Page 31 of Wolf Fated
I choked down saliva and shook my head. "No." How would he understand that I hated myself and what I'd done?
Axel reached up and pulled a washcloth from the shelf over the toilet and quickly ran cool water over it. After he wrung it out, he pressed it to the back of my neck. Slowly, my nausea faded.
"Better?"
I nodded and licked my cracked lips. "You're still here?"
"Of course." Axel leaned back to look me in the face. "You're here. Where else would I be?"
"B-But I thought we were supposed to fly back last night?" Had I been mistaken? Gotten myself all worked up that Axel had abandoned me here because he was furious with me.
"That was the plan." He shrugged a shoulder. "But when I came into the room last night, you were passed out. Didn't even stir when I got up an hour ago and took a shower."
"You did?" I hadn't even realized. All my thoughts had been that I was on my own.
Axel reached out, putting his fingers underneath my chin and lifting my head until I was staring into his amber eyes. "Did you think I would leave you?"
I blinked, trying to look away, but he held me firmer with his fingers.
"Tell me."
"Well, yes. You were angry last night, and we fought and—"
"That was a disagreement, not a fight." The corners of his mouth twitched. "If it had been a real fight, you wouldn't have ended up falling asleep in that bed without me. As far as last night goes, I slept next to you, ensuring you didn't go anywhere alone. I left you for a moment to secure our breakfast and book the chopper to take us back."
"Why couldn't I go anywhere alone?" Right. Because I was a prisoner, a sort of slave to them for twenty more days.
"Out at sea during the black night?" He frowned. "I wouldn't take the chance on you falling overboard on this ship. It's not a cruise ship with high railings or even much light on deck."
The conviction in his voice filled me with warmth. "What would you have done if you hadn't found me asleep in the cabin?"
"I'd have raised hell and the entire ocean to find you."
"Why?" I stared into his cognac-colored eyes. "I'm no one. Just some girl you're made a bet with against my fiancé. Is this some kind of power trip that you have between you?" What was I saying? I was accusing him and if I hadn't made him mad before, he sure must be now. I slapped a hand over my mouth.
He stood and offered his hand. "Now is not the time to discuss such things."
I wanted to argue about when the right time was, but I could tell from his tone of voice that doing so would only make him miffed. Plus, I was on a boat in the middle of the ocean with basically a stranger... probably best not to provoke him too much at least until we were back on land. I followed him up the stairs to the deck. White puffy clouds scuttled through the sky and the wind ruffled my hair.
"You up for eating?" Axel looked over his shoulder at me.
"Maybe a slice of dry toast?" If we were going to go back via helicopter, I did not want to barf on the flight. And I needed a shower and a toothbrush. My mouth tasted like I'd licked rusty cans and I was sure I smelled worse than the fish bait. Which, thankfully, the deck had been scrubbed clean and there was no sign or smell of tackle or seafood.
Our table from the night before was still there. This time a black tablecloth covered it and a tray of breads, fruit, and cheeses lay in the middle. I sat in the same seat as last night, my face heated at the memory of what we'd done previously.
"Eat." Axel grabbed a pear for himself. "Our flight's going to be here in half an hour."
"Oh?" I picked up a piece of toast, skipping the butter and jelly because I wasn't going to take any chances on getting sick again. "I need to get cleaned up first, too."
He waved a hand. “No, no you’re fine. Eat.”
“You’re not my boss.” I stood. “I’ll eat later, right now I want a shower.”
I turned my back on him and headed for the cabin. Just as I opened the door, a snarl sounded behind me like a wild animal.
My scream became a shriek as Axel dove for me and knocked me backward into the room. His body pressed me into the far wall he glared at me with his teeth showing more like barring them than smiling.
He didn't seem human, he seemed... feral, somehow. His nose flared like he was smelling me, and he bent my head back with his hand in my hair. I pushed against him, my heart hammered in my chest, and I wasn't sure if he was going to bite me like a vampire or break my neck. Then his tongue licked a path up the side of my neck and along my jawline.
