His Isolated Omega Luna

Chapter Twenty Two

Cassandra could feel her brother’s fingers digging hard into her skin, so she made a determined attempt to pull her hand free. However, her arm got trapped and she cried out when her wrist got accidentally twisted where Gabriel tried to hold onto her.

The sound of her pain was enough to cause Axel’s stomach to lurch, and he was back by Cassandra’s side in an instant. Axel pushed his body between them with so little space left, their chests were almost touching.

“Cas? You okay?” Cassandra could hear the panic rise in his voice as she watched Axel shove Gabriel away. He made a grab for Cassandra’s arm and Axel pushed up the sleeve and examined Cassandra's skin with concerned eyes, rubbing his palm up and down in soothing strokes and checking for any marks. Cassandra nodded, watching the movement of Axel’s hand caress her.

“I’m fine,” Cassandra whispered, slowly pulling her arm away so she could shove her shirt back down.

Axel glared at Gabriel with a silent warning, letting him know he better keep his f*****g distance. The bright eyes flickered, but he stepped back anyway.

“Axel,” Cassandra said gently, placing one hand over Axel’s where it was still curled around her wrist. He looked up into her eyes. “I’m fine.” She repeated, more clearly this time. She gave Axel a small smile of gratitude before turning her attention back to her brother.

“Why?” Cassandra demanded suddenly. “Why would you want to do that after all this time? You told me they all think I’m dead anyway,” she forced out.

It didn’t sting any less when she said it out loud like that and Gabriel visibly flinched at the way Cassandra’s voice seemed to tremble with anger at the pain of such a horrible memory. Gabriel’s expression soon softened when he realized how much that seemed to hurt his sister.

“I know what I said, but presuming isn't the same as knowing, Cassandra, and I want you to come home.”

“I didn’t think you wanted me there. You sent me away.”

Gabriel looked down.

The burning guilt had never been all that easy to deal with, but he always justified it in his head with the reasons why he had done it. He felt responsible for Cassandra, but he knew now he had let her down. He never intended for his little sister to believe she had been abandoned like that.

Gabriel hoped Cassandra would be able to slip into a quiet anonymous life somewhere and it looked like she might have actually achieved that before she had been sniffed out by someone who wanted to claim her. Now she was the target of an unmated alpha, with puppies on his mind no doubt, and Cassandra was so special it would never be right for her to be used like that. Looking at her now, Gabriel really didn’t think her delicate body would be able to cope with carrying a litter.

“I didn’t send you away, Cassie,” Gabriel replied. “I needed you to be free from danger. People knew about you, and I didn’t want you to be abused like that. It wasn’t fair. You were just a child, and you didn’t choose to be what you are…” Gabriel stopped suddenly when he noticed Cassandra’s blue eyes were now trained on him with pinpoint accuracy. It made him shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other. He bowed his head again.

“Knew about me?” Cassandra asked slowly, narrowing her eyes even more.

The omega was getting quite tired of people talking about her as if she wasn’t there and making cryptic insinuations that were totally lost on her.

She wanted one of them to at least finish a sentence without gazing mysteriously into the distance.

Cassandra knew she wasn’t imagining the stilted sentences and the half-finished lines. She wanted to understand why everyone was so determined she needed protection.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Cassandra didn’t miss the suggestive glance exchanged between Axel and Gabriel. It just fueled her frustration more than anything else when neither of them answered her. “I want to know why people keep treating me like I’m made of glass!” Cassandra said. She moved away from both of them and crossed her arms defiantly over her chest.

“Cas,” Axel said gently. “It’s not like that. Maybe people just care…” He took a step forward and straightened up the line of Cassandra’s zipper where Gabriel had pulled at her jacket. Axel smoothed the material down with one hand, pausing his gaze longingly at that enchanting omega eyes. “I care.”

Axel tentatively reached down to wrap both hands around the sides of Cassandra’s hips and tugged her in. Axel already decided he should really let them try and sort it out together, but he wanted to stay just to make sure Cassandra was okay.

Axel knew his presence wasn’t helping. Gabriel was clearly distracted by him, and not in a good way. Axel slipped both thumbs through Cassandra’s belt loops and gave her a seductive jerk to bring her even closer. “I think it’s best if I leave you to talk. I’m only a few doors away, if you want me,” Axel whispered next to the side of her face and scrunched up his nose. “Don’t take any s**t from him either.” He added, before he gave Cassandra's hips a subtle squeeze. “If he touches you again, you come get me and I’ll knock his f*****g teeth out.” Axel promised, before leaving the apartment in silence.

The door had barely closed behind him when Gabriel turned to stare at Cassandra with a look of such distaste and disbelief on his face, it implied Axel had somehow left him tainted with the contagion of his mere existence.

“Well, he’s delightful. I can totally understand what you see in him.”

Cassandra’s expression faded into sadness when she turned her face away.

“You don’t have to be mean. Please don’t say things like that about him, he's been very kind to me.”

Gabriel tipped his head back in despair. He slammed one hand down on the table. “Of course he has, Cassandra. He wants to take advantage of you. I find it very difficult to believe you are really so naive after all this time on your own.”

