***
It started with the first 'SNAP' Myriah's head jerked to the sleeping Tyler whose arm was at an inhumane angle. She leaned into him, ready to reset his arm. It had been five days since she and Atoli succeeded in getting Tyler out of Texas. It took two days to get the boy situated: new ID, and what not. 24 hours to keep him sedated. Then three days to get to Alaska...
Even with magical incidents, there were little to no issues with the ever attentive soldiers... If Myriah knew anything for certain, it was that her father was tracking her and her people with state of the art technology....While Part of her wanted to believe that magic was stronger than the newest technology... the nagging pinch in her gut told her: It was all too easy...
' it must be because of the witch...'
Another loud 'CRACK' snapped Myriah out of her spiraling thoughts. Tylers leg was bent at a grotesque angle. Her quiet gasp made his eyes snap open. Instead of ocean blue she was greeted with molten amber surrounded by swirling black. Pitch dark night was in his eyes. She watched his pupils constrict and dilate to get used to the lighting. Before the lavender eyed girl could register what was happening, a hand wrapped around her throat and her air was cut off.
"Tyler-"
Myriahs mind went blank. Her hand numbly wrapped around Tyler's wrist. Axel had shown her how to break this hold without harming the boy. however her mind took her back to the facility; a scientist heavily drugged her, a solider grabbed her by her throat and lifted her from the ground. The purpose was to trigger her powers... the experiment ended with Myriah curling into herself, internally begging for death.
"No!" Lost in the memory, Myriah's second hand clawed at Tyler's hand in hopes of getting free. All of the books she read in preparation had gone out the window. All of her lessons with Axel and Jasmine left her as a wave of anxiety consumed her rational mind. In Tyler's place was the soldier, narrowed eyes glaring into her own demanding her cooperation. submission. Myriah tried to center herself with the one thought that seamed to have kept her sane even while in captivity.
'Axel...'
Tyler stood with a growl, his nails digging into Myriahs throat. Broken limbs barely healed, cracked and popped with every movement. The boy glared into her wide lavender eyes. And Myriah realized just how far in over her head she really was: This wasn't the gentle teddy bear of a boy she helped to kidnap... this was an animal... a very feral and dangerous animal who was running on pure instinct.
'I shouldn't have come alone...'
"Submit." He growled, which made Myriah struggle more.
"I won't!" she gasped. In consequence, Tyler's grip tightened around her throat, and Myriah felt her legs give out, then her arms moments later. Panic set in when he leaned in to take a whiff of her scent from the base of her neck where her neck met her shoulder. 'Axel...' The thought of the blonde male gave Myriah new strength as she tried to move away from Tyler's praying nose.
'Axel...' she internally pleaded for the male who always seemed to come to her rescue.
"Release the girl." Axel growled, his ice cold silver eyes, now a raging black. Myriah held her breath in anticipation as Tyler snarled and swiped at Axel who effortlessly caught his arm and twisted it behind his back. Making the boy growl and struggle against Axel's iron grip. Myriah could only blink, she never saw Axel move from the entrance of the room. Now he was behind the boy, glaring at the hand around her neck.
With a low growl, Axel kicked Tylers knee hard enough to make it snap. When Tyler went down, he released Myriah who fell into Axel's arms coughing and grabbing at her throat.
"Stupid girl." Axel muttered as he cradled her to his chest. One hand pressed between her shoulder blades while the other cradled the back of her head. Nothing could describe the anger that coursed through him at the sight of the fear in her eyes... or the relief that he felt seeing her resilience. He glared at the ugly purple that was starting to appear on her flawless skin. Too many emotions coursed through Axel's mind and heart. One thing he learned, was that he hated to see this girl harmed. More so when he was less than ten feet from her. "You should know better than to have been alone with him." The angry vampire growled. Myriah closed her eyes as she felt herself melt into Axels embrace. 'scold me as much as you want...' she sighed her agreement to his statement, 'just don't let go of me...'
Tyler's snarl made Axel look at him with burning black eyes.
"Your unfortunate luck in enduring the change saved your life, boy." Black met gold and Axel kicked Tyler in his jaw, dislocating the bone with a sickening 'CRACK' and knocking the boy
out. Myriah blinked as Tyler fell to the floor in a heap. Part of her itched to tend to him, but she dared not move from Axels embrace... atleast not without telling him first.
