Three Alphas, Three Mates

Chapter 52 - Shen

"She's sick." I gesture towards the baby.

He stops walking. "They're..." His eyes land on her. They soften, but then harden again. "They're all sick. There's nothing we can do."

"We can keep them here," I say.

He looks around like he's waiting for an ambush. "No, we can't. We have to think about the pack."

"Because they're so dangerous?" I don't want to make assumptions, but I seriously doubt anyone else is coming. I put my hands on his chest to stop him. "Axel, c'mon."

He relaxes then tenses under my touch. "They're Dawn." I don't know who he's trying to convince anymore.

Before I can say anything, the girl cuts in. "Actually, I'm not..."

Axel raises an eyebrow. I do too. He doesn't look happy to talk to her, to even look at her, but he stays quiet long enough for her to speak.

She raises her blue eyes hesitantly. "The thing is, I'm a rogue... Kind of."

"Kind of?" he asks.

She pauses. Then she shakes her head. Then she nods again. "Yeah. I'm... Well." She drags out the last word.

He looks at me.

I nudge his shoulder. 'Give her a chance,' I mouth.

She decides on, "It's complicated."

"It's time for you to get out," he says.

"Wait!" She reaches out.

He hesitates, and I can see that he's frustrated with himself for doing so. He scans the area. "You have one second. One." He sounds tough, but he's cracking. Or so I believe, until the girl flinches. It occurs to me that I might see Axel a little softer than he is.

She chooses her words carefully. Very carefully. "I was never kicked out of the Dawn pack. My parents are— were."

My heart drops.

She whispers now, "My parents were refugees, so I was born without mindlink. Fei's like that too." She gestures towards the child.

Axel nods. "So you guys have no pack affiliations?"

"... Well." She hesitates.

There goes that 'well' again. Omg girl. Lie.

Axel narrows his eyes, letting my hand go. "Find your mom, Mia."

She talks quickly now. "I've always seen myself as Dawn, because of my parents," she says. "But other than my abilities, I have no ties to them."

I give her a look.

She gives me one back. 'What do you want from me?' her eyes scream.

'I don't know. Convince him better.' I widen my eyes, hoping she gets the message.

All of a sudden, Mom calls out from somewhere in the store. "Mia? Did you find the cashier? It really is like a ghost town in here."

I look at the girl. Axel. The baby. "I'm... gonna distract her." I rush in the direction my mom's voice came from, but then I stop in my tracks. What am I doing? I can't leave these two with Axel. I rush back to his side.

"Axel." I make him look at me. "Boyfriend."

He raises an eyebrow.

"My darling." I lay it on strong.

"What is it?" he asks.

I keep talking. "My sweetheart. My rock. My gentle and reasonable beloved."