CHAPTER 210
CHAPTER 210
\[Lexi\]
"What?"
"I asked if you wanted to go to New York," he repeated softly, leaning back against the headboard and looking at me with a quiet, steady gaze.
I stared at him in utter shock. "You are not mad at me?" I asked, completely taken aback by his response.
"Do you want me to be?" he countered, raising an eyebrow with a playful smirk.
"No! No, no, no, absolutely not," I blurted out immediately, waving my hands in front of me.
"Okay then," he chuckled, pulling me a little closer. "So, do you actually want to go?"
I paused to think about it for a second, carefully studying the relaxed expression on his face. I truly did want to go to New York. I had never visited the city before in my entire life, and deep down, I really wanted to see Isla and maybe spend a few days touring the sights of NYC.
It had always been my childhood dream to attend college in that vibrant city, but even if I could not pursue that full time right now, I was more than willing to settle for a brief taste of the experience.
"Yes," I admitted truthfully, looking up into his eyes. "I really do."
"Fine then. I guess I could also use a few days off," he said with a long stretch of his arms, letting out a wide yawn.
"Wait... what? What did you just say?" I gasped, my jaw practically dropping to the floor.
"You heard me, babe," he replied lazily, a soft smile spreading across his lips.
"Oh my goodness! You are actually coming with me?!"
"Well, you did say she gave you two tickets, did she not?"
"Yes! Yes, she did!" I squealed in delight, throwing my arms around his neck, tackling him back onto the pillows, and showering his face with rapid, eager kisses.
I was so immensely excited. Axle and I rarely got the chance to go anywhere out of state or spend quality uninterrupted time together because we were both constantly buried under demanding pack duties and endless crises. I was so thoroughly thrilled at the mere prospect of a change of environment and a proper vacation together.
"Okay, okay, okay, calm down," he laughed, wrapping his strong arms around my waist and kissing me back deeply. "If I had known that a simple trip would make you this excited, I would have suggested a getaway a very long time ago."
"Oh, I am super excited, Axle! When do we leave?" I asked, resting my chin on his chest.
"I need to organize a few things around the estate first so that Elric and Lex can manage all the daily affairs in my absence," he explained, stroking my hair gently. "So I would say in a week. We can leave in a week."
"That is absolute perfection," I smiled brightly. Then, a quiet thought crossed my mind, and I paused, looking at him carefully. "Are you really, truly not mad about me meeting up with Isla?"
"I trust you, Lexi, and I know that you are more than strong enough to take care of yourself," he said softly, his eyes filled with warmth as he pulled me snug against his chest. "My girl is the most powerful witch alive. But if she tries anything funny while we are there, I do not want you to hesitate for even a second. I want you to burn that bitch's hair right off her head and walk away, okay?"
"Okay," I laughed, resting my head over his heart as his arms held me tight.
.
.
\[Axle\]
I tried my absolute best not to let my intense worry show on my face, but as Lexi slept peacefully beside me, her warm body pressed comfortably against mine, sleep completely eluded me.
I desperately wanted to support Lexi. I did not want us fighting or walking on eggshells around each other anymore, and I genuinely believed that a vacation would help bring us closer together. But beneath all that, I was thoroughly terrified for her safety.
Lexi was extraordinarily powerful, but she was also incredibly kindhearted, dangerously gullible, and far too trusting for her own good. I did not trust that friend of hers for a single second, and I certainly did not buy her bullshit story about being completely unaware of what her dark father had planned for Lexi.
I could not help but wonder if Isla secretly blamed Lexi for her father's death, using their past friendship as a pathetic lure to draw her out into the open so she could exact her bloody revenge.
That entire night, I tossed and turned, tormented by vivid, terrifying nightmares of Lexi being torn away from me. I dreamed that Isla suddenly sprouted lethal, elongated fangs, sinking them deep into Lexi's neck and draining her blood until my mate's body collapsed onto the cold pavement, pale, hollow, and lifeless.
In my dream, I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, but I was too late to save her. The moment her limp body hit the ground, the earth beneath me gave way, and I plunged into a dark, bottomless ocean, sinking deeper and deeper into the freezing abyss.
I bolted upright in bed, gasping for air, cold sweat slicking my skin. I immediately turned to check on Lexi, letting out a long, shuddering sigh of relief when I saw her breathing softly beside me, safe and unharmed. I knew right then that my sleep for the night was officially over.
I hated what she wanted to do, but I was going to stand by her side and make sure I shadowed her every move while we were in New York.
Personally, I had zero desire to visit big cities with their deafening noise, suffocating crowds, and endless traffic jams. I vastly preferred the quiet freedom of the countryside, where the air was clean and the roads were free of chaotic vehicles.
Furthermore, it was infinitely harder for a shifter to hide in a densely populated city compared to the countryside, where vast forests allowed us to let our wolves out to run free for miles.
Deep down, I also harbored a deep fear of massive cities because our true identities were so much harder to conceal. If the human government ever discovered what we were, they would throw us into dark labs or containment facilities, dissecting us and turning us into miserable lab rats for the rest of our days.