Sonya secretly watched from the kitchen as Angela shut the door and left with Trez Luciano for their date tonight. She sighed in relief, but a surge of anticipation climbed through her as well, as she let her best friend go off alone to talk to this dangerously powerful man who didn't seem like the type to take it slow. She was worried for Angela but trusted that her friend could handle herself. If anything, Angela only needed to send one distress message and Sonya would charge after her.

"I hope it goes well," Hazel voiced.

"Me too," Sonya admitted truthfully. She faced the new friend they made and was glad that she had Hazel with them. Craving a cup of tea to beat the cold evening air but also calm her nerves, she put the pot on the stove and threw in a tea bag and some milk and sugar letting it simmer.

"Do you want some chai?" Sonya asked.

"No, I should probably head home," Hazel said as she looked down at her phone.

"Can't you stay another night?" Sonya asked.

"I would love to but I have work tomorrow," Hazel groaned as she stood.

Sonya groaned with her. "I'll drop you home," she offered.

They talked for a little bit as her chai came to a boil. She grabbed a thermos mug and strained it into the cup closing the lid. Hazel went over to the living-room to grab her purse, when suddenly, the doorbell went off and Sonya put the pot down in the sink and leaned over into the hall. Hazel glanced at her too.

"Is it Angela?" Hazel asked.

Sonya didn't know either. "Maybe, she forgot something," she mumbled as she went to the door.

However, her friend wasn't behind the door when she opened it. It was Axe Luciano who stood clad in a leather trench coat standing before her. The air in her lungs seized as she faced his burning blue eyes that gleamed darkly under the porch light. She didn't know how he controlled the air around them but it felt as if she couldn't move without his permission. A vigorous authority clung to him as he set his eyes upon her like pulled her into his darkness and would never let her go.

"We need to talk," his tone jarringly grim.

Sonya didn't understand. What could they need to talk about? she thought but then she met her friend's eyes. "Well- I-"

"I'll call a taxi," Hazel offered.

"No, I'll drop you first," Sonya said.

"Darius-" Axe spoke interrupting them.

Another man appeared onto the porch, he stayed tucked under the blanket of the dark where the porch light didn't reach his face. The only thing Sonya noted was the outline of his broad shoulders and the glint of his belt.

"Drop Sonya's friend wherever she needs to go," he told the man who didn't say anything except waited for Hazel now.

Sonya looked over at her friend who had her purse on her shoulder and zipped up her jacket. "I'll see you later," Hazel said before she hugged Sonya and left with Axe's partner, Darius.

Sonya waited until Hazel got into the jeep before she met Axe's eyes again, that hadn't moved from her. "Would you like to come in?" she asked.

He gave a curt nod and she stepped aside letting him take the first step into the house. He towered over the foyer, and she didn't realize how tall he really was compared to her. Axe was the one who shut the door and locked it as his eyes drifted over her. The scent of his cologne garnered her attention because he stood inches away from her now. She found it strange how she could sense it change, like it was heightening and blazing around her as if his scent was made from flames.

"Tea or coffee?" she asked as she stepped back and away from him trying to get some of her sanity back in her control.

"No, thanks," he answered with that stern tone.

She scurried off to the kitchen letting him follow through the hallway towards her. The house she lived in for five years now seemed small with his domineering presence looming behind her. She opened the lid off her chai and poured it into a cup.

"Can we sit outside?" Axe asked her.

Sonya faced his blue eyes and wondered why he'd ask that. "Sure," she answered as she went over and opened the glass door revealing the backyard. The lanterns flickered alive and he stepped out onto the patio where there were chairs for them.

She grabbed a shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders before she joined him outside. Thankfully, the mug in her hands kept her warm as the rich scent of tea and cardamom eased her nerves.

"What did you want to talk about?" she said.

Axe grabbed the chair and turned it over so he could face her and nothing else. His eyes were determined to get answers or perhaps say the truth, she didn't really know. But she'd hear him out since he looked as if he needed to get something off his chest.

"Do you know about your friend's abilities?" he began.

