Rivals for Luna's Mate

Chapter 6: Unwanted Guests

I started feeling uneasy again. I could tell by Axel's reaction that he was surprised and didn't like what was happening.

Three burly men pulled their chairs up to our table. Axel sat up straighter in his chair, and my attention was drawn to the table. Without asking, I knew they held positions of power.

"Axel, my boy, it's been weeks since I last saw you here," the biggest one teased Axel by slapping him on the back. Axel didn't strike me as someone who cracked jokes; his face was usually serious and cold.

"I didn't have a reason to be," Axel replied with a half-smile, indicating his distance. There was something in his eyes that reassured me, telling me everything was fine, or that I would be fine no matter what. "Why are you here on a Saturday night if you don't have anything to do?"

"Of course, you've got what it takes."

Should I ask if I can excuse myself to the restroom? Shouldn't I try to leave quickly? I found myself in Axel's world, which I didn't know much about. These guys seemed to have struck a deal with Axel before, but he hadn't shared the details with me.

"Don't try to make me laugh, Sage," Axel continued to look at me, but one of the men was sitting between us, another to my left, and Sage to Axel's right. Their posture seemed ready for a fight. "I'm not working anymore, at least not for you."

"Not for me, huh?" Sage took a sip of my wine and gave me a brief smile before saying, "I don't recall approving your retirement." Slowly, he began to think. "Axel, we had big plans for you, and you should reconsider not working."

"Things have changed," Axel's responses were short, but he didn't appear afraid. He seemed more annoyed that they were pressing for more than he was willing to give. I hoped someone would just give in.

"Oh, I see, a lot has changed. After you infiltrated Xavier's pack, you were supposed to make contact, but you've been avoiding our calls. Have you kept for yourself what I sent you to retrieve?" Sage asked, leaning back in his chair and flexing his well-defined muscles under his suit.

"I was occupied with other matters," People at the neighboring tables continued to chat happily, but the atmosphere here was tense and unfriendly. "Silas was supposed to inform you by tomorrow morning, but it seems some of you couldn't wait."

"You swore an oath to us, Axel, so I can reclaim everything I provided." Sage spoke with gritted teeth. "You'll never be free, and I'll ensure that." I suspected Axel was being cautious about his requests because I was present.

"Um, Alpha... I need to use the restroom," I interrupted their conversation with my weak voice, an action I immediately regretted.

Axel responded, "Not now," and never took his eyes off Sage.

"Troy, please escort this lovely lady outside so I can speak to her alpha," Axel demanded, slamming his hand on the table before he could finish his sentence. Everyone in the room, including my companions, turned their attention to the unfolding situation. Things were about to take a turn for the worse, and it was happening rapidly.

"She should remain within my sight," Axel's words brought me some relief. I had no desire to be alone with any of these men, and I certainly didn't want to be led away.

"Oh, so she's important to you?" Sage grinned at me, making me shift uncomfortably in my seat, hoping the waiter would intervene and break up our conversation. "I knew you treated the women in your pack well, but none of them have ever received five-star treatment like this." Axel appeared far more mature than the other men at the table. Shavi had mentioned that he was naturally kind, so perhaps he was just putting on an act.

Axel conveyed his thoughts as clearly as possible. "We can discuss this at another time," he stated. Sage raised his eyebrows and contemplated his next move.

Troy placed his fingers on my arm and gently lifted me off the table, saying, "I think now is a good time." I gazed directly into Axel's eyes and silently pleaded with him not to let me go.

"Let me arrange for someone to come for her," Axel said. "It won't take long, and then we can talk. She's not involved, and she won't be," he surrendered, raising his hands in a gesture of concession. But I remained far from reassured. "She's innocent."

"You have five minutes, and I need you back at this table. If you don't return, I will find her. I'll send my men to look for her, not you!" Axel interlocked his arm with mine and swiftly led me toward the restaurant's entrance. I had never seen Axel so distressed before. As we left the room, it felt like taking a deep breath of fresh air. The weight that had been pressing on me lifted, and my nerves eased.

"I feel terrible. Shavi will be there to pick you up. Tonight, I'll be late getting home," Axel lifted my chin so I could meet his eyes and said, "I'll treat you to dinner soon. Don't stay up all night waiting for me."

"What's happening, and why are they after you?" I implored for answers, but he simply grasped both my hands and didn't respond. "Alpha…"

"Don't be afraid of me. Go home, take a shower, and get some rest. You can sleep wherever you're most comfortable," It was as if he didn't hear me at all, as if my words went unheard. Perhaps he felt uncomfortable because the men waiting inside seemed ready to interrogate him.

I quickly said, "Answer my questions," struggling for breath. I didn't know what would happen to him when he returned through those doors without me to protect him, but why should I care? I hadn't realized how much I cared for him, a risky revelation. I was surprised that the words had slipped out without him even responding.

"Sienna, could you please—" Car headlights illuminated the sidewalk. Shavi's white Bentley, with its tinted windows, came to a halt and remained stationary. He released his grip on my shoulders and gestured for me to approach the car. "Be careful; I need to return inside."

I turned away from him and stepped off the curb to enter the car. Shavi knew that my only desire was to go home. I could hear the doors of the Pazzi closing. I settled into the car, shutting the door, silently wishing this date wouldn't end but also not wanting it to drag on too long.

