Dracian Legacy (28 page)

Axel placed his hands on my hips, holding me in place, scrutinizing me under his gaze. His eyes were glowing bright blue as they bore into my soul.

He groaned. “Don’t bite your lip like that.”

Feeling self-conscious, I ran my tongue across and moistened them instead.

“Ah, hell.” He smiled at me like he was starting to think along the same lines I did earlier. “Don’t lick your lips, either,
Amor Mei
.”

I thought about tossing out some really snarky remarks, but before I could, he beat me to it. I didn’t know how or when it happened, but I was on my back, him hovering on top of me, both his hands placed on either side of my shoulders. I could see he strained to stay in control as his bicep muscles flexed through his T-shirt.

“You’re not helping, baby.” His voice slipped into a lascivious husky tone. His breath played around my lips, slowly moving toward my collarbone.

I rolled my eyes, breathing heavily. “What do you want me to do, then?”

He tilted his head to the nape of my neck and sucked against the sensitive skin. “Don’t speak or think or move or…”

Of course I didn’t listen.

“What’s gotten into you?” I chuckled, trying to wiggle out from under him.

If anything, Axel was always the one to hold back in our physical relationship. But today, he initiated it. When I looked into his eyes, I could see the fire blazing, ready to erupt. The longing for something more danced around his expression, so of course I did my best to encourage this new Axel. I put my arms around him and pulled him down, kissing the bottom of his earlobe.

He groaned and let out a nervous chuckle.

“I… God. You’re making this so hard. And resisting you has never been e-easy,” he stammered. I continued teasing him with little nibbles that trailed all the way down his jaw.

“Don’t you want me?” I asked shyly.

He pulled up and asked, “How can I not want you?”

He put his weight on his elbow and used the other hand to lift my gaze to his. He groaned and kissed me with hunger, almost biting into my lip. This was a side of Axel I’d never seen. He was always so cautious and the one to put on the brakes when things heated up.

“Being close to you,”—He traced a finger all the way down to my hip.—“…almost losing you, not knowing if I’d ever be able to hold you…” He shook his head as if to rid it of his thoughts. “There’s nothing I’d rather do than… ravish you, taste you, love you, please you…” His voice lowered with each word against my ear.

Warmth pooled low in my abdomen, making me weak all over. My heart plummeted and soared and hummed all at the same time.

“I’ve missed you so much.” He groaned as he nuzzled his face into my hair. “Your smell, your touch, your voice, everything… You make everything about my existence worthwhile.”

He kissed me like he was in a trance—strategically, slowly, devouring, and indulging every sensation.

“Alexander.” I tightened my grip on his shirt, then slowly pulled it over his head. I wrapped my legs around him and pulled him into another kiss as a moan slipped between my lips.

“Please tell me to stop.” He begged.

“No,” I replied, as his lips went down my neck, his groans vibrating against my skin.

His hands found the hem of my shirt and pulled it over my head. He looked at me with love and adoration and desire. His eyes turned dusky blue and his brow furrowed like he was in pain, trying to fight for control.

“So dangerously beautiful.” He leaned down, kissing the length of my collarbone. My eyes rolled back in response. “And all mine.” He left a trail of fierce heat with every kiss.

“God! My eyes…” I heard Tyler yell.

Axel threw himself over me, his back to my front, covering my body with his own from Tyler’s prying eyes.

“My godforsaken eyes. I think I’m blind… My eyes… My…” He was a bit more dramatic than necessary.

“Get out.” Axel growled, throwing a pillow at him. As soon as Tyler left, Axel turned back to me and relaxed. “Yes, definitely a distraction.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “We should head downstairs.” I pouted, in response to which he kissed me gently. “Soon, I promise,
Amor Mei
.”

He handed me my shirt and waited till I pulled it over my shoulders, before he got up and retrieved his from the floor.

I heard Tyler’s laugh echo along the walls. He wasn’t even trying to hide his amusement.