She frowned. "Abilities?" she questioned as she realized that he spoke about Angela being a shifter. "Oh, yeah, I do," she answered. "I know Angela's a wolf and that your brother's a wolf too." And that maybe, he was a wolf as well.

"I'm a wolf too," Axe explained.

She nodded. "Got it," she said.

"Apart from the fact that we can shift into a wolf, there are other qualities that we share with the animal," he said. "Heightened senses, eye-sight, smell-"

"Can you see in the dark?" she asked curiously.

Axe's lips quirked up a little and she almost thought he smiled. "Yes, I can see in the dark," he confirmed. "The stronger the bond with our wolf is, the more powerful our body becomes."

She realized that he was talking about himself now. She sensed that his bond with his wolf must be powerful for him.

"Our wolf protects us," he explained as he held her gaze. "The bond if harnessed is unbreakable."

Sonya smiled. "That must be an amazing feeling," she expressed.

He smirked. "It's invigorating," he replied. "Except, another quality a shifter has that matches a wolf is that they bond for life."

Sonya's heart skipped a beat as she remembered Angela's words when she explained all of this to her before. A mate, she recalled the term Angela used. However, she didn't understand why Axe was telling her all this when she wasn't even a wolf.

"Once a shifter's wolf finds their mate, they are possessive and unable to fight against it," Axe explained. "My wolf in particular found his mate."

Sonya gripped the handle of the mug a bit too tightly. "Oh," she looked away, "congratulations."

"She doesn't know it yet," Axe said.

Sonya understood that it must be a wolf but then why was he here with her. "Hold on, shouldn't she have sensed it as well?" she asked since his mate must be a shifter as well.

"She can't," Axe said. "She's human."

Sonya's eyes widened as she met his penetrating gaze. "Wh-what are you saying?"

"You're my mate," Axe leaned closer to her as he studied her eyes. "My wolf chose you to be ours."

The world crumbled away around her and she couldn't even sense the cold air anymore. She sat with her chai in her hands wondering what just happened. How was it possible for a human to be with a wolf? It didn't make any sense to her. A wolf would want someone like him and connect with something that familiar. She was only human and couldn't even sense the wolf or anything.

"How is this possible?" she asked.

Axe raked his hair. "I don't know," he answered.

"But I'm human," Sonya said. "What if you meet another wolf later on and she's-"

"That's not possible," he interrupted. "My wolf chose you and I choose you too."

It couldn't be that simple, she thought. From what she knew from Angela, wolves bond for life, so how was she as a human supposed to complete that bond. It wouldn't be fair to Axe's wolf.

"But that isn't the problem," Axe said as he leaned back in his chair facing her with his alluring blue eyes that darkened with the memories in his head. She met his gaze wondering what could possible beat this news. "You don't know who I am or what I can do."

Sonya's body shuddered and it wasn't because of the cold. "I'm thinking it has something to do with the guns that are on you right now," she shared as she desperately needed a sip of chai to calm down.

"That and the fact that I'm the head of security at the club, so my job requires a certain set of skills," he explained.

Sonya instantly remembered how he killed that man in the alleyway. "Why are you telling me this, Axe?" she asked.

"Because I need you to know everything about me," he said. "I can't keep you in the dark before I mark you as mine."

Sonya's heart jumped. "And that's what you want?" she said. "You want me despite being human?"

Axe's eyes watched her intensely. "I've wanted you since the moment I saw you," he answered.

Sonya didn't know what to say to that. "Are all wolves like you towards their mate?" she asked.

He shrugged a shoulder. "Perhaps," he responded. "But you didn't get them. You got me and I'm not letting you go. That's why I need to tell you everything."

"Okay," she said. "I'll listen to whatever you want."

Axe shifted in his chair as he glanced around the backyard wondering where to even begin. She could sense the tension that swarmed around him, it was as if she could cut it with a knife. Opening up about someone's past wasn't easy, she knew that feeling too well. It must be even harder for a wolf since they were wired to build loyalties and trust first before they could show their vulnerable side.

"My grandma used to tell me that a cup of chai was made for every occasion," Sonya began getting attention on her. "At a party, chai is always served first. Morning, evening, night, chai comes before anything else. When you're happy or sad, chai comes. When you're nervous or scared, a cup of warm chai will ease you." She held the cup towards him and his blue eyes looked at it before he took it from her and had a sip. Instantly, the light in his eyes returned as he tasted the creamy, rich tea with deep fragrance swirled together in a cup. "It's good, right?"

