His Isolated Omega Luna

Chapter Fifteen

Axel stared into space while it all filtered into his brain, thinking back to everything that happened. He processed the events of the last couple of days, and everything Lucas told him.

“Fertile?” Axel whispered in amazement. “I knew she smelled different,” It was like someone just flicked on the lights in his head. “That scent drove me insane. It was her for sure, but it was sweeter and f**k me, I still don’t know how I kept my hands off her.”

Lucas almost smiled. He didn’t think his brother was even capable of being so animated.

“Wait... is that even possible? Aren’t female omegas’ incapable of reproduction? Isn’t that why they went extinct?” Axel questioned, scanning the pages again in search of enlightenment.

Lucas blew out a long rush of air, sweeping one hand out in the direction of the closed door like that was one of the most ridiculous things his brother ever said. Lucas was overtired and Axel had always been a very difficult audience to engage, but now he was pushing the limits of even Lucas' infinite patience.

“Apparently, it’s something to do with these chemicals called vasopressin that somehow control social responses. Only these particular omegas have them. I need to do some more research, but it could be a very real possibility. Besides which, look at her. I would say yes."

“Shit.”

“Hmm. Well, on the plus side that sort of gives some weight to your theory about pair-bonding,” Lucas said thoughtfully. A little spiral of hope rose up inside Axel and warmed every corner of his heart.

“However...” Lucas continued, raising his index finger just like he always did when he was about to point out Axel was still an insufferable asshole. “I’m not saying you and Cas are suddenly going to start making little Harrison babies but you need to make sure you understand what you’ve done to her.”

“I didn’t do it on purpose, Lucas...” Axel said quietly. If his scent-claiming had genuinely put Cassandra in danger he would never be able to forgive himself, but he couldn’t even think about that. “Why isn’t she all over me now, then?” Axel asked. Lucas couldn’t give him an answer. “I kissed her.”

“Yes. Thank you, Axel. I did notice that. I have no idea, but if this is true then she’s a target from all sides. Honestly I don’t know how the hell she’s managed to survive this long on her own, and she probably doesn’t even realize herself what she is. No wonder she’s always been so scared.”

“My poor Cas.” Axel murmured to himself. Lucas definitely didn't miss the telling way in which Axel talked about Cassandra like she already belonged to him. “I should have found her sooner, Lucas. Anything could have happened to her.” Lucas couldn’t disagree.

“Yeah well, either by luck or fate, or whatever you want to call it, she is alright and you need to make sure you appreciate what might be happening here.”

Before Axel could even contemplate how they were going to deal with this new revelation, he heard the door creak open and Cassandra was standing in the doorway with disordered hair and a very confused expression.

Axel jumped up and slammed the book shut. There was no way Cassandra was stable enough to talk about any of that just yet.

Axel walked over to her and hooked his arm around Cassandra’s waist to help her over to the couch before he fetched her a glass of water and set it down nearby in case she got thirsty again.

Axel’s mind was a storm of emotion. He was trying desperately not to say anything incriminating while he gazed longingly at the female omega.

Axel plumped up a cushion and gently eased it behind her back while Cassandra smiled gratefully at him with a sparkle in her eyes Axel was amazed he had missed before. He positioned himself on the other side of the seat and dug around in his memory to find something to say that wouldn’t inadvertently incite a conversation that related to anything Lucas just told him.

He remembered leafing through all the letters in Cassandra’s apartment the night before, and the question spilled out before he had enough conscious restraint to stop it.

“Hey, Cas,” Axel said suddenly. “Who’s Gabriel?”

The second Axel opened his mouth, he realized he had made a terrible mistake.

***

I was staring at Axel in disbelief, blinking rapidly while I tried to formulate some kind of response to such an unexpected question.

I had no idea what to say.

Axel glanced nervously at Lucas for unspoken support, but Lucas stayed quiet and averted his gaze.

I eventually pushed my body back against the arm of the couch in a futile attempt to put as much space between Axel and I as I could.

“How do you know about Gabriel?” I asked accusingly, my peaceful expression soon morphing into confusion. The mistrust resurfaced with a vengeance, and now my mind was filled with doubt again.

***

Axel ran his tongue anxiously between his lips and briefly considered throwing Cassandra a plausible lie but he couldn’t think of anything to say, and he always felt compelled to tell the truth when Cassandra was looking at him like that.

There were stiff lines of suspicion forming around Cassandra’s mouth and Axel could have happily slapped himself in the face for being such an i***t.

“I… er. Last night I found some of his old letters in a drawer in your bedroom,” He offered weakly.

Cassandra’s frown deepened so much, her eyes were almost obscured completely.

“Found?!” Cassandra echoed disbelievingly. “You mean you were looking through my stuff. Why would you do that, Axel?” Her voice was loaded with disappointment.

Axel could almost see all the seeds of trust he had managed to cultivate since their first meeting decay right in front of him. Even though it wasn’t true, he felt like the admission sounded like he had taken advantage of Cassandra’s vulnerability and seen it as an opportunity to find out secrets she had spent a lifetime hiding.

