Chapter 3

Spencer

I landed back in LAX, a month and a half after I left. I kept our friends updated on social media as I travelled through Europe. I called or texted Axel every day. Every day he asked what I was doing, who I met and even what I had for breakfast.

I was walking out of the terminal with my suitcase, scanning the crowd for my parents. But I stopped in the middle of the crowd when my eyes spotted him. Axel was waiting for me, holding a large sign above his head with my name on it. I let go of my suitcase and ran up to him. He met me halfway and swept me up in my arms. I started crying as I buried my head in his neck. He held me firmly against him.

"I've missed you so fucking much." He said. I pulled back and kissed him. I couldn't help myself and I didn't care if people were around who might know us, who might know who Axel was. I just needed to kiss him. He buried his hand in my hair and deepened the kiss. I moaned in his mouth. He pulled back slowly, kissing away the tears. "I love you."

I chuckled. "I love you."

"Want to see our friends?"

I bit my lip and leaned down to whisper in his ear. "I want you first." He growled in response, his hands gripping my waist.

"That can be arranged." He murmured. He kissed me softly before he went to retrieve my suitcase. He intertwined our fingers together before he guided me to his car.

We didn't get far; we were just in the car before we tore each other's clothes off and fucked in the parking lot of the airport. My nails had left scratches on Axel's chiselled stomach and back. He murmured, Mine, multiple times during sex as he claimed me again and again. I was staying in LA for four days. The day after tomorrow was Lore and Deacon's celebration and I would leave the day after. I just wanted to lock him in the room with me until I needed to leave. I wanted to see Astrix again. I must have said that last part out loud because Axel said,

"The moment we arrive home, you can snuggle up to him. He missed you too." He intertwined our fingers. "I know our friends want to see you, but don't think I'm leaving your side for one minute until your flight."

"That's what I hoped for." He smiled even though he kept his eyes on the road. I leaned my head against the seat, closed my eyes and just enjoyed the feeling of his hand against mine. He rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand slowly. I just smiled at the feeling.

"We're here." He said. He had pulled up on his driveway. I didn't really want to go in, Axel's stepmom seemed to hate me for some reason. He lifted my hand and kissed it. "Eveline is out." I shrugged, pretending it didn't bother me. "Do you want to see your parents?"

"Right now, I just want to spend more time with you."

"I was hoping you would say that." He grinned at me. He hopped out of the car and was on my side in seconds, already with my suitcase in his hand. He pulled me out of the car, tossed me over his shoulder and ran inside. I laughed as he bounded effortlessly up the stairs with me. When he put me down, he didn't waste a second and pushed me against the door, claiming my mouth once more.

An hour and a half later, I was curled up next to Astrix. Both of us soundly asleep.

The next few days, like he promised, Axel didn't leave my side. We kept our distance in front of others, but the moment we were alone we were glued together. Our friends probably figured out what was going on but didn't mention anything or try to pry. The celebration went well into the night. I loved being with my friends again, having them around me. They were all drunk of their asses and Idris and Deacon had planted me between them. I knew they did it to get a rise out of Axel.

I huffed. "You know this isn't going to work, right? Ax is not the jealous or possessive type."

Idris plastered on a Chesire grin. He winked at me before he laid his arm over my shoulders. Deacon snickered on my other side. Idris leaned down to whisper. "He is already fuming."

I glanced over at him. He was talking to Lore and Miles, I didn't see anything amiss. "You're crazy. We're friends." The two men snorted and burst out laughing. I slapped them both on the arms. "Assholes."

"Ouch, that hurt!" Idris whined. "Kiss and make up?" He puckered his lips. I pushed him to the ground and straddled him. He wiggled his eyebrows at me before I started hitting his arms and chest. He laughed at my weak punches until I twisted his nipple. "OUCH!"

I smirked at him. "You know better than to tease me." I yelped as strong arms wrapped around my waist hauling me off Idris. Axel had tossed me over his shoulder again.

"Time to call it a night." He grumbled. Idris and Deacon started laughing again and I flipped them off. Axel just carried me back to his room.

"Can't I just go with you?" Axel asked, running a finger down my collarbone.

I played with the hem of his boxers. "You know you can't. You have too many responsibilities here."

He sighed, dropping his head in the crook of my neck. His breath ghosted over my skin. "I hate being a future Alpha."

I chuckled, running my hands over his back. "No, you don't. You were born for this, and you will do amazing."

He kissed my neck. "Can I drive you to the airport tomorrow?"

I gave him a slow kiss. "Yes." He rolled out of bed and went to his desk to riffle through his drawer. "What are you doing?" I chuckled. He didn't answer, he just grabbed something, holding it behind his back and jumped back on the bed. He was grinning down at me.