"Thank you." Myriah whispered, "I think I should heal him-"
"No." Axel snapped, "The witch will heal and tend to the boy while you rest.." Myriah started to climb out of Axel's arms when he growled at her, eyes still a burning black. Her lavender eyes snapped to his and time stopped. 'Tyler's black eyes terrified me... as the soldiers black eyes haunt me... but his...Has he always been this warm... ?'
Myriah's cheeks started to stain when she noticed how close he was holding her to himself... her soft body molded to his hard one. she could tell that this was no boy that was holding her. 'This is a man... a warrior, his body is made for battle...' she couldn't help but to lean into him, though hard, he was so warm and safe....
The feel of her body pressed against his brought their shared dreams to the forefront of her mind. While embarrassed and shy as she's never been in close proximity with a member of the opposite sex before, instinct took over her rational mind in place of the consuming anxiety.
Her arms came around his shoulders as he buried his face into the crook of her neck where Tyler's nose just was. 'Axel...' his name was the only rational thought that came to her mind. Myriah felt goose bumps raise where Axels skin touched hers. Her breath hitched when his lips came into contact with her burning skin.
"Axel-" She sighed his name which made Axel tighten his hold on her as he continued his ministrations. Myriah bit her bottom lip to keep from moaning aloud. 'I-i... should break his hold and shove him away.' She thought as his left hand slid from between her shoulder blades to her waist. 'I- w-we shouldnt-' Myriah tried to rationalize with herself as the hand that cupped the back of her head deftly removed the clip holding her hair up. 'Axel... we shouldn't- not with-' His hand tangled in her hair and Myriah gave into the feelings that Axel was coaxing from her. She wrapped her arms tighter around his shoulders. Her fingers sought out his blonde hair and got tangled in the golden locks. Axel pulled away seconds later and he glared into her changing eyes that were wide and curious. His eyes since changed from a raging black to a molten silver that burned into her innocent gaze. Myriah felt her cheeks flame red as her breath was taken away at change in his eyes. She couldn't place what she saw, nor could she name what she felt, and that made the situation all the more vexing.
Axel looked at her lips and then he leaned into her left shoulder once more. 'I resent that the boys scent is on her...' Myriah gasped when his lips came into contact with her flaming skin. She tried to pull at his hair when his burning tongue lapped at her skin. 'No other males scent should tarnish yours.' Axel internally declared as he felt his fangs burning in his gums.
Myriahs body betrayed her when her head tilted back to feel more of his ministrations.
"Don't."
Axel growled as he tore his mouth away from her skin and glared into her now silver eyes. He lightly pulled from their embrace, forcing her to release his hair. Myriah blinked, clueless as to what was happening. Her body was burning hot yet she wasn't sick. She knew her cheeks were flaming red and that she wanted to feel more of Axel's lips on her skin.
The thought made her bite her bottom lip as she tried to avert her gaze when Axel held her silver eyes with his own. "If you do that, I will claim you and no other will have you.." He ground out as he pressed his forehead to hers.
'claim me?'
Myriah blushed a darker shade if possible and she held his burning gaze with her innocent one. His promise to claim her made her heart hum with a light fluttery feeling that was new to her as well.
'would it be so bad? to be claimed by you?'
Axel released his hold on her hair and decided to calm himself by stroking the silky locks.
They stood in a contented silence while Axel tried to control himself and Myriah marinated in the new feelings he was invoking within her.
"I will take you to your room..." Axel whispered as he closed his eyes and loosened his grip on Myriah who was ready to bolt and hide, however he didn't release her. "Jasmine will tend to the boy while you rest." "I-I can walk...on my o-own.." Myriah whispered. Axel decided to humor her and let go of her. Myriahs knees wobbled and she fell back into his chest. "You're a stubborn fool." Axel snarked as he picked her up and carried her to her room. Her arms came around his shoulders and she looked anywhere but at him. A heavy awkward silence fell between them. "I...I apologize." Axel sighed, "for my lack of control." Myriah blinked and looked at him from the corner of her eye. "You were starting to bleed. I healed the wounds." Myriah blushed and buried her face into his shoulder with a squeal. Axel chuckled at her reaction and he nudged her when they got to her room. "Rest your mind and your body, Myriah." His baritone voice sent shivers down her spine. Myriah could only nod as he gently placed her on her feet. Axel bought a hand to her neck, she shivered again when his fingertips grazed the bruise that had since made its appearance in the form of a scarring purple hand shaped mark. "I-" "Rest now." Axel ground out. It was a whisper, but no less of a command. Myriah slowly went into her room and shut her door with a quiet 'Click'.