…

I eased into the warm bathwater, seeking the relaxation I craved. Bubbles enveloped the bathtub, their faint pops providing a soothing backdrop. My shoes and dinner dress were strewn across the bathroom floor. Next to the clean towel where I had placed my earrings, another towel held the remnants of my makeup removal.

My pajamas, an old T-shirt belonging to Axel, and a pair of shorts from his sister lay neatly folded on the counter. They all carried the scent of freshly laundered cotton. It seemed I would have to wear these clothes until I figured out how to obtain a new wardrobe.

Worn-out attire for a weary woman.

My thoughts were consumed by Axel and how he was faring. Those men meant serious business, and I feared that once those doors closed behind him, I might never see him again.

But...

What was the point?

This man was the vilest person on Earth. He had attacked my pack, taken me captive, and then presented me with an offer I couldn't refuse.

Yet now, it was more than that.

I found myself intrigued by him.

Maybe the rumors I had heard were true, and there was a reason for me to be here. I should have stayed home. I knew that just when I started feeling secure, they would pull the rug out from under me, revealing it was all a prank, and they had been playing me all along.

I had entered a completely new world, and despite its apparent ease, I was still deciphering its inner workings. Back home, I had always been on the run, navigating the labyrinthine corridors of a decrepit mansion owned by a scoundrel. I knew where he could hide, and some of his hiding places remained undiscovered. Xavier was the type of person who didn't seek forgiveness.

People believed I couldn't stand up to someone like him because of my petite frame and perceived weakness. They practically regarded him as a deity.

I submerged myself in the water, holding my breath for a moment. I contemplated how this kidnapping had, in some strange way, offered me respite from Xavier's torment. I phrased it that way because I had no idea when he might track me down again.

I don't know when he will find me.

The suits worn by the men at that dinner table signified their power. I didn't believe they had any connection to Xavier, so I tried not to worry that this might be related to him in some way. Axel appeared solely interested in engaging in nefarious activities.

I resurfaced from the water, taking a deep breath. As I rinsed the soap from my face, the vague outline of a man in a suit barely registered. It left me feeling even more disoriented. I shouted and struggled to sit up, but then a thought struck me.

I am totally naked right now.

I sat down to make sure the water didn't move too much. Still, there was enough foam to cover my whole body.

"Sorry if I frightened you," Axel's response to what I did was so calm, as if this was the least important thing that had happened to him all night. Since I was naked and lying in the tub, he would have to be the calm one. "I just wanted to see how you were doing, but all it would have taken was a simple knock. I apologize. I guess I'm still pretty pumped up."

"Who were all those people?" I asked him, but all he had was a soft smile on his face. He got rid of his tired look by rubbing his shadow with his hands. I just had to find out what was so scary. I knew it wasn't my business, and Xavier would threaten to cut out my tongue if I asked him about things I shouldn't care about.

"The less you know, the safer you are." What he said made me nervous. Since they had so much power over a strong man, it seemed like those men had deep roots in Axel. It didn't make sense. He was always so vague, but it seemed like that was just his personality. Shavi said that one by one, the walls would start to come down, and as soon as he was ready, I'd find out who he really was. "For the time being, they're not a threat."

"You didn't storm my pack on your own. They made you do it, right? What are they after? Xavier doesn't have any value," Xavier didn't have anything that was really important. No money, no cars, no big house, and most of all, no Luna. He was poor. He had done bad things and owed many people a lot of money. "I hated you because I thought you did this, but it was someone else's order. Why didn't you tell me?" I learned more about the man in the stone wall the longer I stayed here. I slowly got to know the real Axel.

"It has absolutely nothing to do with you." Axel was honest when he said that those men were members of a gang and hit men. I could tell he was done talking about it, so for now I let him. "I see that Shavi keeps giving you my old T-shirts. Tomorrow, I'll take you shopping for pretty clothes." It wasn't my main goal. I didn't care about things or what I owned. Xavier could never have given me what I now have. A sense of security.

"I don't really care. Spend your money on something else," I never had any new clothes, and the ones I did have didn't always fit right. I had no idea what was what. "This will all end when you realize I'm nothing,"

"Sienna, we've been through all this before," His impatience grew as the sentence went on. When I said that, he didn't like it, but it was how I really felt. He calmed down and went on talking to me as if nothing had happened. "Please, it's on me, especially since that dinner was so bad," Axel said to himself with a laugh. He then put his hands in his pockets. I had never seen him so relaxed before. "We'll have to pick a new time and date. I will take you anywhere you want to go. You've seen my world; now I want to know more about you and what you like."

"I don't know," I didn't want to leave my pack because I knew the world outside wasn't real. I didn't spend too much time thinking about it, which kept me from being sad. "I think you know more than I do about that. I had mostly only been in Xavier's room." I shouldn't have said it because it hurt his feelings, but it was the truth. My brain had to make a list of all my flaws because I was nervous and because he was such a godly man. Why does it matter to Axel that I haven't traveled or know where the hot spots are?

But he wouldn't do that. But I thought I had to do everything I could not to disappoint him.

"Very well. Since Shavi’s date went so horribly wrong, I guess I should give it a try," Axel said with a wink as he started to leave. The whole time, I didn't know how fast my heart was beating. I almost couldn't take a breath. "I'll see you in the morning tomorrow. I'll be in my office if you need me. Shavi, well, I'm sure she'll find you sooner than you'd like," After he said that, he walked out and softly closed the door behind him. I went back down into the water to try to stop my heart from beating so fast.

That man made me feel things I'd never felt before. I hadn't even been touched.