Axe gave a curt nod.

Sonya let him drink more. "When I was nine I used to work at a chai stall in Mumbai," she said and his eyes were fixated on her over the cup. "The owner taught me how to make it." She felt the cold air warm through the blanket onto her as she remembered her days on the streets in India. She was all alone and had to figure out what her place was without anyone to rely on. "That job was probably my favourite because after working long hours, my boss used to let me drink chai and he'd give me a biscuit. Honestly, it was the only reason I used to go to work because I knew I'd get that at the end." Even to this day, she still remembered the sweet flavour of warm jaggery mixed with the cup of chai, that would soak the biscuit through and it'd melt in her mouth.

"You're parents?" Axe asked as he handed her the cup back.

She was glad that she could hold it again since her fingers were freezing. "I don't have any," she said. Well, she didn't know whether her parents were alive or not. She just liked to think that they died and left her alone rather than learning that they abandoned her.

"We have that in common," Axe shared. She looked at him as his eyes darkened. "But I had my brother who I vowed to do anything for from the moment I was born."

Sonya wished she could reach over and touch him so she could bring him out of whatever dark memory that haunted him right now. There was a stark heaviness in his gaze and it ached inside her too, like someone had their tight fist around her heart.

"My brother and I were on the streets and had to defend ourselves," he said. "We worked in factories and tried harder than anyone else. But life was still unfair towards us." He smirked coldly as he straightened on the chair. "When I was nine, I grabbed a blade when a man tried to hurt my brother. I killed for the first time and I never went back."

Sonya's body trembled from his dark tone. She understood that it must have been hard for two orphans, because it was just as hard for her. She knew the struggle to stay on your feet and rise above everyone else. These two brothers were neglected by society, but they rose above them and dominated their empire. However, she figured that they must have made many enemies and they needed to kill or they would be killed on the streets alone.

"My brother and I tried everything to survive," he explained. "But then we were taken into an organization known as the cage-fights. Any rogue wolf and it didn't matter what age were taken from the streets and put into illegal fights that were part of an auction. Trez and I knew we had to survive that place, so we forgot all morals when we entered those cages. We learned how to kill and we got really good at it. I got really good at it." His eyes lifted and met her gaze that hadn't moved from him. "We stayed there for a really long time and only escaped once we knew that we didn't need to be there anymore."

Sonya wondered if that would have been her fate if her grandma hadn't rescued her. "I always thought I'd end up in a brothel," she shared truthfully.

Axe's jaw tightened and the muscle in his forehead ticked like he couldn't even imagine that as her fate. "Go on," he said.

"Everyone around me used to say that an orphan girl only had two fates," she said. "One was either to be a slave or the other to be a whore. So, to avoid being a prostitute, I used to cut my hair really short, like a boy would." Sonya ran a hand over the long length of her hair that she cherished every single day now. "But that didn't last long because my body started giving it away." She remembered when she used to walk home after work and men noticed her curves even in baggy clothes. "I gave up and went to a brothel to accept my fate. But I couldn't do it, so I ran away before anyone could catch me-" her throat tightened and she felt the tears prick her eyes- "I ran onto the street purposely when someone's car almost crashed into me," she said. "A woman got out of this expensive car in her white saree, she had these black sunglasses on and a sturdy cane in her hand." Sonya smiled from that memory alone, it was so vivid. "She asked me why I jumped in front of her car. I told her that I didn't want to sell my body just to earn a living and that I'd rather die."

"What did she do?" Axe asked.

"She took me to her house," Sonya smiled fondly. "She lived in a beautiful manor that had peacocks in the front yard and she had horses with servants at every beckon. I started living with her and took care of her too. She didn't adopt me but she was the only family I knew."

"Then why-"

"Did I move here?" she said knowing his question. "She passed away. It's been five years."

"I'm sorry," he said.

