Page 24 of Queen
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured in awe, reaching his hand up. She hissed in warning, but froze when he ignored her wrath and pressed a hand to her snout anyway. The touch cleared her mind a little, even if it was only from anger, and it was enough to let her regain some control over her feral nature. She was still mere seconds away from tearing into his throat, but there was a part of her, however faint and buried, that didn’t want to hurt him.
“It’s okay, Ella,” he said calmly. “I deserve it. Do whatever you need to do, but if there’s anything of you left, and I know there is, you won’t. Because you’re strong and good. Despite everything you’ve been through, you always have been, and you make me want to be those things, too.”
His words had the opposite effect of what he seemed to intend, and she grimaced as another wave of deja vu washed over her. The past and present were blending as her fractured mind pieced itself back together.
As the madness slowly began to recede, she felt herself shifting back both in mind and body. When she was finally herself again, her feelings toward the man beneath her were no less confusing. She wanted to kill him, but she also wanted to fall into his arms and hold him until he went back to being the Bishop she knew. The Bishop she loved.
He froze, and she realized she had collapsed on top of him, sobbing tears of anger and relief. It was all so haywire, she didn’t even know which was which anymore, but when his hand hesitantly came to rest on her head and he took her into his arms, she felt like she had come home after a long journey.
She just knew it was far from over.
Chapter 14
Axel
Axel snarled viciously at the sight of Ella in Bishop’s arms. He knew logically that Bishop wasn't her greatest threat at the moment, but that didn't stop his tiger from raging. He forced himself to shift back before he could tear Bishop’s head off, but only because he was afraid Ella would get in the way.
Sterling shifted back, too, casting a glance at Axel. "Believe me, I want to kill him as badly as you do, but it's not the time," the teacher muttered.
"He's right," Ella said, standing with Bishop's help. That just pissed Axel off even more. "We need to find Natalia right now. Where would she be?" She turned to Bishop, her tone still rough from her feral form’s yowling. Axel was still never going to get over the fact that little Ella, the house cat, turned into that thing.
It was… kind of hot.
Bishop paused to consider the question, or maybe whether he was going to answer or flip his allegiances again. Axel wouldn't have been surprised either way.
"The coronation," Bishop finally said. He must've seen the incredulity on Axel's face, because he added, "She’ll do anything to hold onto power. She knows she can't run, and she's cornered, so she's going to be trying to spin the facts in her favor."
"Of course," said Sterling. Axel wasn't sure he believed Bishop's reasoning, but if Sterling thought it was true, he would grudgingly go along with it.
"We'll take my SUV," the professor said, heading back to the vehicle Axel was still pissed had beaten him to the bridge in his tiger form. He was never going to live that down either. He could hear the horsepower jokes already.
It was lucky Sterling always kept extra clothes in the trunk in case he needed to shift. Axel got dressed quickly along with the professor and Ella, who looked adorable in the clothes that were too big for her. But when he was in the middle of buttoning up his new shirt, he caught a glimpse of Bishop moving to open the rear door for Ella.
Axel lunged forward, catching the door and putting himself between them. "You can ride in the front. Sterling can keep an eye on you."
Bishop's gaze turned to steel as it met his, but he left to get into the other seat without a word.
"Axel, please," Ella said tiredly as Axel helped her into the back before getting in with her. "This is hard enough."
He grumbled in acknowledgment, putting an arm around her once she was buckled in.
It didn't take long to get to the coronation, and given the chaos that had taken place after Ella's disappearance, he wasn't surprised everyone was still there. Security had probably refused to let them leave the building after two Empresses had gone missing.
And now there would be two in the same room.
As they walked into the building, Axel kept a close eye on Bishop. He trusted him as little as he trusted the crazy bitch who was waiting in the center of the ballroom, just as Bishop had said she would be.
So he was right about that. They could still be walking into a trap.
Natalia turned, her eyes widening in a display of helpless horror Axel had to admit was pretty convincing. At least, it had been. "There they are," she cried, darting behind one of her security officers. "It was the three of them. They kidnapped me and tried to kill me!"
Axel snorted. Everyone in the room was watching them, obviously stunned into silence. Even he had to admit, this was the most interesting colony event he'd ever attended. "Man, you don't know when to quit, do you?"
Natalia's gaze flared with hatred, but her little miss helpless routine wouldn't falter. At the worst possible time, Axel heard his mother's voice calling his name.
"Axel," Emily cried, rushing toward him. "What on earth is going on?"
"Not now, mom," he muttered. "Were in the middle of a coup."
