Blackbird

†Chapter Thirteen†

The house was filled with a heavy sense of agonizing anticipation as Axel and I helped Skye prepare dinner while the others all sat in the living room. Occasionally I would hear Victor tell a joke, some strained laughter, and then silence again. I tried to block out my thoughts as much as I could by focusing on my task of cutting vegetables for the stew. The meat had been cooking all day, leaving a pleasant scent in the house, and now Skye was cutting it up and placing it in a large pot. Every once in a while my thoughts would slide into my mind, distracting me for a moment. Axel noticed, kissing the top of my head whenever I slowed down. I would smile at him, he would smile back, then we would return to our tasks. 

After a while, he let out a long sigh and walked behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. "This tension is too much to handle. Do you think we've got enough vegetables?" he asked. 

Skye looked over at what we had accomplished. "Yeah, I think that's enough. You two can go ahead and take a break. I've just got to cut up these final pieces, then throw it all together. Thank you so much for the help," she said, smiling at us as I set my knife down. 

"No, problem, Skye. We'll be upstairs; send Victor up to let us know when to come back down," Axel replied, taking my hand in his and leading me out of the kitchen. Now that I had no way to distract myself, my thoughts began to return. My chest felt heavy as we climbed the stairs, and seeing Naomi sitting in the doorway to what I assumed was her room only made it worse. Remnants of the conversation I'd had earlier with Skye trickled into my mind when she looked up at us with sorrowful eyes. Axel waved at her, but all she did was watch us as we walked into his room and shut the door. I slowly walked over and sat down on the bed next to my father's jacket where I had left it. "What's bothering you, Luna?" 

I lifted the jacket into my arms to make room for Axel as he sat down beside me. I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk about any of the things that were swirling through my head. There was so much and he probably already had a lot to worry about. 

He was quiet for a few moments. "Where did you get the jacket?" he asked gently. 

I looked down at the worn leather, moving my fingertips over the patch on the back. "I found it while we were at the market. It was my father's; the man who was selling it recognized me. He gave it to me," I replied, unexpected tears welling in my eyes. "He could have sold it to some worthless human, but he kept it with him ever since he found it in the carnage that was my home. He knew my father." 

Without a word, he pulled me into his arms, pressing his lips to the top of my head. 

"And I was so happy here, with you, that I had forgotten about why we came here in the first place. Now it's all crashing down again and I'm worried that it's a trap. No one has bothered to help our kind since everything began. They did the exact opposite; they made things worse. They killed wolves, sold their skins and teeth like they were novelties. Why would someone in the castle want to come here? What if they're coming here to kill us?" I asked as the tears took hold me, pulling me into harsh sobs. 

Axel tightened his arms around me and I turned into his embrace, burying my face against his chest, clutching onto his shirt. This was the second time he had seen me reduced to nothing but a shaking, sobbing mess; I hated feeling so weak, but I was tired of pretending to be strong. I was more than angry at the world; I was afraid of it, and that's something that no living creature should feel.  

I was glad that Axel didn't say anything while I cried. Being in his arms comforted me more than anything he could've said. Then, as if him simply holding me wasn't enough, he pulled my father's jacket out of my hands and draped it over my shoulders. Traces of my father's scent mixed with Axel's and suddenly I was completely still, crying softly as my body relaxed a bit. He gently rubbed my back, resting his head against mine. 

"I'm scared too, Luna," he whispered. "But you don't have to be. I'm right here and we're going to get through this." 

"I don't want to lose you," I replied softly. 

He leaned back, lifting my chin up with his finger and looking deep into my eyes. I could see the hint of tears lining his emerald irises as he looked at me. "I'm not going anywhere, Blackbird. I don't care how bad things get; no matter what happens, I will never not be by your side. I love you, and that's all that matters." 

I reached up to put a hand on his cheek as tears welled in my eyes once more, pulling him closer and pressing my lips to his. "I love you, Axel," I whispered. He smiled softly before kissing me once again as tenderly as possible. 

"We'll get through this," he said, brushing a stray tear from my cheek. "I promise."