She shook her head. "I'm just happy I got to know her," she said. "My grandma saved my life, so I understand what you mean when you say that you had to do whatever it takes to protect yourself. I was once like that and God knows all the bad things I did."

Axe's glower eased. "You need to understand my position, Sonya," he said. "I'm a killer for my brother, but it's something I can't change about myself."

"I would never tell you to change anything about yourself," she answered.

"How can you say that so casually?" he remarked. "Doesn't it scare you that I've killed before?"

Sonya considered it for a moment. "I suppose it does, but you didn't kill for pleasure," she said. "I believe you protected your brother, just like you helped me in that alley at the club."

Axe raked his hair before faced her. "And I will continue to protect you," he promised with his assured eyes.

Sonya chuckled at him. "And you call yourself a killer?" she remarked as she took a sip of her chai before offering it to him. "Did you always want to own a nightclub?"

Axe grabbed the cup. "It wasn't my plan," he told her. "Trez got the idea when we were in the cage-fights."

"How did you escape?" she asked then.

"We had help," Axe said. "A few of our friends who were also in the cages came up with a plan, it was easy to execute after that."

She took the cup back and his fingers brushed hers sending his warmth through her arm. "Do you remember those days a lot?"

"I try not to," he replied grimly. "But it's a part of me."

Sonya nodded. "I'm glad you escaped," she said happily. "It means we got to meet, right?" She looked at the clock through the glass door and a half an hour had already gone by. And she was getting a bit hungry. "Would you like to join me for dinner?" she offered. "I'm starving."

Axe stood to his feet and helped her with the shawl as she grabbed the cup. They went inside of the warm house and she could finally feel her toes again. She slipped her feet into warm slippers and came around the kitchen counter as Axe took a seat on the high stool beside her. She lifted the drap of her saree from over her shoulder and got ready to cook.

"What do you want to eat?" she asked.

"Anything," Axe said. "I'm not picky."

Sonya knew just what to make as she pulled out small chicken pieces out of the fridge. She went over to the sink and rinsed it thoroughly before bringing the basin over to the spice cabinet. She heavily doused the chicken in masala and other spices as she set the rice cooker on too. However, as she cooked she didn't forget the eyes that tracked her every move, it really was like a wolf prowled behind her making his presence known powerfully. What if she wasn't enough to handle the wolf inside him? She didn't know anything about having a wolf as a partner. There was no way she could relate to Axe.

Sonya poured oil into the pan and set the stove on high flames as she waited for it to heat up. She wondered if Axe was disappointed since there wasn't any choice in the matter. He couldn't say that he didn't want to be with a human, or could he? She wanted to help his wolf by letting him talk to her wolf, but of course, she didn't have one. There wasn't any way to connect for them, even though she truly did like him. Maybe, she should ask.

Sonya turned when she bumped into Axe who stood right before her. "Axe-" she tilted her head back facing his eyes that were heavily focused. Her breath stopped as she felt his strong arm that circled around her bare waist, he drew her in, pressing her into his hard muscles. She couldn't look away even if she tried.

"What's bothering you?" his voice was soft as the fingers that grazed her waist.

Sonya wasn't sure she could even talk with his hands on her. "Um- well," she stumbled on her words like she predicted. But she couldn't help it, his dark cologne wrapped her in his domain and kept her locked to his command.

Axe put his other hand on her neck and ran his thumb along the sharp line of her jaw as she forgot everything around her. He leaned down, closer to her lips, stealing all her rational thoughts as she felt his body take over hers. There was this exhilarating influence that coursed through her body as it yielded to him and the animal inside him.

Just as she lifted her eyes back to his, she noticed the dark flash of something else in them. A small gasp released from her lips when she saw it again. She couldn't believe it as she waited for that carnal streak to appear in front of her, like it called out for her attention.

"Is that-"

"My wolf," Axe said softly. "He's surfacing to meet you."

"But how is that possible?" she awed. "I'm only human yet I can feel him."

Axe pressed closer, their legs brushed against one another. "I told you," he replied. "You're my mate and only you can have us."

Will that be enough? she wondered and she was about to ask when she smelt something burn. "The oil!" she gasped as she turned out of his arms and towards the oil that almost caught fire. Axe pulled her back and went to shut the stove as he handled the oil himself.

