384 Things That Can't Wait
The warmth of his arms encircled Alice, filling her with a sense of security and comfort. She hugged him back, laying her head against him and inhaling the velvety sweetness of his scent.
Axel sobbed uncontrollably, and Alice hugged him tighter.
Stefan looked away and quietly left the room, giving them some privacy.
For a long time, Axel wasn’t able to speak. All he could do was cry in her arms and hold her tight.
“Axel…” Alice whispered. She stroked his back gently. “Axel…”
He didn’t respond.
“Careful tiger, you’re going to pop one of my stitches,” she said gently.
Axel quickly pulled back, moving his attention down to her stomach.
“Are you alright? Is it bleeding again?” he asked, pulling at her gown.
Alice laughed and grabbed his hands. He lifted his eyes to hers.
“I’m ok,” she whispered.
Axel took a deep breath; he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, and then they laid their foreheads together silently. Simply appreciating this moment they had both longed for.
It was Alice that broke the silence.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “For waking me up and pulling me out of the darkness.”
Axel pulled back to look at her. He could see the relief and pain in her eyes. He cupped her cheek and leaned forward, pressing his head to hers once again.
“Did it really work?” he asked. “Do you remember everything? Your life? Who you are? Who we are?”
Alice smiled and took a deep breath.
“I don’t remember everything,” she began. “I tore down the walls of my mind. Released the flood of memories. I was lost.”
She pulled away this time, looking up at the man before her. She smiled.
“But you found me,” she said, “again.”
Axel kissed her.
“Always,” he whispered against her lips. “I will always find you.”
He kissed her again.
They indulged in their longing for a few precious, hungry moments.
Axel could feel her, her heartbeat, her soft breaths. The electrical thrum that spread through her whenever he touched her or looked into her eyes.
The suppressants were wearing off, and he could finally connect to Alice again. To feel complete.
He hugged her.
“I missed you,” he whispered. “So much.”
Alice hugged him back.
“I wasn’t in control,” she said. “But I never stopped thinking of you, missing you.”
“You’re in control now,” he sighed with relief.
“Yes,” Alice smiled, “and forever more.”
Axel pulled back and looked at her with the question written plainly in his eyes.
Alice nodded.
“For right now, most of my memory is still inaccessible,” she said. “But before it was locked away, disconnected. This time it’s like a funnel, slowly pouring in each memory so as not to overdo it.”
“Then how do you remember me?” he asked.
“Because I placed a certain set of memories first. You, then Holden and Roman,” she said. “I never want to forget you, and for safety, I never want to forget them.”
At the mention of Roman, Axel already felt angry, pent-up, and vengeful.
“You and I,” he said softly. “We need to have an in-depth conversation about Roman.”
Alice nodded.
“But not right now,” he continued.
Alice furrowed her brows.
“I can’t think about revenge or hatred right now,” he said solemnly. “Not until after my father has been properly honored.”
“I understand that you have traditions and that you need to honor him,” she said. “But there are things that can’t wait.”
“Alice…”
“Axel…” she whispered. “I’m so sorry….”
She licked her lips, and her voice shook with the weight of her words. Tears sprang forth before she even realized they had formed.
“Shhh,” he said gently. “It’s ok.”
Alice shook her head.
“I just wanted to bring him home… we were so close….”
“Alice…” Axel said, licking his lips and taking a shaky breath, “You did bring him home.”
Alice looked away sadly.
“You have no idea how much it means to me that you were able to do that for him. That you brought him home.”
“Axel, there’s something else,” Alice said.
“I know that Roman and Tomas are behind this… but I can’t hear the details now,” Axel said.
“Not Tomas,” she quickly replied. “In fact, I suspect Tomas is dead.”
“What?”
“That’s what happened in Autumn. The Alpha was lost, and Roman swooped right in underneath him and stole all the wolves,” she said, then looked up into his hazel eyes. “And then killed Tomas.”
“Tomas… is dead?” Axel asked with wide eyes.
“I didn’t see for sure… but yes,” Alice replied.
“Well, that’s…. a terrible development, but it can wait.”
“Roman and Tomas were not the things I needed to tell you,” Alice said. “My short-term memory, the most recent events, those stick around too. I remember everything that happened in Autumn last night and everything that happened in the car ride after.”
Alice looked carefully at Axel.
“He held on for a long time,” she said softly. “He was a strong man.”
“Yes,” Axel nodded sadly. “He was.”
“He told me something in the car….”
Axel listened closely.
“He told me that… there is a traitor in Winter.”
“What?”
“Someone set Wyatt and his team up,” Alice whispered. “They knew the route they were taking and the escape routes back to Winter. This person, whoever they are, did this intentionally.”
Axel clenched his jaw and let out a low growl.
Someone had done this intentionally.
They had tried to kill the team and then kidnapped and tortured Wyatt.
Now Axel was seeing red. He needed to find the traitor and teach them never to betray Winter again.
But then he saw his father’s proud smile at Papa’s feast. Axel sighed.
“I can’t hear anymore…” he said.
Alice began to protest, but Axel put up his hand.
“Until my father has been honored, I cannot begin a search of any kind,” Axel said.
“But—”
“Caleb, however, is not actually a Winter wolf,” Axel said. “He would be able to begin an investigation if you’re willing to talk about it.”
“For you,” she smiled. “Anything.”