Cassandra didn’t reply. Gabriel had obviously made up his mind about Axel, and nothing she could say right now was going to change that. She hoped one day Axel would get a chance to prove he was more than worthy.

“I’m sorry, Gabriel. I know you’ve come a long way and I appreciate your concern for my safety, but I don’t want to go back. There’s nothing there for me.”

“There’s nothing for you here, and you’re coming home. I’ve made my decision.”

“No, Gabriel. I want to stay.” Cassandra said. Her eyes drifted effortlessly to the apartment door. Gabriel followed the line of his sister’s gaze. He knew exactly what Cassandra meant by that.

“You mean, you want to stay with him,” Gabriel sighed, nodding his head towards the space where Axel had been standing only a few seconds before.

“Yes.”

Gabriel dropped his voice low.

“Cassandra. If you've decided you actually want to be mated after all, then I will find you a man of rank or privilege. With our family connections, it wouldn’t be difficult to marry you off to a wealthy suitor,” Cassandra was blinking at her brother in disbelief. How could he be so stupid?

“No, Gabriel. Haven't you listened to anything I’ve said?! I don’t want that! I don’t want to be married to someone I don’t know and I haven’t even decided if I want to be mated to anyone yet! The only thing I know for sure right now, is that I want to be with Axel.” Cassandra added firmly, waiting for some kind of response.

She had no idea what to expect from her brother anymore. Gabriel surely had changed a lot since they parted. Cassandra once believed Gabriel at least would be the one who would understand her, but something had got lost along the way. It made her feel miserable.

“Just give him a chance... please.”

Gabriel sighed, but had no intention of providing his sister with an answer.

“I have to go into town for something today,” Gabriel said suddenly. Cassandra wondered what possible reason he could have for needing to travel into the middle of a city where he knew no one and had only just arrived anyway, but she didn’t ask. Maybe the trip might help Gabriel to clear his head and think about what Cassandra had said. “I’ll think about it. I can’t say more than that right now.”

Cassandra nodded. She knew her whole body was still shaking when she walked Gabriel to the door.

It closed for a second time.

He would be back for her later, that much Cassandra knew for sure, but she had Axel now and Axel made her strong.

***

Her first thought after Gabriel had left was to go to Axel.

The door opened so quickly when she knocked on it, she knew Axel must have been waiting for her, the man looked very restless.

“Are you alright?” Cassandra asked gently, eyes scanning the dim apartment.

Most of the blinds were closed.

Cassandra could see Axel was still angry, but he was trying his best to manage it so Cassandra wouldn’t be scared of him. That was the last thing Axel wanted. He had worked so hard to win her trust and respect. He didn’t want anything to threaten all the progress he had made to secure her affection.

“Not really. Lucas got mad at me for interfering, so we got into a fight. He said he was going out to give me some time to cool off,” Axel looked troubled when he walked back over to Cassandra. He wasn’t sure how much he should say, and Axel had to admit if he was made to choose between his brother and Cassandra, he couldn’t even start to imagine how impossible that would be. C

Cassandra still wasn't sure if she had been happy to see Gabriel or not. She couldn’t deny she had missed him over the years and he was the only link to her past, but the thought of having to go with him and leave Axel forever was making her heart beat violently in her chest.

She didn’t want to have to make that choice at all.

If Gabriel decided he wanted to take her back home, Cassandra didn't know if she was really strong enough to refuse him. Deep down, there was no question Gabriel outranked her and Cassandra had always been terrified of him as a child when he was angry.

“I shouldn’t have said those things. I have no right to come between you...”

Cassandra was reaching out for Axel when Axel got closer. She splayed her fingers wide to make a grab for Axel’s hand.

“You were just protecting me,” Cassandra said, she could feel her blood surging in her veins. Letting omega instincts take control of her body at the thought of her alpha taking such good care of her.

Axel moved in. A subconscious response to the flush spreading up Cassandra’s throat and creeping over her cheekbones.

“It’s just...” Axel hesitated, licking his lips while he stared at Cassandra’s mouth. “I don’t want to lose you. The thought of you leaving me…” He inhaled a tight breath.

Cassandra could see Axel was biting back his emotion so hard, he couldn’t even finish the sentence.

Axel pressed his body into Cassandra where she was pinned up against the door and Cassandra slid both palms up his chest. She could feel the strong contours of Axel’s body through the soft material of his t-shirt.

“Cas, don’t get too close, please,” Axel warned, in a whisper. He sounded more alarmed than resentful. “You know that scent of yours drives me wild, and I’m trying to be a gentleman here…” Cassandra smiled playfully, pushing her hands up even more until her palms were curled over Axel’s shoulders.

She could feel his heartbeat thumping under the surface of his skin.

Axel held his breath when Cassandra pushed her body up to meet him and threaded her fingers together across the back of Axel’s neck. Cassandra could almost taste the moment when small beads of sweat started to leak out of him.

“Cas, please... stop it,” Axel begged, a surge of arousal rushing between his legs. His natural senses flooded by the powerful smell now exuding from every omega pore.

“What if I don’t want to stop it?” Cassandra breathed against Axel’s lips.

“What?”

“I’m not leaving, Axel. I want to stay here with you.”