Chapter 301


    EMILY


    I can’t risk getting any closer, otherwise Axel might sense or


    scent me.


    But I’m dying from curiosity.


    Something is going on here.


    I just don’t know if it’s something good or something bad.


    I have no idea why Axel would shift and run all the way out here just to intercept those vampires who


    came to the house to threaten my brother and our pack.


    Part of me thinks we should just hand over Leah and the Roberts pack. That would certainly solve our


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    problems.


    Aaron isn’t responsible for their bad choices, and he shouldn’t have to pay for them.


    I’m not close enough to hear what’s being said, even with my heightened hearing.


    The way Axel and the three vampires are all warily regarding each other, I don’t think they know each


    other.


    They’re not acting familiar, so I don’t think Axel was lying when


    he told Aaron he a never met these vampires before.


    But what the hell could he be talking to them about?


    I watch for another few minutes at the heated exchange.


    Eventually, however, the vampires get back in their vehicle.


    Axel stays standing in the road, watching them as they roll past him and then the luxury sedan quickly


    disappears into the night.


    I have to shift quickly then, and speed off into the darkness, hoping Axel doesn’t scent me when he


    The wind is blowing sharply from the north with the promise of new snow, so I’m hoping that’ll cover the


    traces that may linger.


    My mind is racing all the way back to the mansion, trying to figure out what Axel going after the


    vampires might mean.


    What he could have even needed to say to such creatures.


    I manage to sneak back into the mansion, then I rush upstairs to my room, where I hurry into the


    bathroom. I strip off my clothes and hurriedly tie a bathrobe around my body, and then stick my head


    under the shower long enough to wet my hair, so it seems like I’ve been here showering the entire time


    while Axel was


    gone.


    It feels extreme, covering the lie of me trailing him with such a charade, but I have no idea how Axel


    might react if he found out I had followed him and spied on him.


    1


    Axel is dangerous, of that I have no doubt.


    And he rejected me as his mate, so I can assume he would protect me from his own wrath if I


    identally-or not so identally I suppose-found out something he didn’t want me to know.


    Just as I step back out of the bathroom, Axel walks into the room, and my heart immediately picks up


    speed.


    I silently curse my own body’s reaction to him.


    It doesn’t seem to matter to my wolf-or my body-that he rejected me.


    He makes me feel things I don’t want to feel.


    He makes me want things I shouldn’t want from him.


    Even more so when he’s made it clear that he doesn’t feel the


    same way.


    I turn away from him and try to force my wolf to settle.


    “You were gone for a while,” I say, trying to sound casual. “Did you get things figured out with James?”


    He doesn’t answer right away, and I have to turn back to him to read his expression.


    The problem is, Axel is almost impossible to read.


    He’s staring at me-expression mostly dispassionate as usual, like he doesn’t even care about having to


    deal with me one way or the other-and it’s like he’s trying to find some kind of ulterior motive behind my


    question.


    I nce away again, willing my face not to burn with guilt.


    Does he know I followed him?


    “James was busy,” Axel eventually says. “So I didn’t get to talk to him.”


    “Well, I’m going to bed now,” I tell him instead of saying anything about hisck of conversation with


    James.


    I pointedly go over and get my PJs out of the closet.


    “I’ll be across the hall if you need me,” Axel says, before sending me a nod and stepping out of the


    room.


    In the role of my ‘protector’ Aaron gave Axel the empty guest room across from mine.


    I have wondered a time or two whether Axel sleeps, or if he justys awake all night and listens for any


    clues that I might be trying to sneak out.


    I’ve been tempted to leave, but so far haven’t been brave enough


    to try.


    Getting caught doesn’t seem worth the disapproval and


    probable lecture I’ll get from both Axel and Aaron, the interfering jerks.


    Speaking of interfering jerks, once Axel leaves, I get changed into my PJs, but then I start pacing.


    I’m debating whether to go and tell Aaron what I saw.


    About Axel intercepting and talking to the vampires.


    On one hand, it’d probably solve my Axel problem, because Aaron might be pis sed enough to kick


    Axel out of the pack.


    But, without a doubt, my brother would simply put some other high-ranking wolf in charge of my


    apparent care.


    Maybe it’s the remnants of the broken mating bond, but my instincts are telling me whatever Axel was


    up to, it wasn’t anything bad.


    Well, not anything that might directly threaten the pack,


    anyway.


    In fact, it might have been some misguided thing to protect the pack.


    Axel does seem very loyal to my brother, after all.


    Maybe Axel simply knows something about vampires and thought he could help Aaron by warning


    them off or something.


    I don’tpletely disregard the idea of telling Aaron.


    I don’t want to keep secrets from my brother and the Alpha of our pack.


    However, I need more information before I take this to Aaron.


    Which means keeping a closer eye on Axel.


    Easy to do, when he shadows me night and day.


    I’m about to turn the tables on him in a big way.


    B