*Okay, I know I had to be clear here. I know werewolves do not have Council Elders or some sort of Royal lineage they respected but I have my reasons. As I explained, the council were only advisors but they usually got corrupted with power half the time and Axel's family.... If I say what they are now, it might spoil the whole suspense of what he really is so I won't but his line is really special to the Wolves as they originated from them, literally. Anyway, I hope you're enjoying it as I am ^_^*
*
If Axel did not want to cause any alarm to Raven, he would have punched the wall without any care in the world.
But then, there was her, sitting on the bed with her legs folded, lips pursed and a worried look on her face as she told him what had happened in the room.
It was so obvious they had planned it.
They just needed something to hold against Raven and mete out that stupid punishment and they used her anger against her.
Which to him, made him feel like killing them.
The stupid laws.....
His Great great grandfather had been the one to bring up the law about respecting the Elders, just to keep them in their place, to give them something to not get bloodthirsty.
And he was also the one who had proclaimed that if a Royal killed anyone unjustly, they would be banished and banishment was a whole lot of hell as banished wolves were outcast that turned to hunts other wolves preyed on.
Axel had done it worse and got punished far worse than just banishment even though his Father had made it clear he would not be forgiven later.
Yet....
Here Axel was planning the deaths of six men and moving from one country to another with Raven, even if she was not willing, to stay safe.
"I don't want to fight Jordan" She murmured "It would hurt Briar..... I don't want to hurt Briar"
Axel sighed "Here you are having a fight against a beast that you clearly are not prepared for but yet, you worry of how his wife would feel"
She sighed "Briar doesn't deserve"
"Neither do I"
And when those words came out, he regretted it.
Though he had promised not to mention one word of them being mates, his protective instinct had stepped in and spoken in and he sighed "I'm sorry it's just....."
She shook her head "It's okay. I haven't even entered my Alpha form... Do you know if it hurts?"
Her voice....
This was the voice she had used before she had suddenly snapped the next day....
Though deep inside him he wanted to ask if she meant it.
If it was just sex to her.....
But it was not the time for them.
He nodded "Kind of"
Her eyes became bigger there "Were you.... Hurt?"
Axel sighed.
As an Alpha he knew that Alphas who cared of other people before them was a good thing but right now....
He really wished Raven would care about herself.
"Your Alpha form would possibly tear Jordan to pisses" Her eyes widened at that "And we both know you wouldn't rest in peace if you as much as make him bleed"
She looked away "I don't want to fight him really. I know he's a jerk.... But he's still family.... And he's Elle's sister, I don't know if she'd forgive me"
"Hey"
He pulled her into his chest and was grateful she did not pull away as he said "First, I would train you on not to kill him, if we can get your normal form stronger, second, Jordan IS a jerk, so he deserves punches and lastly, Elle is very close to you, she would understand. It would be okay"
"You already thought of everything huh?"
She was curling more into his chest.
He chuckled "That's what friends do"
There was a pause before a whisper "Thank you"
Axel was sure now that this was a side of her that no one else had seen.
The calm side.
He hugged her closer "You're welcome"
They ended up sleeping together with her chest on his head.
*
There was just something about sleeping and not waking up next to Raven that made Axel want to chain her to the bed so he could kiss her forehead and tell her good morning before he let her go.
But hey.
It was still operation let her fall in love with you and not make it all about you so he resisted the urge.
Anyway, when he walked out of the room, breakfast had ended and everyone else was outside the hall, possibly training or studying or playing as he walked into the kitchen, meeting someone he had never expected or planned on meeting "Briar"
She turned, her blond hair whipping around as a smile came up on her face "Hey. Sorry, you came late for breakfast"
He smiled "I suppose but I guess I'm lucky you're making something"
She laughed "I guess you are"
As they sat in the Mess hall him eating a sandwich and her eating some eggs and bacon, he spoke first "I apologise for making your husband bleed"
She chuckled "It's a natural sight, not the whole influence thing, just the blood...." Then she looked up at him "You don't remember me, do you?"
He paused his eating as he looked up at her "Am I supposed to?"
She smiled, looking back at her plate "I suppose not. You were just.... Saving my life then, and was so busy trying to make sure others were okay that you must have forgotten.... And I was uglier then.... And my name wasn't Briar, it was....."
"Belle" Axel completed, his face now back to the look of calm and peace that showed his regal lineage as he said "I remember"
Briar looked up, her eyes brightening "My lord...."
"You do look more beautiful" He replied "It's been years. I am honoured you remember me"
Tears seemed to pool her eyes "I am more honoured you even remembered me"
"How can I forget?" He asked "You were really brave then"
Years ago, Brair's Pack had been in war with some rogue wolves and people were being killed randomly.
Axel's family had been asked to help but when they had arrived, everyone had died.....
Except her.
Axel then could not forgive himself as he took her to a safe place still checking if anyone else survived before he sent her off to a Pack that accepted and took care of her as their own and she met Jordan.
"You saved my life" She said "I'm forever indebted"
"Don't give me all the credit" He replied "You survived a war, I bet some days in the forest would not have fazed you. I apologise that I had not recognized you earlier"
She laughed "I am sort of fatter now"
"Yes" He replied "It's possibly the baby causing it"
Her face registered that of absolute shock as Axel said with a raised eyebrow "Are you surprised I know? It's obvious, does no one else not know?"
She shook her head, looking down with a small smile.
"Not even Jordan?"
She shook her head again and looked up at him with a soft of plea in her eyes "Please, do not tell anyone, especially him..... I do not want him.... Aware"
"Does he hurt you?"
She bit her lip "He doesn't mean it"
Axel hissed "More reasons I want him dead"
"My Lord....."
"He does not deserve you Briar" He cut in with a sigh "And please, do not call me that. No one knows who I am and I rather it's kept that way"
Despite the situation, she laughed "I guess we both have secrets we want to hide then"
He smiled at that "But please, I cannot stand you being hurt. I saved your life so technically you owe me. If it's treated roughly, I cannot stand it"
She smiled, her hand on her stomach now "I know it is hard sometimes..... When he hits me, I want to leave, I want to run.... But with him, I find a lost soul just as I was. We both find each other in our pain...." Then she looked up at him "I understand it does not make sense but it does to me"
He nodded, not because he understood.
But because he did not want to hurt her.
Then she brightened again "And thank you for loving Raven. I know she is a bit hard to handle but thank you"
"It's okay"
"Don't give up on her...." She said "I know.... I know how it feels. I want to give up on Jordan.... But I imagine how he feels without me and how I would feel without him and I stayed, she does not know she wants, but you do, help her realize it.... She's happy, I just know it"