His Isolated Omega Luna

Chapter Twenty Four

“I want you to tell Cas what you told me about those omegas,” Lucas’ eyes popped open in surprise at his brother’s request.

“Alright…” He answered cautiously.

Lucas was glad Axel had started to reveal what was in his heart to Cassandra, but he wasn’t sure she was strong enough to deal with all the possibilities of what that could mean for their future if Axel really intended to start a family with her.

Lucas glanced at his brother like he was asking for silent permission to speak, presuming Axel wanted him to help Cassandra understand what she had learned over the last few days. Lucas had to sympathize with the omega. It must be terrible not knowing who you really were or where you came from. He wanted to soften the blow as much as possible, so he laid one hand across Cassandra’s arm in support. Axel was edging closer and watching Lucas when he placed the lore book in front of Cassandra.

“What’s this?” Cassandra asked suspiciously, already worried she was apparently the subject of hushed conversations. People she trusted trying to find things out about her she didn’t even know herself just made her feel sick again.

Cassandra examined the smooth lines of the symbols that decorated the leather cover. She recognized their significance at once but wasn’t sure where the conversation was heading and Axel still had a painfully possessive grip on her fingers that she was finding it really hard to concentrate.

Lucas sensed his brother would probably not be able to help himself from butting in with his random two cents worth. He didn’t exactly have an impartial view of the situation.

“Axel,” Lucas attempted. “Maybe you could pop downstairs and fetch us some soda?”

Axel’s overbearing and unnecessarily suffocating concern for Cassandra was starting to skew his perception, Lucas thought.

“Now?!” Axel gaped and Lucas nodded. Axel sighed and leaned into Cassandra.

“You be alright for a few minutes, Cas?” He asked, brushing his lips against Cassandra’s cheek. He slid one hand into the dip at the top of her leg where it joined her hip.

“Yes, Axel. I will be fine,” Cassandra replied patiently. Axel gave Lucas one of his special looks, reluctantly letting go of Cassandra’s hand but he eventually got up to fetch his wallet from the counter.

“Okay, I get it. I’m going!” Axel said, defeated, giving Cassandra one last lingering look of devotion before closing the door quietly behind him.

They could hear his muffled curses all the way down the corridor.

Lucas took hold of the book and slowly opened it before turning it around so it was facing Cassandra. Neither of them spoke while Cassandra’s eyes scanned the images and text in silence. She lifted her hand and etched around one of the outlines with the tip of her finger. She finally looked up to meet Lucas’ gaze.

“Why did you show me this?” Cassandra breathed and Lucas smiled gently at her.

“Honestly, Cas, I might be wrong but I think you could be a special kind of omega, like this one here. Axel has had this book a long time and we - ” He paused, trying to draft out a way to phrase it without causing Cassandra any more distress… or dropping Axel in the s**t. “We've been searching for a mate for him for years.”

Cassandra looked confused at the revelation.

“But surely he could have found someone by now? I mean I’m glad he didn’t, but if Axel never knew about me, why would he wait all this time? He could have easily taken a mate.”

“Not just any mate, a true mate,” Lucas added, with another smile. “A pair-bond. That’s what he’s wanted since the day he presented. Axel always believed he would find his one day. He never gave up hope, and God knows I shot him down enough over the years. I didn’t really believe in it,” Lucas explained carefully. “I think I was wrong. He never looked at anyone the way he looks at you.” Lucas admitted.

He couldn’t deny the intensity in the way Axel always gazed at Cassandra like he was dependent on her for every single beat of his heart.

“Here, look,” Lucas continued. “It basically says that a pair-bond is like some kind of unbreakable affinity that develops between two people. It might just refer to a relationship with the same person that lasts their whole lifetime, and it seems to be more common with lovers of the opposite s*x for some reason. Sometimes it’s just a stage in the eventual mating process of an alpha and an omega,”

Cassandra’s expression had faded into something dark, and Lucas bit into his lip. He might as well tell her everything now and deal with the fallout later.

“These chemicals called vasopressins and another one, dopamine I think, kind of allow these pair-bond couples to ensure they find the right mate, wherever they are. Like destiny, I suppose…” Lucas added thoughtfully. He could see Cassandra was starting to become agitated again.

“What’s the matter?” Lucas asked with concern. “Too much?” Cassandra inhaled slowly.

“Maybe. Sorry.”

Cassandra was still studying the outline of the sketch that was practically jumping off the page and slapping her across the face.

It was like looking in a mirror.

She never even considered she was anything different or special and the suggestion she had somehow been made just for Axel was making her feel powerless again. If that was true then everything she had done up until then had been pointless and inconsequential.

“Axel… thinks I might be one of these special omegas?” Cassandra asked in amazement.

“Not just that, Cas,” Lucas shook his head with a soft smile. “I think he really believes you’re the only one for him. It was you he’s been desperate to find all these years.”

