Chapter 75 – Luna

The adrenaline was real. Leal could feel her entire system pumping with adrenaline as she ran around mercilessly taking down the mysterious men. She had never killed in ages, which is why she succumbed to the back of her subconscious and let Lilith roar. Besides, she couldn’t bear seeing such gore happen before her eyes, by her own hands. The only thing she wants to see right now is if Anna is doing alright.

Anna never cowered in fear at the presence of the bulky men and seeing her kill at two is just beyond her. Imagine seeing a two-year-old clawing the hell out of a man quadruple her size. Leal doesn’t know how Anna is capable of such violence at her age, but it’s most probably because of the mixed Lycan-Alpha blood running in her veins. She was the product of two of the most powerful bloodlines possible and her wolf knows it.

“Schatzi, duck!” She instinctively ducked and felt a sharp gust of wind pass through her head. She bit back a yelp when a wall near her exploded. Was that…a bazooka?!

Oh they are so going to get it now.

Still breathing heavily, Leal peeked from the bushes to the tall pile of dead bodies being encircled by a group of police, inside the ice cream shop barricaded by yellow police tape. The three of them watched as people started flocking to the crime scene, the one where they barely got out of without being caught and crowded the massacre. Some were speculating it was a terrorist attack, while some thought it was the start of a serial killer roaming their lands.

“Mommy, hungry…” Anna poked the side of her waist, pouting at her. Leal gently smiled and wiped the blood from Anna’s forehead which wasn’t wounded at all, concluding that it was another person’s blood.

“Okay, let’s go home.”

They both looked at Axel who was quietly cleaning his pistol. He looked up and smirked. “Oh? We’re going home?”

“You’re not coming with us.”

His smirk fell which made her feel slightly bad. But the ladies can’t eat with him, at least not right now when she’s still unsure of how she’ll introduce him. An acquaintance? The guy that played a serious role in how she is who she is today? Or… her boyfriend? Technically, they didn’t break up. She just never returned. But that was because he already had a family and she didn’t want to interfere. Ah, this is so frustrating.

“Well, where am I eating?”

She raised a brow at him. “I’m not your secretary anymore, go find a restaurant yourself.”

“Daddy,” Anna intervened, holding his hand. “Eat.”

Her lips parted in shock. He looked down at her, feigning a defeated face.

“I would love to, my Prinzessin, but Mommy doesn’t want me to…”

Anna looked up at her, pouting and frowning. He also looked back at her, not with a pout but a smirk. So they’re teaming up on her?

Sighing, she said, “Fine. But only for tonight.”

Currently in a table of 12, Axel was on the middle seat while the ladies were all on the other side of the table, near Big Lia who was on the other middle seat. They were all eyeing him while he eats, most of them probably criticizing him at his wounded state. Axel looked far from fabulous tonight, with a bruised jaw and slightly crooked nose, he looked more dangerous than ravishing. Aside from that, the ladies also saw him hide a gun in his suit which probably raised their suspicion of his origin.

They were all stealing glances at him from time-to-time ever since Anna pulled him inside. He almost even bumped his head on the cabin’s ceiling.

“So,” Big Lia broke the silence at the dinner table. “Why are you here, Axel Elcort? Shouldn’t you be in New York?”

She shot him the blunt question.

Of course, they knew Axel. His face is all over New York until now. They also knew of their relationship before because they were teasing her that he’ll get her out. He did, but at what cost? None of that, those are all in the past. What she’s bothered is if they’ll ask about her, him, and Anna. They know he’s Anna’s father, but will they give Anna to him?

Axel quietly damped the tissue on his mouth after sipping the soup. “I’m here on a business trip. I’m looking for an author to offer her/him a deal with our group.”

Big Lia raised a brow at him. “Why would you personally talk to the author? Don’t you have employees that can fly all the way from New York to Switzerland just for one deal?”

A ghost of a smile kissed his lips. “You see, this certain author has a special place in my heart, if not all…”

And it was at that moment that almost all of them in the room shot Leal a look. That look. She avoided all their eyes and continued to take care of Anna, who was squealing quietly upon every spoonful of her favorite potato rosti.

“I’m looking for The Anthem of Lycanthropy’s author, L.M.H. Does anyone here know her?”

She stilled.

Her hand holding the spoon for Anna was suspended mid-air as she felt her blood run cold. The…what?

The ladies looked at each other and shook their heads, knowing nothing about her alias in the world of literature.

“No, we don’t know her.”

Axel stole a knowing glance from her and nodded. “Huh, I’m pretty sure she lives just somewhere around here, do any of you—“

“Axel,” she cut him off, signaling Fundy beside her to feed Anna. “Do you mind coming with me?”

“Not at all.”

She sighed and only nodded at the ladies before storming out to the veranda. She deeply inhaled the fresh spring smell of Lauterbrunnen, and focused on the water flow from a nearby waterfall to calm her down. She never thought he’d find out about her book, nor would he track her down using it!

She heard incoming footsteps and felt the wooden floor creak at his every step until the door slid open behind her. He remained quiet for a while until he decided to speak first.

“It was a good book. You write well,” he complimented.

He read it. She was so emotional in that book, she felt so exposed… so naked, with her emotions read by him. He read her rage, her pain, her agony in that book, and he also read her joy, her ecstasy of their every intercourse, and her happiness of having Anna.

“Thanks,” she coldly replied, the cold night kissing both their skins.

“I’ve read how your character went back to New York and lived the rest of her life in peace there. Why don’t you?”

“My peace is not in New York.”

“Where is it?”

“Anna,” she replied, with him still behind her. “When I’m with Anna, I’m at peace.”

“Then take her with you back to New York,” his voice was pleading. He walked in front of her, and she saw unnamed emotions flash through his eyes. “Come back to me, please, both of you.”

She sighed and avoided his eyes. “I have no plans of being a Mistress, Axel. Leave us be.”

From the corner of her eyes, she saw him frown. “Mistress?”

“Yes, mistress. Go back to your family. I and my daughter are fine living here, away from your chaos of a life.”

“Schatzi…My daughter was deprived of me for two years, as well as my Luna. Can you please, please, listen to me?”

“Wow,” she scoffed, feeling the surge of fury. “So I’m the one who doesn’t listen? I’m the one that hides? What happened two years ago was already buried, huh?”

“Two years ago…” he trailed off, picking up what she meant. “Is the misunderstanding with Margaret holding you back?”

“There is no misunderstanding, Axel. Everything was clear. You have a family—“

“The kid wasn’t mine.”

She was cut off with his words deafening her ears.

“W-What?”

“The father was a random bar guy she hooked up with and got pregnant. If that’s what’s been bothering you,” he said, and it was like a bomb just exploded inside her. It was all a misunderstanding. She was crying every night for the first three months being here for nothing. Her tears were wasted.

“B-But, I thought…”

“Anna is mine, right?”

She remained silent, which made nervousness fuel his heart to pump faster.

“She’s my daughter, is she not?”

Leal bit her lower lip. There’s no point in hiding it from him now. “She is,” she quietly mumbled.

She heard him exhale heavily and was rooted in place when he pulled her in for a hug. Her eyes widened, even more so, when he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

“Fuck, I missed you so much.”

Her face heated as she slowly raised her hands to softly pat him on the back. She wants to hug him back but she could clearly hear the ladies’ shuffling noises inside, knowing that they’re snooping.

Instead, she only sighed and let a small smile peek through. “I think you might want to pull away now, they’re watching.”

“Let them.”

“Axel…”

“Hmm?”

“I missed you too.”

He chuckled.

“No, I missed you more,” he cooed, “My Luna.”