Once the oil cooled down, Axe put the chicken into the pan and she grabbed the ladle to do it herself but he grabbed it from her and cooked the small bits of meat. The rice cooker went off and the rice was cooked to perfection as she waited. She put it in two bowls and set it onto the table as Axe put the masala chicken next to the rice.

"Wine or coke?" she asked him.

"Wine," he answered.

She grabbed two tall glasses and a bottle that they had already opened on the counter. Pouring the dark red wine into the glasses, she picked them up and handed one to him. They sat on the tall stools together.

"Do you cook at home a lot?" she asked since he handled the oil with skill.

"Not really," he answered her as he took a bite and complimented her cooking. "I don't even go home."

She took a bite too and wished she could have added more spice and green peppers. "Where do you live then?"

"At the penthouse behind the club," he said. "My brother and I barely go to the house we built ages ago."

"Why?" she asked. "Do you not like it there?"

Axe turned towards her, his blue eyes flaming with the same animal that was deep inside him. "I-"

They were interrupted by a sudden loud ping of a phone.

Axe reached into his pocket as the frown between his brows deepened and the softness left too. He didn't even look down at the caller ID before he answered, like it he knew who was calling right now. Sonya put some rice in her mouth giving him a moment of privacy to talk to whoever called. But Axe's eyes were on her and he tensed next to her too, like someone told him dire news.

"No, I'm coming right now," his tone was rigid.

Sonya faced him at the news of him leaving already. But she didn't say anything because she knew that it must be something about his work. He cut the phone and got up from his seat.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"No, Trez was attacked," he said. "I need to-"

"What about Angela?" Sonya astonished. "Is she-"

"She's fine," Axe assured. "I'm going to see them right now."

"I'm coming with you," Sonya got off the stool to join him and she wasn't budging from her decision.

"Get a jacket," he said.

She ran around him to the closet by the door and pulled out her long wool coat. She bundled herself up and closed the buttons. Axe came up to her and looked into the closet. She didn't know what he was doing until she saw him grab the red scarf. He brought it out and wrapped it around her neck before he guided her to the door.

Picking up the keys to her car so she could lock the door behind her and joined Axe in his car, that was exactly his style. Sleek black metal that gleamed even in the dark, the leather plush and beautifully crafted as the dash glimmered with all the lights in the dark. Even the deep fragrance reminded her of him.

She glanced at her side and saw his eyes focused on the road. He was tense, the muscle in his jaw braced as if it'd break any second.

Sonya didn't know what else to do other than put her hand on top of his trying to reassure him that everything would be alright. He laced his fingers with hers and brought it to his lap as he pressed his foot down on the race to get them to the Underworld.

-Axe Luciano's POV-

He fucking knew that this was going to happen. Of course, his brother was attacked when Axe wasn't there to protect him. He didn't know why he ever left his brother's side. Axe and his wolf were the only ones that would kill and maim in order to his ensure their brother's safety.

However, he glanced at his side where Sonya sat staring at the road, her soft brown eyes dampened with concern for her own friend. Even in the darkness of the car, she was absolutely breath-taking. The golden hue of her skin gleamed and he ached to run his hands all over her soft skin, that was absolutely testing his patience the entire time he was in her house. She adorned a bright red saree that was not extravagant, but on her, it looked purely sinful. And every time she moved, he couldn't forget what he saw. There was a colourful aqua-blue tattoo on the lower dip of her hip, it was a peacock feather. He lost all reason right then and there and knew that this woman was coming with him no matter what fucking happened.

"It's raining a lot," she voiced as she looked out the window.

Axe didn't lower the speed of his car, but he turned the wipers on which couldn't really help with visibility either. The heavy droplets were hitting every part of the car and blue flashes of light thundered away too. Even the mood of the weather was grim.

What trouble did his brother get into now? Axe speculated and it could be the result of many things. He was sure that it was because they pissed a bunch of people off in the past few years and any of them could come looking for revenge. Except, this attack was different from others. This was orchestrated to fail but rather to cause terror. The only problem was that this type of shit never caused the Luciano's to cower in fear, it just pissed them off.

