Chapter Forty-Eight

Axel

"So, are we going to ignore how messed up it is that Claire's dad is a lycan and didn't tell her anything about it?" Kerry asked thirty minutes into the drive.

Axel sighed and rested his head back against the headrest of Kerry's truck.

Demetria laughed. "I always thought he was some crazy ole' grump—turns out he's a crazy ole' lycan. I mean … I don't understand how my sister and he kept this from me. She was older, but I always thought we had a close relationship."

Kerry reached over and patted Demetria's knee, and Axel noticed she didn't pull away. Baby steps, Kerry.

"You think he's taking us somewhere to kill us?" Axel asked.

Demetria cracked her knuckles. "I'd like to see him try. He's already on my poo list. If he even thinks about trying to hurt any of us, I'm going to knock him into the next universe."

Kerry glanced over at Axel, and then down at Demetria. "Could you really do that? I'm sure I can find someone I'd like to knock into the next universe. What about the multiverse?'

She sighed heavily and crossed her legs. "This isn't a Marvel film, Kerry."

He rolled his eyes. "Well, excuse me—"

"He's turning," Axel said, pointing toward the taillights of Mr. Summers's truck. Kerry followed him down a dirt road, and Axel shifted nervously. "I'm starting to think twice about following him into the woods. This doesn't look like a lycan kingdom to me."

Demetria sat on the edge of the seat. "He needs our help to get Claire. He may be a liar, but he loves her. There is no doubt in my mind. And he needs our help to save her."

"You think we could call Dad?" Axel asked Kerry.

Kerry made a sharp left down a dirt road and nodded. "Already did. Delia is giving them directions. I guess we'll make it there before them. Hopefully, we can get Claire without the pack, but it's good they are on their way. We may need them."

Axel didn't want to think about it. Maybe they could get in with Mr. Summers’s help without causing any attention. Maybe …

Kerry parked in a small alcove off the dirt road, behind Mr. Summers. He immediately got out of the truck with a gun and tossed it at Demetria.

She shrieked and jumped out of the way, but Kerry reached forward and grabbed it. "Here. Does she look like she uses a gun to you, man?" Kerry asked.

He frowned. "She needs to protect herself somehow. Her magic is mostly spells and rocks. We can't stop in the middle of a fight and wait for that."

Demetria rolled her eyes. "I can take care of myself."

"My dad is coming with the pack," Axel said. "Delia drew a map of the kingdom. Do they need to wait on us? Or should we use them as a diversion?"

"The Lycan King will hide Claire away as soon as he hears about an invasion. They need to stand by in case we need them."

Kerry pulled out his phone. "I'll let him know."

Mr. Summers started into the woods without another word. Axel walked after him, hearing Kerry and Demetria mumbling several yards back. "Why didn't you tell Claire about this?" Axel asked. "Why would you keep this from her, Mr. Summers?"

"Dan. If we're saving my daughter together, call me Dan." He began swatting branches out of his way. "I was protecting her. When I left the kingdom, there were many people pissed I choose Claire's mom over them. I wasn't sure if anyone was mad enough to hunt us down, but they did. After they—after Claire's mom died, I needed to protect Claire. I didn't think the kingdom would try to find her. I guess this king is determined to mate with her."

Axel pushed down his wolf, clenching his fist over and over. "So he doesn't care that she has a mate, obviously?" he asked. "What will he do with her mark?"

He stopped and listened for several seconds and continued. "There are ways to erase it. Magical ways. Painful ones, but he won't care how painful it is as long as he gets what he wants," he said.

Axel ground his teeth together in anger. They made their way into the woods, and Axel was beginning to think he didn't know where he was when the trees began to thin.

The tree line came into sight, and Dan squatted down, searching the grounds. The castle looked huge, with a giant courtyard. It reminded him of a small village, with villagers roaming around, but instead they were lycans.

Some played football and walked around as if everything was normal.

Maybe that was normal for them.

Axel had such a bad taste in his mouth concerning lycans, though he was paired with one now. Axel glanced over at him. He didn't seem like a lycan.

"Ouch!"

Dan glared back at Demetria as she tried to pull twigs and leaves from her hair. "This is ridiculous," she mumbled, falling to her knees."

"I said I would carry you," Kerry hissed.

"I don't need saving," she said, baring her teeth at him as if it made her look scary.

"Shut it," Dan hissed, scoping the courtyard. "We need to walk a little further. It will take us to the back of the infirmary. A tunnel leads to the castle. It's undetected, and no one will know we're traveling through it.

"A tunnel," Demetria whined. "Geesh. I would have worn different shoes if I had known this." She pointed her finger at Kerry's face as he began to speak. "No. You're not carrying me."

"Crikey," Dan said, moving around the edge of the tree line, leaving them all behind.

Axel followed closely behind, watching the movement on the courtyard, making sure that no one noticed them. Some of the kids looked his age. Or late high school. He noticed one dark haired boy and stopped cold.

Jaxton Phillips, his roommate from campus, tossed a football to a younger boy.

"You've got to be kidding me," he said.

Dan glanced back. "What is it?"

"That's my roommate," Axel said, pointing across the field.

Dan frowned but gestured for him to follow, and Axel crept low to the ground, trying to put two and two together, but nothing made sense.

The closer they got to the back of the castle, the more Axel's hair stood on end. Something felt off. He felt like someone watched them, but he couldn't tell from where.

They rounded the back of the castle, a small building to the left, which must have been the infirmary. Dan pointed toward the back door of the building and made a motion for them to follow.

Axel stayed close to his heels as they raced across, and Dan shoved his shoulder into the back door. It shuttered opened after a few shoves and let them into a white room. It was sterile and smelled clean, like a usual doctor's office.

Dan led them toward a room in the corner and down a staircase. The basement was full of boxes and cleaning supplies. The trick door was in the far corner and opened into a circular tunnel that Dan promised.

He pulled out his cell phone and used the flashlight to guide them through. Axel listened to Kerry and Demetria argue about Kerry carrying Demetria well into the tunnel. But his nerves were too shot to tell them to stop. They made it all the way to the end, and Dan pressed against the door that led into what looked like a library or den.

Dan shut off his flashlight and put his finger up to his mouth. Axel passed the message to the two behind him and helped shut the door when they made it inside.

"We're here," Dan said. "Getting to the top may require some fighting, or patience. Whichever comes first."

Axel's spine stiffened when he heard a slight chuckle from the corner of the room. "Wow. I didn't peg you as a hero, not after bullying poor Claire all those years. I thought you'd give up."

He knew that voice, and he immediately wanted to rip her throat out. She stepped out from a row in the library, a book hanging from one hand, and a grin on her face. "Jaxton. I owe you twenty bucks, Pudding."

Jaxton, who Axel knew was just in the courtyard, stepped into the library, his gaze meeting Axel's. "You're early. I didn't think you would show up for well over 72 hours. Tristan is going to be happy to see your execution early."

"Who the hell is Tristan?" he asked.

Dan leaned in and mumbled, "I think it's time to mind link your dad now."