Axel’s POV
She haunted my every waking thought.
Sarah.
The way she laughed at the wedding—unrestrained, light, utterly intoxicating. Her delicate fingers looped around Eren’s arm as though he were her anchor. She was breathtaking in her innocence, blind to the truths that lurked beneath the surface. Eren had kept her in the dark, wrapped her in a cocoon of deceit, and she trusted him implicitly.
Foolish.
But it wasn’t just Eren I resented. No, it was myself. For wanting her in ways I shouldn’t. For letting her infect every corner of my mind until there was no space left for reason. I’d wanted her since the moment Eren paraded her in front of me, introduced her as his girlfriend two years ago. Her presence had ignited something primal within me—a hunger, an obsession I couldn’t shake.
And now, she wore his ring.
That fact ate at me like poison. She was his wife, yet every time I saw her, I felt like she should have been mine.
---
The excuse to show up at their honeymoon suite earlier had been thin at best. Quarterly reports? Dad’s impatience? All convenient pretexts. The truth was simpler: I needed to see her. To remind myself of why I had to intervene before Eren’s lies wrapped any tighter around her.
When she answered the door earlier, clad in that robe, hair tousled from the night before, I’d felt an almost uncontrollable urge to reach out and claim her, to make her see the man she should be with. But I couldn’t. Not yet. Not like this.
---
That evening, I found myself at the hotel bar, nursing a double whiskey. The ice clinked against the glass as I swirled the amber liquid, staring at it as if it held answers. I shouldn’t be here. Every logical bone in my body told me to leave, to put distance between us before I did something reckless.
But then they walked in.
Sarah was radiant, a picture of newlywed bliss as she clung to Eren’s arm. Her soft laughter floated across the room, drawing eyes, but it was wasted on these strangers. They didn’t know her the way I did. They didn’t see what I saw.
Eren leaned in, whispered something in her ear that made her smile before kissing her temple. Then his phone buzzed. His expression shifted—cool, calculated. He excused himself, leaving Sarah at the bar. Alone.
This was my opening.
---
“Didn’t expect to see you here.”
Sarah’s head snapped up, her wide eyes locking onto mine. For a moment, her lips parted in surprise, then pressed into a polite smile. “Axel.”
I slid into the seat across from her, setting my glass down with a soft clink. “You look surprised to see me.”
She shifted slightly, glancing toward the lobby where Eren had disappeared. “What are you doing here?”
I chuckled, though there was little humor in it. “Same as you. A drink, some peace.” I gestured vaguely toward the bar. “Nice spot, isn’t it?”
Her fingers tightened around her glass. “Eren will be back soon.”
There it was. That quiet, protective loyalty she held for him. It was misplaced.
“I’m not here to cause trouble,” I said smoothly. “Just thought I’d check in. You know, as family.”
She frowned, suspicion flickering in her eyes. “Check in? Why?”
I leaned forward slightly, lowering my voice. “Because I know what it’s like to be caught up in the whirlwind of the Blackwood family. It’s overwhelming. And you, Sarah…” My gaze swept over her face, lingering. “You don’t deserve to be blindsided by it.”
She stiffened, her hands tightening on the table. “Blindsided by what?”
I studied her, weighing my words carefully. “There are things about Eren—about us—that you don’t know. Things he’s keeping from you.”
Her breath hitched, her eyes darting between mine. “What are you talking about?”
I hesitated, savoring the moment. “Eren’s always been good at playing the perfect man. But perfection, Sarah… it’s a façade. Beneath it lies secrets. Dangerous ones.”
Her voice was barely a whisper. “Why are you telling me this?”
Before I could answer, Eren appeared, striding toward us with that same dark intensity I’d known all my life.
His eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched. “Axel. What the hell are you doing here?”
I leaned back in my chair, my smile lazy and unbothered. “Relax, little brother. Just catching up with your wife.”
His fists curled at his sides, barely restrained. “Leave. Now.”
I stood, adjusting the cuffs of my shirt. “Always so dramatic, Eren.” I turned to Sarah, my gaze softening. “Take care, Sarah. Enjoy your honeymoon.”
As I walked away, I could feel Eren’s glare burning into my back.
Good. Let him simmer.
---
Sarah’s POV
The tension between Eren and Axel lingered long after Axel left. Eren’s hand was warm on my lower back as he guided me back to our room, but his mood was darker now, his eyes colder.
“What did he say to you?” he asked the moment we were alone, his voice sharp.
“Nothing important,” I lied, keeping my voice steady. “Just… small talk.”
Eren’s eyes bore into mine, searching for the truth. He wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t press further. Instead, he turned away, running a hand through his hair. “Axel thrives on stirring up trouble. Don’t let him get to you.”
I nodded, but Axel’s words echoed in my mind. Secrets. Dangerous ones.
I didn’t know what they meant, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was unraveling beneath the surface of my perfect new life.
As I lay in bed that night, listening to Eren’s steady breaths beside me, my thoughts spiraled. Axel had planted a seed of doubt, and it was already growing roots.
Nothing stays perfect forever.
YOU ARE READING
The Blackwood Curse
Romance*SLOWBURN NOVEL* Sarah Delray thought she had married the love of her life, Eren Blackwood. But when her parents' mysterious deaths and strange rituals surface comes to light, she finds herself unraveling a legacy of betrayal, sacrifice, and forbidd...
