Page 50 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
“Because you are stubborn,” he muttered. “It puts you and the babe at risk.”
“So your solution is to leave me here alone? How is that any safer?”
“Stop being so logical,” he grumbled with a scowl.
But her smile only grew. “Stop bringing up the same argument every few hours,” she countered. “Give me something new to work with.”
She slid onto his lap at the words, her knees going to either side of his hips and her hands looping around his neck.
“You’ve worked with that plenty,” he grumbled more as she settled over him and ground down.
“So grumpy,” she chided, peppering kisses along his jaw.
“I’m being serious, Katya.”
She pulled back with a sigh, now visibly irritated. He held her hips, supporting her weight and helping her stay balanced as her arms dropped to her sides.
“We truly must have this argument again? Fine. What do you propose, Axel? Are you sending Theon by himself so you can stay with me? Are you leaving me here by myself for Bree to find? Is Theon staying and you’re going to deal with the Alpha and Beta alone? Which option do you choose?” she demanded.
“I know there aren’t any good options,” he argued, his own irritation climbing.
“Thereisa good option,” she insisted. “It involves thethreeof us going as a united front. It involves showing you are already different from your father and other Legacy by taking a Fae for a wife.”
“You’re not a fucking bargaining chip to parade around and be used to further an agenda, Katya,” he interjected.
“So you would relegate me to a position of being quiet and docile? Doing what I am told and staying hidden from the world?”
“That’s not fair. You’re pregnant, Kat. If anything happened to you…”
She took his face in her hands, forcing him to hold her stare. “Have you considered for one moment that I feel the same? That perhaps I am just as possessive and overprotective as you are? I lost you once, Axel. I refuse to do so again,” she said, flames and shadows flickering to life in her eyes.
“Kitten,” he breathed.
“I love you, Axel, but in this matter, I am stronger. I have my fireandyour shadows. Theon has his power.”
“And I am nothing,” he said, feeling the sting of that statement in his soul.
“No,” she insisted, holding firm when he tried to turn away from her. “You areeverything. And you have knowledge, Axel. You know the Underground better than anyone. Knowledge can win over sheer power if wielded with the same finesse. It is what makes Theon so dangerous; he is a powerful being who covets knowledge. Your worth lies in more than your magic. You taught me that. But if you go into that meeting tomorrow thinking you are less than what you are, they will see it. They will see it, and it will be all they need to see. They will not follow someone who does not believe they aren’t the most powerful in the room. Who does not think he is worthy to lead.”
“Am I?” he asked, completely vulnerable in front of the one person who could bring him to his knees.
She leaned in so her words feathered across his lips when she whispered, “Axel, you weren’t born to live in the dark. You were born to bring your people out of it.”
“Gods, I love you,” he breathed before his lips were on hers, his hands sliding behind her head to hold her to him.
“What are you doing?” she gasped when he released her.
“Kissing you,” he answered, his lips gliding along her jaw.
“I know that,” she said, already sounding breathless. “But you…” She shook her head before dropping her brow to his. “You keep doing this,” she said, her eyes falling closed, but he saw the tears pooling. “You do this and then stop.”
“You know why, kitten,” he said softly, tucking stray hair behind her ear. “I don’t want to hurt you. Ever. And if we… I could lose control.”
“Then don’t kiss me and look at me like you do,” she snapped.
By the gods. He loved her feisty side, but this was more than that. Navigating when to push her and when to back the fuck off while she was pregnant had been more than a little challenging. One minute she was upset about orange juice, and the next she was perfectly fine and going about her day.
Or in this case, one minute she was making him feel like he could conquer the Underground, and the next, she was making him feel like an asshole for trying to keep her safe.
