The Step Sister vs. Cinderella

Chapter 30

             Sunlight burned its way through Paige’s eyelids making her clench her eyes even further shut and roll over. A second later she was jerking upright, eyes blinking rapidly as she looked down at the hard thing she’d rolled on top of. Eyes now open and staring up at her, Axton sat up slowly, watching her warily.

            “Axton?” she whispered, aware of the others sleeping on the wood floor around them. “Why are we…” she began then looked down and noticed their entwined hands. She released her grip and blushed. “We…did we…?”

            His shoulders slumped as he relaxed and he smiled at her. “It is good to have you as your usual self. I was concerned the effects would be permanent despite the assurances of your friends.”

            She frowned, doing her best to remember the night before. It didn’t take long for the memories, all edged in a euphoric fog, to come back to her. She felt her face burn with embarrassment as she dropped her eyes, unable to look at Axton. Stroking his head and clinging to him was bad but she could have lived with that. Kissing him and shocking him so he almost fell over and was unable to look at her for almost a half-hour was worse. But refusing to sleep unless he was beside her and she could hold his hand was what had her wanting to become a hermit in the woods. “I am so sorry,” she whispered. “I don’t…I’m…”

            He continued to smile at her as he grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. “It is fine. I know it was not the actions of you, but the substance you accidentally consumed. You cannot be blamed for someone else mistaking your drink for theirs and adding the drug.”

            Paige jerked her head up to stare at him. “Mistaking my drink? I rolled the bottle up in my jacket to keep people from seeing it and stealing it like I always do. Whoever spiked my drink did it on purpose and did their best to keep me from knowing cause the bottle was still in my jacket when I found it.”

            Now Axton frowned. “But why would someone do something of that nature? Why would someone want you…” His brain finally connected Paige’s state the night before with deliberate drugging and the answer made his spine snap straight and a low growl to come from his chest.

Paige gasped as the hold he had on her hand became crushing. She ignored the pain and focused on him, at the darkening of his eyes and expression into something that made goosebumps roll down her arms. “Axton,” she whispered. When he did nothing but continue to glare a hole in the beige paint of the wall, she reached out and gently pressed a hand to his cheek, forcing him to face her. She held his eyes with hers. “Axton, it’s fine. No damage was done and the worst I got out of it was some embarrassment.”

 His hand shot out and he grabbed her neck, tipping her chin up with his thumb so he could see all of her face, his hands gentle despite his furious eyes. “I am not concerned with what occurred but what could have. If I had been without honour, or had you attached yourself to another man…” He shook his head, as if to get rid of the thought.

“But it didn’t happen. There’s no point in you getting worked up about it when it’s over and done with,” she replied, letting her hand slide off his cheek so she could squeeze his shoulder.

Axton’s hands tightened momentarily around her as he glared down at her, eyes darker than before. “I will not allow you to dismiss this! You have said yourself that the substance was added to your drink purposefully and with attempts to conceal it. It was an obvious attempt to dishonour you and it is clear that you have enemies even here. I will not allow you to treat your own safety lightly! And If I ever, ever find the individual responsible, I will see to it that they suffer before they die.”

That got her eyes widening and she squeezed his shoulder harder. “You can’t kill anyone here Axton. The police would arrest you and lock you away and you’d be in prison for the rest of your life! Please, you mustn’t kill anyone.”

It was only seeing her worry for him that allowed Axton to get a grip on his temper. He released his hold on her, only so he could put his arms around her and hug her tightly, his chin resting on the top of her head. “I will not allow anyone to harm you. If that requires me to remove threats in a permanent fashion, then I will. However,” he said, sensing her impending protest. “I will do my utmost to avoid taking life. I can promise you nothing more.”

Paige closed her mouth and leaned her head against his chest before sighing. She knew he was serious and she could hardly blame him. She had a similar stance with regards to him. Only the sound of one others turning over broke the spell, making both of them jump apart blushing.