Was The World About To End?

Kross was furious. He never gets furious. He was just a tall, muscled wall of no feeling. He barely raised his voice—he barely even spoke—he didn't get angry. He talked with his words, not his fists.

The only time Kross had gotten to the point of throwing was when we were still kids, still young and foolish. Kross had gotten into a heated fight with Kade and they both came out of it with serious injuries.

I dodged Kross’s blow, moving to the side and out of his way but he came back like a raging bull, throwing another punch which I dodged. I didn't want to get into a fight with him. I was in the wrong, but that doesn't mean I want to get beaten.

“Kross, listen–”

“How could you be so stupid?!” he shouted, coming at me with full rage.

Kross getting into a fight with me and shouting at the same time? Was the world about to end?

“I’m sorry, okay?” I tried to get to him, this time blocking his punches. “I felt like I was dying, Kross. The pain was worse than ever before. And the meds weren't working.”

That finally got to him and he paused, staring at me with an eyebrow raised, his chest heaving and he looked like a mess. His usual perfect hair was a mess, and he was in his nightclothes.

Who was this stranger standing in front of me?

“What do you mean the meds weren't working?” he asked slowly as if he was trying to feel the words, see if he really heard correctly.

I sighed as I walked to the bed, sitting at the edge while I felt Kross’s eyes follow me like a hawk. I scrubbed my hands on my face, sighing again. Fuck, I was tired. After what I just did with Rosette, I had no strength in me again. The aftermath of the pills I took seems to be in effect.

“The pills didn't work,” I whispered, my face still buried in my hands. “Well, they did for about twenty minutes, but after that, it had no more effect on me. It just stopped working all of a sudden. The pain was unbearable, Kross.” I raised my head and looked at him. He still stood where he was, looking tired and drained. “I felt like I was going to die. It was worse than anything I've ever felt. I was barely even thinking when I went back to the mansion. It felt like I blacked out, but my body was still working. And when I came into consciousness again, I was standing in front of her bed.”

Kross looked at me with tired eyes before he sighed, massaging his temple. “You should have called. We would have thought of something. Found another solution. What you did was risky, Axel. So damn risky.”

I nodded slowly, the weight of what I did finally settling on me. “I didn't knot in her, though.”

“I know you didn't. You wouldn't be here if you did.” He walked to me and stroked my hair. I lean almost absentmindedly into the touch, closing my eyes. “Get some sleep. You look dead.”

After he left, I lay on the bed, not even bothering to take my shoes off, staring at the ceiling. Despite being tired down to the bones, I couldn't find sleep, or it was choosing not to answer my calls.

So my thoughts wander and wander.

What would have happened if I had lost control and knotted in her? Kade never went into details about how his mate died. He never talked about it, so we don't really know what happened. That dreadful night, he just came out of his room, naked, shaking uncontrollably, with so much terror in his eyes as he begged for our help.

But there was nothing we could do and it was too late. She had already died even before he came out of the room.

Would that have happened to Rosette if I hadn't pulled away? The thought filled me with so much dread, that it knocked me into a deep sleep.

***

KROSS

“How was he?” Kade asked as I stepped into the living room the next morning, not raising his eyes from his coffee.

“Alive,” I asked as I walked to the kitchen, filling my mug.

“And she?” he asked as I walked back to the living room.

She had remained in her room, not once coming out. I didn't know if I was supposed to check on her or see if she was doing okay. But since Axel had left her, I knew she was okay. He wouldn't have left otherwise. “Alive, as well.”

“What he did was stupid,” Kade muttered, his grip tightening on the mug.

“The meds didn't work.” Kade raised his head to look at me, shock evident in his eyes.

“What… do you mean the meds didn't work? Did he even take them?”

“He did.” When I walked into his room I was disgusted by what I saw. There were pills scattered on the floor, and bile everywhere. That was when I knew something had gone terribly wrong, but that did nothing to quench my rage.

He was reckless and should have reached out to us first.

“If the meds don't work again, what do we do?” Kade asked, his eyes still wide.

“Let's not conclude yet. Your rut is soon, correct?” He nodded. “We’ll see.”

We just couldn't start panicking. Those pills have been helping for years. Not just us, but other Alphas who don't have mates to spend their rut with. If the pills had stopped working, we would have already heard.

So there might be an explanation for why it didn't work for Axel.

“I'm leaving,” I said as I finished my coffee, picked up my coat, and headed to the elevator. But then I paused, looking upstairs and towards her room. I should check up on her, right?

I turned even before I could make up my mind, heading upstairs. I stopped outside the door, listening. Her heartbeat was too fast for her to be asleep, so I knocked gently. “Rosette.”

I heard her heartbeat do a little kick like she was startled. Then a rustle, before the soft tap of her bare foot against the rug.

She opened her door slowly as if she was still deciding whether she should or not. Eventually, she opened it fully, and her frame filled the door.

“Hi,” she said softly, looking at me before she looked away, her cheeks slightly flushed.