lose-lose situation.
"Ok, what time are we leaving?" I ask as I close my eyes and breathe in Axel's heavenly scent.
"We need to be gone by five in the morning, so I would suggest waking up at about four if you haven't packed yet," he tells me and my eyes shoot wide open while I push my head off his shoulder and stare at him in shock.
"Five in the morning!" I scream in his face and he blocks his ears slightly. I breathe in and out to calm myself down. "Five in the morning?" I ask in a much calmer and quieter voice. He nods his head. "Why are we leaving at five in the morning, Axel?"
Axel smirks at me before answering, "The former Luna of the pack has decided she wants to make us breakfast and insists on having it at exactly seven o'clock. That gives you, and a few other mates, time to get ready and have a one hour snooze."
"Who else is coming along?" I ask as I look at him inquiringly. Axel continues to tell me that both Chloe and Declan's parents are coming, Callum and Matthew, and a few more pack fighters in case trouble arises.
"Oh," is all I mutter before I get up and make my way up to our room.
As I start to pack, I think over Axel's choices of who to bring along. I guess he chose to bring Nancy, Chloe's Mum because he sees I find comfort in her and she has to bring her mate too, who I still haven't met. I'm glad that Callum's coming because he is my guardian and all, and it's nice to know that he'll have some family with him. I guess the fighters are just for extra precaution.
Who's going to run the pack while we're away though? If Callum and Axel are coming, then who's left to see to the pack?
What about Comrade? He's my guardian, too and he should be coming with us, although Axel doesn't really seem to favor him. I let that one drop and push it to the back of my mind.
As I finish packing, Axel walks into the room with a set of papers in hand. His brows scrunch together as he reads over them, but I don't question it. Last time I did that, I was ignored. I pushed it and he snapped at me. He apologized but after that, I don't interfere with pack business anymore unless he asks me to.
"Axel?" I ask to get his attention. He lifts his head from the papers and his eyes are filled with adoration as they land on me.
"Who's going to look after the pack while we're gone? I mean, you and Callum are both coming, so who's left to see to the pack?" I voice my earlier thoughts and Axel smiles knowingly at me.
"Are you caring about the pack you didn't want to meet?" he asks with a smirk. His voice is filled with smugness as he speaks, but I keep a straight face, raising an eyebrow.
"If you must know, Callum's Dad is actually looking after the pack. He’s the former beta before Callum took over. He still has it though," he informs me and my mouth forms an 'O' shape.
I zip up my bag and is about to take it, but Axel grabs it and carries it downstairs with me following in tow.
"Where's your bag?" I ask him and he just shrugs.
"I already packed earlier this morning while you were in the backyard," he tells me and I nod, even though he can't see me.
He puts all the bags that are sitting out front into three separate cars. I don't bother to question him about who goes in what car, because I'll probably find out tomorrow. There’s a good amount of bags though...
He wraps his arms around my waist possessively as we re-enter the house. He guides me to his office and pulls me onto his lap once he shuts the door.
"The pack is holding a going away barbecue tonight," he informs me softly.
"Is there food this time?" I ask cheekily and Axel chuckles.
"Yes, sweetheart, there is food there. Although, a lot have been asking for your desserts to be there and I don't just think of the mud cake," he admits. I smile at his words. I'm glad the pack likes my desserts. It's very rare that a werewolf will lie about liking their food because, frankly, we eat way too much.
I've been eating just above the normal intake for a wolf my size and Axel's happy with me.
"I'll be sure to make something then," I tell him as I make a move to get off his lap. His arms tighten around my waist and he buries his head in my neck.
"Don't go," he whispers. I'm taken back by the sudden sweetness in his voice, but I obey and stay in his lap. I run my fingers through his soft white hair and lightly massage his scalp. He groans at the friction and I smile, pleased that I've satisfied my mate.
"What's wrong?" I quietly ask. Axel doesn't move from his position. All he does is move his hands up and down my thighs. I bite my lip as I try to stay on track. Dammit! He knows I love it when he does that.
"Axel, I can't help you if you don't-" I'm abruptly cut off with my own moan when Axel bites down hard on my soft spot. "Axel..." I warn, but it loses its power when I focus more on the feel of his touch.
"Relax, Celina. All I want right now is you before we have to go away tomorrow. Please," he begs as he continues to torture my neck. I silently nod and he slowly pushes me up onto the desk.
For the rest of the afternoon, we just tease each other and satisfy our mate's desires. By the time we're done, I'm breathless and pressed against the wall in my underwear, no bra, and Axel just in his boxers.
"You're getting better at this," he whispers in my ear as he playfully nips it. I laugh breathlessly and push him away.
I walk over to where my bra was carelessly discarded, but as I bend over to pick it up, I hear a growl across the room. Before I can process it, Axel has me up against his chest again with his hands tightly holding my breasts.
"Don't do that, sweetheart," he warns and gently sucks the back of my neck. I let my head fall forward with a moan and I feel Axel smirk against me triumphantly.
That's when I realize, he's playing me.