Cassandra felt a rush of fear and warmth flow through her at the same time. She was scared what this might mean, but didn’t dare to hope the depth of her feelings for this alpha who was so different could be returned so deeply. She knew Axel wanted her. He had told her so himself, but Cassandra could never have imagined Axel believed she was someone he could love so completely and bond with in such a profound way.

“Axel wants me to stop taking my suppressants,” Cassandra said suddenly. Lucas removed his hand.

“Why the hell would he want you to do that now?!” Lucas screwed up his nose. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Cas. Not before you’re… well, you know,” He added, raising both eyebrows. He desperately wanted to say ‘before you’re mated’ but he didn’t think it was right to presume Cassandra was on the same page as Axel already.

“Why is all this happening now? I’ve been in heat before, but it was never like that,” Cassandra said quietly.

“I think you should ask Axel that,” Lucas replied. “That’s not for me to say.” Cassandra frowned. She had no idea why Lucas would be so vague, or reluctant to answer the many questions now cascading through her mind like tiny endless streams.

“Lucas,” Cassandra insisted. “Please, just tell me.”

Lucas drew in a deep breath, fighting between his loyalty to Axel and the need to do what was right.

“All I know is that I think it might have had something to do with Axel marking you.”

“Marking me?!” Cassandra gasped. “What do you mean?!”

Lucas closed his eyes.

“He put a scent claim on you.” Lucas's shoulders sagged.

Axel was going to kill him.

“Why?!” Cassandra felt hot tears prick at the corners of her eyes. “Why… would he do that?” She asked brokenly, breathless with little gasps of disbelief.

“I don’t think he intended to put you in danger. He was just terrified someone would touch you before he had the chance to tell you the truth about being an alpha.”

Cassandra’s eyes were darting frantically across the text in front of her, searching for something that might explain why Axel felt the need to try and claim her without permission. It went against everything she believed in and made Axel’s promises suddenly seem worthless and hollow.

Said man returned a few minutes later with his arms full of soda cans. He hung about in the lobby for a while so Lucas could talk to Cassandra without him being there.

He wasn’t stupid. He knew Lucas only sent him downstairs to get him out of the way.

When Axel looked between them, he could tell that whatever had been said, wasn't something Cassandra wanted to hear.

“Axel.” Cassandra said firmly. “Did you try and claim me without asking?”

Axel froze. His eyes flicked over to Lucas. He mumbled something incoherent, but there was little point in denying it.

“s**t, Cas. I didn’t mean to!” Axel promised, senses returning when he let go of the cans in alarm. They fell to the floor and clattered together while he rushed straight over to Cassandra and dropped between his knees. “I didn't know just scent-marking you would push you into a heat like that.”

Axel leaned into her and ran his hands up the side of Cassandra's thighs. He squeezed the soft flesh and rubbed circles into it with searching thumbs.

Cassandra didn’t say anything more. Her eyes were once again filled with disappointment and it made Axel’s heart ache. “Cas, don’t be mad - it’s not like that. I didn’t know about all this other stuff and we weren’t ‘researching’ you, or whatever. I just knew there was something different about you and I wanted to be sure. I think your brother knew, too.”

“My brother?!” Cassandra exclaimed, drawing in a painful gasp of denial. “No, you’re wrong. All of you!”

Cassandra’s breaths were coming faster every time she inhaled and Axel could see her chest start to heave in and out with the effort. “I don’t want that to be me. I don’t want that!” She cried.

Cassandra ran from the room and threw herself full length across Axel’s bed. She buried her face in her hands and Axel quickly followed her and shut the door, forcing his body into the space next to Cassandra. He could feel her trembling with emotion when Axel pulled her into his arms.

“Hey, come on,” Axel whispered, kissing her wet cheek and cuddling up close. Axel could almost taste her when he rubbed his mouth against the soft dark hair. “I would never hurt you, Cas, never. I didn’t know, I swear. I’m so sorry...” He was pressing in tight along the line of Cassandra’s body and Axel sensed the beat of that omega heart flutter when he calmed her in such a delicate way.

He hadn’t been able to keep that word in, and it was getting increasingly difficult to stop his body from subconsciously responding to the idea he was going take Cassandra as a mate one day. Axel could feel himself getting hard again and tried to hide it by moving over onto his stomach, but Cassandra could trace the scent of his arousal. She arched against Axel, and breathed him in. She wasn’t even mad anymore.

She just wanted her alpha to hold her and made her feel better.

“Do you think that could be what Gabriel meant about you not being worthy?” Cassandra asked suddenly. Axel shrugged against her.

“Maybe. I don’t care what he thinks, Cas,” Axel sighed. “I don’t need to prove to him that I’m good enough to be with you, I only need to prove it to you,” He shifted on the bed and smoothed one hand over Cassandra’s back in tender, loving strokes. “I meant what I said. I’ll do anything you ask to show how much you mean to me.”