Page 9 of Shattered Illusion

Once again, Axel’s hand finds the small of my back, all the tension draining from me instantly at his touch. I have no idea how he does it, but at this point, I’m not complaining. I could use all the help I can get.

The entire floor is one large open area, minus toward the back behind a desk where frosted glass expands from one outside wall to the other, with a large double door right in thecenter.Thatmust be Mr. Pennington’s personal office. Plush red chairs circle small black tables off to the right and left, with little white flower arrangements in the middle, livening up the dreary atmosphere.

With a little nudge, we are moving forward again, heading right toward those double doors and the explanation I’m not sure I’m ready for. Axel’s expensive loafers thump on the black with white veins marble flooring, echoing around the almost cavernous space, only punctuated by the clack, clack, clack of keys being pressed repeatedly on a keyboard. It makes me wonder what type of people are in his employ and if they’re going to take one look at me and treat me like trash.

After all, that’s all we heard growing up. The stories of supernaturals treating humans like worthless lumps of flesh, not caring what happened to us one way or another. And I don’t see them treating me any differently. The only things that have changed about me are my hair and eye color, along with the look of being abused by a tattoo artist. So, to them, I’m still as human as ever. No wings to blow them away with. No horns or claws to jab at them. Still just unapologetically human-like.

My thoughts have my shoulders stiffening and my steps slowing, worrying about how I’ll be treated and blasting a hole through the little bit of confidence I had coming in.What confidence? I’ve been a mess since the hottie at the lagoon held me.

“It’ll be okay, Bailey,” Axel murmurs, obviously feeling the tension lining my frame, but if only he had a damn clue as to why I’m tense now.

The clacking of keys stops abruptly, and a head full of fire engine red hair pops up over the top of the desk in front of his office. A piercing squeal makes my ears ring as a small body slams into Axel, causing him to stumble away from me to steady whoever just threw themselves into his arms. Holy shit, she’sfast. I didn’t even see her move.Vampire,my mind whispers. There’s no other supe I know that can move at the speed of light like that.

“Oh my gosh, Axel baby. You left so quickly you didn’t even say goodbye.” Even from here, I can hear the pout in her words.

Wait. Axel baby?! He has a fucking girlfriend?

Spinning on my heel, I toss him the meanest glare I can muster as the green-eyed monster called jealousy rears its ugly head. My eyes rove over the skinny skank, wearing a dress way too damn small for a lawyer’s office, as she paws all overmyAxel.

I trip over my own feet as I stagger back from that proclamation. That man—that vampire—is not mine. And he never will be if he’s a freaking cheater. The asshole has a damn girlfriend, yet he almost kissed me in his car.

Looks like humans and supes are all alike. Cheaters.

My blood sluices through my veins at a rapid pace, my heart thumping so damn loud, it’s now drowning out whatever they’re saying to each other. Every nerve ending feels like it’s been lit on fire, and my vision darkens around the edges as what feels like a ball of energy zips through my body. A bright glow chases away the encroaching darkness, every hair on my body standing on end.

“What the fuck!” Little miss skank’s voice breaks through the haze, but when my eyes connect with her wide, scared ones, all I can think is that bitch is touching what she shouldn’t be. “Why the fuck is she glowing?” Glowing? Who’s glowing? All I know is that if she doesn’t get her grubby paws off him, she’s going to regret it.

Axel’s handsome, cheater face appears in front of me, his hands ice cold against my fiery flesh as he cups my face. “Bailey,cor meum, I need you to calm down. Please.”

“You have a girlfriend? And you tried to kiss me?” I grit out, fighting with everything I have not to explode in a ball of flaming fury.

“No,cor meum, she’s not my girlfriend. She’s my business partner’s daughter, and nothing has ever happened between us. But I need you to calm down, or you’ll take down the whole building when you go supernova.”

“Wh–what?” The energy swirls quicker through my form, from the tips of my toes all the way to the ends of my hair. My feet start to scramble for purchase as the ground disappears from beneath me, weightlessness taking over as whatever the hell is happening lifts me into the air.

Before I can float away, plump lips meet mine, stopping every thought and sending them shattering into a million pieces as solid arms wrap around me, plucking me out of the air and into a strong chest.

Axel’s cool tongue probes the seam of my lips, and without thought, I open for him, letting his tongue tangle with mine. The energy that was once coursing through my body is now long gone, replaced with want and need for this man.

“What the fuck, Axel!” The screeching hyena brings me back to what got me to that point in the first place, and I put my hands on Axel’s chest, pushing him back and breaking the most magnificent kiss I’ve ever had.

A menacing growl ending in a hiss rips through the space, shutting the bitch up instantly. Axel’s dark pupils swallow his vampiric red as anger distorts his features, black veins crawling underneath his skin around his eyes. The sight causes me to step back from the pissed-off vampire as my body starts to quake in fear of the predator in front of me. My mouth opens and closes as I try to come up with something to say to placate him, but words fail me.

Axel moves quickly, making me flinch and slam my eyes closed, not wanting to see my death coming for me. But a heavy slam and a cry makes them pop open on their own to find the silver doors of the elevator dented in, Axel pinning his receptionist there with his hand around her neck. She cries out again and claws at his hand, but he doesn’t let go. If anything, by the groaning of the metal, it sounds like he’s pushing her harder into it.

This display is enough to remind me why I never liked supernaturals in the first place. Besides their arrogant, pompous asses, they could also squash me like a freaking bug. Death by squishing is not in the cards for this girl. I’ll just have to remember that any time one of them is around. As it is, I doubt this image will leave my mind for a long time.

I can’t hear a thing they’re saying to each other, and there’s not enough money in this world to get me to move closer to find out. It’s not my business what happens between vampires. And I plan to keep it that way.

The redhead drops to the floor, clutching her neck as Axel lets go, then he smooths out the wrinkles in his suit before spinning on his heel and pinning me to the spot with just one look. The quaking in my body starts again with every step he takes toward me, only harder, making my teeth chatter.

I don’t know what Axel sees on my face, but whatever it is stops him in his tracks. His brows pinch together as he continues to gaze at me, and then a look of sadness washes over his handsome features. He reaches out to touch me, but I scuttle back, my spine taking the brunt of the wooden desk behind me.

“Bailey?” he murmurs softly, none of the hard edges or hissing present like they were a moment ago. He curses under his breath when I don’t reply, then raises his hands placatingly as he slowly inches toward me like I’m a wild animal about tobolt. Which I am. Because I sure as hell didn’t sign up for this shit.

Right now, I’d do anything to go back to my human life, ignorant of the fact that my parents weren’t really mine. But that’s not an option. No matter how much I wish it was.

I swallow hard as Axel enters my orbit, nowhere to run with my back pressed against the desk. The wood digs into my spine, and I flinch, a whimper of fear escaping my lips as he reaches out and cups my face. Comfort infuses my veins at his soft touch, and I lean into the feeling.

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