Jerk!

Heat flushed my cheeks. The reality came crashing down on me, like a cascade of icy water. Other supernatural people… they probably heard everything. Oh, the utter mortification.
That deserves a jump off a building.

“I put a secrecy charm in your room when Tyler left earlier.” He answered my inner fears with a smile. My body relaxed at the words. “I’ll go downstairs and let you get ready. It’s time you know.”

Know what? The mission…? About the Echo?

I nodded and stayed in bed till I heard the door close with a soft click.

Twenty minutes and two obnoxious reminders later, I made my way downstairs to face the awaiting group. I found Axel immediately, his eyes taking in my appearance before locking onto mine, unyielding. Desire pulsed somewhere deep inside me, threatening to burst with each passing second between us. We needed to talk about him staring at me like that in public and how that was
not
okay.

Joshua hugged me silently, pouring all his worries and relief into that one gesture. My big brother went through hell and back; I could tell. He looked as bad as Axel. Cassie squeezed me in a warm hug and handed me a steamy bowl of chicken noddle soup. I inhaled deeply, letting the salty aroma mixed with dill and rosemary fill my senses.

I took a seat next to Axel, my legs curled under my butt. He, however, had a different idea. He pulled my feet to his lap and urged me to relax, not caring about the prying eyes in the room.

“Thank you.”

He shrugged, massaging the balls of my feet, deep in discussion with the group. I fought back a moan from the simple pleasure of his touch.

With every sip of soup, I indulged in his flawless features. His golden skin radiated against the light in the room. His jaw clenched and his eyebrows creased as he spoke, answering questions or asking them himself. His fingers teased his silky brown hair when he felt annoyed. All these little things I hadn’t noticed before now seemed so much clearer.

He occasionally glanced at me, giving me a delicious smile.

And, all mine,
he’d said.

Yes, I was all his.

He jerked his head toward me with a smirk on his face, like he heard my thoughts. Heat coursed through my body.

“Ren.”

I didn’t see Axel’s lips move. Hell, I would’ve noticed if they did. I bit my lip.

“Ren.”

Axel stifled a chuckle, pressing his lips together, shaking his head. He jerked his chin toward Elijah.

“Ren.”

I peeled my gaze from Axel and glanced toward Elijah. He smiled with affection as I heard snickers from around the room. This was the first time I noticed there were more people here than I originally remembered. Most importantly, there were two new people I’d never seen.

I moved my legs off Axel in a swift motion and felt my cheeks flame. He moved closer to me, placing his hand over my shoulder, pulling me toward him. My body relaxed against his touch.

“I understand you had quite the last few days, but we need to hear your side of the story.”

“Um…”

I glanced around to see Joshua, Cassie, Dean, John, and Sandy were part of the group. I wasn’t sure what my face said, but my mouth couldn’t push out the words fast enough.

“What’re they doing here?” I asked, surprised.

Elijah and Joshua exchanged looks and nods and then the room cleared within seconds.

When Axel got up to do the same, I panicked. “Please stay.” I tightened my grip around his hand.

“If that’s what you want?” he asked.

I nodded and he sat back down. I put the bowl of soup on the end table and stood up, letting go of Axel’s hand. The soles of my feet tingled where Axel’s fingers roamed. God, that massage was heavenly. I could still feel his fingers kneading the tender skin.

Caressing. Teasing. Massaging.

Not now, Ren. Focus.

I walked over to where Joshua and Dean stood and looked at them in astonishment.

“You both… Wait, all of you?” I couldn’t think properly. “Wait, that means… Ohmygod, this can’t be happening. All this time, I thought I was… human.” I jabbed my finger at my brother. “You… You… How could you not tell me?”

My breathing came in short gasps. Sweat coated my palms and pain bubbled through me. I yelped.

“What’s happening…?” I fell to my knees, hugging my body. Dean got to me first and Axel stood next to him, growling. Why wasn’t Axel holding me? “Get your hands off me!” I yelled at Dean.