Axe arrived outside the secret complex behind the club where only a selected few knew its location. He drove down the slope and into the garage, he didn't bother parking and just stopped the car at the front entrance. But when he should have rushed to his brother's side, he took just a brief moment and looked down at his hand that was laced with his mate. He brushed his fingers across her soft knuckles that weren't battered or bruised like his own.

"Axe," she spoke his name gently like it didn't belong to a killer.

He glanced at her not knowing what kind of scary expression he had on his face, but she was smiling at him with her rosy lips. Inches away, he could feel her against his skin and just steal a taste of her mouth and never regret it. But this wasn't the time to be losing his focus. He reluctantly let go of her hand and he stepped out of the car. So, did she, and she circled around the hood of the vehicle towards him. She was wrapped in a wool coat and red scarf, it was big on her but she still held herself with confidence no matter what. He liked that about her.

Leading them down the hall, they got into the elevator to the main lobby floor where Axe spotted all the security guards standing in position. He was sure that every man he trained would be ready for any threat and it was protocol. Axe crossed the lobby floor with her as his guards bowed to him and let them pass. He took Sonya into another elevator that allowed them access to the suite at the top.

"That's a lot of guards," Sonya said. "You guys don't just own a nightclub, do you?"

"No," he answered grimly. He wasn't sure how to tell her that his brother and him practically commanded the mafia and ensured that no one set foot on their territory using any means necessary.

Sonya fiddled with her scarf and he sensed the trepidation in her heart as if it was his own. He turned to her and grabbed her arm before he gathered her into his embrace. She released a shaky sigh and he knew that she was worried about her friend but also that this life that he led was foreign to her. She wasn't used to being under threats or danger. She didn't have to sleep at night wondering if someone could sneak in to kill her. Only he had to live that way all his life.

"I know you're scared, but I'll protect you," he whispered.

"I'm not scared for me," she answered as she looked up at him with those beautiful eyes. "I don't want to lose you or my friend."

She was worried for him, Axe was amazed and he couldn't believe it since he didn't do anything to deserve her concern. His name was a legacy of blood and nothing else, yet she was worried for his life. The life that was expendable in order to be of service to Trez.

Axe's arms tightened around her and he held her for as long as he could before the doors pinged open and he had to let her go. She was the one who stepped out of the elevator first and he already had his hand in hers as he walked with her towards the doors at the end of the hall. He didn't need to knock or ring a doorbell, he simply put his thumb on the screen above the handle, it buzzed before lighting up green and it popped open. He held it open and let Sonya into the suite.

"Angela!" Sonya called out in relief.

However, the room was thick with tension and it stifled the air around them. Right away, Axe sensed that something wasn't good about the mood. He noticed that Trez's mate stood with a horrified expression on her face and his brother was the one facing her with guilt.

Axe guessed right away that Angela found out about their past connection with Bertorelli, that's the only reason that would make her go pale. Sonya let go of Axe's hand and she rushed to her friend's side.

"Sonya," Angela finally recognized her friend and she looked at her before she faced Axe briefly. "What are you-"

"I heard about the attack," Sonya answered. "Are you okay?"

"I-" Angela's voice fell and she hid her expression from them.

Axe crossed the space and spotted Wade and Darius in the office with curious expressions because they probably had no idea what was going on right now. But Axe was the one to face his brother and he'd be the only one allowed to ask questions.

"Sonya, take Angela to that room to calm down," Axe told her as he nodded towards the door across them.

"Okay, thanks," Sonya smiled at him reassuringly before she put her arm around Angela and took her to his own room.

The moment the girls left, Axe needed answers right fucking now. He crossed his arms and faced his brother.

"Who needs to die?" he asked sternly.

"Bertorelli," Trez growled as he turned back and went into the office.

Axe followed and Trez poured himself a drink behind his table. He paced on the rug and it was to the point that it'd leave marks. The thunder outside the windows mirrored the rage in his brother right now and he knew that Bertorelli signed his death warrant tonight.

"Why would he attack you?" Axe asked.

"Our team captured one of the assailants and said that Bertorelli wants revenge," Wade answered as he leaned on the shelf.

