Chapter 0142
** Josie’s POV**
Deacon leaves and I try not to fret about it. I don’t want to stare him by being too clingy. I know he said he’d never leave me for long but he’s spent so much time alone that I worry having a needy bond might be too much for him, I grab a bottle of water from the mini fridge and chug half of it down before flopping back down on the bed.
“Right Axel, I’m coming for you, you better be ready for me” I say out loud into the empty room. Closing my eyes I focus on my breathing, keeping it slow and steady whilst examine my connection to each bond. Mason is barely there, he’s already figured out how to shield himself, no surprises from my guarded bond. I condense all my attention onto my connection with Axel and suck in a breath at his whirling emotions.
“Axel,” I call to him and wait. I feel a slight recognition from him. A shift to confusion for a split second before anger takes over. “Axel, can you hear me?” I call out again.
“Fuck off,” he snarls.
“Ouch. I miss you too,” I grimace. I know he didn’t mean and I’m happy to hear his voice, even if it wasn’t the words I wanted to hear.
“I’m not doing this. I’m not going to talk to my imaginary bond,” he huffs out.
“Imaginary? I feel pretty real to me,”
“Whatever,”
I
“Axe, it’s me. I swear it. Deacon found me and we bonded, we can all communicate this way now. Can’t you feel me? I feel you,” I say softly and I feel him hesitate, his emotions calming for a moment as hope peeks through.
“Josie?” he asks.
“Yes, I’m here,” I say as tears roll down my face. “I want to be in your arms right now, I feel so safe there,”
“I didn’t keep you safe though,” his sadness and self–loathing fill me.
“Axel you couldn’t have stopped it. It was my mistake, not yours, but I need your help to fix it,”
“How? I can’t do anything like this,”
“Tell me what’s happening, let me help you,
“How do I know this is real and not another delusion?”
“You don’t, but you could try to trust me. The worst that could happen is you have a nice delusion,” I shrug, “can
a delusion do this?” I ask as I open myself up to him, letting him feel how much I love him and miss him.
“It’s really you?” he asks and I feel his wonderment.
“Yes,
it’s me. I miss you,” I smile at the emotions pouring from him.
“How is this happening?” he asks.
“I told you, Deacon found me and we completed the Spark bond. Now we need you to help get us back,”
“How? My wolf won’t let me shift. He’s going crazy looking for you and I’m just along for the ride whether I like it
or not,”
+25 CONUS
Chapter 0142
“You’re in control, Axe, he’s just taking over whilst you are not able. You need to forgive yourself. I can feel everything you are feeling and it is wrong. None of this was your fault and the people who caused It are gone. I dealt with them. Calm your wolf, tell him to stand down, there is no one left to fight right now, I’m safe. What I need from you is your human form, I need you to be thinking: like a person with a puzzle to solve not a wolf with a mate to protect,” I urge.
“Okay, I’m trying. Keep talking to me. Tell me where you are, what you are doing,”
“I’m in a bed and breakfast near the beach that we walked on after we brought my mum here. I’m sitting on a comfy bed, it’s warm and safe. I just spoke with Theo, Lukend Mason. They were at the academy and they are going to come for you as soon as you are ready,” I continue to tell him mundane things. Describing the room I am in, the clothes I am wearing and finally I feel his relief as he shifts back to his human form. “Good, Axe, that’s so good,” I beam with pride. “Where are you? I’ll get Lake to come for you,” I ask
don’t know, I only see trees,” he says in frustration.
“Look around, try to find a landmark whilst I get Luke,” I focus on my connection with Luke and I’m relieved to feel his consciousness. I’m not sure if I’d have been able to wake him up if he’d already fallen asleep.
“Luke,”
“What’s up, Sweetness?” he responds immediately.
“Axel needs picking up but he doesn’t know where he is,”
“Damn you work quick, has he shifted?” Luke asks.
“Um, yeah I have. How can I hear you? Are you sure this isn’t a delusion?” Axel says, feeling confused again. “Axe, shit it’s good to hear you, Bro. Tell me where you are and I’ll come for you,”
“I’m not sure, there are trees, lots of trees, and it’s dark,” Axel says.
“Okay. Stay there and make some noise. I was tracking you earlier and know which forest you’re in. I’ll port there and shift. My wolf will find you and then I’ll have you home in no time,” Luke tells him before he drops from my mind.
“Josie, will you wait with me until he finds me?” Axel asks. He’s feeling vunerable and I want to hug him so badly.
“Of course. Let me tell you everything that’s been happening and how we are going to fix it,” I smile and lay back on the bed. It takes less than an hour for Luke to find him and we talk the whole time. If I close my eyes and hug the pillow I can almost convince myself he’s laying beside the in the bed. I end the connection before Luke ports him back to our apartment and I feel Mason and Theo’s relief at his return. That’s one of them back home, just two more of us to go, actually, make that three, I smile as I look down at my flat stomach, imagining my little bean in there.
