Intent on His claim (Beauty and the Beast #3)

Chapter 58

There would be hell to pay.

As Axle trudged up to Strandton House, he tried to work out a crick in his neck. There was a stubborn tightening at back of his neck that he didn't care for.

He'd failed in his mission. Whatever the reasons or hitches, that was the truth plain and simple.

He hated failing, so he hadn't developed a habit of it.

And worse than his failure, he brought terrible news for his alpha. Axle sighed, clenched his fist with resolve and strode inside.

The atmosphere was chilly. A quick check told him that everyone was in Warren's office and he fought the urge to stop and get a drink of water, anything to put off the inevitable.

When he stepped into the doorway, Warren turned narrow eyes to him and he was suddenly buffeted by overwhelming alpha power.

Warren stood on the other side of his desk, one hand placed carelessly upon it with his body half turned towards the floor length window.

The very same one, Axle thought idly, that they'd broken only yesterday and he'd arranged to have repaired this morning. It appeared that the work had been done swiftly.

Off to the side, Ashley and Roger sat on the long couch and had turned to him when Warren did. Axle registered this but he couldn't face them. Not when it was taking all his willpower to remain standing.

Warren's eyes were a bright green with flecks of gold in them, a testament to the brutal control he was exerting over himself. And on Axle. Although Axle was incapable of feeling the alpha influence as easily as other shifters, right now he was facing such a tremendous amount of it that his knees were close to buckling.

He had to fight a smirk. One of the things that he admired the most about Warren was just how powerful he was. Many in the world put him among the top five alphas but Axle knew better. Warren was in the top three most powerful shifters in the world, able to easily rival the Consulate. The fact that he hid it well endlessly fascinated Axle. 

"Alpha –" he began and grunted as he was hit by a fresh wave. Unable to stand it, he fell forwards on one knee, feeling as if gravity itself was trying to grind him to dust.

His breathing was labored as he looked up to see Warren's back. The alpha had drifted to the window and stood staring out, his hands linked behind his back in the age old pose of true royalty. He hadn't taken off his long black coat and so cut an imposing figure against the fading light.

"You failed me."

The words were low but the quiet fury in them made Axle wince. Giving up, Axle got down on both knees and hung his head, awaiting the verdict.

Tense minutes ticked by until, slowly, the waves of power began to ease off. Axle clenched his fist and waited while the relief came in minute degrees.

Warren turned back and studied his delta. Satisfied, he pulled back his power all at once and warned, "Do not fail me again."

Axle cautiously looked up and nodded quickly.

Warren sighed and headed back to his seat. Ashley and Roger sat up attentively even as Axle rose and walked over to the desk. Still, he stood rigid off to the side.

Warren rested his head on his linked fingers and breathed carefully. Excess alpha power still coursed through his veins and it was taking everything in him to think clearly. The only positive was that he could still feel a slight connection to her. She had not disappeared again.

And yet, why had she not returned to him? Or at the very least contacted him? Was it as Axle had said, that his focus on protecting Annabelle instead of assisting in her search had contributed to her fleeing from him? Did she even now mistrust his intentions?