The Almost One Night Stand

Chapter 35

Axel's POV

I placed her on the bed and stepped back so Sean could continue his examination. "Her blood pressure is a bit low, but not enough to worry about." He grabbed a water bottle out of the minifridge next to his bed. "I'll go grab her some crackers. If she wakes up, try and get her to drink the water." I nodded as he headed down towards the kitchen.

North stood at the foot of the bed watching her. "She looks so fragile when just a few moments ago she looked ready for battle." I nodded my head as he sat down next to her. "You look like you're ready to burn down the world for her, Ax," he said.

"I am," I replied simply. I knew that day in the diner that I was falling, I just never considered she might feel the same way.

"It's okay, you know," he said, looking at me. "She has this way of making you feel at peace no matter what is going on around you. Gabe's right, we are all going to fall sooner or later. She already owns our hearts even if she doesn't realize it yet."

I put my hand on her stomach. "I'm worried for her and those babies. We need to protect her, but I get the feeling she isn't one to step away from a fight."

He chuckled, "Yeah, I think you're right. But don't underestimate her magic, Ax. She's strong." He placed a kiss on her forehead and put his hand on my shoulder. "I need to talk to Luke about Owen's plans."

I looked at him, "Huh?"

He tapped his forehead, "A perk of the Druid bond - telepathy. Of course, it can also be a curse when they forget to close the connection during, um, private times," he grimaced.

I gave a chuckle as he left the room and turned my attention back to Flower. I reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her hair, but the moment my hand made contact against her face, a flash of a memory jolted me - only it wasn't my memory.

A figure shrouded in black stood in the road as the rain came down practically sideways. I saw a black car swerve and then was sent airborne as the figure raised its hand. Inside the driver vanished as the young couple in the back screamed and then began to chant, creating a protective shield around the small girl who was crying out for them. They each kissed her once then the scene went black.

When I regained my vision, I was staring into Nimue's tear-filled eyes. Her sobs broke free and I quickly cradled her in my arms. "Shh, I'm so sorry, Flower. I didn't mean to pry, I don't even know how it happened," I murmured, pressing my mouth against her hair.

"I never had that memory," she said hoarsely, "M..my p...parents must...must have hidden it fr..from me." Her words were broken as she sobbed against my chest. She laid her hand over my heart and let out a ragged breath, "Oak."

I stiffened. Was she telling me I'd just been marked like the others? "How do you know?" I asked, not letting her go.

"The only way you could see a vision hidden from me is if you have suffered great loss yourself. That is the cornerstone of an Oak - resilience in the face of loss." She pressed her lips against my chest, "Thank you for giving me my final moments with my parents. I now know they gave their lives to save mine." She pulled back from me and met my gaze. "I'm sorry if this isn't something you want, Axel. I promise I'm not trying to trap anyone or trick you."

I swear it's as if she could read minds. While I'd already shoved those doubts away, I can't say they weren't there before. I pressed my lips to her forehead, then pulled back and wiped her tears, "I know, Flower. I admit I had doubts in the beginning, but those are long gone. As for what I want, from the moment I caught you dunking cookies in your tea, I've wanted this," I leaned down and captured her lips with mine. Her hands tangled in my shirt as she returned the kiss. When we parted, I studied her face for any fear or regret but found none. "Perfect," I whispered. Her cheeks flushed as she looked at me, but made no move to leave my arms. I reached for the water Sean had left and opened it. She pressed it to her lips and drank nearly half of it. Once I put it back, I repositioned us so that she was laying against my chest and my arms were wrapped around her. I heard her breathing level out as she fell asleep.