Blackbird

†Chapter Ten†

I stared up at the sky through the window in Axel's room, perched on his dilapidated full-size mattress. He was curled up on the floor in his wolf form, even though I had offered to let him have the bed. Despite not being able to see the stars, it was oddly beautiful how the city lights made the dark sky seem to glow. My whole body felt warm with joy after how the night had gone. Once we had all finished eating and laughing, Skye shooed us out of the kitchen and upstairs. Axel and I offered to help her clean up, but she insisted that we needed our rest. I wanted to help, but Axel told me that was how Skye always was. She never let anyone help her clean up because she claimed she could get it done faster without someone in the way. She reminded me of my mother in that way. 

I was tired, but something kept me awake. I was too restless to sleep and, after not being able to find a comfortable position, I gave up. I was happy, but now that I was alone with my thoughts, the heaviness began to return. I wanted to stay here, but wolves were still being killed. What would happen if a wolf was discovered in the city? What if it was one of us? We weren't safe with the King still allowing our kind to be slaughtered and I couldn't bare to see Axel or the others hurt. We still needed to end this. 

"Can't sleep either?" I heard Axel say as he sat down on the edge of the bed. 

I looked over at him and slowly shook my head. "I guess I just have too much on my mind," I replied softly. The way the light rested upon Axel's skin and settled into his irises made him appear impossibly more beautiful and, for a moment, I couldn't look away. 

"Tell me what you're thinking about," he said gently. "I want to know what troubles you." 

I hesitated, staring down at the blanket. "I love it here with the rebels. I missed being around my own kind and tonight made me want to stay here and continue being happy," I began. 

"But," he prompted. 

I sighed. "There's still the threat of being found out and being killed. I'm afraid that I'll lose this like I lost everything else. I want to be happy again, but how can I be when I'm so scared of being alone again? And scared of losing--," I paused, stopping myself just in time. I was afraid to tell him; I wasn't sure what he would say or do. He could reject me, tell me I was foolish, that he could never return the feelings I had for him. He had lost his wife, his mate, and his happiness could've just been a facade that I had fallen for. 

"Of losing what?" 

I met his gaze, looking into his glimmering irises. I couldn't tell him, but deep down, I wanted to. I felt my chest tighten and my eyes start to burn. I had to tell him. "I'm scared of losing you," I whispered. Tears welled in my eyes and softly thudded onto the blanket. "But I know that you lost your mate and you can't feel the same way I feel about you." 

Without a word, he pulled me into a hug. "Oh, Luna," he said softly as I started to cry harder, clutching his shirt in my hands. I felt him gently rubbing my back, pulling me into a tighter hug. We stayed like that for a few moments, him holding me as tightly as he could, rubbing my back, gently shushing me until I managed to calm myself down and pull away from him. 

"I'm sorry," I said, wiping the tears from my cheeks with the palm of my hand. 

He gently pushed my hand away, resting his hand on the left side of my face. "Luna," he whispered, brushing my cheek lightly with his thumb. I leaned into his touch, reveling in its warmth, and looking into his eyes. They were sincere, full of emotions that made them seem to glow in the low light. "She was my wife, yes, but she wasn't my mate. It was an arranged marriage that my father and his Beta decided when we were both born. Before our wedding, she told me she was in love with someone else; a human barter she had met in the town close to our village. She knew her father would never approve and planned to go through with the wedding, but thought it was unfair to marry me without telling me the truth. She was one of my closest friends and I cared for her, maybe even loved her, and it killed me to watch her die... but, Luna, what I feel for you is so much more."

I was speechless. Was this real, or had I fallen asleep and this was just a dream? More tears clouded my vision, this time from sheer happiness. He felt the same and I could barely believe it. 

As if to seal his words, he pulled me closer to him, pressing his lips to mine and sending a wave of electricity through me. His woodsy scent filled my nostrils as our lips moved together in sync, like a wonderful, exhilarating dance. I reached up, tangling my fingers in his hair, wanting to be as close to him as possible, my craving for him returning like a tidal wave. My heart pounded in my chest, excitement spreading through me like wildfire, heating my skin to an impossible degree.

He wrapped his arms around me, lifting me off the bed and into his lap in one fluid motion. I pressed myself against him, unable to get close enough. His embrace tightened, holding me in place as he placed me down on the bed, deepening the kiss as his hands moved to my hips. My hands left his hair, following the curve of his back, eventually finding the edge of his shirt and pulling it up, our lips parting for it to be completely removed. I admired him as he hovered above me, lifting my hands to trace the contours of his chest and stomach. I felt him shudder slightly under my fingers, his breaths coming out short and fast as he watched me. The deep emerald of his eyes flashed brightly when I met his gaze, his hands pressing tighter into my sides before his lips returned to mine. 

The feel of his hands were like silk gliding across my skin, so gentle and soft as he explored my body, leaving goosebumps wherever they touched. The sensation of lips against my neck and collarbone left me breathless and craving more. He was intoxicating and I was lost in how he felt; his passionate touch and tender kisses, the way his eyes shone when he looked at me, all of it left me feeling drunk. It hurt at first, but was quickly replaced by complete, unwavering bliss. Soon, our bodies fell into rhythm, merging with one another until I couldn't tell where I ended and he began. I was so consumed by him that the world faded away and all that was left was us; the anguish, the need for revenge, the loneliness, all of it simply disappeared. I didn't care about all that anymore. I just cared about Axel; how he caressed me, looked at me, and kissed me. 

Together we rose higher and higher, almost touching the sky; our bodies were dancing just beneath the stars when a tsunami wave of ecstasy crashed over us, leaving us breathless as it swept us away. My entire body buzzed, warmth clinging to my skin and seeping through to my bones. Axel pressed his face into my neck, sweat glistening on his back and shoulders. His chest rose and fell sharply, his breath hot on my collarbone as he wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly. 

"I love you, Luna," he whispered. 

I closed my eyes, feeling euphoria spreading through my chest. "And I love you, Axel."