"Your actual going away present. I forgot to give it to you earlier."

I sat up straight as he held out a tiny black box. His grin had disappeared and looked rather nervous right now. "You got me a gift?" I blinked up at him.

"Of course, I did. Even before everything changed, you were my girl. You are my girl."

"Ax." I kneeled in front of him and placed both of my hands on his face. "I love you." I kissed him deeply. "You make me so happy."

"I'm so happy to have you by my side."

"And I'll be there as long as you want me."

He gave me a lopsided grin. "Then you are never leaving." He cupped my jaw and kissed me again. Every kiss he gave me, left me breathless. "Now open it."

"Fine, fine. Don't get your boxers in a twist." I chuckled and snapped the waistband of his boxers. He placed the box in my hands. I clicked open the box and gasped at the necklace that lay inside. "I can't accept this."

"You don't like it?"

My hands were shaking. "Ax -" I shook my head. "I love it. I've always loved it. But this was your mother's, I can't accept this." It had been Axel's mother's necklace, a vintage light blue opal that had been in his family for generations.

"My mom adored you. And I wouldn't want to give it to anyone else but you."

"If people will see me wearing this -"

"They will know you belong to me." He said. "Like I belong to you." I didn't know I was crying until he wiped away the tears. He took the necklace from the box and brushed my hair aside, his fingers lingering on the nape of my neck. He put the necklace on, the opal resting just between the swell of my breasts. His lips brushed softly over my neck before he let my hair fall back.

Another month had passed before I came back for Miles' birthday. This went a little differently, since the moment Lore stepped in, the mating bond snapped in place. Miles ran up to her, tossed her over his shoulder and the two of them didn't emerge for the next two days. Sending me an apologetic text for not seeing me off. I didn't mind, I was just happy for them. Besides I had Axel to keep me company. I always wore the necklace he gave me but hid it under the fabric of my dress. The only one that had noticed was Eveline and her eyes had flared in anger.

The night before I left, Axel was tracing patterns on my bare back. "Forty-nine days." He murmured, placing a kiss on my shoulder blade.

My heart constricted. "You're really counting down the days?"

"Of course. Did you know that I knew I loved you the moment you jumped into my arms because you aced your biology exam?"

"I wasn't even sixteen then." I huffed a laugh.

"You were so happy, that beaming smile just hit me. I've been in love with you for over two years, my wolf loves you. And I know in my heart that you are meant to be my Mate. I just need to wait another forty-nine days to prove it to you."

After those words, I didn't let him get a single minute of sleep that night.

Two short weeks later, I was back at the reserve. Even though the travel and time difference was hard, my heart raced at the thought of seeing Axel again. He picked me up from the airport again but instead of driving me home, he took a different route.

"Where are we going?"

"A little surprise." He grinned but didn't take his eyes off the road. He reached his hand out and caressed my cheek. "Sleep, baby. You're tired."

"I must look like crap." I rubbed my eyes.

"You look gorgeous, but you yawned four times in the last ten minutes. We'll be there in forty minutes, take a nap. You will need it for the night I have planned."

"I like the sound of that," I answered as I dozed off.

Axel

Every time it was getting harder and harder to let her go. I wished I could just pack my suitcase and leave with her at the end of the weekend. She was snoozing in the seat next to me, her head rolled to my side. The opal, like always, rested on her chest. I saw how hard it was getting for her. The combination of school, travelling back to LA and the time difference were taking a toll. She had a break from travelling after this which will do her some good, but it was going to tear me into pieces to miss her for a month. But I had to think of the positive, in a month she would turn eighteen and she would be revealed as my mate.

I parked the car and watched her for a little while, letting her get the rest she needed. I stopped in front of a hotel where I had booked a room and a private dinner. I needed to spend some real alone time with her. Not at my house, where Eveline was present. Or at her house, with her parents still having doubts. Our friends knew what was going on between us, they had been waiting for it for years, apparently. They never discussed it with Spencer, since she was only in town for a few days at a time, but with me... yeah, they cornered me.

The ushers were already taking the bags out of the car, I brushed my lips against her temple.

"Wake up, baby. We're here."

Her eyes opened slowly, she stretched out in the car and made a cute little nose. She blinked up at the building in front of us. "A hotel?"

"Some real alone time before the craziness starts of Idris's birthday." I smiled. "We can be as wild and loud as we want." A grin spread across her face, so broad and beautiful, that I kissed it. She leaned into it before we jumped as the trunk slammed shut. "Let's go inside." Her eyes darkened. I laughed. "Dinner first, dirty girl." I bobbed her nose. She stuck out her tongue before I stepped out of the car.