I slowly turn around in his arms and run my hands through his hair, down his chest and trace the waistband of his boxers, gripping it slightly. Axel groans and it's my turn to smirk. With all the time I've spent with Axel, I've become more confident around him and what he does to me.
I slowly stand on my toes to whisper in his ear, "Nice try, sweetheart."
I then jump away from him and quickly pull on my bra and shirt, which are conveniently placed next to each other.
"Better luck next time, Axel," I tell him while pulling on my skirt.
I walk out of the study as I glance at Axel's shocked face one last time. When the doors shut, I giggle slightly and skip my way to the kitchen to start making dessert.
About two hours later, I’m able to make three massive cheesecakes that will definitely feed the pack. I wipe the sweat off my forehead as I place the last, heavy cheesecake in the fridge. I hope everyone likes it...
With desserts done, I make my way to our room to get ready for tonight. I shower quickly, washing my black hair. I wrap it in a towel and pull on the clothes I brought before. Since I really don't like wearing jeans or shorts, I choose to wear multi-colored galaxy tights, a plain yellow tank top and one of Axel's Camo hoodies over the top. I smile at my reflection. I actually look my age.
"Celina? You in there? It's time to go," I hear Axel say on the other side of the door. I quickly open the door and I'm met by a casually dressed Axel in jeans and a shirt. He looks me up and down then smirks.
"I don't think I've ever seen you wear pants before. You actually look your age," he tells me as he wraps his arms around my wai
st. I smile at him and he kisses me lightly on the lips.
"I need to get some shoes," I tell him and he reluctantly releases me. I chuckle at him and pull on flat, yes flat, ankle boots. It's been getting colder and I always catch colds easily.
"Ready," I say as I walk back to Axel. He takes me in his arms again and we make our way down to the barbecue.
Everyone has a blast and they love my cheesecake. All night, I got compliment after compliment. It feels nice to know people like my cooking.
I yawn as I lean onto Axel's side. It must be at least ten o'clock by now. Axel stops talking to his buddies, some of whom are the fighters that are coming with us, and looks at me.
"Tired?" he asks quietly. I nod my head and I'm suddenly being lifted into the air by warm, comforting arms.
"See you tomorrow morning, guys. Bright and early," he reminds them and they all groan. I smile slightly. They probably haven't even packed.
'You're right, sweetheart, they haven't,' I suddenly hear Axel's voice in my head and smile at how it sounds. It sounds like it belongs there.
'Too bad for them then,' I mutter back through the mind link tiredly. In less than a minute, I completely zone out and fall asleep.
18
CELINA
"Celina!" Someone shouts really loud in my ear. I scream as I jump out of bed and push myself against the wall, gripping where my heart is. I look up, only to see Comrade rolling on the floor laughing. I glare at him as Axel bursts through the door with Callum in tow.
"What the hell was that?" Axel booms and Comrade immediately sobers up, but his shoulders are still shaking with silent laughter.
"Do you know what time it is?" I screech at him and he nods innocently. Callum watches the scene with a smirk while Axel looks a bit confused. He's a bit slow sometimes...
"It's exactly 4:30 in the morning. You're actually half an hour late, Snow. Tsk tsk," Comrade scolds me. I growl lowly at him. He just shakes his head while walking out the door with Callum following him.
"Stupid, immature teenagers, boys these days..." I keep muttering to myself as Axel watches me with a smile. He chuckles a bit then wraps me in his arms. I sigh contentedly and lean into his touch.
"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll get back at him for it," he promises and I smile. I turn my head and kiss him gently on the lips.
"You always do," I tell him, then wriggle out of his arms and head towards the wardrobe.
I pick out a long-sleeved, deep purple shirt and a matching black skirt with purple swirls. I pull on some flat ankle boots and make my way to the bathroom. I splash some water on my face and brush my hair.
"Celina! Time to go!" I hear Comrade yell from downstairs, so I quickly tie my hair into a low ponytail and dash down the stairs. When I get there, everyone's finishing last minute things and mates are saying goodbye to one another.
I look at Comrade and see him staring off into space with a sad expression. I glance at Axel, who's preoccupied with helping out some fighters.
'I'm gonna talk to Comrade quickly. I'll meet you in the car,' I tell him through the mind link. He averts his eyes to me and nods slightly before going back to helping.
I gently place my hand on Comrade's shoulder when I reach him. He jerks at the sudden touch, but smiles at me nonetheless.
"Hey, what's bothering you?" I softly question. He chuckles at me before answering.
"Always the caring one, aren't you?" I give him a pointed look before he sighs and tells me what's bothering him.
"I don't want you to leave me," he admits in a small voice. "I'm your guardian, yet I still can't be with you 24/7 like Callum and Axel can. I guess I just feel left out. I really want to protect you, but I can't do that if I don't have access to you, right?"
My eyes glaze over as I pull Comrade into a hug. He hugs me back as he rests his head on my shoulder.
"Comrade, I'll always have you and you me. When I come home, you can spend all the time you want with me and I'll make sure we won't be interrupted," I tell him as a single tear slips from the corner of my eye. Comrade pulls back and gently wipes it away.