“No,” he snapped back. “I can help. Let me.”

However much I wanted to push him back, I couldn’t. I let him.

Uncertainty cloaked my thoughts. But whatever Dean did, my body relaxed, easing the pain. Cool ribbons of relief connected from Dean’s fingers into my body where his hands touched my skin. I felt the energy transferring, better yet, communicating between us, like a soothing lullaby. I looked at Dean and he had that stupid smirk on his face, which I wanted to bitch-slap off of him. Instead, I pushed him away.

“Maybe we should ease her into this,” Cassie suggested.

“This I gotta see.” Dean jumped over the sofa and crossed his legs, getting comfortable.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

I looked at the room full of family, friends, and the love of my life staring back at me, like I was about to burn down the entire house. I curled up on the sofa, waiting for someone to say something.

Anything.

John cleared his throat and flicked his hand, pulling the chair to him. I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

“Since the cat’s out of the bag—”

“We don’t have to tippy-toe around your feelings.” Dean smirked.

Axel growled in warning. I rolled my eyes.

Everyone in the room settled in one by one. Joshua and Cassie sat on the loveseat, snuggled against each other. Sandy swiped Dean’s feet to the floor before sitting next to her son. He, however, brought his feet back up, laying them across her lap. She patted his legs affectionately with a mirthful smile.

Such a spoiled brat!

Axel looked at me and I offered him a tight smile. He sat next to me, leaving some space between us, and I felt the emptiness of that separation.

“The time has come for you to know who you are, Ren.” John started. “Your parents, Jim and Irene, and I have been best friends for as long as I can remember. We did everything together and competed against one other without mercy. Jim and I were the best of the best. Although we were sorcerers, we pledged our allegiance to the Legion.” John rolled his dress-shirt sleeve above his tattoos, pointing to them. He had five daggers, just like Axel. My gaze returned to his face and he smiled hesitantly. “Your mom was a sorcerer, a hell of a good one, at that.” He chuckled. “Even to this day, I’ve never seen anyone that can wield magic like she could.” Pride swelled inside me, hearing about my parents.

“What about you?” I asked, turning to Sandy.

She laughed. “I’m a healer. Not as mighty macho as them, but I’ve got my moments.”

“That’s why Dean never gets sick,” I said, acknowledging the newfound information. “So, why didn’t you ever heal me when I got chickenpox or when I broke my leg?”

“Because Mom wanted to protect you from magic,” Joshua answered stoically. “And it wasn’t a life-and-death situation.”

“Why?” I couldn’t understand why my mom would want this world cloaked from me. Why would any mother opt to allow her child to suffer when there was an alternative?

“Because of the prophecy that foretold your Legacy,” John said. “Your future is greatly tied to the survival of our kind, Ren.” His hands fidgeted over his lap. “Two weeks after you were born, the great Seer of Dracia summoned us. She told of her vision about your destiny to lead our race against the great war that would either destroy or sustain the life-force on this planet. It’s to be by your hand that we go to war against our enemy of over a millennium. Only then do we have an equal chance to win the war.”

Within the valleys of my palms, sweat built up. Thinking about what was expected of me caused an almost painful throb to spread from my chest into my neck and behind my ears. I wasn’t this person they wanted to believe I was. A heavy, cement-like substance seemed to clog my throat. My breath came out in small gasps. I was going to pass out.

Then… smooth skin slid into my hand and, like velvety streamers of coolant, calm swathed itself around my body, mind, and soul. This was Axel’s doing. Only Axel had a way of reaching so deep within me. I looked to him and my breathing hitched. He smiled deliciously, squeezing my hand as his eyes roamed my face with affection.

“I trust Axel has told you of our ancestral history?” Joshua asked.

I nodded, breathing deeply, squeezing Axel’s hand. “So, what happened? Why did you leave Dracia?” I asked, turning my attention to John.