“I don’t know,” Axel answered honestly, silently cursing himself in his head. He really should have learned over the years to at least attempt to get his mouth and his brain to work at the same time. “I’m sorry, Cas. I shouldn’t have said anything... sorry.” Axel apologized again and reached forward to rub the edge of his fingers up the inside of Cassandra’s leg.

Cassandra didn’t pull away when she felt a rush of unintentional arousal pour down her body at the touch, but she made no attempt to get any closer either.

“Cas, please don’t be mad at me…” Axel begged, sliding his hand around the soft curve of Cassandra’s thigh. She tensed, but she let him continue to cosset her with gentle strokes.

Lucas was starting to feel his presence was already surplus to requirements, so he coughed and got up with some mumbled excuse about going to his room to do some more research.

Axel watched his brother intently as he walked away.

Lucas deliberately left his bedroom door slightly open, just in case his brother got over-excited again. Lucas didn’t really consider Axel to be a threat anymore, but he wanted to make sure neither of them did anything they might regret while everything was still so new and uncertain.

***

I was curled in on myself where I was pressed up against the edge of the couch. I studied Axel carefully, starting to question the true nature of his motivation again. There was a dull ache of betrayal in the pit of my stomach.

“I really didn’t want to leave you last night, and I was just trying to distract myself,” Axel's voice sounded sincere enough, but I still couldn’t find anything to say.

***

Axel had been desperate to ask Cassandra who this Gabriel was and why he would seemingly keep her supplied with pills all this time. He must have known what she was and Axel didn’t underestimate the importance of that.

The tone of each letter had been warm and affectionate and there was clearly love between them. The idea it might be more than a platonic bond had started to burrow its way into the paranoia of his subconscious. Instead of being understanding and free from doubt, he just had to open his mouth again and make it worse.

“So is he like an ex-boyfriend, or something?” Axel asked with a shrug. He was really trying for indifferent but it came out as jealous and pissy.

Cassandra’s expression never changed, it remained blank as she stared right back at Axel and narrowed her eyes again.

“No, Axel,” Cassandra answered flatly. “I don’t have any ex-boyfriends. I don’t have anyone. I haven’t had anyone since I was fifteen.”

Axel could see that the last part had been forced out by accident when a painful memory resurfaced without warning. There must have been something that stung in those words when she said them out loud like that. It made the tears of resentment fill the corners of her eyes but she refused to let them fall.

Axel just wanted to wrap his arms around Cassandra and hold her close until she felt safe and warm again.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Axel asked after a pause. He had never been much of a listener, but was prepared to do anything for Cassandra if there was a chance it might make her feel better. Cassandra shook her head and stared at the floor.

“I think I would like to go home now, Axel.” Cassandra whispered. Her voice sounded broken, but there seemed little point in pushing her to talk when she had deliberately closed herself off again. It was obvious from the way she was sitting, she had no intention of participating in a conversation.

“Don’t go.” Axel pleaded, not caring how desperate he sounded. “Stay here, Cas, please. You’ll be safe here. I’ll look after you.” He promised, but Cassandra wouldn’t even look at him.

“I’m sorry, okay?” Axel attempted one last time. He watched helplessly when Cassandra got up and pulled herself away with a sigh.

“I just want to go home.”

Axel could feel a cold warning rise up. He really didn’t want Cassandra to be alone after what Lucas told him earlier and the insatiable need to be near her was starting to consume him at a dangerous pace.

There was something lost deep inside him that had been released at the thought of finally being able to claim such a beautiful soul as a mate, but the look in Cassandra’s eyes was enough to stop Axel from pressing her any further.

“Alright...” Axel murmured reluctantly, getting up to follow Cassandra to the door.

On the way past he leaned over and rummaged around for a pencil and paper. He found one buried in the stack of scribbles Lucas had left on the table. He quickly wrote down his cell number and handed it to Cassandra with the best smile he could manage now he felt so horrible.

“Here - my number,” Axel explained hurriedly, when Cassandra started to reach for the door handle. The words dropped out of his mouth in a broken stream of promises in his haste to let Cassandra know she could even ask him for the stars if she wanted to and Axel would have a damn good go at fetching one down for her.

“If you need me for anything... anything at all.” He stressed again. “Call me. Whatever it is, Cas. Day or night. Just call and I’ll be there.” He vowed.

Cassandra nodded, and Axel thought she might be smiling back, but it was so faint he could easily have missed it. Axel shot forward and opened the door for her and they both walked back down the corridor to Cassandra’s apartment in silence.

By the time they reached room sixty-five, Axel could see Cassandra was starting to look jumpy again.

Axel was terrified that everything he had done to try and get close to her had been destroyed in an instant by his tactless bullshit. The only part of his body that seemed to function properly when he was near Cassandra was his d**k, damn it.

“Sure you’re gonna be alright?” Axel asked slowly. His head fell to one side. Cassandra nodded again, and pushed the piece of paper Axel had given her deep into the bottom of her pocket.

Cassandra pulled out her key and fumbled with the lock once more in a desperate haste to get inside. She opened the door and looked back over her shoulder.

“Gabriel is my brother,” Cassandra said quietly.