Chapter 80: Episode 080: Meeting Axel
Rue let out a soft gasp.
She could not help it.
She turned her head and looked right at Alpha Axel as he walked down the steps, and he was absolutely breathtaking.
Are they actually serving looks in the beastworld?
His face was sharp, pale, and perfectly sculpted by the freezing mountain air. He was incredibly handsome in a quiet, untouched way.
The most striking thing about him was his hair. It was the exact definition of two entirely different worlds merging together. Half of his thick hair was as dark as a starless night, and the other half was as pure white as the fresh snow covering the courtyard. It looked exactly like Yin and Yang. Perfect balance.
Axel was just like his sister Iris, the only difference was that Axel was a frozen lake. He was quiet. He was sharp. He carried an incredibly cool, calm aura that commanded the entire courtyard without him even having to raise his voice.
Every wolf in the pack knew his intelligence had absolutely no bounds. He was the smartest man in the North, and it showed in his icy blue eyes.
[Are you smitten?]
Rue felt her cheeks instantly flood with a hot, bright red blush. She immediately shook her head and looked away from the stairs.
She completely ignored the floating blue screen. She was not going to give the system the satisfaction of seeing her get flustered by a handsome man. She was just surprised by how different he looked from the rest of the pack. That was all.
Axel reached the bottom of the icy stairs. His heavy black boots crunched softly in the packed snow. He wore a thick, dark winter coat lined with heavy gray fur, but he moved with incredible, quiet grace.
The silence in the courtyard did not last very long.
Gianna completely ignored the bowing elders. She ran right through the deep snow, leaving prints behind her. She jogged straight up to the terrifying Alpha of the North and playfully nudged her elbow right into his ribs.
"I knew it!" Gianna cheered loudly. Her voice echoed. "You can’t afford to miss my entrance! I am simply too important to ignore."
Axel looked down at his little sister. The serious, cold expression on his face melted away, as he offered her a very faint, soft smile.
"Say it, brother," Gianna demanded. She bounced on the toes of her boots, tugging playfully on the sleeve of his thick winter coat. "Tell them. I am your most favorite little sister! Come on, say ittt."
Axel let out a very quiet, gentle laugh. He reached his large hand out and patted the top of Gianna’s head, entirely messing up her braid.
"Yes, my little adorable sister," Axel said gently. His voice was incredibly smooth. It sounded like deep, rich velvet wrapping around the freezing wind.
Gianna completely beamed. She nodded her head in pure pride. She turned around and looked directly at Rue. Gianna pointed a thumb at Axel, giving Rue a look that clearly said, ’Do you see my brother? He loves me the most!’
Rue could not help but chuckle. It was really sweet to see how much the grumpy snake princess loved her family.
Axel stepped away from Gianna and walked directly toward the wooden wagon. The crowd of giant wolves stayed perfectly still, keeping their heads bowed low in deep respect.
He stopped right in front of Rue.
Up close, he smelled like clean cedar wood and fresh winter frost. His eyes studied her face. He looked at her silver hair, her soft pink eyes, and the heavy white blankets wrapped tightly around the baby resting against her chest.
Rue felt completely nervous. She was standing in front of an Alpha King. She knew the proper rules of the Beastworld. She shifted Theron slightly in her arms, planting her boots in the snow. She decided to greet Axel properly with a polite, deep bow.
She bent her knees to step back and lower her head.
Axel moved his hands instantly. He reached out and gently caught her arms, stopping her from bowing. His hands were incredibly warm through the thick fabric of her winter cloak.
"You are carrying a child," Axel said smoothly. His calm eyes looked right into hers. "Do not bother. There is no need for you to bow in my home."
Rue froze. He was standing very close. She looked down at his large, warm hands gently holding her arms. She felt a sudden, frantic flutter in her chest. She was completely used to Caius’s heavy, protective presence and Knox’s loud, fiery energy. Axel’s quiet, intense stillness was entirely new. It made her skin tingle.
She wanted to step back. She just needed a little bit of personal space to catch her breath and calm her racing heartbeat.
She took a step backward, shifting her weight.
Her boot completely missed the packed snow. She stepped directly onto a hidden patch of smooth solid ice.
Her foot shot right out from under her.
Rue let out a loud gasp. Panic exploded in her chest. The world suddenly tilted sideways. Gravity pulled her backward, fast and hard. She squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped both of her arms fiercely around Theron, entirely ready to hit the freezing ground. She just wanted to protect the baby from the hard impact.
She never hit the ground.
Axel stepped forward and shot his arm out, catching her firmly by the waist.
His strong arm wrapped entirely around her back, stopping her fall instantly. He pulled her flush against his chest, steadying her perfectly on the slippery ice. Little Theron was sandwiched safely between them, completely unaware that they almost fell.
It was a clumsy, awkward moment. Rue’s hands were pressed flat against the thick fur of Axel’s winter coat. She was breathing incredibly fast, her heart pounding wildly from the sudden scare.
She waited for him to help her stand up straight and let her go. That was the polite thing to do.
But Axel did not let go immediately.
His strong arm remained wrapped tightly around her small waist, holding her securely against the freezing wind. He looked down.
Rue slowly opened her eyes and looked up.
Axel stared directly into her soft pink eyes. The entire busy courtyard, the bowing elders, and his loud sister completely faded away.
Alpha Axel had never cared about romance in his entire life. His mind was an endless library of maps, war strategies, and winter supply numbers. He found love to be loud, messy, and not his thing to begin with. He preferred the quiet peace of his empty study.
But right now, his brilliant mind blanked out.
And his heart, which was just there to pump blood, skipped a beat.
A sudden rush of warmth flooded his chest, melting the frost he always kept around himself. He felt the soft, incredibly sweet scent of her skin wash over him. She felt so right in his arms.
Axel swallowed hard. His throat suddenly felt very dry. He stared into her pink eyes, completely lost in the moment.
Why is my heart racing?
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