"I know," he tells me and then frowns. "Do you know when you're getting back?" I shake my head at his question. "Of course not," he sighs. "Just be careful, ok?" I nod then hug him one last time.
A horn honks and that's when I realize that everyone is already in their designated car with Axel leaning on the side of one, waiting for me.
"I better go," I tell him then kiss him on the cheek.
"Good luck," he says before I run off to Axel. He takes me in his arms as he gently places me in the passenger seat of the car. He runs around to the other side and jumps in.
We drive off down the driveway as I silently say to myself, you'll be coming back.
I groan as I slowly peel my eyes open and move my stiff neck. "Did I fall asleep?" I ask Axel, and he chuckles at me.
"Yes, sweetheart, you did," he tells me and I groan again. I massage my neck with my fingers, but that hardly helps. It's so stiff...
"A bit stiff there, are you?" Callum asks from the back. I mutter to him under my breath and next thing I know, the head console is being unclipped and pulled away.
"Hey!" I object as I whip my head around, but instantly regret it as my neck cracks. I hiss in pain as Axel looks at me worriedly. I move my head around a bit to get the after effect of the crack out. A warm hand suddenly stops my head from moving.
"Relax, Celina. Prepare to get a massage," Callum tells me cheekily. I don't bother saying anything as his magic fingers do their work. A good hour later and my neck's as good as new.
"Thanks, Callum," I tell him gratefully and he grins at me.
"Anything for thy majesty's daughter," he makes a fake bow in his seat as he does a horrid English accent. I giggle at him and see Axel roll his eyes out of the corner of my eye.
"How much longer, Axel?" I whine. I can wait forever actually, but I want to get out of this car. I'm not too keen to meet my old pack again... I'm not too keen to know what Axel's reaction will be either.
"Well, it's just past noon now and we still need to get lunch, so I'll say... a good five to six hours.”
I sigh, but don't argue. I hope time slows.
We stopped for lunch at a service station and everyone ordered pies, sausage rolls, or spring rolls. I didn't have anything since I wasn't hungry. Axel wasn't happy with that. He convinced me to eat at least one spring roll and I did to make him happy.
That was about three hours ago. I'm still not hungry.
Axel, Callum, and I sit in silence as I just enjoy the scenery. I need to figure out how I'm gonna handle this situation.
My first option will be to tell Axel before we enter their territory. That will jeopardize what we've come for though... Even if my old pack has mistreated me, I don't want them to die. Those people are someone's mates, children, aunts, uncles. I can't just take it away from them and not care. That will be inhuman.
My other option, though, will be to not tell Axel and let him figure it out himself while giving my old pack the heads up. Then, Axel might get angry at me... He might stop trusting me because I didn't tell him who my old pack was. I can't let that happen either! Why is this so hard?
'Celina, you ok? You got a lot of jumbled up thoughts running through your mind right now,' Axel informs me as he breaks the wall I'm currently trying to keep up.
'I'm fine,' I answer shortly and Axel glances at me with worry in his eyes. I don't say anything further though, so he lets it drop.
Another few hours later and we are about to enter my old pack’s territory. Given half an hour or so and we'll be there.
I wonder how my new pack will react to my old pack. I wonder how my old pack will react to my new pack. Will a war start? Oh god, I can't handle that! What if Axel lashes out and kills them all? What if I break down in front of them and they see me for the weakling that I really am? What if anything bad happens?
I start to hyperventilate as thought after thought, wo
rry after worry race through my head.
"Axel, stop the car," I tell him as I feel the car start to cave in around me.
He doesn't stop the car and just looks at me with furrowed brows.
"Celina-"
I cut him off as I scream at him in frustration. "Stop the car!" I yell.
He pulls on the gear stick and slams it to a stop. The other two cars behind us step on their brakes as I push my door open and run towards the trees surrounding the road.
"Celina!" I hear Callum yell and two sets of heavy footsteps come running behind me. I stop at about a hundred meters and collapse to my knees. I wrap my arms around my stomach as I take deep breaths to calm myself down. I don't even hear the footsteps coming closer until they skid to a stop.
"Celina?" Callum asks. I don't acknowledge him. He squats down in front of me as he gently lifts my chin. I break down as he looks at me.
"Please don't cry," he whispers as he wipes the tears away. I don’t know I’m already crying.
A hand rests on my shoulder and I look to my right to see Axel looking at me with pained eyes. He also wipes a few stray tears away from my cheeks as he sits down next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.
"Tell us what's wrong," Axel states softly, but it sounds more like a question. I shake my head silently as they both glance at each other.
"Celina, is it something to do with the pack we're helping?" Callum guesses, and again, I stay silent. He runs a hand through his hair before looking back at me. "Celina, if it's something to do with this pack, then let the Moon Goddess help me because I will rip them to shreds before they can even touch you," Callum growls fiercely, his voice full of power that can only come from a beta.
I'm suddenly hit by a giant gust of wind. Then right before my eyes appear my mother and father in their ghostly forms.
"Mum, Dad?" I whisper and they both nod their ghostly heads. Their bodies seem to move with the slightest breeze and you can see right through them.