Page 100 of Beyond Reason

Chapter 30

Axel

He promised he’d never go so far that I couldn’t go with him.

But Xavier wasn’t waking up.

Chapter 31

Xavier : 22 Days Later

Things came back to me in waves. The facility, and Axel catching me. The flood of memories—mine and Marshall’s. Mine and his and a dozen lifetimes before… and it seemed like every time, there was a man with bright blue eyes looking for me.

Loving me.

Waiting for me.

I had to wake up—for Axel.

I’d promised…

I could love him in every life, but I wanted him in this one.

I didn’t want him to have to wait. Not again.

Chapter 32

Axel

When his lids finally fluttered open, it felt like the world around me came to a standstill. For just a second, I thought I was dreaming. I had to be dreaming, because that loop of green around the edge of his eyes had exploded into starlight, dancing in bursts of brown and blue and gold, but nearly taking over—an impossible kaleidoscope of color.

I didn’t care what color they were. His eyes were so beautiful when they were open, and I wondered if Heaven could be as simple as a person’s gaze.

“Xavier?” I was almost afraid to say his name. I didn't know what he’d been injected with. I’d downloaded everything I could and given the information to Jensen, and he said it was just a concentrated version of the drug they’d already given him.

In theory, there was no reason for it to hurt him.

In theory, the blood loss could have been what was keeping him in and out of consciousness, muttering nonsense and talking to people who weren’t there.

I wasn't sure if I believed in the theory, but I was starting to wonder if I believed in fate… and I was beginning to think that bitch had it out for us.

Which was why I nearly dissolved when he pushed himself slowly into a sitting position and instantly reached his hand out for me.

“Don’t cry, Sunshine. I’m fine.”

Fuck.

I crawled onto the bed until I was sitting beside him and wrapped him up in my arms. He came to me without resistance, melted against my chest, and pressed his lips to the pulse at my throat.

“I’m fine. We’re fine.” He was murmuring it over and over again, though it took me a moment to realize what he was saying. Xavier held me until I’d stopped shaking, then pulled back to look at me.

“Are you…” I was almost afraid to ask. “Are you just… you?”

His eyes looked like him, but…

“Yeah, just me. Sorry, I guess you’re stuck with a killer, hm?”

Fuck. Fuck. I leaned forward and pressed my mouth to his before he had a chance to give me a half rueful smile, and by the time I pulled back, I was crying again.

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