Revenge, that word stung Axe like poison entered his blood and tried to plague every soft touch Sonya left with him. Fucking hell, his life was not suitable for a beautiful woman like her. What was he going to do about all this shit that they had to clean up?

"Revenge seems fun and all, but why did your mate look ready to die the moment she heard Bertorelli's name?" Wade asked.

"Read the room, dude," Darius said sternly.

"What?" Wade shrugged.

"Bertorelli killed her parents," Trez grumbled as he finished the drink in a rush and set the glass down angrily.

"Oh, that's awkward," Wade muttered.

"So, we kill him," Darius proposed.

"Finally, some killing," Wade added.

Axe looked at his brother's ferocious expression that looked wasn't aching for the blood of their enemy, but instead seemed pained that he couldn't help Angela. Axe never thought he'd see a day like this where business wouldn't matter. If Axe could smile, he would right now.

Suddenly, the waft of blood came right to Axe and he recognized it. "Why do I smell your blood?" he asked after Sonya's scent disappeared from him.

"He got shot," Wade said.

"Wade!" Darius and Trez grumbled loudly.

"No one told me you got shot!" Axe hollered as he glared at his brother as anger filled him like a bursting volcano.

"I didn't want you losing control," Trez reasoned.

Axe shoved a hand in his hair. "Bertorelli is definitely going to die but I'm killing you first!" He pointed at his brother. "I knew this whole thing was a fucking bad idea!"

Trez sighed. "It's just a flesh wound."

"I don't give a fuck," he growled. "What if Angela got hurt?"

"I wasn't going to let that happen," he said to him which only pissed him off more.

"This is getting too dangerous," Axe slammed his fist on the table. "I fucking knew that your bad habit of pissing people off was going to come bite us in the ass."

"You need to calm down, man," Wade said on the side quietly.

"I am calm!" Axe yelled at him.

Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted them. Axe was about to rip their head off but then he saw his mate's brown eyes.

"Can we talk?" she asked softly.

Axe stepped out of the room but only cornered her where he could stand with her alone. She pressed her back against the wall and faced him. Her scarf was missing from around her collar and he saw the sweet length of her neck that was smooth and tempting. He bit down on his teeth grating them together so he'd resist. Fuck, everything was driving him crazy.

"Angela wants to go home," she said. "I think I should take her back."

"That's not happening," he said. "She could be a target-"

"I don't care-" Angela interrupted him. "I'm leaving whether you like it or not."

Axe stared at his mate who smiled at him regretfully. "Everyone is really testing me right now," he grumbled as he pulled away and went into the office.

"Wow, he actually calmed down," Wade astounded.

Axe ignored him and faced his brother. "Your mate wants to leave," he said.

Trez came around the table and left the office where he met Angela firm eyes. "Angela," he said her name gently like he was going to persuade her to stay here where it was safe, but once he met her lowered eyes that didn't meet his own, his resolve changed right then and there. "Wade, get the car ready for them."

Axe didn't interfere but he knew that letting their mates go was a bad idea, especially in these circumstances. If it was up to him, he'd lock up Sonya here and not let her out of his sight. So, what was his brother thinking right now?

"You got it, boss," Wade answered as he left the office and went towards the door.

He stood by himself as Sonya helped her friend and joined Wade. Axe turned to his brother who also had his eyes on his mate.

"Darius," Axe called out, "send every guard we have to keep their house safe. I want it more protected than the goddamned queen's palace." Darius emerged from the office and went to fulfill his orders.

Don't let her leave, his wolf howled viciously as his eyes stayed on Sonya.

Axe crossed the room and grabbed Sonya's arm holding her back. "Give me a moment," he said to the others.

"Sure," Wade answered as he stepped out of the suite with his brother and Angela leaving them alone by the door.

"What's wrong?" Sonya asked gently.

Axe blocked her from everything behind him and all he could see was her. She stood holding her head back so she could face him. He lifted his hand aching to touch her and be with her, he ran his knuckles along the glowing curve of her cheek. She smiled at him warmly, it blazed within the icy-hard walls of his scarred body.

"I'm only going home," she said like she was reassuring him even though he hadn't said anything to her.

