Page 100 of Axel

Who?

Jace?

Loch?

Grant?

The flash of images in my mind is so erotic. I have no doubt it was because I saw Wren’s initiation. And if Axel initiates me like that, too? If they make me his queen officially?

“It’s okay,” I rush, feeling protective over everyone. “You don’t have to tell me the secret.”

“It’s not a secret.” Zar boasts, “I’m proud Sire is my second king.”

Sire!

The celebrity pastor in a holy-rolling conservative town? The man who looks like he was sprung from jail then bought out a Gucci showroom? The man who breeds his young wife like a prize filly?

He’s Zar’s second king?

Why does that make Sire even more masculine and mysterious? Why does that make me love Wren, though we haven’t really met?

This means Wren knows about Sire’s sexuality and loves him. She’s not threatened. She celebrates who he is and sounds just like me.

God, I want to meet the other queens. I’m sure I’ll love them.

“Speaking ofyourking.” Nick nods at me, answering his buzzing phone. “Sup, fuckwad?” he answers Axel, smiling, but instantly it falls, and I watch with my heart rate climbing.

“Shot?” Nick jumps to his feet in the sand. “Is he okay?”

“Shot?” I whip my worried stare to Zar. “Who?”

“Don’t know,” Zar replies, deadly serious. “But they’ve been running a dangerous mission and…”

He stops. He can’t reveal more, and I get it.

Pacing, Nick listens to Axel, to whatever in the hell is happening before he says, “Yeah, she’s here with me. I promise. I won’t let her out of my sight.”

The sweet football fucker.

That’s why Nick’s really here? Not to join Zar in a luxurious, LGBTQ-friendly vacation spot. No. He’s here as a king, as my bodyguard. Axel assigned Nick to me, as he assigned Loch to Alena.

Why am I not surprised?

“Yeah,” he says. “Here she is.”

Nick hands the phone to me while I glare at him. He’s busted. He knows, so he winks, looking just like Jace. Like he doesn’t care. It’s that whole always-protecting-his-queen thing.

“Are you okay?” It’s the first thing I need to know from Axel, followed by, “Who’s shot?”

“I’m fine, Wildfire.” Axel sounds tired. “Just fucking obey me and stay with Nick. Promise me.”

“Okay.” I don’t fight this anymore. “But who was shot?”

“Grant,” he answers, and I grab my heart, tears immediately biting at my eyes. “But he’ll be okay. He had on a vest, but it was at close range. It was a brutal impact, but he’ll be out in a day or two.”

“Of the hospital?”

“Yes. My mom is with him. So is his wife. He’ll be fine. Just…” Axel falters. I can hear the pieces moving in his life. They match mine. “Just… It’s best you’re not here right now. We have a hostile on the loose; everyone’s on alert until we find him again.”

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