Page 94 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
“I’m back, kitten,” he said around the dry lump in his throat. “Let me up.”
She eyed him for another few seconds, clearly gauging the truth of that statement, and he was glad she did. He wanted her to take every precaution. This was exactly what he’d been afraid of, even if she didn’t appear shaken in the least.
Slowly, the shadows unwound, but she kept the flames in her hands as he got to his feet. He wanted to rush to her, but he moved slowly, giving her the time she needed to trust he was back in the right state of mind.
She was in one of his shirts, but it only hit her upper thighs now. He was shirtless, only in his undergarments, and he clenched his hands into fists, feeling the lingering burn at his wrists and ankles.
“I’m—”
“Do not apologize to me again, Kat,” he interrupted, his tone dark and commanding. “You did what you needed to do.”
“I know, but…”
“There are no buts. I told you this was what I was afraid of, and you said you could fight me off if needed. You did what you needed to do.”
She nodded, the flames waning but still at her fingertips as she watched him. “You’re not feeding enough.”
“I have to ration myself,” he said, forcing himself to stay rooted despite wanting to pull her into his arms.
“You have to drink enough to stay healthy, Axel,” she argued. “You fret around here about how much I’m eating and sleeping. You have to do the same for yourself.”
“When Theon comes back with more rations, it’ll be different.”
Her eyes narrowed, and the flames went out as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Did you contact him yet?”
“We just saw Miara a few days ago. I can’t simply call him. You know that.”
“I can send a fire message,” she argued.
“Just…give me some time to figure it out. This needs to be a conversation. Not passing notes back and forth like we’re in studies. He’s busy, and?—”
“No, Axel,” Kat interrupted again. “I do not care what he is busy with. I want to talk to Tessa. Contact Luka if you don’t want to bother Theon.”
“Tessa wants to end our bloodline, Kat,” he said, trying not to raise his voice. “That includes our son.”
But she only glared back at him, unmoving in her resolve. He wasn’t going to win this battle, and he knew if he dragged this out any longer, she would make good on her promise to do so herself.
He sighed, shoving a hand through his hair. “I have to go to the Underground entrance to use a phone,” he said. “If I leave now I can hopefully be back late tonight provided there aren’t any surprises along the way.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“No,” he argued. “You will stay here and rest. You hardly got sleep tonight. I’ll send word to Miara to have a couple Witches come stay with you. I have some Legacy contacts in the District that owe me favors as well.”
“I think I’ve just proven I can defend myself,” she said wryly, but the underlying heaviness told him how accurate his assessment was. She was exhausted, and while she’d just expelled some power, it was draining on her too.
He left her standing there while he went to the large closet, quickly dressing and brushing his teeth. When he came back out, she stood in the same spot, arms still crossed.
Stopping a few feet from her, he asked, “Can I touch you yet?”
Her features softened, and she lowered her arms. “I’m sorry,” she whispered again as he pulled her into him, inhaling her scent for an entirely different reason now.
“Stop apologizing, Kat,” he sighed, resting his cheek atop her head. “If this is our new reality, we need to adjust. I’d rather you burn me every day as long as I still get to call you mine at the end of it.”
She pulled back, peering up at him. “It will be different when he’s here. You’ll never have to worry about having blood.”
“I’m not going to use you like that,” he replied, cupping her cheek.
“You mean you’ll feed from others?”