"I know," his voice guttural.

Suddenly, his breath caught when she leaned into his touch like it was comforting rather than disgusting her. He stepped closer, capturing her intoxicating sandalwood scent that was caught ablaze with roses, it was bringing his wolf closer to her and allowing them to bond without any mark needed.

"I'm thinking you already have my number," Sonya said.

Axe faced her lovely eyes that were full of mischief. "Of course," he answered wondering if she was going to get freaked out about it.

She laughed instead. "You really know how to make a girl feel important," she leaned up on her toes closing the last inch between them. "Goodnight, Axe," she whispered before she laid her warm lips on his cold cheek. Sonya turned away and ran out the door to leave with the others.

"Looks like someone managed a love story," his brother remarked behind him.

Axe wanted to slam his head against the door and break it out of frustration. "Well, you really didn't think that Angela was going to mate with you after learning the truth," he retorted as he joined Trez.

"No, I didn't," Trez raked a hand into his hair.

"What are you doing in my penthouse anyway?" Axe asked.

"Mine isn't as nice as yours," Trez answered.

Axe came and sat on the stool. "What are we going to do, Trez?"

"Kill Bertorelli and drop his body in front of Angela's feet as an apology," Trez grumbled.

Axe nodded. "Sounds good," he said. "Maybe, I should kill a few people for Sonya."

Trez managed a smirk. "She's perfect for you," he voiced as he went and stood by the window.

Axe faced his brother's broad shoulders that always carried the burden of the world. He orchestrated their entire empire and learned to be feared by the world. Axe always relied on his brother and those shoulders to carry them. If Axe had anything it was the skill to kill and the weapons strapped to his body.

"What about Angela?" Axe asked.

"I'm not giving up on her," Trez answered as he put his hands in his pockets. "She's mine and I'm going to be by her side whether she likes it or not."

"Is that why you let her leave?" Axe said.

"Tying her down wasn't going to get me on her good side," Trez conspired.

Axe cracked the kinks in his knuckles. "I wouldn't have been able to resist," he mumbled as he fantasized tying his mate down to his bed all night.

Suddenly, the phone rang and Trez grabbed it from his pocket. Axe knew that his brother had business to handle and probably wished to be left alone. So, he got up and went to his bedroom. He shut the door behind him, so he couldn't hear what his brother discussed with the person on the phone.

However, all curiosity left when he felt his mate's beautiful perfume in his bedroom. He stiffened and couldn't move further away from the threshold. Her scent, that lovely fragrance graced every part of the room and he had it all to himself. The red scarf caught his attention, it had been dropped on the ground. He took a step forward and guessed that Sonya must have took it off and sat on the bed when she put it down beside her. But when she stood up, it probably fell and she forgot about it.

Axe bent down and lifted it off the floor. The soft cashmere felt like silk between his fingers, but it was nothing compared to her skin when he was blessed to touch her. He sat on the bed with her scarf realizing that she was leaving pieces of herself behind with him. First, the anklet that was in his pocket, then her scent that wrapped all around his room and now the scarf. He fell back against the bed, facing the ceiling wondering what else she was making hers. Even the breath in his lungs didn't feel like it was his anymore. What was happening to him? He couldn't even recognize himself.

The thunder outside his bedroom boomed and the blue light flashed over and over again matching the loud cry of nature.

He remembered when she asked him why he didn't like going to the house that they built after conquering the world. He was going to tell her a lie and say that it wasn't efficient to travel so far and then come back for work. But the truth was that in the house he was all alone. It was an empty vessel that wasn't any different if he was there or not. He couldn't find anything there and it only mirrored the loneliness that ached through him all the time.

But now, he held up the scarf before his eyes and ached to go to her. She felt like home to him and his wolf. Sonya was where he ached to be and he wished she could have stayed here with him. Perhaps, he could go to her, but his brother needed him too.

Fuck, he needed to end Bertorelli and make sure that no one hurt his family. Axe got up from the bed. He needed to hunt the enemies and clear their path.

His hand lingered on the scarf that he left by his pillow before he gripped the anklet that was tucked in his pocket. He had to swallow back his desires just a little longer and fulfill his responsibility first. 

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